Staff

Janelle Tibbetts is the Owner and Director of Spark! School of Performing Arts where she also teaches winds, piano, voice, and general music. She received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, summa cum laude, from Florida International University and received a Master of Science in Education specialising in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University. She taught music at Clifton Hunter High School between 2011-2015, serving as Subject Leader during her last academic year there, and has also taught at many private schools within the Cayman Islands over the last 8 years. 

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Janelle is a passionate advocate for arts education in the Cayman Islands and participates in many events and programmes that include the youth and the arts year round. She continues to serve as an adept adjudicator for many music competitions in the local community, including the National Children's Festival of the Arts, and has done so for several years. Janelle served as Vice President from 2011-2012 for the non-profit organisation Creative Music Project, Inc. and from 2014-2015 she served as Founder and Director of Spark! Music Initiative, both of which were organisations that advocated for well-balanced music education for all and promote balanced student-based musical experiences.

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A seasoned musical director and arranger, Janelle has worked with several groups and organisations over the years, teaching vocal and performance techniques within small and large group settings. This includes, but is not limited to, Cayman National Cultural Foundation's Young at Arts Summer Intensive Programme and the Cayman Islands Folks Singers, a company of amateur singers and musicians dedicated primarily to preserving, celebrating and propagating the musical traditions of the Cayman Islands.

 

At the 2017 National Arts & Culture Awards, she was a recipient of the Silver Star for Creativity in the Arts Award from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation for artistic endeavour, achievement, and excellence in the arts.

Aleksandra Henszel is an award-winning musician who has performed at some of Europe’s most famous concert halls including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin and the Royal Albert Hall in London. She was selected as an awardee of the Oleg Prokofiev Trust as well as the Britten-Pears Young Artist. Other accolades include The Musicians’ Company Lambert Scholarship, Patricia Prindl Prize and The Countess of Munster Derek Butler Award.

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Aleksandra's formal musical training began at the age of seven in her hometown of Szczecin, Poland. At the age of nine she received the City of Szczecin Artist Scholarship, the highest accolade in her region, and later started her conservatoire-level training in the UK. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, and was awarded a Master of Performance with Distinction degree from the Royal College of Music London two years later. During her postgraduate studies, Aleksandra had the pleasure of performing Principal Flute with the RCM Chamber Orchestra and singers from Opera Australia at Buckingham Palace,
upon the invitation from HM King Charles III.

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Passionate about music education, Aleksandra’s teaching career has taken her around
the world. She has given hundreds of music workshops at primary and secondary schools in London, where she also worked at the Royal College of Music Junior Department. She was the Co-Creator and Guest Professor at the Flute Festival Peñalolén (Chile) through the Global Leaders Institute in 2020. In 2021, Aleksandra joined the Music Department of the prestigious North London Collegiate School in Jeju, South Korea and in 2023 she has relocated to the Cayman Islands to join the instrumental teaching team at Spark! School of Performing Arts.

 

Aleksandra enjoys a varied portfolio career and has performed with many orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and the Cayman National Orchestra as a soloist. She has given solo and chamber music recitals at renowned venues such as King’s Place, Southbank Centre and The Elgar Room (UK) and festivals including Schleswig-Holstein Festival (Germany), The Next Generation Festival (Italy) and NLCS Arts Festival (South Korea).

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Beyond her classical training, Aleksandra's love for traditional dance music has led her to establish Narnain, a music collective specialising in Scottish, Irish and European balfolk music where she plays flute, recorder and whistles. Narnain have performed at venues across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia and sailed the Seven Seas as the Royal Revellers with Disney Cruise Line.

Amelia Matos started her music studies at the age of 6 in the School of Arts of her home country, Cuba. At 14 years old, she was selected to enroll in the Conservatory of Music “Esteban Salas” where she graduated in 2007 as Choir Conductor, Singer and Teacher. Amelia continued her studies and was accepted into the University of Arts in Havana, Cuba, where she graduated with honors and received a Bachelor of Music in Composition. During this time, she created an extensive portfolio with her compositions, exploring nontraditional music formats and dissimilar classical-contemporary music styles.

