Levi Ware

Founder and Conceptual Developer of the MELODIC CARING PROJECT. Levi has a background in business management and marketing as well as 20+ years experience in the music industry as an established singer/songwriter and 8+ years experience in live production and video streaming. Levi’s heart and passion for the project along with his extensive knowledge in production, songwriting, press, radio and live performance is a valuable asset to furthering the cause and mission of Melodic.

Stephanie Ware

CFO, Founder and Conceptual Developer of the MELODIC CARING PROJECT, Stephanie holds a BA in Business Administration with a focus in accounting and marketing. Stephanie encompasses a diverse and seasoned skill set in management, marketing, accounting, event design & planning, video production and promotions. She is driven, organized and passionate about living intentionally, leaving a legacy of good and furthering MCP’s mission to support people in need.

Katie Conder, MT-BC

Katie Conder was born and raised in Nashville, TN, Katie grew up with a passion for music & performance in the one and only Music City. Katie received her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Belmont University following the completion of her undergraduate studies and clinical fieldwork. Katie’s passion for serving the pediatric population was amplified during her music therapy clinical internship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. Katie returns to Nashville to serve the Melodic Caring Project as their Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC). Inspired by MCP’s mission, she is thrilled to utilize her therapeutic knowledge and clinical experience to expand the therapeutic programming at MCP by connecting more pediatric patients & families to the healing power of music.

Sara Jane Walsh

James Marples

Marketing Manager at The Chesterfield College Group, UK, James has a background in public relations, photography and videography in addition to all facets of the marketing mix. James contacted us in 2017 with the aim of streaming shows from the UK and expanding the charity’s service to children and adults across the UK and Europe.

Working with Ebony Pascall, James has helped to create a sustainable volunteer model with Media students at Chesterfield College, providing young people with incredibly valuable work experience when operating cameras and helping to produce shows.

Christina Ebersole MT-BC

Christian Ebersole is a compassionate and dedicated certified Music Therapist with over 10 years of experience helping individuals of all ages and backgrounds unlock the healing potential of music. With a background in piano performance and Music Therapy, Christina utilizes a client-centered approach to support emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being through music.

Christina is also an advocate for the power of music as a universal language, believing that it can bridge gaps and foster resilience in even the most challenging circumstances. Inspired by MCP’s mission, she is thrilled to be a part of MCP’s team to utilize her therapeutic knowledge and clinical experience to expand the therapeutic programming at MCP by connecting more patients & families to the healing power of music.

Dr. Jonah Essers

Originally from Washington D.C., Dr. Jonah Essers completed his medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He then moved back to his home town for his pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center. He went on to complete a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Essers also obtained a Master’s in Public Health degree at Harvard University during his in Boston. At Harvard, Dr. Essers began studying the genetic underpinnings for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Daly at the Broad Institute. He received the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) Research Fellowship Award as a senior fellow. This funding that helped Dr. Essers secure a faculty position at Boston Children’s, and allowed him to focus his efforts on his research. Dr. Essers spent four years working on understanding how genes play a role in dictating clinical behaviors in IBD.

Dr. Essers joined the staff at Swedish Medical Center in 2012, and currently practices pediatric gastroenterology at Swedish. He is proud to be a part of the IBD Center at Swedish and particularly enjoys the challenging but very successful IBD transition program where older children with IBD transition to an adult gastroenterologist for the next phase of their life. In the Northwest, Dr. Essers is a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Medical Advisory Committee. He is a regular speaker at Foundation-sponsored events. He also loves volunteering at Camp Oasis, a summer camp for children with IBD. Dr. Essers was named a Seattle ‘Top Doctor’ for the last five years by Seattle Metropolitan Magazine.

Stephanie Ware

CFO, Founder and Conceptual Developer of the MELODIC CARING PROJECT, Stephanie holds a BA in Business Administration with a focus in accounting and marketing. Stephanie encompasses a diverse and seasoned skill set in management, marketing, accounting, event design & planning, video production and promotions. She is driven, organized and passionate about living intentionally, leaving a legacy of good and furthering MCP’s mission to support people in need.

