Volunteers rock!

🤘🤘

Volunteers rock! 🤘🤘

 
 

Meet the Team that makes bitter jester foundation programs run smoothly

The people who work with BJFA are volunteers. We think that’s pretty darn cool.

Want to volunteer, too? Drop us a line!

 

Bitter Jester Music Festival:

Production & Education Team:

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Nicolas DeGrazia
Founder / Producer and Emcee

Nicolas is a seven-time Emmy® award-winning writer, producer, and director. He is the co-founder and Creative Director of Bitter Jester Studios, a TV and web creative content production company. He is a former musician and marching band geek playing piano for eleven years and First Trombone all throughout junior high and high school and (very loudly) in the University Miami’s Band of the Hour and Gale Force Winds satellite band at Florida’s Orange Bowl for three years.

In addition to serving as BJFA’s Artistic Director, Nicolas is also a James Beard Award nominee, a sketch comedian with The Comic Thread (Best Group: LA Comedy Festival, Audience Choice: Chicago Fringe Fest), had a 1 1/2 lb. sandwich named after him(!), and is the Founder and Producer of the Bitter Jester Music Festival, which he also Co-Emcees and puts in thousands of hours of blood, sweat, and tears for for as a volunteer. He is also a performer with The Purple Shirts ensemble, loves tabletop board games and video games, and owns cats.

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Michael Tseitlin
Director of Education

Director of Guitar at Adlai E. Stevenson HS, a former competitor in BJMF (2012-15), and three-time 3rd Place winner with his band, The Ska-lers, Michael returned to BJMF as a volunteer. He then returned as a judge, a Lead Judge, and later became the official “Performance Advisor” in 2018. He now holds the volunteer position of Director of Education for the Festival.

In this role, Michael works with our Educational Support Team and judges to enhance the value of participation for musicians. He also records real-time commentary for performers as they compete in BJMF preliminary concerts. He then organizes / recaps the judges scores, providing feedback and data to every performer in BJMF. He works as a liaison to the preliminary round competition judges and assumes the role of a judge himself for our Grand Finale concert.

Kevin Ray
Music Director

Kevin is a composer, producer and percussionist. He was a three-time 3rd Place winner of BJMF with his band, The Ska-lers, before returning as a volunteer working on the post/mixing side of things and, more recently, joining the Education Team.

Kevin is a Verbal Feedback Judge and Scoring Judge for Bitter Jester and recently joined the Education Team to help further the organization’s educational impact and growth.

He learned songwriting and mixing by making DIY recordings the Ska-lers. His formal education began when he attended Berklee College of Music, studying composition with Marti Epstein and marimba with Nancy Zeltsman. He subsequently received a master’s degree in composition at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, studying with Eun Young Lee and Timothy McCormack.

Christy Knapp
Music Festival Program Director

Christy Knapp began as a volunteer team member of the Bitter Jester Music Festival assisting with audience raffles and various audience-focused tasks. She then began serving as part of our immensely important Production Support Team, interfacing with performers and families as well as parents of competing band members.

After a two years as Program Manager of the festival, Christy is now the BJMF Program Director, meaning she is in charge of all logistics for crew, volunteers, and audience members leading up to and during the various concert events.

A former Roller Derby champ and current educator, Christy is an Engineering teacher at Bartlett High School STEM Magnet Academy. Behind-the-scenes, Christy also helps coordinate various aspects the Bitter Jester Music Festival as well as taking on the mantle of designing and building our festival trophies.

She also designed the BJMF Musician of the Year medallions along with Festival Founder Nicolas DeGrazia.

Hamon Kim
Industry Advisor: Artist Management

Hamon works in the fields of Artist Management and Business Development. A product of Chicago’s North Shore and an Alum of Glenbrook North High School and Northwestern University, he has always had deep roots in the local community and an even deeper love for the city of Chicago and the North Side, specifically.

His focus has centered on the development and management of emerging Chicago-based artists with the goal of helping them “to own their sound and their city.” Some of Hamon’s clients have made it to the finals of American Idol and the Voice.

He has had a special affinity toward young up-and-coming performers, wanting to help give them every opportunity to fulfill their greatest potential and help them share their sound (and message) with the world!

Hamon is excited to network with, mentor, and guide current and future Bitter Jester musicians.

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Lynn Orman-Weiss
Industry Advisor: Media & Broadcast

Lynn Orman Weiss owns Orman Music & Media Group, a company with a mission to share stories and create legendary events, productions, and photography exhibitions centered around music. She is a photographer, print & broadcast journalist, and also the founder of the Women of the Blues Foundation.