 

Amelia was also part of the Professional Choir of Camaguey, Cuba. Where she had the opportunity to participate in national and international festivals and concerts around the Island, not only as a singer, but as the conductor. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Amelia has worked with children of all ages empowering them with confidence and skills through education in music. She taught music in the Conservatory of Music “Jose White” in Camaguey, where she was the Subject Leader and taught general music, trained choir conductors and created the Female Choir.

 

After moving to Cayman, she was part of the team that founded Jubilate Programme in 2016, a non-profit afterschool music programme inspired by “El Sistema”. There she served as choir and orchestra conductor, piano accompanist, and general music teacher.

 

Through Spark!, Mrs. Amelia teaches elementary music at Triple C School and Village Montesori (Elementary) and private lessons on various instruments at the Spark! studio.

Kenny Cormack is a Scottish guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with over fifteen years experience performing on the guitar (classical and electric), bass guitar, ukulele, banjo, and mandolin.

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Kenny studied electric guitar at the University of the Highlands and Islands, and classical guitar at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (ranked top 5 in the world) where  he graduated in 2015 as a Bachelor of Music, with Honours. Since graduating Kenny has enjoyed a busy professional career, with highlights including: regular contracts with Disney Cruise Line, performing at the American National Theatre in Lusaka, Zambia, performing Steve Reich’s Acoustic Counterpoint for the composer at the Glasgow Minimalist Festival, recording and touring with: Zac Scott, Narnain Band, and classical/folk ensemble Buchanan Duo.

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In addition to performing Kenny is also a passionate music teacher, and in this way has been sharing his love for music throughout his career. He has taught at some of the UK’s top independent schools as a specialist guitar/ukulele teacher as well as in his own private teaching studio, and is an experienced workshop leader through his work with Paragon Music. In 2021 Kenny moved to the island of Jeju, South Korea, where he worked as a full time music educator, coaching an exciting music programme featuring: Ukulele Ensemble, Guitar Club, Rock Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra.

 

Kenny believes in bringing out the best in his students, he has an excellent track record of taking students from beginner to advanced level, a 100% pass rate in exams, and prides himself in providing a positive learning environment in which to thrive.

Sophie grew up in a very musical household, singing from the time she could talk. She started violin lessons at the age of four and piano lessons at seven years of age. She holds both her Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees from the University of Hull. Sophie was actively involved in the Music department for the duration of her time at Hull being apart of both Contemporary Choir and University Orchestra. In her third year Sophie was also given the opportunity to be apart of the Czech Opera, Hry o Marii.

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Throughout her Master’s Degree, Sophie gained extensive knowledge in song writing and studio production. Sophie majored in Performance and Composition, creating her own E.P., establishing her own band and creating a portfolio of compositions transforming a bicycle into a musical instrument. In addition to her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Sophie has also received Grade 8 for both Musical Theatre and Classical Voice and Grade 8 Ballet from the Royal Academy of Music.

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Over the years, Sophie has taken part in many music festivals, competitions and performances for Drama, Dance, and Music across Ireland, including playing with the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and performing with Riverside Youth Theatre. Sophie has also worked as a session singer in England during her time at University. Originally from Northern Ireland, she also enjoys taking time out to sing with the Limavady Big Band, playing at the internationally renowned Cork Jazz and Blues festival. In 2011, Sophie was given the opportunity to play violin in the National Scout and Guide Youth Orchestra based in Berkshire England.

Jessinah Astwood is a former student of Spark! School of Performing Arts, where her journey in the world of music began. It all started when she discovered her passion for playing the flute during her time in Primary school. Diving into this new interest, Jessinah continued to pursue her musical aspirations while attending Clifton Hunter High School. She became an integral part of the school choir and band where she honed her vocal and flute skills under the guidance of the talented Janelle Tibbetts. In addition to this, Jessinah began taking piano lessons and exams through Spark! School of Performing Arts, further expanding her musical repertoire.

For approximately 15 years, Jessinah has danced with the Cayman Islands National Dance Company, where she gained a wealth of experience. Jessinah’s love and commitment for dance has made her a senior member of the group, providing her with numerous opportunities to represent the Cayman Islands on international stages. She showcased her skills in performances such as the Dance Umbrella held in Jamaica and the renowned Carifesta in Barbados back in 2016.
 

