Team Biographies
Joanna Helms
Joanna Helms is a native of Columbia, SC, and recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor of music degree in flute performance. At USC, she was active both as a performer in concert band, orchestra, and opera ensembles and as a peer tutor in music theory and aural skills. Her desire to pursue her interests in modern and contemporary music in an academic setting led her to the Jacobs School of Music, where she is a first-year MA student in musicology. Joanna continues to play the flute and also maintains a blog dedicated to her thoughts about modern music, her listening activities, and current trends in the classical world. Joanna feels strongly that music plays an important part in everyone’s lives, and she is interested in discovering new ways to emphasize the relevance of non-commercial music in the twenty-first century. As a Project Jumpstart team member, she plans to continue to explore this idea by helping student musicians bring their musical passions to wider audiences.
Jerome Síbulo
Jerome Síbulo is a doctoral student in voice at the Jacobs School of Music, where he earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance. Jerome is passionate about promoting new music and recently commissioned and programmed works of IU student composers in his master’s recital. Jerome recently appeared as Do in performances of P.Q. Phan’s The Tale of Lady Thi Kinh, and Lord Capulet in the touring performances of Don Freund’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. In the fall of 2011, Jerome will sing the role of Louis in IU Opera Theater’s production of Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge. He is currently the chapter president of Student NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) at JSoM, and has served as an officer since 2008. In this capacity he has been able to hone his skills in organizational management and graphic design. Jerome has worked as a freelance graphic designer since he was based in the Philippines, where he grew up and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. As a member of the Project Jumpstart team, he hopes to learn and assist others in navigating a musical career in the 21st century.
Forrest Wu
Forrest Wu is a senior viola performance major at the Jacobs School of Music, and is completing a Certificate in Arts Administration through the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Forrest has supplemented his coursework with experience in arts administration. He spent the past summer in New York working with the marketing team at (le) Poisson Rouge, a Greenwich Village venue dedicated to performance combining art and vernacular music cultures. There he managed digital media content related to an extensive roster of performing artists, and created copy and design for press materials. Forrest also interned in development and fundraising with the East Village’s Performance Space 122, a center for experimental dance, music, and theater. In addition to joining the Project Jumpstart team, Forrest will resume his work as an office assistant for the Bloomington based world music publicity firm, Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. He is thrilled to be a part of the Project Jumpstart team, and plans to engage his peers in a variety of workshops and discussions aimed at providing a wider perspective on today's performing arts industries.
Peter Thoresen
Peter Thoresen, interim coordinator, began his work with Project Jumpstart as a team member during its pilot year in 2010-11. He previously worked for the IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization as operations coordinator, and planned and executed nearly 150 student events aimed at professional development, community building, and social networking. Peter previously lived in San Francisco, where he worked with legendary Bay Area arts presenter Ruth Felt, president of San Francisco Performances, Inc. Peter is a countertenor and recently created the role of Toulouse Lautrecin IU Opera Theater’s world premiere of Vincent. He has sung roles and concert repertoire with the American Opera Theater, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Monterey Symphony, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Bloomington Early Music Festival, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale. Peter is a founding member of the vocal ensemble Vox Reflexa, and serves as stage director and curriculum co-author for Roundabout Opera for Kids (ROK) in Bloomington, IN. Peter is a doctoral candidate in voice at the Jacobs School of Music, and he earned his MM in voice from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, and his BM in voice from Illinois Wesleyan University.
