Blue Bear Staff

Directors

• • • • Executive Director Steve Savage, Ph.D., a Blue Bear founder and current President of the Board of Trustees, is an active producer and recording engineer and has been the primary engineer on seven records that received GRAMMY nominations, including CDs for Robert Cray, John Hammond, The Gospel Hummingbirds and Elvin Bishop.  He is former Chapter President and National Trustee of the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy and teaches in the Humanities Department at San Francisco State University.  Steve has a Ph.D. in musicology from The University of London and has three recently published books: Mixing and Mastering in the Box from Oxford University Press, The Art of Digital Audio Recording from Oxford University Press, and Bytes & Backbeats: Repurposing Music in the Digital Age from The University of Michigan Press.  Steve also sits on the board of Spirit Series, which is a drama-based character education curriculum that brings inspirational biographies to life.  More at stevesavage.net.

     

    • • General Manager/Program Director Dennis Criteser has produced albums in folk, rock, and jazz styles for a variety of Bay Area artists.  He’s cut eight albums of original music as Diesel Cats, ranging from the cinematic musico-documentary History Club Minutes to the faux-jazz hip-ocracy of In Search of Blue Treasure.  Dennis attended Blue Bear as a student from 1979 to 1980, studying piano, voice, saxophone, and songwriting.  Current musical activities include performing songs of Fabrizio De André and other Italian singer/songwriters.

     

    • • Youth Program Director Tennessee Mowrey is a bona fide Blue Bear “lifer.” Born and raised in the Bay Area, he first joined the school in a summer camp in 2005 at the age of 13 and was soon a fixture around the school. He started as a student but quickly began interning and student teaching at summer camps. After receiving his degree in music from Wesleyan University, Tennessee came back to teach private lessons, Little Bears classes, and the All Star Band program. He also spent some time as the self-styled “Ghost in the Machine,” fixing and refurbishing over-loved instruments. In 2018 he moved to a full-time administrative role at Blue Bear, working as Desk Staff, Little Bears program manager, and serving on the Marketing Team. Tennessee now runs our beloved Little Bears and teen band programs. In his off time, he plays in two bands that regularly gig around the Bay (just ask him about his recently converted garage music studio!), and as an Oakland resident is excited to have a campus a bit closer to home!

     

    • • Cole Odin Berggren is Blue Bear’s Community Programs Director as well as the creator of Blue Bear’s electronic music and DJ program.  He is a true patron of all things ART and good times.  A trained glassblower, Cole is also a prominent local DJ who spins vinyl and plays digital at locations city- and country-wide.  He has played in bands for over 20 years and, as a songwriter/singer/multi-instrumentalist, releases pulsing, heady, electronic rock music as Cole Odin (and sometimes Ownership).  Recent accomplishments include playing the legendary Bimbo’s 365 Club in SF and releasing music on electronic music labels such as LENG, NuNorthern Soul, Eclectics & Das Sind Wir.  He’s a people person through and through, so sling him a smile and he’ll sling it back . .

     

    • • Development Director Melanie Brooks is an events-and-fundraising fanatic! After a decade of volunteer fundraising and board service for her kids’ schools, she took it pro and joined the Blue Bear team.  Before being bit by the development bug, Melanie studied Merchandising at the Louise Salinger Academy of Fashion and worked in event management and graphic design.  In her spare time, Melanie can be found exploring SF with her fabulous family and enjoying her favorite things: fantastic food, great music, and cheering on the Giants!

     

    • Finance Director Kathy Kaufmann is thrilled to be part of the Blue Bear family, having been a student here for a number of years. She spent the majority of her life on the East Coast (born in Boston, grew up in Maryland, graduated from New York University), but finally decided to check out the ‘left coast’ in 2015. At Blue Bear, Kathy was able to at last pick up some drumsticks and rock on!

Staff

• • • • Office Manager Kristina Melendez has been with Blue Bear since 20xx and keeps all things on track at the Bear!

     

    • • Front Desk staff Will Titus has been performing and teaching music in the Bay Area since moving from Sacramento in 2011. Primarily a double bassist, Will has worked in a number of musical settings in the Bay Area while exploring a variety of genres such as jazz, funk, rock, and bossa nova. Since joining Blue Bear in March of 2023, Will has enjoyed working with and learning from his colleagues in the BB community.