Interlochen Arts Academy welcomes new faculty for 2025-26 academic year
The school’s new teaching artists and scholars include playwright Megan Rivkin, singer-songwriter Timothy Jones, and clarinetist Katia Waxman.
In the fall of 2025, seven new teachers, arts instructors, and artists in residence joined the ranks of Interlochen Arts Academy faculty. These outstanding artists and educators bring a wealth of accolades, experience, and insight to their roles in academic and artistic divisions.
Academics
Jennae Becker, Instructor of English, has over a decade of teaching experience and holds a B.A. in English from Siena College in Albany, New York, a M.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College.
Before joining Interlochen, Becker taught upper-level English and Dual-Credit Writing at Intrinsic Charter Schools in Chicago. She began her teaching career in Boston, where she deepened her commitment to culturally responsive teaching and equity in education. Becker has also held various leadership roles in curriculum development, instruction, and professional development.
Becker strives to foster learning environments that are responsive, creative, and intellectually challenging, where all students feel seen and empowered. Beyond the classroom, she has enjoyed coaching Shakespeare SLAM, varsity softball, and girls flag football.
Creative Writing
Megan Rivkin, Writer in Residence, is a playwright, librettist, and educator. Her writing explores sexuality, illness and the body, technology, and the ethics of deception through dark comedy. Rivkin wrote the book for Caleb Needs A Kidney, an original musical she developed with composer/lyricist Caleb Martin-Rosenthal. She is also writing the book for Jacob Ben-Shmuel’s musical adaptation of The Odyssey.
Past projects include Bar Play (222 Speakeasy, Providence Fringe), Do You Party? (Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival), Timmy (Columbia), babybird (Providence Fringe), We're Here (Harrisburg Fringe, LakeHouseRanchDotPDF, Providence Fringe), Heard You Were Leaving (Columbia), Apartment of Lies (Wednesday Nights), and Outdoor Bird (Lipstick Theatre Company, Northwestern).
An avid collaborator, Rivkin also produces outdoor, immersive, and audio projects through Wednesday Nights Company, where she serves as lead producer.
Rivkin teaches dramatic writing at Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy. She holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University (2024) and is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop (Bookwriting).
Music
Timothy Jones, Instructor of Singer-Songwriter, has been working in the music business for over two decades. Since his 1999 major-label debut with Old Pike on Sony/550 Music, he's contributed to hundreds of records and collaborated with Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, and others.
Jones leads Whiskey Wolves of the West with Leroy Powell, whose debut at Stagecoach Music Fest earned critical acclaim. Rolling Stone named their first release, Country Roots, one of the "Top Ten Country EPs of 2018" and celebrated the band as Best Backing Band for their "bawdy theatricality."
With Truth & Salvage Co., his songs appeared in films like Small Town Saturday Night and a Gap commercial. The band toured with the Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others, playing major festivals from Bonnaroo to Stagecoach and venues like Red Rocks.
Jones has led songwriting workshops with various organizations and settled a 2002 copyright case involving "Drops of Jupiter," Billboard's most-played song of 2000-2010. He also works with his wife Katie, who is Executive Director of the non-profit Garden Theater in Frankfort, Michigan.
Katia Waxman, Instructor of Clarinet, is a New York-based clarinetist and arts educator with a diverse musical career spanning solo, chamber, and orchestral performance.
An accomplished chamber musician, Waxman has performed with Decoda and faculty at Music Academy of the West, earning awards from M-Prize, Discover, and Barnett competitions. She studies annually at Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music.
As an orchestral player, Waxman has graced major international venues including Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Symphony Center, Prague's Rudolfinum, and Budapest's Bela Bartok Hall. She's performed under conductors Marin Alsop, Riccardo Muti, and Xian Zhang, and recently served as acting second clarinet with Sarasota Opera.
Committed to supporting diversity in classical music, Waxman participated in Oberlin Conservatory's Music Leadership Career Community pilot class and held a teaching fellowship with Juilliard's Music Advancement Program for underrepresented students.
Waxman earned her Master of Music from Juilliard studying with Jon Manasse, and holds degrees in economics and clarinet performance from Oberlin College & Conservatory.
Bryan Christian, Wind Symphony Conductor, brings 32 years of experience directing Texas high school bands, most notably as Director of Bands at Vista Ridge High School from 2003-2023. His Vista Ridge Band Program earned the prestigious John Philip Sousa Foundation's Sudler Shield (2017) and Sudler Flag of Honor (2021).
Under his leadership, the Wind Ensemble performed at the Midwest Clinic in 2014 and consistently placed in TMEA's top rankings. The Vista Ridge Marching Band won the 2018 UIL 6A State Championship and became BOA Grand National finalists in 2021, leading to their invitation to perform in the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade.
Christian holds a B.M.Ed. from Abilene Christian University and an M.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University, both under Dr. John Whitwell. He serves as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, with memberships in TMEA, TBA, and the American Bandmasters Association. He's also a founding board member of SLAM (Servant Leadership Association for Musicians).
Married 37 years to Cheryl, he has two daughters who both performed in Vista Ridge bands.
Visual Arts
Andre Ruesch, Artist in Residence, was born in 1961 in Zürich, Switzerland and grew up in an alpine region known as the Saanenland. His mother’s gallery, which showcased photographers and painters, inspired him in his youth. Photographer Ellen Auerbach was also influential as a family friend. While working for a volunteer organization in Asia in the early 80s, he started to pursue photography.
Upon his return to Europe, he was accepted to Napier College in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he obtained a B.A. in Photography in 1988. After moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for graduate studies in photography at the University of New Mexico, he obtained his M.A. in 1992 and his M.F.A. in 1996. While there, his main mentors were Patrick Nagatani, Betty Hahn and Eugenia Parry.
He is a Professor of Arts in the Humanities at the Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Theatre
Erin Jerozal, Instructor of Musical Theatre, most recently served as Associate Professor and Chair of the Theatre and Music Theatre Department at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Before that, she spent nearly 20 years in New York City working as an actor, director, educator, and writer. Her experiences include off-Broadway, touring, and regional work in both musicals and plays.
Highlights include: Steel Magnolias; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Hamlet; The Secret Garden; Company; and Measure for Measure. Jerozal also performed with the long-time musical improv group Chicago City Limits as well as with class teams at Upright Citizens Brigade.
She has worked extensively as a communication skills educator—teaching for medical schools, law schools, and mediation programs throughout the country. Jerozal is a proud member of AEA/SAG/AFTRA and thanks these professional unions for working to keep actors safe and fairly compensated. To learn more, visit her website.
Interlochen Arts Academy is the nation’s premier boarding arts high school. Students pursue pre-professional training in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, interdisciplinary arts, and film alongside a robust academic curriculum, preparing them to excel in the arts and beyond. Learn more about Interlochen Arts Academy.
