Our Conductors
Dr. John Findlay - Vivace Orchestra
Dr. John Findlay loves music. He was raised by two musical parents who instilled in him a love for music. He started playing the cello in 4th grade, and has loved playing it ever since. He has performed on the cello numerous times as a soloist, in chamber ensembles, and in orchestras. He has studied cello with Dr. James McWhorter, Dr. Warren Burton, Dr. Michael Carerra, and Julie Bevan. He enjoys learning other instruments and has played bells in a local bell choir, sung in numerous choirs, and performed on school concerts on drum set, among other musical endeavors. He has taken private viola lessons from Dr. Andrew Dabczynski, and private bass lessons from Dr. Eric Hansen. Dr. Findlay has continually taught Orchestra since 2002 in the public school system, but has also occasionally taught Band, Guitar, A.P. Music, and General Music. He is currently teaching grades 7-12 string orchestra in the Cache County School District. In the past, he taught private cello and bass lessons.
Dr. Findlay also has a love for music conducting. He has conducted both youth and adult choirs and orchestras. He annually conducts the pit orchestra for Ridgeline High School’s musical productions, which receive wonderful reviews. His most recent guest conducting appearance was as the clinician for the Weber School District High School Honor Orchestra in January 2020. He conducted the Northern Utah Youth Symphony (formerly Lincoln Youth Symphony), and the Northern Utah Youth Chamber Orchestra (formerly Lincoln Youth Chamber Orchestra) for several years. While attending The University of Utah for his doctoral studies, Dr. Findlay was an associate conductor of the Campus Symphony, one of the university’s three student orchestras.
Dr. Findlay’s high school orchestras consistently qualify for the Utah Music Educators Association (UMEA) State Orchestra Festival and often receive Superior ratings. In February 2020, under the direction of Dr. Findlay, the Ridgeline High School Chamber Orchestra was invited to perform at the UMEA annual conference in St. George, UT. Only two orchestras from the state of Utah are chosen for this exclusive opportunity each year.
Dr. Findlay has studied conducting with Dr. Mark Emile, Kory Katseanes, and Dr. Robert Baldwin. He has an AAS degree from Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho), a BM in Music Education from Utah State University, a MM in Music Education from Brigham Young University, and a PhD in Music Education from The University of Utah. He served as the UMEA Orchestra Vice-President from 2016-2019. He has owned and operated his own piano technician business since 1999, and serves hundreds of private clients, as well as schools and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Findlay is an active member of UMEA, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG). He and his wife, Misa, have four sons and one daughter. They currently reside in Brigham City, UT.
Ms. Rachel wheeler - Crescendo orchestra
Rachel Wheeler started playing violin at age four in the Suzuki program. During middle school, she started taking fiddle lessons from Jim Shupe and her family started a family blue grass band. Throughout her high school years, Rachel travelled to Europe on tour with her band accompanying folk dancers as they performed in folk dance festivals. She also performed and travelled with the Utah Valley Youth Symphony. Wheeler has performed in San Francisco, Hawaii, New York, Portland, France, Spain, Portugal, London, Italy and Sicily with various groups and loves being on stage and making music with friends to share with others.
After getting married, Rachel taught Orchestra, Folk music, Fiddle, Guitar and General Music at Roosevelt Junior High School in Roosevelt Utah for 16 years, 2000-2016. In 2016, the Wheeler family moved to Logan Utah, where Rachel taught for the Mountain West String Academy elementary program for one year. She currently teaches at Logan High School directing four different orchestras and the pit orchestra for the high school musicals. Rachel loves teaching music and has a passion for working with students and sharing that love of music.
While teaching in the public schools, Wheeler maintains a private studio and continues to perform as a violinist, violist, and bassist when time and opportunity allow. She performed with the Utah Symphony in the PRO-AM concert (March 2013), supported and conducted the Roosevelt Pops Orchestra (2005-2015), and performed in various recitals. Wheeler served as secretary of the Utah American String Teachers Association board for 7 years. She has been an active member of the Cache Symphony Orchestra since moving to Logan in 2016. Wheeler also performs in the pit orchestra at the Eccles Theater in various productions and with The American Festival Orchestra and Chorus. Playing her instrument brings her a lot of joy and sharing music with others is the best!
In 2008 the Utah ASTA chapter named her the “Secondary Music Teacher of the Year.” In 2009 she was awarded the “Superior Accomplishment” award from Utah Music Educators Association and given the Utah Governors award for “Leadership in the Arts.” In 2015, Wheeler was awarded the “Sorensen Legacy Award for Excellence in Arts Education.”
Her school orchestras have performed in California at festivals, at the Utah Music Educators annual Conference in St. George, Abravanel Hall at the National ASTA Festival and in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
Rachel Wheeler received an Associate of Science degree from Ricks College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Utah State University and a Master’s degree in Music Education from BYU.
Rachel is married to Greg Wheeler, a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Utah State University. Together, they have four children and reside in Logan, Utah.