Jody McKinley

Jody has worked in music, entertainment and digital media for twenty years and is a consummate student of the industry. Jody is the Principal at the1175, an agency specializing in strategy, planning, business development and content licensing. the1175’s clients range from consumer brands, hardware manufacturers, application developers, subscription services and digital media companies. Prior to founding the1175, Jody worked as an executive for Rhapsody International (the parent company of popular streaming music services Rhapsody and Napster) and at PlayNetwork, a Redmond, Washington-based b2b digital entertainment media provider. Jody also serves as Chair of the Seattle Music Commission.

Amanda Chomyszak

Amanda is an Advisor Consultant with New York Life Investments working with wealth advisors in the greater Washington area to share economic and investment insight. She has been a speaker at a number of industry events on topics ranging from investment outlook to practice management strategies.

She is originally from Syracuse, New York and lived on the east coast prior to moving to Seattle. She has been active in supporting nonprofits like the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation over the past few years and is thrilled to be more involved with the Melodic Caring Project. Amanda is a member of The Washington Athletic Club and enjoys staying active. In her free time she travels to the east coast to visit family and friends including her niece. She lives in Seattle with her two dogs Piper and Scout.

Christopher F. Bien

From directing network television series for ABC, CBS and NBC to pioneering digital marketing for Microsoft, Emmy award-winning Producer/Director Christopher Bien has the depth and breadth of experience to successfully tackle the most challenging of projects.

Chris first worked as studio and location crew for WHA-TV (PBS) in Madison, Wisconsin quickly working his way up to Director. He left Madison for New York City establishing CFBien Productions, shortly directing and producing for shows like GERALDO, the CBS MORNING PROGRAM, and INSIDE EDITION. After relocating on to Los Angeles FOX, Disney, NBC, ABC, and CBS became steady clients with shows such as EXTRA, VITAL SIGNS, TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO, CHANGE OF HEART, ABC SPORTS and GENERAL HOSPITAL.

Eventually Chris moved to Seattle, WA and became a full time Senior Producer for Microsoft. He quickly moved to a management role, heading the production management team. In addition he executive produced numerous television and web series and cable pilots for Microsoft including music specials with Janet Jackson, Alanis Morissette, and David Byrne.
In parallel to Microsoft, he become the Lead Instructor for the University of Washington Extension’s “Film and Video Production Certificate Program.”

In 2010, Chris left Microsoft to re-kindle CFBien Productions in order to pursue independent projects, specializing in Live or As Live Virtual Productions and Broadcasts.

Jay Martin Jr.

Jay Martin Jr. is a Pacific Northwest native living on the eastside of Seattle with his wife of 17 years, Shannon, and their 3 beautiful children. Jay has found a way to uniquely intersect his passion for community and equality, with his 15 years of professional experience in theater and media. He’s performed in productions like Joseph and The Technicolor Dreamcoat and Godspell, and interviewed Emmy award winning journalists, stylists and directors. As a current captivating host of the television series PBS’s KTS9 Presents, in addition to hosting Thedriveprojectpodcast, Jay is regularly sharing stories that speak of passion, purpose, and possibility to a wide reach of diverse audiences. Jay has also appeared multiple times on King5’s Talk show New Day Northwest, and Northwest Wine and Bar nights in addition to the many commercials he has starred in.

When he’s not on the screen, Jay can be found hosting and emceeing events to bring people together in the Seattle area, including The Bite of Seattle and The Taste of Tacoma. He is also invested in his work in diversity, equity and inclusion, as he sits on the committee of DEI at Navia Benefit Solutions.

Elise Brueske

Elise Brueske was born in Drammen, Norway, and spent her formative years on the eastside of Seattle, where she currently resides with her husband Alex, their two children, Jack and Scottie, and their two dogs. She finds joy in sunshine, staying active, and live music. Elise earned her BA in Global Health from Pacific Lutheran University, where she played on the Women’s soccer team for two years and was a member of the University’s A capella group, HERmonic.

With a background in executive marketing and extensive experience organizing high-touch “C-Suite” executive and partner events for corporations such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Expedia, Elise transitioned from the corporate world to focus on raising her young children. She now contributes her talents to the non-profit sector and serves as the committee chair and organizer of the Annual Birdies for Brock Charity Golf Tournament.

Elise embraces the philosophy that “the meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away.” She is excited about her involvement with the Melodic Caring Project, where she contributes to advancing their purpose-driven mission.