Lynn has a lengthy history of working in the entertainment industry. She is skilled in Music Production, Journalism, Photography, Broadcasting, and Media Production. As a longtime fan of the Bitter Jester Music Festival, she is excited to share her strong business development experience with BJMF as a trusted advisor.

She received her Masters in Arts & Entreatment Media Management from Columbia College Chicago.

Andrés Tapia
Industry Advisor: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Andrés is a Senior Partner and Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability Strategist at the leading leadership and talent management firm Korn Ferry. He has been one of the leading global voices in shaping a contemporary, next-generation approach to DE&I as well as broader Environment, Social, and Governance issues.   

Andrés is also the author of The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity and the co-author of Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career Success and The 5 Disciplines of Inclusive Leadership: Unleashing the Power of All of Us. He is a frequent global speaker on DE&I and he has been a Trustee of Ravinia Festival where he served as the Chair of the DEI Committee.  

Andrés grew up in a bilingual/bicultural home in Lima, Perú. He, his musician wife, and professional flamenco dance daughter have been long-time Highland Park residents.

Rob Tovar
Industry Advisor: Business & Creative Development

Rob Tovar is a Co-Founder of Noteworthy Media Network and Co-Founder of 'The Hangar' film stage. He currently also serves as Director of Operations at 2112, a creative and tech incubator within Fort Knox Studios, Chicago, and has been instrumental in its continued growth.

In the last decade Rob has been involved with multi-media sales, operations, and productions. Rob has a diverse background and relationship within the Sporting community (NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB). His most recent accomplishment was as a marketing partner and producer with ‘Elite Amateur Fight League,’ a Mixed Martial Arts competition which is the minor's to MMA sports, and currently airs NBC Sports. He is also a former U.S. Marine.

As Noteworthy Co-Founder, Rob helped create a new digital streaming platform for music and spoken word that launched in late 2021. He is currently active on the Chicago Little Kids Rock Board of Directors, and on the Advisory Board for Center for Creative Entrepreneurship.

Lindsey Hayes
Education Team Member

Lindsey is a Runner-up (2016) and Grand Champion (2017) of the Bitter Jester Music Festival with her former band, Audiophilia. She now plays in the acoustic duo Chinsey with fellow Audiophilia band mate and Bitter Jester Judge Chase Albrecht.

In 2022 she officially joined the Bitter Jester Education Team where she helps shape the direction of the festival and its ever-evolving ambitions to educate, impact, and unite the country’s future musicians.

Lindsey also provides verbal commentary during many of the festival’s concerts and has served as a judge for both Preliminary and Grand Finale competitions.

She can’t wait to see who graces the Bitter Jester stages this summer! Read more about Lindsey on her Judge’s Bio Page here.

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Michael Brook
Education Team Member & Band Liaison

A 2014 & 2016 Grand Champion and 2015 Runner-Up of the Bitter Jester Music Fest, Michael Brook is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and future music educator.

He recently graduated with a Bachelor in Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and plans to pursue songwriting and producing professionally post-coronavirus.

Michael has performed in the Bitter Jester Music Festival with several bands over the years, placing 3rd twice, 2nd once, and 1st twice (a record in and of itself).

He’s excited to come back as a judge and part of the extended BJMF Educational Support Team!

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Kacie Weber
Education Team - Support Member

A former Bitter Jester Music Fest competitor (2012) and current Verbal Feedback Judge, Kacie is a pianist, composer, and songwriter based just outside of Chicago. She studied music at Indiana U. and assists the Festival by providing real-time verbal commentary to the performers in competition.

Aside from BJMF and her own solo work, kacie founded an artist collective called Albion West. Together with Jeremiah de la Peña (drums & percussion) and Marissa Weston (violin), their goal is to blend the traditions of folk, jazz, and classical music to tell stories that speak to and from the heart.

Kacie also runs a private teaching studio where her goal is to intertwine the ideas of theory, technique, and repertoire with the expression of self.

Dionté L. Durham
Educational Team - Support Member

Dionté is the Co-Founder & Co-Creator at The House Chi, which gives amateur and seasoned artists a unique platform to showcase their music.

The house chi provides a full house band and backing vocalists so that artists may experience the full live music experience and grow through live performance.

He is also Senior Legal Counsel at Infosys and the Chief Executive Officer & Founder at Durham Law Offices.

