ORS Youth Choir Artistic Staff
Aubrey Patterson, Jeri Haskins Artistic Director
Aubrey Patterson is a choral conductor, educator, and arts advocate serving as the Jeri Haskins Artistic Director for the Oregon Repertory Singers (ORS) Youth Choir. Patterson values musical excellence with a deep commitment to choral pedagogy and music literacy. She has spent over a decade cultivating high-caliber choral programs, including earning five Oregon OSAA State Championships.
Aubrey also serves as the conductor of Voces Auream at Lewis & Clark College and is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator. She has been the featured conductor at multiple festivals and honor choirs across Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, where she fostered leadership, musicianship, and artistic growth in singers of all ages.
Aubrey balances the rigors of technical music-making with the joys of community singing at all levels. She was honored to be the first high school music educator to serve as an adjudicator for the Bali International Choir Festival, reflecting her global perspective on choral music and pedagogy. Aubrey hosts a variety of choral festivals with expert clinicians, focusing on collaboration and building connections with school and community choirs. Her leadership model encourages confidence, acceptance, and growth toward peak musical experiences.
Katey Simmons, 5th–7th Grade – Central
Katey Simmons (they/them) is the current choral director at Franklin High School in the Portland Public School District and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Oregon State University. They are passionate about healthy and versatile vocal development, literacy skills, and student empowerment through music making. Teacher Simmons is a treble music enthusiast, the 6-12 Like-Voice Treble Conductor for ORS Youth Choirs, and a proud alto one in the adult Oregon Repertory Singers choir. Katey enjoys exploring many genres of music, reading, being outside, and spending time with their cat Midnight.
Koren Russ, 2nd–4th Grade — Central
Koren Russ graduated from Oregon State University in 1998. She is a music educator in the Beaverton School District and has 25 years of experience working with students from kindergarten through eighth grade. With her vibrant personality and humor, Koren connects to students using her knowledge of choral techniques and musicianship to educate each student based on their current skills. Her passion is creating joyful musical experiences with all singers.
Stevie Baker, Kinder–1st Grade — Central
Stevie Baker graduated in 2020 with a bachelors degree in choral music education degree from Northern Arizona University, where she sang under Dr. Edith Copley in the Shrine of the Ages choir. Stevie is in her 6th year of teaching elementary music and is entering her first year as the 1st-5th music teacher at Catlin Gabel school.
Stevie has experience as a church music director and accompanist, has created an aligned music curriculum for the North Clackamas school district, and currently teaches private piano lessons. She is proud to be part of the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir and strives to create a welcoming space for young musicians to express themselves and grow.
Outside of music, Stevie enjoys running, rock climbing, and spending time with her three cats: Olive, Autumn, and Phoenix.
Jimmy Brown, Associate Conductor
Tenor+Bass Like Voice — Central
2nd–5th Grade Director — East
Jimmy Brown (he/him) is a 5th-year music educator. He currently teaches elementary music in the Gresham-Barlow school district. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2019 with a Bachelors of Music in Music Education. While studying in Eugene, Jimmy sang in the UO Chamber choir for four years under the direction of Dr. Sharon Paul, participated in the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, held a section leader role in the chorale of the Central Lutheran Church of Eugene, and sang for the academic early music ensemble, Vox Resonat. He currently sings with the local Portland choir, In Medio.
Before attending university, Jimmy attended Reynolds High School and was part of youth ensembles in Portland. His formative experiences with youth ensembles propelled him to pursue music education. He believes that making music within an ensemble is one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences a person can have. With music being his foremost passion, Jimmy also enjoys spending time exploring the Portland food scene and book stores with his wife, Christina, and their two dogs, Luna and Nova.
Hannah Schacht, Kindergarten–1st Grade – East
Hannah Schacht graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor's in music education in 2021 and a master’s in education in 2022. She began her career teaching elementary music in the Sherwood School District, where she directed her school's 4th and 5th grade after-school choir. Hannah then moved to Madrid, Spain to teach English in a bilingual elementary school for the 2025-26 school year. She developed a connection with the music teacher there which led to her assisting with school performances. Having returned to Portland, she is excited to jump back into the world of music. Hannah's passion for singing led her to sing in choirs throughout her high school and college careers, including the Portland State Chamber Choir under the direction of Ethan Sperry. This year is Hannah's third year singing Alto with the Oregon Repertory Singers. She thoroughly enjoys working with young musicians, helping them deepen their love of music through self-expression. Hannah is excited to reach more families through the growth of the East Side location. During her free time, she enjoys being in nature, practicing Spanish, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her cat, Mrs. Fiona Charming.
Lindsey Newby, Kinder–4th Grade — West
Lindsey Newby is from Beaverton, Oregon. She studied music education at Pacific University, and performed with the Chamber Singers under the direction of Scott Tuomi. Lindsey is passionate about social justice and the power of music education. She is a general music teacher and choral director in the Beaverton School District, where she also serves as an equity training facilitator. Lindsey is also a vocal coach, pianist, and Soprano for the In Medio singers in Portland. She is excited to join the ORS community! Lindsey hopes to continue to foster an inclusive space where all people can experience the joy that comes with being in a music ensemble. When she’s not singing or teaching, you can find Lindsey in nature, traveling, spending time with loved ones or trying new foods.
Amberlynn Lane, Kindergarten – 4th Grade – North
Amberlynn Lane (she/her/they) has been teaching elementary general and choral music for twelve years. She taught for two years in Oregon after receiving a Masters of Arts in Teaching at Oregon State University and has since been teaching in the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Washington. A National Board-Certified Teacher in Early Childhood Music, Lane has presented sessions at Washington Music Educators Association and the national Modern Band Summit hosted by MusicWill. She currently serves as the Northwest Modern Band Association vice-president and previously served as an elementary representative and equity committee member for the Washington Music Educators Association. Amberlynn holds certifications in World Music Pedagogy and Modern Band levels 101 and 102. Additionally, she studied composition with Robert Dickow, Dan Buckvich, and Charles Argersinger, at Washington State and the University of Idaho.
Amberlynn vividly remembers begging her parents to sign her up for choir when she was in elementary school and is thrilled to be bringing that opportunity to young singers in Southwest Washington. She is quite sure that “musicking” with children is the most fun, and loves to teach literacy and musicianship in creative, student-centered ways.
Cindy Mair, Collaborative Pianist – Central
Cindy Mair (she/her) joined ORS Youth Choir as a collaborative pianist in the Fall of 2022. She retired from a 36-year Kindergarten–12th grade music teaching career in 2016. Cindy's specialties included elementary classroom music in addition to middle and high school choral instruction. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Oregon State University and later her master's in administrative leadership from Concordia University. Cindy has accompanied many ensembles and soloists at both the local and state level. She revels in being a part of a loving and talented choir community!
Gary Skye, Collaborative Pianist – West
Gary Skye M.Mus. studied piano at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and earned a B.A. in psychology at Stanford University and a master's degree in piano performance at Portland State University, studying with Lisa Marsh. An active collaborative pianist, Gary regularly accompanies vocalists and instrumentalists in the area. Equally comfortable with contemporary and classical genres, Gary has collaborated with national and international touring artists and has recorded albums of original music. He has also been a frequent guest singer-songwriter/pianist for numerous church congregations across the country. Gary serves as Music Director for Lake Oswego United Church of Christ.
Photos by Richard Poppino & Pierre-Alain Chevalier