In addition to her expertise in dance, Jessinah discovered a deep appreciation for drama and theatre during her years at university. Engaging with her college's drama society, she played an active role in setting up and performing in the captivating production of "The Addams Family". Jessinah's involvement in various dance and theatrical productions throughout the years has allowed her to become well-versed in the intricacies of both onstage performance and behind-the-scenes production.
 

Jessinah has completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education Studies and Music. This accomplishment will further solidify her dedication to her craft and her desire to contribute to the field of education through her musical expertise. To back her Bachelor of Arts degree, Jessinah Astwood has also earned an Associate of Arts degree in Primary Education from the University College of the Cayman Islands. This academic achievement highlights her commitment to pursuing a well-rounded education, with a specific focus on her passion for teaching and shaping young minds. She believes in the power of arts education to foster creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression, providing students with a safe and enjoyable educational experience.

Music has always been a part of Beneil Miller’s life. Coming from a musical family his journey started when he would strum the guitar strings as his father held the chords. Beneil began formal training at age 8 when he started taking piano lessons. In the years to follow he learned to play other instruments by ear through playing in church, school and in different bands on Grand Cayman.

 

In 2015 Beneil Miller graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree majoring in Professional Music. While in College he focused on studying jazz piano as well developing his song writing skills.

 

Beneil Miller is involved in all facets of the Cayman Islands music scene. In addition to being an educator he is a recording artist, band leader, recording engineer and songwriter. He has a keen interest in developing the Cayman Islands music industry and hopes to inspire his students through his passion for music. 

Jared Tibbetts received his first pair of drum sticks at the tender age of 5, instigating his love and passion for music. This began his musical journey and drove him to undertake formal training by taking lessons in rhythm notation, learning rudiments and songs.

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Having taught himself how to play the drum-kit by listening and playing to different styles of music, he furthered his knowledge by taking music theory and private instruction classes from an early age up to high school. During that period, he began playing in school and local bands including national bands for concert, big band and jazz, performing at gigs, events and national festivals and winning many awards.

 

Tibbetts has continued to grow and network within the local Caymanian music industry both as a drummer and audio engineer by taking part in several recording projects as a session drummer and assistant engineer.

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Tibbetts was later accepted and awarded to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he completed his Bachelor of Music degree majoring in Professional Music, becoming the first person from the Cayman Islands to do so. With the drum set as his principal instrument at Berklee, he has studied with several prominent faculty members in the school's percussion department, Mike Mangini, Rod Morgenstein, Terri Lyne Carrington, Larry Finn and Skip Hadden, as well as various world renown faculty from other departments within the school.

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After graduating Berklee, he made the move to New York City with a thirst to continue his education and self-development. Not long after he moved, he enrolled at the SAE Institute of Technology to receive a diploma in Audio Technology. At SAE he studied and worked closely with faculty and instructors on a long list of recording/mixing consoles, digital audio workstations, outboard gear, microphones and speakers’ systems for recording, mixing, mastering and postproduction, as well as live sound.

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Following his time in New York, Jared returned home to the Cayman Islands and aided in the opening of ‘Spark! School of Performing Arts’. At Spark!, he delved into the world of music education by teaching drum kit and music technology instruction to students of all ages, whilst giving a helping hand with maintaining the daily operation of the business. When outside the classroom, Tibbetts continued to work on projects in the studio as an audio engineer and simultaneously worked as an audio-visual technician for many events around the island, gaining a wealth of experience.

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After three years back at home, Jared decided to venture further by undertaking a Master of Music in Music Production, Technology and Innovation at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music. Studying at the campus in Valencia, Spain, has allowed him to encounter new styles of music and experience working internationally. During his time back at Berklee, Jared dedicated his time to continue to perfect his craft as a recording and mixing engineer by creating an extensive audio portfolio.

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Tibbetts also takes pride in being an ambassador and representing the Cayman Islands, and is known to encourage other Caymanians to follow their dreams and is active in helping the youth to develop their talents. His fierce passion for music and audio technology is rivaled by his desire to share this knowledge with others.