A former member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Wiedner & McAuliffe, Ltd, Dionté Studied Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

He is excited to be volunteering as part of the BJMF Educational Support Team and loves hearing all the performers each summer whenever he is able to attend Bitter Jester shows!


Band Liaisons:

(All former competitors who return each year to help BJMF performers throughout the night)

Kyle Catrambone
Band Liaison

Kyle is a Chicago based guitarist who has been writing and performing music for over a decade. He started his first band at twelve years old and his love of music only grew from there. In high school, he enrolled in School of Rock Oak Park where he met the members of his current band, Summer Drive.

He and Summer Drive first competed in the 2020 Bitter Jester Original Song Competition with their song “Boom.” In 2021 and 2022, they were awarded the title of Grand Champions after also winning their Preliminary Night Concert each year (a highly impressive feat!).

Outside of Summer Drive, Kyle also enjoys collaborating with his friends in other musical endeavors. He regularly joins in as a session musician for various other bands and solo projects.

Kyle is excited to return to BJMF, this time as a Band Liaison. He hopes to help others have an experience as amazing as his was in the past!

Peter Hanson
Band Liaison

Peter is a Southeastern WI-based musician and multi-instrumentalist.  His primary instrument is guitar, but he is also a seasoned drummer. His main musical outlet is with his heavy metal band Venganza, of which he is the lead guitarist and performs some lead vocal duties.

His ties to BJMF go back to 2020 when Venganza entered their Original Song Competition. In 2021, they were selected to compete live, winning their Preliminary Round Concert, and advancing to the Grand Finale where Peter won MVP Guitar! They also made a return to Bitter Jester in 2022 and advanced to the Grand Finale again, this time as a Wild Card. This year, Venganza returned as a Showcase Act for the Festival’s second night.

In addition to playing and writing music, Peter also takes interest in music production, having produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered all of Venganza’s material (including a track on “Live at Bitter Jester” vol. 01).  He has also recorded as a session drummer. Outside of music, Peter is a college student, pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at UW-Milwaukee. He is very excited to be returning to the BJMF this year and is honored to be selected as a Band Liaison to help give other musicians the great experience he has had with the Festival.

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Spencer Kasper
Software Engineer / Band Liaison

Spencer is currently a Software Engineer at Capital One. He competed in the Bitter Jester Music Featival many times throughout high school as a drummer with his band Elise and the Police. They even came in 3rd Place their final year!

Spencer now volunteers with the Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts in the collecting and organizing of all the performer data involved in running the competition side of the music festival. He also built the judging platform for the first Original Song Competition that took place during the Pandemic (from scratch).

In addition to the software help he provides, Spencer also occasionally volunteers as a Band Liaison during the summers, helping performers to network and connect with one another.

Kate Larson
Band Liaison

Kate grew up in the rocky mountains and, at the age of seven, moved to Chicago, where she began performing. Her first solo onstage performance was in Nashville, Tennessee, at twelve years old. Kate was a solo acoustic performer for Bitter Jester for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022), and is driven to connect people through the arts. 

She is a vocalist, instrumentalist, and songwriter, who carries a deep passion for not just the stories told through music, but also the stories told through the visual arts.

Kate also has a love for Chemistry (which rocks!) and Environmental Science. At a young age, she learned to observe the stars and the night sky, which has influenced her admiration for both the cosmos and our Earth’s place in it. 

Kate is overjoyed to be a part of the Bitter Jester community and watch it grow year after year! She became a Band Liaison in 2023.

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Patrick Myers
Band Liaison

Patrick is the guitar player for Fizz, which was the Northwestern University Dillo Day Opener Band in 2019. Patrick recently judged the BJMF virtual Original Song Competition in 2020.

As a former multi-year competitor of BJMF, he enjoys returning as a volunteer each summer in the role of Band Liaison. In this capacity he helps answer questions, start inter-band conversations, and connect performers who participate in BJMF.

Patrick is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. He is a software developer in Chicago and enjoys playing and listening to music whenever he can.

Chris Rieger
Band Liaison

Chris is the singer and rhythm guitarist for Feed the Monkeys, who placed 2nd in the 2020 Bitter Jester Music Fest Original Song Competition with their song ‘Shell City.’ Chris and Feed the Monkeys were selected to perform as a Featured Showcase opening act for the 2021 BJMF Grand Finale after their very strong Friday competition showing. He is excited to continue to be a part of BJMF this season as a Band Liaison yet again! He’s looking forward to helping to make the festival run behind the scenes and getting to know all the performers.

