We support young musicians in training through a unique on-line games website learning management system. This supports the music teacher in building the aural, visual, and kinesthetic skills needed to become a lifetime musician.
Overview of the Team
This is a family business from its inception. Christine Hermanson was the creator and founder, her husband Bill provides business and financial management support, and their sons, Eric, Paul, and Brian have had continuous musical and technical support roles. Christine's sister, Kathy Dotson, has provided customer service and marketing support for many years.
All but Kathy now reside in the St. Louis, MO area. Kathy is in Sarasota, FL, where all of the family lived for 9 years and Christine had her Sarasota Fine Arts Academy.
FOUNDER - Christine D. Hermanson (1950-2015)
Christine was a musician from a young age, taking instruction in piano, organ, and voice. She performed in high school choirs, was accompanist for the boys glee club, and performed as accompanist or vocal soloist at weddings. She was a featured artist with a symphony orchestra. She was a dedicated church organist for over 15 years. But her real love was in teaching young people the joy of music, rather than being a performer.
Christine taught music students ages 3 through 87 in her private studio, at her own fine arts academy, and in public schools. She also worked with students world-wide through the interactive music instruction software and online courses she developed. Her desire to find the best ways to develop music sight-reading skills led her to purchase a computer and music theory software in 1980. After that, she taught teachers how to be more effective and efficient through the use of learning technologies.
For 17 years, Christine designed and coordinated the MTNA National Symposium on Technology in Music, winning an MTNA award for her efforts. She also worked with, and consulted for, a number of music industry companies, including Yamaha, Korg, Van Koevering, and Roland, She was engaged by the Bill Gates foundation to assist with a high school project in Detroit. She became well-known nationally for her innovation. dedication, and expertise.
She is the author of the Musicware Piano and PianoWorks MIDI music teaching systems, the Master Musician Music Literacy Curriculum, and the MTNA Guide to Music Instruction Software--1st and 2nd editions.
Developed in 2005, MusicLearningCommunity.com was launched at MTNA-Seattle in 2006, as a website that provides hundreds of learning games for music theory and aural skills that students play from the studio, school and at home. "Christine Hermanson, a giant of multimedia music who began her work on education computer programs 18 years ago", The New York Times, April, 1998
Bachelor of Music (plus K-12 certification) – University of Michigan, with voice minor. MS Educational Instructional Technology/Instructional Design –Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Following her unexpected sudden passing in 2015, the family continued to maintain the website and then followed-through in updating the technology and re-deploying it in April of 2021 with enhanced features Christine had been involved in designing, as well as laying a foundation for future enhancements.
Manager - William F. Hermanson
The spouse of Christine, Bill was active in music in high school, playing clarinet in the symphonic band, band drum major, and men's glee club participant, and member of the University of Michigan marching band. His education included a background in engineering and then a BS in Economics and Business Administration from Grand Valley State University. His career encompassed system improvement consulting, specialty contractor, savings and loan senior management, controller with a private school, chief information officer for a college, and financial systems consultant and PMP-certified project manager. Semi-retired, he continues to be a local school substitute teacher.
Working with Christine, Bil handled organizational, financial, and business management functions, and was fully engaged in on-going support and enhancement design.
In 2013 Bill wrote and published two books using the Terry Treble character in support of the music education initiative, Terry Treble and Letter H Make Music and Terry Treble Finds the Beat. A former Sunday school student of Bill's, Genevieve Bergeson provided the illustrations.
Senior Software Engineer - Eric T. Hermanson
The oldest son, Eric developed the original website database and learning management system for playing the on-line learning games. He also was the primary technical support during the early years. Professionally, Eric works as a software engineer and PMP-certified project manager. Musically, at age 12 he won the Scott Joplin Jazz Piano competition in St. Louis, MO (twice), has played trombone in the Town & Country Symphony Orchestra, and has participated in other musical activities with piano, trombone, and horn. He is a full-time church organist. His BS degree from Principia College is in Business and Computer Science. He attended a masters program at University of Miami in Film Scoring, but left to obtain an MBA from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.
CEO, Graphic Artist, Marketing - Paul W. Hermanson
Paul helped his mother by providing photography for the original games, and graphics and game characters for the website. He created the first Terry Treble character. He assisted Christine with presentations at state music teacher associations. Paul's interest was in trumpet, getting a BA in trumpet performance from Truman State University. While there he won the MTNA state brass competition for Missiouri (the first ever from Truman State.) He continues to teach trumpet and French horn, perform in the St. Louis Brass Band, and perform professionally.
With his brother, Brian, Paul is engaged in a number of entrepreneurial endeavors, including professional real estate photography in conjunction with his Realtor activities, and wedding photography.
Paul has provided most of the website re-designed marketing pages and continues to be involved with the overall, ongoing management and marketing of the company.
Technical and Audio Support - Brian D. Hermanson
Brian, the youngest son, is a professional game tester, and continues to support the website in that capacity. He also has technical training in computer technology, building and maintaining his own computer systems. Brian is an accomplished musician with vocal, guitar and electronic keyboard skills, and plays, composes, and records music. He has his own recording studio where he can provide audio engineering and recording services for musicians.
He is an FAA-certified drone pilot, and works with his brother, Paul, doing real estate photography. (As an offshoot, Brian has become engaged in drone racing.) His audio engineering skills were greatly advanced by obtaining his Pro-Tools certification through an on-line course with Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Brian handles the Support Ticket system, providing the first-line response to customer issues with our website.
Marketing and Customer Support - Kathy Dotson
Christine's sister is also a musician, and artist, graduating with her degree in commercial art from Ringling College of Art and Design. She is an accomplished vocalist, being a long-time church soloist. Kathy has had her own commercial design studio, worked as receptionist/assistant with her husband in an auto repair business, and is an avid quilter.
For many years Kathy has been the first-line support for our members, and the voice at the other end of the phone line. Many of her duties dealing with credit card changes and other financial details are finally replaced by the self-management features in the 2021 re-deployed system, so she will be able to concentrate more working with new members on other issues.