James Chapple

James Chapple is an award winning composer based in Seattle, who is best known for his work in children’s animation.

Originally from Canada, James studied recording engineering before co-founding Voodoo Highway Music in 2000. For the past 24 years James has been writing music for film/TV, most notably as a composer for PAW PATROL, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and the TOTAL DRAMA franchise.

James is passionate about MCP’s mission and excited to use his platform in the children’s music space to advance the impact and reach of the Melodic Caring Project.

Like any true Canadian, James is an avid hockey fan, and enjoys coaching his son’s baseball and soccer teams.

Dan Reinharz

Dan is the Associate Director of Operations for the Seattle Theatre Group and overseas the operations of the Moore & Neptune Theatres. He has been with the Seattle Theatre Group for the last 10 years (not including a brief stint in the late ‘90s) and on behalf of STG, Dan has led the production efforts on hundreds of live music performances.

Through his work he has seen the awesome power of music to both comfort and bring people together. Dan came to Seattle in the early ‘90s by way of San Diego and originally Westchester, NY. After a 5-year stint as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, he settled into life in Seattle. Dan held the position of House Manager for the Paramount & Moore Theatres (for STG) from 1996-2000. He then left STG to open two restaurant / nightclubs in both Seattle & Portland, OR. After operating both businesses between 2001-2013, Dan then returned to work for STG in 2014 and has been there since.

Over the last ten years & by way of his position with STG, Dan has enjoyed the privilege of working with the Melodic Caring Project on various live stream events as well as the annual MCP Gala. He is looking forward to both continuing and expanding on those efforts going forward.

Nick Scarcelli

Originally from the greater Philadelphia area, Nick currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his fiancée, Zoie, and their dog. After receiving an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University, Nick was drawn to the financial industry and is currently a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) assisting families and business owners and providing educational workshops around the Phoenix area. In his free time, Nick is an avid outdoorsman taking advantage of the diverse landscapes Arizona has to offer.

Nick has been active in supporting various organizations with a centralized theme of supporting children going through particularly challenging times.  After growing up with a sister with heart disease, Nick has witnessed firsthand the struggles and challenges associated not only for the individual, but the surrounding family as well.

Nick was drawn to MCP in 2020 through his family foundation after learning about their powerful mission in the community and seeks to expand their impact and reach.

Mark Stendal

Experienced digital content creator and Emmy award-winning television producer. Mark served as a producer on MSN’s Tech & Gadgets online series, Gear Daddy and has spent over 10 years creating branded entertainment doing an immense amount of work for brands such as Microsoft, Skype, Slingbox, Lipton Tea, Proctor and Gamble, Ray Ban as well as producing primetime specials for MTV/VH-1, The Travel Channel, ABC, NBC and TLC. Mark has overseen production of over 2,000 television episodes earning top honors in media including the coveted Peabody Award, International Telly and Monitor Awards as well as multiple Emmy’s. Mark offers decades of experience working in television and film and has an intimate knowledge of how to position the MELODIC CARING PROJECT within the industry.

Vanessa Smith

Kaelyn

Kaelyn experienced her first concert through MCP more than five years ago. Since then, she’s grown passionate about the Melodic Caring Project’s mission, and Kaelyn looks forward to spreading the word about MCP as a rockSTAR Ambassador!

Learn More about Kaelyn’s story (click here).

Adri

RockSTAR Ambassador Adri has a passion for helping others who, like her, live with illness and disability. Adri has been battling her health since she was 12 years old, but she is determined to not let that stop her.  She is partnered with MCP through Kindness Crates– a care package program she started to support older children and teens also battling illness. 

Adri has a big appreciation for music, and she is excited to be a part of the MCP family! 

Francesca

Francesca is an inspirational speaker and writer, who has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from her journey with chronic illness since she was 12 years old. She is passionate about encouraging and advocating for others going through similar circumstances. Francesca is so grateful to be part of The Melodic Caring Project Ambassador’s team!

Paige

Paige is passionate about being a part of the Melodic Caring Project (MCP) family and loves sharing the organization’s mission with others. As a dedicated rockSTAR Ambassador, Paige is excited to help spread the word about Melodic and share its values of hope and connections.