Chris is a 2022 graduate of Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s Degree is Creative Technologies with a music emphasis.

In addition, he is a full-time music and concert enthusiast and will be working as a Production Runner for Live Nation in Chicago this summer.

Isaac Schneider
Band Liaison

Isaac is a euphonium and trombone doubler and music educator based in Chicago and New York.

He recently graduated with a Bachelor in Music Education from Ithaca College studying under Dr. David Earll. Isaac is also a proud alum of the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps and a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He plans to pursue a public school teaching position in the fall!

A former competitor in BJMF with his band Augmented 7th (including being asked to be an Opening Showcase Act at a Bitter Jester Grand Finale Concert!), Isaac is honored to return for his second year as a volunteer Band Liaison. He is excited to connect young performers with one another and show them the ropes of the Bitter Jester competition he enjoyed so much himself!

Hanna Worpell
Band Liaison

Hanna is a singer, flautist, and guitarist from Indianapolis. She grew up surrounded by music with a family full of performers. Hanna’s love for music was driven by a passion for live performance. Her influences span from the antics of bands like Mr. Bungle, Talking Heads, and Belushi Speedball. With her music she hopes to not only create auditory experiences, but visual and engaging ones as well.

At 15, she started taking lessons in guitar and vocals. At 16 she got involved with and fronted bluesy psych rock group, Opening Day, from 2019-2022. The band went on to compete twice in the Bitter Jester festival. During the 2021 finals, Hanna won MVP Vocals for her performance with Opening Day. Since her departure from the band, Hanna has been working hard on her solo project “Wayland”. She also works as a behavioral technician for children with autism.

Hanna is elated to be involved with Bitter Jester this year and can’t wait to see many new and familiar faces!

 

Social Media / PR Team:

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Arden Kurhayez
Co-Director of Marketing & PR

Arden is a writer, musician, and performer. She graduated from North Central College after studying Organizational Communication, Interactive Media, and English, and officially joined the Bitter Jester Music Festival Team in 2021 as a Public Relations Specialist. In 2022 she was one of the two Marketing and PR Coordinators for the festival, and this year she became its Marketing and PR Co-Director.

Her band, Double Identity, competed in BJMF for many years and their song, “Your Anything” won third place in BJMF’s 2020 virtual Original Song Competition.

When she isn’t busy songwriting, Arden can be found writing and editing the latest draft of her novel or binge-watching her favorite TV shows.


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Courtney Kurhayez
Co-Director of Marketing & PR

Courtney Kurhayez formerly competed in the Bitter Jester Music Festival and the 2020 virtual Original Song Competition with her band, Double Identity, where they won third place for their song, “Your Anything.” She officially joined the Bitter Jester Music Festival team in 2021 as a Public Relations Specialist. In 2022 she was one of the two Marketing and PR Coordinators for the festival, and this year she became its Marketing and PR Co-Director..

Courtney graduated from North Central College with a double major in Organizational Communication and Interactive Media Studies, and fills her spare time with reading and running her own book blog, “Buried in a Bookshelf,” playing drums & singing in Double Identity, and recording new episodes of her podcast, “Courtship with Courtney Kurhayez.” 

Karol Skoczen
Graphic Designer / Art Consultant

Karol is a multidisciplinary graphic designer and musician with experience working on creative projects and campaigns for the music industry, as well as the health sciences and education fields. She graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Sound Recording Technology, allowing her to tailor her work closely to her clients’ needs utilizing her first hand experiences.

Karol’s artistic expertise comes from her many years of working with Adobe products, starting at the fresh age of 12 years old, getting her hands on a Wacom Bamboo tablet and the free copy of Photoshop that came with it. Since then, she has had the pleasure of working alongside many musicians and musical projects in the Chicago scene, one of which led her to compete in the 2022 Bitter Jester Music Festival. Lucky for her, the BJMF liked her art and aesthetic so much they commissioned her for poster design work in 2022. The following spring, BJMF commissioned Karol for its very first vinyl record release… and the rest is history.

Interns & Volunteers!
PR & Production

In 2021, Courtney and Arden are leading a team of PR volunteers and high school aged interns from Cristo Rey St. Martin and Geneva High School.

They work on social media, outreach, photography, video production, the All Access Podcast, and all sorts of general day-of production assistance.


