Instructors
Bruce Qualey – contrabass
Bruce began playing the bass in 5th grade. Prior to moving to Cable Wisconsin, Bruce played for the Rochester Symphony Orchestra for 19 seasons. He currently plays with a multitude of ensembles with a wide range of repertoires including Duck for the Oyster (dance band), Namekagon String Band, Northwoods Big Band, Red Cedar Symphony, and the Northland College Orchestra.

Dayle Quigley – violin and viola
Dayle began playing the violin as an adult and founded Northwoods Strings in the fall of 2004 as a means to introduce group playing to her private violin students. She had no idea the program would grow so rapidly. In her spare time, she is an ER physician.

Kevin McMullin - violin
Kevin started off playing the tuba, which is what he studied at Northwestern University’s Music school with the late Arnold Jacobs, widely considered to be one of the finest music teachers of his time. While he was at music school he noticed that many other musicians had smaller instruments that were much easier to carry around. He began learning the fiddle under the tutelage of some of this country’s great old time players, Mark Gunther and Chirps Smith among them. He is the fiddle player for Duck for the Oyster and Take 3, and has performed with numerous other bands and musicians as well. He is also the composer of One Nation, a piece that Northwoods Strings helped premier in 2007. You can find out more about him on his web site: www.kevinmcmullin.com

Randy Sabien – group instructor and conductor
Randy began playing the violin at the age of 9 and although he started out with classical violin lessons, he quickly supplemented his education with rock and roll, country, folk, bluegrass, blues, and jazz. He not only attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston but also founded and chaired their new jazz string department at the age of 21. Randy spends his time touring with his own band and other artists as well as teaching jazz to school groups around the country. Somehow he manages to be in the Northwoods on just about every Tuesday for the Northwoods Strings’ group lessons. For more information check out his website www.randysabien.com

Jill Smith - violin and viola
Jill began playing the violin at the age of 8 and loved it so much she that she majored in music education. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Taylor University in Indiana. Before relocating to Hayward in the summer of 2007, she directed a growing orchestra program in the West Noble Schools in Ligonier, Indiana. She couldn't have come to Hayward at a better time.

Susan Halderman - cello
Susan holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and a Master of Music degree from Kent State University. For sixteen years, Susan taught public school orchestra in Clinton/Jackson, Mississippi, and Greenville, South Carolina. Lucky for us she left the deep south and returned to her roots in Wisconsin. She has played cello in numerous orchestras, and presently plays in the Red Cedar Symphony, Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra and the Chippewa Valley Symphony. In addition to playing the cello in the Chippewa Valley String Quartet. She has created two cello ensembles: the Eau Claire Cello Ensemble and the Chippewa Valley Cello Ensemble. Being incredible adventuresome and patient, she started an adult intermediate level orchestra known as The String Connection. For more information, take a look at her webpage: www.thecelloconnection.com

Naomi Haugen - music educator and violin
Naomi has been a music teacher for over thirty years. A violinist, Ms. Haugen started her career as a string teacher and orchestra conductor and has expanded to become a classroom music teacher and early childhood music specialist.  Currently, in addition to teaching with Northwoods Strings, Ms. Haugen is employed, part-time, as an elementary music teacher in suburban St. Paul. Also a poet and fiction writer, she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing at Hamline University in St. Paul.  Ms. Haugen loves making music with her NWS students and hopes to be a full-time resident of the Hayward area in the near future.  She lives with her husband in rural Hayward and St. Paul.

Board of Directors
Mary Hermes
Buffy Riley
Kris Dvorak
Lisa Dierl