In addition to her work with MCP, Paige worked as a camp counselor, providing support to campers with serious illnesses and helping them have fun and just be kids. Having faced her own journey with chronic illness since the age of 15, Paige can deeply relate to the challenges our rockSTARS face and is committed to making a positive impact in their lives.

Rob Drabkin

Rob Drabkin studied biochemistry, intending to become a doctor. But after a trip to New York City, he dropped science and dedicated himself to becoming a singer. Rob’s song “It’s A Beautiful Day” was recently featured in ads across Europe, propelling it to the #1 song in Greece. On tour in Rwanda and Uganda, he played to crowds of 26,000 people as part of the iKnow Concert Series and Tour Du Rwanda. Rob believes that love is ever-present. We can create it in the smallest, most unassuming moments of our lives, and share it through laughter, smiles, and sympathy. All we can do is keep being kind and have the courage to choose love in every decision we make.

www.robdrabkin.com  |  Spotify Apple Music   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube

Michaela Watson

Michaela Watson is a 22 year old singer/songwriter, voice actor, and music teacher from Austin, Texas and she’s been singing ever since she could talk. Known for her soulful voice, creative style and fascinating spirit, Michaela finds a way to mix her vintage influence with a modern and fresh sound.

In the fall of 2020, she had the opportunity to work closely with Blue October’s own Matt Novesky. Discovering a new sound and style that fits her so well and creating music even more authentic than before. With 6 singles and a music video under her belt, she looks forward to releasing an album in the future. 

https://www.michaelawatson.com

Lucie Kim

Lucie Kim, age 16, is an eleventh grader in the Pianist Program Conservatory at Orange County School of the Arts. Lucie began taking piano lessons at age six and made her Carnegie Hall debut at age nine. 

Lucie has won top prizes in numerous piano competitions, including First Prize at the Elvin Samuel McGaughey Music Foundation Glendale Competition, Gold Medal at the Southern California Junior Bach Competition, First Prize at the San Jose International Piano Competition along with the “Most Promising Young Talent Award,” First Prize at the Steinway Junior Piano Competition, and First Prize in the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition. She is a two time First Prize winner at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, and was a Silver Medalist at the quadrennial Virginia Waring International Junior Solo Competition. More recently, she received First Prize at the LISMA International Music Competition and First Prize at the Four Notes International Competition. 

At the age of 12, Lucie independently organized and performed in a full solo benefit concert for Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Since then, she has been actively using her passion for music by attending and performing at fundraising events to support the hospital as a CHOC ambassador.

Lucie also gave a Tedx Talk titled “Music Begins with a New Breath.” She talks about how breathing affects music performance, and can influence the quality, mood and level of audience engagement. 

In her spare time, Lucie loves to play golf with her friends and family.

JD Eicher

An artist who tours extensively in the US and abroad, JD Eicher is known for indie and alt-pop music with expressive vocals and carefully-crafted lyrics. With several albums to his credit, JD was enlisted to create the soundtrack to author Nicholas Sparks’s (The Notebook, A Walk To Remember) 20th book, Two By Two. He has shared billing with a wide range of well-known acts, including Coldplay, Maroon 5, Train, The Fray, and more, and his music has been used in national ad campaigns and television shows.

You can find JD on Spotify and Apple Music, or visit:

JDeicher.com  |  Instagram  |  Youtube  |  Spotify

Michael Pedrosa

Michael Pedrosa is an artist and producer located just north of Seattle in the Skagit Valley. Michael has been writing, performing, and producing since his teens and has toured and played in bands ranging from contemporary rock to hard rock. Michael currently enjoys playing music at his local church and produces film/music out of his home studio. Michael is happily married with 2 children, and you can find his music and more about Michael on the following platforms:

Apple Music   |   Spotify   |   Instagram   |   YouTube

Naomi Wachira

Naomi Wachira is a Seattle-based singer-songwriter known for her soulful and powerful vocals, poignant lyrics, and captivating live performances. Born and raised in Kenya, Naomi draws inspiration from her African roots and her experiences as a mother, woman, and immigrant. Infused with her authentic and raw storytelling, she combines folk, soul, and world music to sing songs that are a head-on approach to life’s struggles and triumphs, as well as a call to love and unity in an increasingly divided world.