Audio/Visual Team:


Elan Gurevich

Concert Photographer

Elan, more commonly known as “UAN.Photos” on Instagram and YouTube, is a photographer with a focus point on action shoots. After stumbling upon the 2021 Bitter Jester Music Festival, he is excited to be volunteering his time and talents for in 2022 and can’t wait to meet, listen to, and work with all the bands this summer!

Armed with a camera and a “Die Or Die Trying” mentality, you can normally catch Elan taking photos for his school’s yearbook during the school year or constantly chasing the perfect sunrise during the summer.

Follow Elan on Instagram & learn more about him here.

“Always shoot raw.” -Elan

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Zac Heren
All-Access Podcast Co-Host & Editor

Zac is a Chicago-based multimedia editor and a recent graduate from North Central College with a B.A. in Interactive Media Studies. 

At North Central College, Zac was the New Media Specialist for Cardinal Public Relations where he oversaw video projects revolving around the communications department. He is also a former on-air DJ and audio producer at WONC-FM, North Central's radio station. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Major in Interactive Media Studies award for 2021.

Zac is super excited to help the Bitter Jester Music Festival with production & editing of the All-Access Podcast and excited to work with all the great bands this year!

Steffie Drucker
All-Access Podcast Asst. Editor

Steffie is the Assistant Managing Editor at Built In, a Chicago-based newsroom providing career development resources to tech professionals and national coverage of the industry.

She previously worked at ABC 7 Chicago (WLS-TV) in various digital content production roles and as an Emmy Award-winning associate producer for Windy City LIVE, the station’s top-rated daytime talk show. Additionally, Steffie was a scriptwriter for Discovery’s award-winning Curiosity Daily podcast. She’s also done consulting work for a variety of clients including Kindling Group, a nonprofit documentary production company based in Chicago.

Steffie is eager to dive in as an editor of the All-Access Podcast and can’t wait to hear some great music this summer!

Mike Bruno, ‘Chicago Sound & Backline’
Audio Engineer

Mike is the owner of Chicago Sound & Backline and has been an engineer and performer for close to two decades in Chicago. While not a volunteer, Mike is an integral part of the BJMF team for the Friday Concerts. He and his crew work closely with performers to ensure great sound while also teaching how to interact with a professional audio crew.

He has toured the world playing drums with his band Spare Parts (Ropeadope Records) and as a side man with Birds of Chicago featuring the 3x Grammy nominated Allison Russell. His company, Chicago Sound & Backline, provides live sound for dozens of bands and corporate clients in the Midwest. Mike has had the pleasure of mixing a variety of national acts including Lizzo, Kelsea Ballerini, Baaba Maal, and Cyndi Lauper. Mike also teaches Music Business, Percussion, and Recording at Harold Washington College and College of DuPage.

More info at www.SoundAndBackline.com.

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Patrick Ditzel
Post Sound Mixer

Patrick began playing piano at age six and, though it wasn’t exactly something he enjoyed, he admits it benefited his outlook on music and his skills as a DJ. As a student at Depaul University, he minored in Sound Design and added mixing and mastering to his repertoire.

Patrick explored the genres of music he enjoyed making and fine-tuned his skills, which led to his career as a DJ and the formation of Café Disko with his friend Paul Alqas. He is an Emmy nominated audio mixer and was recently also nominated for ‘Best Street/Club Party DJ’ by the Chicago Music Awards.

For BJMF, Patrick donates his time to mix and master the two final playoff songs professionally recorded at the end of the epic Grand Finale Concert.

He also offers his talents to bands and solo performers that wish to mix any of their other BJMF recordings.

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Kevin Ray
Post Sound Mixer / Music Dir.Ed. Team

Kevin is a composer, producer and percussionist. He was a three-time 3rd Place winner of BJMF with his band, The Ska-lers, before returning as a volunteer working on the post/mixing side of things and, more recently, joining the Education Team.

Like Patrick, he offers his services to bands and solo artists wishing to mix/master any of their BJMF recordings.

Kevin started to learn songwriting and mixing by making DIY recordings with the Ska-lers. His formal education began when he attended Berklee College of Music, studying composition with Marti Epstein and marimba with Nancy Zeltsman.

He subsequently received a master’s degree in composition at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, studying with Eun Young Lee and Timothy McCormack.


Production Support Team:

Mitch Cremer
Production Support

Mitch Cremer is a Freshman at Columbia College, Chicago, studying film and writing. After school, he wants to work as a Writer/Director in New York or Los Angeles.

