Mary Leitschuh Whitley M.D. is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist at the Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center, Birmingham, AL. She did her residency at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington D.C. at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (Anesthesiology - 1988-89) Dr. Whitley also worked as an instructor and assistant professor in anesthesiology for Georgetown University Hospital, Washington D.C. (1991-1994), an associate consultant in anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 1(994-1996) and at University Anesthesiologists, Providence, RI (1996-1998), before moving south to work with Anesthesia Services of Birmingham AL (1998-2000).
Dr. Whitley is a longtime supporter of the Arts, serving as a board member for the Parent Teacher Student Organization for the Alabama School of Fine Arts (2004-2011), serving two years as president. She also volunteered for the Alabama School of Fine Arts Habitat for Humanities as a parent supervisor, 2008-2011
Scrollworks/Metropolitan Youth Orchestras of Central Alabama is grateful to have had Dr. Whitley as a board member since 2008.
Molly Goforth is a performer and teacher based in Lafayette, Louisiana. She is an active chamber and orchestral musician, performing in over 50 events annually. Ms. Goforth is the principal cellist of the Baton Rouge Symphony and is a frequent performer of chamber music with the Baton Rouge-based group Magnolia Strings. Molly also performs with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Charles Symphony. She has worked as a recording artist for various groups, including the Grammy nominated artist Marc Broussard and the Grammy nominated group Bonsoir, Catin.
Ms. Goforth maintains an active private studio in addition to teaching high school string orchestra and at universities in Lafayette Parish and in Lake Charles. Her private students are regularly accepted into the Louisiana All-State Orchestra, the LPSS Gifted & Talented program, participate in the Acadiana Symphony Youth Orchestra, UL-Lafayette Orchestra, and are employed by various churches and other organizations as gigging musicians.
Prior to moving to Louisiana, she taught through the nationally-recognized Scrollworks program in Birmingham, AL as well as the Birch Creek Fine Arts Center in Door County, WI. She has had the opportunity to perform with noted musicians including the world-renowned vocalists Julianne Baird, Renée Fleming and Kristin Chenoweth; violinists Sarah Chang and Yevgeny Kutik; pianists Jeremy Denk and Lang Lang; guitarist Sharon Isbin, and saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Ms. Goforth received her Master's degree in cello performance from DePaul University in Chicago, her Bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and holds Suzuki Teacher Certifications through cello book 3. Ms. Goforth has studied privately with Stephen Balderston, Alan Harris, Darrett Adkins, Craig Hultgren, Alice Ann O’Neal and Paul York
James Hrom has been a life-long musician. He is a Study Management Analyst with the Copernicus Group, IRB. He has a B.A. in Philosophy with a concentration in the Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy of Science and a Masters in the Science of Public Health.
At the age of eight he began piano lessons, after that he picked up the guitar on the eve of his high school debut and has been playing both since. James also plays drums, banjo, violin. James was instrumental in helping Jeane Goforth realize her vision of establishing a music school for underserved children in the Birmingham, Al area.
Samuel Nordlund is cello and chamber music faculty at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where he is also cellist in the Samford Quartet. He frequently performs with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and has been a member of the Huntsville Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony (MI), and Illinois Philharmonic, among others. Samuel is Immediate Past-President of the Alabama Orchestra Association, and serves on the faculty of STEP Birmingham, the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Samford Academy of the Arts, and the Samford Piano and Chamber Music Institute. He earned his DMA from The University of Alabama, a MM from Northwestern University, and has additional studies at summer festivals including the Music Academy of the West, the Meadowmount School of Music, the Kent/Blossom Music Festival, and the Brevard Music Center. Primary teachers were Hans Jørgen Jensen and Carlton McCreery.
Prior to moving to Alabama, Samuel was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and a substitute player with the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras. He also served as Assistant Director of Performance Activities at the Music Institute of Chicago. For several summers, he taught cello and directed the Early Music Ensemble at the Lutheran Summer Music festival. He is a previous Music Director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestras of Central Alabama, and currently serves on their Board of Directors.
