Sarah McClimon
Dr. Sarah McClimon is excited to be in her fifth year teaching at Hart, and her ninth year as a music teacher. Before coming to Hart, Dr. McClimon was director of music (bands, jazz, choirs and music technology) at Fortuna High School where she was recognized as Music Teacher of the Year by North Coast California Music Educators’ Association in 2016. Dr. McClimon received her early musical training from her mother Ruth McClimon on piano, and through the public schools. She studied music education at St. Olaf College, where she toured with the St. Olaf Band (flute) and St. Olaf Cantorei. She earned a Bachelor of Music in instrumental music education in 1999 and the MA and PhD in ethnomusicology from University of Hawaii with research on Japanese music. She has lived in Japan for six years, where she studied Japanese music with the support of the Japanese Ministry of Education and the Japan Foundation. Sarah has taught in the College of Comparative Cultures at the University of Tsukuba and at the International English Language Institute at Humboldt State University. She currently teaches music education online at Humboldt State University Department of Secondary Education. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. She is a member of the musical ensemble Silk Road Junction along with her husband, tabla player Abdur Rahman.
Andrew Lu
Andrew Lu is a musician and educator from Palo Alto, CA. He began playing piano at age 4 and joined the school band on flute at age 10. Andrew graduated with highest honors in May 2019 from University of the Pacific with a B.M. Music Education degree with an Instrumental concentration, where he studied education with Ruth Brittin and Eric Hammer, composition with Robert Coburn, and conducting with Eric Hammer, Yejee Choi, Peter Witte and Harvey Benstein. He previous student taught at Lincoln High School and Sierra Middle School (Stockton, CA), and also served as a long-term substitute for the Glick Middle School band program (Modesto, CA).
He founded of 28/78 New Music Ensemble, a student-run new music ensemble at Pacific, and served as its director from its inception until May 2019. As an active conductor in the Pacific Conservatory community, he led performances with Pacific’s Choirs and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and also premiered several student compositions. Outside of the Conservatory, Andrew has conducted and music directed musical theatre productions with PEP and A Theatre Near U. He also served as the Choral Assistant at the Stockton Youth Chorale for two years. An avid composer, Andrew has collaborated on two new musicals with A Theatre Near U, including A Beautiful Glass (2016) which was nominated for an SF Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Original Music. He has also had several original compositions and arrangements performed in various concerts in California.
He founded of 28/78 New Music Ensemble, a student-run new music ensemble at Pacific, and served as its director from its inception until May 2019. As an active conductor in the Pacific Conservatory community, he led performances with Pacific’s Choirs and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and also premiered several student compositions. Outside of the Conservatory, Andrew has conducted and music directed musical theatre productions with PEP and A Theatre Near U. He also served as the Choral Assistant at the Stockton Youth Chorale for two years. An avid composer, Andrew has collaborated on two new musicals with A Theatre Near U, including A Beautiful Glass (2016) which was nominated for an SF Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Original Music. He has also had several original compositions and arrangements performed in various concerts in California.