Mitch has been volunteering for the music festival during the summers since 2017 helping with various tasks including documentary video production of the performances. He also assists with social media posts and performs various production tasks as needed. Mitch hopes to continue volunteering for years to come because of how rewarding and fun the experience is.

In his free time he likes to paint, bake, and yell at video games. He also plays piano and guitar, loves nineties music, and is learning to play the bass.

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Sean Seno
Production Support

Sean is the stage crew / set-up & break-down crew for BJMF. He volunteers for the Festival because he thinks it’s a great opportunity for young adults to experience what being a rock star feels like. He wants to give back to the people that gave him that opportunity.

Sean is a graduate of Glenbrook North high-school and went on to Grand Valley State College to study Engineering before deciding to shift his focus to public service. He is now a Firefighter / Paramedic for the City of Evanston, IL.

Sean played saxophone for The Ska-Lers, arguably the world’s greatest Ska band ever in the history of all ska bands (and a three-time Bitter Jester Honorable Mention winner). He looks forward to meeting everyone this summer!

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Vlad Halai
Prod. Support / All-Access Podcast Co-Host

Vlad is an Office Manager/Human Resource Specialist working towards his master’s degree in Health Administration. Although he does not work in the music industry, he has a great love for the art and loves to perform. He has participated in multiple acapella groups, an opera ensemble and was the lead vocalist of The Ska-Lers band. Aside from music, he also enjoys playing hockey, finding new places to hike and going out on the town with friends.

Vlad is a frequent return volunteer for BJMF and has been a judge, a Band Liaison, and an interviewer for BJMF web videos. Vlad finds time to return as a frequent volunteer because this Festival brings a chance for young bands to feel what it's like to be true rock stars and make amazing memories. He wishes to help make this Festival as special as it was for him when he competed.

Daniel D. Drake
Production Support

Daniel originally attended the U. of I. at Chicago as a Biological Sciences/Psychology major with the intention of becoming a physician. However, during his second year at UIC he threw financial stability to the wind and decided to pursue his true passion and transferred to Illinois State University as a Theatre Education Major.

He began his tenure with the Music Festival as Production Manager for the 2010 Grand Finale Concert. He instantly fell in love with the event and continued acting as Production / Stage Manager until 2016, when he co-founded The Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts with Nicolas DeGrazia, where he acted as Executive Director until 2020. He is currently the President of the BJFA Board of Directors.

Daniel was Production Manager for BJMF’s Grand Finale, overseeing all aspects of the large production, until 2019 and now assists in a support role when he can. He was the Managing Director for the Theatre Conservatory at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University (where he also received his Master’s Degree in Performing Arts Administration), before transitioning to his new role as Assistant Director - Interactive Arts & Media at Columbia College, Chicago.

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Adela Skowronski
Super-Supporter & Verbal Feedback

Adela is a young radio host with one mission: uniting people through music. On weekdays, she co-hosts Afternoons from 2- 6 pm on WPNA 103.1 FM. On weekends she plays her cello, writes music and hosts The Underbelly Hours - an underground music podcast that is a haven for Chicagoland musicians.

She is also a member of the Musicians Club of Women, a board member of Yesfest, and the 2021 Andrew Patner Fellow at Chicago's Premiere Classical Station 98.7 FM. Through her work, she hopes to expose people to music they’ve never heard of before… and understand people in a deeper manner as a result. She is excited to be joining BJMF as a Band Liaison after years of supporting and promoting it on air.

Catch all of her doings on adelas.net

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Jackson Ressner
All-Access Podcast Host, Seasons 1 & 2

Jackson is currently a student at Marquette University studying Marketing and Economics and is a drummer and alto saxophone player. With Bitter Jester he was the host of the All-Access Podcast for its first two seasons where he interviewed the performers, judges, and other people involved with making the music at BJMF.

In his interviews he was able to learn more about everyone as a person as well as their musical backgrounds. The podcast episodes help listeners learn more about the Festival while also encouraging other regional musicians to apply and those out of state to keep playing music!

Jackson enjoyed meeting all the musicians each summer.


The Comic Thread Sketch Comedy Troupe & The Purple Shirts Live Short Story Readings:

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Dr. Matt Birnholz
Writer/Performer
The Comic Thread & The Purple Shirts

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Nurse Mark Sheahen
Technical Director/Stage Manager
The Comic Thread

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Dr. Charles Turck
Writer/Performer
The Comic Thread & The Purple Shirts


Interested in joining our team? Click here to send us an email!