Karen McGhee-Hensel
Karen McGhee-Hensel has been the orchestra director at Shawnee Mission North High School since 1979. In addition to directing the orchestra, Mrs. Hensel also directs the North Strolling Strings and teaches Honors AP Music Theory. She also teaches strings in two elementary schools. She also plays piano and directs the pit orchestra for all of North’s musicals.
Mrs. Hensel is member of Kansas Music Educators Association, American String Teachers Association and Sigma Alpha Iota. She is a Lifetime member of PTA and has been awarded the “Friend of Special Education” by the Shawnee Mission District. Mrs. Hensel is also a recipient of the Fox 4 Crystal Apple award. Recently, she was honored by the orchestra directors of the North East Kansas Music Education Association as “Outstanding High School Teacher” for the year 2009.
Mrs. Hensel’s teaching philosophy reflects a desire to provide all string players an educational and fun orchestra experience regardless of ability level. She values and teaches the traditional orchestral literature while exposing students to many different alternative string experiences including rock and pop music, as well as Irish and American fiddle music.
Mrs. Hensel received her under-graduate degree from Emporia State University and her graduate degree from the University of Missouri- Kansas City.
Being an active musician in the Kansas City area, she performs regularly with her string quartet as well as playing piano in many theatre venues. Mrs. Hensel is active in her church handbell choir and enjoys volunteer work transcribing music for the visually impaired.
Mrs. Hensel has two grown children and enjoys spending her spare time scrap-booking or riding her Harley with her husband, John.
Greg Ferguson
Mr. Ferguson holds a Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and a Master of Liberal Arts from Baker University School of Professional and Graduate Studies. He began his career with the Olathe Public Schools in 1985 and has been the director of Orchestras at Indian Trail Junior High and Olathe South High School since 1987.
Under Mr. Ferguson’s direction the Olathe South High School Orchestra has grown from 10 members in 1987 to over 120 members to date and was awarded first division ratings at State Music Festival for seven consecutive years. The Olathe South Orchestra has toured Southern California, Texas, Florida, Chicago and most recently Boston.
Mr. Ferguson is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the American String Teachers Association and the Kansas Music Educators Association. He is also one of the founding directors for the Olathe Area Youth Symphony Association, which is celebrating their 17th season this year.
He and his wife Susan live in Olathe with their two children Brandon and Jenna.
William Dietrick
William R. Detrick holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music Education degree from Kansas State University. He has spent the last twenty-six years as a music educator with the Olathe Public Schools. Prior to that he taught instrumental music in both Kansas and Texas.
Mr. Detrick is currently Orchestra Program Facilitator for the Olathe School District and is a founding director of the Olathe Area Youth Symphony Association.
He is also a member of the Olathe Public Arts Commission which works to support both the visual and performing arts in the Olathe community, and is on the Board of Directors for the Olathe Arts Alliance.
William Detrick holds memberships in the Music Educators National Conference, Kansas Music Educators Association, American String Teachers Association and the International Association of Jazz Educators. Mr. Detrick has served as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the Midwest.
Cecily Mahan
Cecily Mahan (Noel) originally comes from the Joplin, Missouri area. She received both her Bachelor of Music Performance and Education degrees from Pittsburg State University and her Masters of Art in Education degree from Baker University.
She has many years of playing and teaching experience including jazz, symphonic, and chamber music. She currently plays violin and viola in two professional string quartets and plays professionally when needed around the Kansas City area.
Cecily has been a strings specialist in the Shawnee Mission Public schools for 19 years and enjoys teaching elementary and middle school students. She recently was awarded “Outstanding Middle Level Educator” for the Northeast district of the Kansas Music Educator’s Association.
