A seasonal music camp for adults - IM leads the way as a non-competitive, non-auditioned, educational orchestra for adult string players.

Sarah Jylkka is a Washington-based professional violinist with over 15 years of experience in classrooms and orchestras. She has directed orchestras at El Sistema Colorado, coached for various student festivals in the Denver metro area, and served as an orchestra director for Mapleton Public Schools in Thornton, CO from 2017-2021. She remains active as an instrumental coach, performer, private teacher, and orchestra clinician.  Sarah holds both a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN as well as an active Washington State Teacher's License endorsed in K-12 instrumental music. Sarah was the 2016 recipient of the DePauw University Music Citizen award granted to a student with outstanding service to the community through music as well as the 2o16 recipient of the Leah Curnutt Prize granted to an outstanding senior Music Education major. Sarah has been featured in Life on Capitol Hill and VoyageDenver. Notably, Sarah has performed with members of Elephant Revival, LVDY, The Blind Cafe Orchestra, Su Teatro, Nordic Daughter, Suhl Ensemble, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, Stratus Chamber Orchestra, recorded SFX for Mt. Mograph, and has designed sound for both The Pandemic Collective and Bewilderment Theater Company. Sarah has studied under Ericka Dicker, Dan Rizner, Tarn Travers, and Julia Taylor. Sarah currently works in Washington public schools. You can see Sarah perform on violin around the US with the Viking rock band, Nordic Daughter.

Maria Droz earned double B.A. degrees in Violin Performance and Music Education from Central Washington University, graduating summa cum laude. During her time there, she performed in a variety of ensembles and served as concertmaster for the CWU Symphony’s Halloween concert, featuring the famous Danse Macabre violin solo. Her primary teachers include Judy Beatie, Professor Carrie Rehkopf, and Denise Dillenbeck. She has also played in the violin section of the Wenatchee Valley Symphony and Lake Chelan Bach Festival. From 2015–2019, she served on the faculty of Seattle Youth Symphony’s “Summer Music” camp as a violin and chamber music coach. She completed her student teaching with renowned orchestra pedagogue Terry Shade, author of the String Basics method book series, whose mentorship has remained invaluable throughout her career. Following graduation, Maria taught grades 5–8 orchestra in the Bethel School District for six years. A passionate advocate for music education, she helped develop some of the strongest orchestra programs in the district, growing the Spanaway Middle School orchestra program from 80 to 200+ students in just four years. Her teaching style is often described as “warmth demanding,” balancing high expectations with strong encouragement and support. In 2024, she transitioned to building a thriving private studio in Puyallup, where her violin and viola students continue to earn high marks at festivals and are selected for district honor orchestras. In addition to private instruction, Maria coaches sectionals for local public schools and enjoys serving as a guest clinician. She also remains active in the music educator community and recently presented at the Washington Music Educators Association’s conference in February 2026. Outside of teaching, Maria enjoys spending time with her husband, cooking and baking, and exploring the outdoors. She loves working with musicians of all ages and levels and is thrilled to be returning to TASC again this summer!

Marisa Robbins is a cellist and music educator in training based in the Tacoma area. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Pacific Lutheran University and is currently completing her Bachelor of Music Education with a concentration in secondary orchestra. With more than eleven years of playing experience, Marisa has served as principal cellist of the PLU Symphony Orchestra and performed in a variety of chamber ensembles. Her performance experience also includes playing in pit orchestras for PLU opera and musical theatre productions, as well as performing as an orchestral musician for regional events such as the Tacoma Music Collaborative Concerto Festival and the Cascade Conducting Orchestral Masterclass. In addition to performing, Marisa teaches private cello lessons and enjoys helping students build confidence and strong foundational skills through clear, supportive instruction.

Jon Heintz proudly serves as the orchestra director at Rainier Middle School and Auburn Mountainview High School in Auburn, Washington. Jon also teaches a robust private double bass studio. His students have consistently performed at State Solo and Ensemble and WMEA All-State and NAfME All-Northwest. Former students of his studio are currently performing at the University of North Texas, St. Olaf College, and the University of Washington. Jon stays busy playing bass in orchestras, jazz ensembles, and bands across the Puget Sound. When he is not doing something musical, Jon enjoys watching football and hanging out with his two cats, Bebop and Mingus.

Tricia completed her Bachelor of Arts (2016) with a psychology minor and Master’s degree (2018) in music performance at Portland State University. She studied viola privately under Brian Quincy of the Oregon Symphony and renowned composer Kenji Bunch. Her Portland based private studio consisted of neuro-divergent students in which she brought piano and violin lessons to homes that thought it was inaccessible. Tricia has performed viola and violin professionally with groups such as Columbia River Strings, Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, the Zach Banks Quartet, Eastern Oregon Symphony, and Oregon Music Festival. In addition to her live performances, she is credited on professional recordings of artists such as Max Ribner, Joe Kye, June Magnolia, and Eriks Esenvalds. Other conductors Tricia has collaborated with include Ken Selden (Portland State University), Steven Byess (Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra), Jonathan DeBruyn (Eugene Symphony), and Zach Banks (Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra). While Tricia’s orchestra experience is extensive she would rather play chamber music in quartets and chamber orchestras. She has played both piano and viola for about 20 years. In addition to being an artist, Tricia has experience in artistic operations under Chamber Music Northwest and other nonprofit organizations solidifying her organizational skills and making her a reliable collaborator and communicator. Her guiding philosophy when teaching is to foster music appreciation. She moved from Portland in 2022 to study at Pima Medical Institute in Renton to study occupational therapy assisting, her other professional area of practice. Her occupational therapy training and previous experience with the neuro-divergent population make her uniquely capable of teaching musical skills that can be generalized beyond the lesson, such as critical thinking and creative problem solving. Her knowledge in this field greatly informs her teaching due to her training in motor skills, task analysis, and occupational models. In her spare time, you can find her reading every genre, drinking boba, and practicing viola.

Chris Burns is principal bassist of Symphony Tacoma.  He is also an active freelance musician, performing regularly with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Chris has been a featured soloist in concerto performances with Symphony Tacoma, Butte Symphony, and the University of Montana Orchestra, as well as in numerous recitals and chamber music collaborations. Chris earned his Bachelors of Music from the New England Conservatory in Boston, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Universität für Musik in Vienna, Austria.  In addition to his performing career, Chris is also the orchestra director at Narrows View Intermediate School in the University Place School District, WA, and was the 2015 UPSD “Teacher of the Year.”