Music

Andrew Etherington, tenor, hails from Overland Park, Kansas – a suburb of Kansas City.  His interest in singing began at his high school, where three musicals were produced a year.  Seeking to break him out of the chorus, Andrew’s mother took the initiative to sign up, the then aspiring baseball player, for voice lessons. After being dragged kicking and screaming to his initial voice consultation, Andrew quickly realized his voice had an affinity for the classical technique and, as they say, the opera bug bit.  Andrew received his undergraduate at Ole Miss and honed his singing and stage skills with Dr. Bill Hall’s American Opera Studio, performing small roles in European and American tours of The Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Albert Herring as well as various concerts containing operatic, Broadway, and sacred repertoire. In 2010, Andrew moved to Baltimore to attend The Peabody Institute.  While there, Andrew expanded his skills beyond that of a performer by receiving mentorship in vocal pedagogy in addition to conducting a volunteer choir at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.  He also performed regularly in the professional choruses of Lyric Opera of Baltimore, Baltimore Concert Opera, and Washington National Opera.  Andrew and his wife relocated to Silverdale, Washington for her career in 2015.  Recently, Andrew performed the lead role of Ralph Rackstraw in the Bremerton Symphony’s production of HMS Pinafore and attended Pacific Lutheran University’s Summer Opera Workshop, directed by Dr. James Brown.  He also has been hired as an adjunct voice instructor at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington. Andrew currently studies with Barry Johnson and coaches with Phillip Kelsey.

Mark Ivester is a versatile drummer and percussionist with extensive experience playing a variety of musical genres from rock to jazz to orchestral music. Mark has performed with numerous jazz artists of international stature including Larry Coryell, Freddie Hubbard, Diane Schuur, Mose Allison, Charlie Byrd and Eartha Kitt. He currently performs and records with the Jovino Santos Neto Quartet, Greta Matassa and Susan Pascal. Ivester has also performed with the Honolulu, Spokane and Walla Walla symphony orchestras. Ivester is a founding member of the professional percussion ensemble Happy Hammers, a group that performs a broad cross-section of percussion music of various ethnic origins including the steel drums from Trinidad, African drumming of the Ewe and Yoruba tribes, Afro-Cuban drumming, Brazilian sambas, and jazz for mallet keyboard instruments. Ivester earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Eastern Washington University, and he did undergraduate and graduate work in ethnomusicology at the University of Hawaii that included field study in gamelan music on the island of Java.

Michael Stoican has been an educator and performer for well over 30 years. As a part-time guitar, electric bass and ukulele instructor at Olympic College since 1989, he has taught countless aspiring students. Michael teaches acoustic and electric guitar at all levels and specializes in contemporary rock, jazz, country, blues, finger style solo guitar, and music theory. Michael’s early music education involved private study with jazz/fusion virtuoso, Don Mock, co-founder and director of Musician’s Institute of Hollywood, CA, as well as instruction from legendary jazz guitarist, Howard Roberts. Over the last 40 years, Michael has worked regularly with top northwest and regional groups.

"I can't say enough good things about Mike.  Everyone enjoyed his music so much.  My clients were thrilled!" - Amy Stokes, CRG events (performance for the Russian Consulate, Seattle, WA)

The Olympic College Music Faculty are dedicated to preparing music majors to transfer successfully to a four-year institution or to begin a professional career in music. Those with no background in music are more than welcome; we offer introductory music classes for all who want to learn. 

OC-Poulsbo lessons only.  Roger Ferguson has been a serious teacher since 1978.  While a music major at Olympic College he was brought on staff to teach the Guitar classes.  Roger now teaches guitar, mandolin, fiddle, ukelele, and bass in many styles.  His expertise lies in acoustic Americana/Roots music, i.e. Folk, Country, Bluegrass, Traditional Jazz, and Blues.  Roger is known for his relaxed, genuine teaching style, his ability to inspire and his approachability. 

Many of Roger’s lessons have been published in Guitar Player Magazine.  One was selected for the book, “Licks and Lessons from the World’s Greatest Guitar Players and Teachers” alongside contributors BB King, Steve Vai, Al Dimeola, John McLaughlin and a host of others.  In the past Roger has taught at acclaimed summer music camps including Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Northwest Regional Folk Life Festival, and the Bluegrass Workshop in Sorrento, BC.

Roger won first place in the National Flatpick Guitar Championship in 1979, placing in the semi-finals on mandolin the same year.  He has toured the United States and performed numerous shows as a duo with Mark O’Connor.  Roger has opened for Merle Haggard, Taj Mahal, Emmylou Harris, Doc Watson, Laurence Juber and plays regularly with regional bands.  Roger has written and recorded award-winning documentaries for PBS, among which are “Great Ranches of the West” (with Michael Martin Murphy), “Who Cares for the Children” (with Rhea Perlman) “Nuclear Legacy” and “Over Washington.” 

Forty years of playing, teaching, and exploring acoustic music of all kinds has steadily earned Roger the reputation of a world-class player and gifted music teacher.

“…one of the finest pickers and teachers on the planet” – Guitar Player Magazine