Lead teacher
Sara Hoefer, a native of Fairfield, has dedicated over two decades to music education and vocal performance in her hometown. Inspired by her vocal music instructors from a young age, Sara has strived to instill a love for and appreciation of singing, choir and a cappella in all of her students.
As a product of the Fairfield Public Schools music program, Sara is grateful and proud to be contributing to a program that gave her so much. Currently the choir director at Roger Ludlowe Middle School in Fairfield, Sara has been teaching middle school choir in Fairfield for 23 years. Additionally, she has directed both treble and co-ed a cappella ensembles at both Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde High Schools for nearly 20 years. As the founder of A cappella Night, Sara has worked to share her love of a cappella music, and created a program in which students in grades 6-12 are able to perform a cappella music, listen to and learn from elite college a cappella groups, and even work with some of the most well known clinicians in the industry including Rob Dietz, Deke Sharon and Shams Ahmed.
As both a student and teacher, Sara has been leading, arranging, coaching and performing a cappella music for over 26 years. Spanning all the way back to her college a cappella years as a Bucknell Silhouette, she has loved every minute of a cappella, and is excited to work with singers of all ages in camp this summer!
A Cappella Coach
Mel Dreizen has a wide background in varied genres of music including rock, pop, jazz, and musical theatre, with a lifelong love for singing and arranging A Cappella music. She has been performing with FCCC (Fairfield County Children’s Choir) for 7 years, and has been in their highest-tiered group, the Chamber Singers, for 4 years. She has also performed with her school’s highest-tiered treble choir, Bel Canto, and their co-ed A Cappella group, Close Harmony, being a prominent student arranger and soloist. This past year, Mel auditioned, qualified, and performed at Western Regionals and All-States programs, as well as inducted into Tri-M, the music Honors Society. She also volunteers with various music organizations by teaching individual guitar and voice lessons and assisting with large ensembles. Mel is a budding singer-songwriter and released her debut self-produced album, “in the end…” this past June for her senior project. Mel plays a variety of instruments, including guitar, drums, bass, piano, viola, and ukulele. She also has a long history in musical theatre, both on stage and in the pit orchestra, most recently playing guitar for FLHS’s productions of Rent, The Wedding Singer, Singin’ In The Rain (also being the Assistant Vocal Director), and Fairfield Teen Theatre’s production of 13. She is a 2024 Halo recipient for “Outstanding Musical Direction” in the Drama Club, having composed original music and a complete score for their Fall 2023 production of Romeo & Juliet. This is Mel’s third year with Camp A Cappella CT, and she is so excited to work with everyone!
Creative director
Danielle Merlis is a Connecticut based music educator and film composer. Her passion lies in sharing her diverse musical background with young students who want to enjoy music as a lifelong hobby, as well as those who would like to pursue music as a career.
As both a composer and performer, Danielle's music spans traditional and contemporary styles including classical, world, electronic, pop, and jazz. Danielle has composed music for numerous films and documentaries as well as for ABC Television.
Danielle has won numerous awards and competitions for her cello playing. She was invited to perform with the Norwalk Symphony as a featured soloist with renowned jazz musician Chris Brubeck and his band Triple Play. She also performed with Glenn Frey at Town Hall to promote his solo album After Hours and with the entire Eagles band at the Beacon Theater.
Danielle studied music at the Manhattan School of Music, Boston University's Tanglewood Institute, McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, in addition to New York University's Steinhardt school. She earned her bachelor's degree in cello performance under the instruction of Matt Haimovitz and Marion Feldman and her master's degree in film composition at New York University. While she was a student at Staples High School Danielle studied cello with Lois Errante and was a member of the Norwalk Youth Symphony Principal Orchestra. Danielle has performed as a soloist, orchestra member, chamber musician, and band member at various venues including Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, The Beacon Theater, Ozawa Concert Hall, Town Hall, CAMI Hall, The Shed at Tanglewood, Joe’s Pub, Lowe Theater, Provincetown Playhouse, and the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Read an article about Danielle here.
Creative director
Robert Kwan has been an active church musician for nearly thirty years. Originally from Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia, he spent one year in England as the Organ Scholar at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle before moving to the United States for graduate studies in 2001. After earning the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music in 2008, he moved to Connecticut where he served as the assistant musician at an Episcopal Church in Westport. In 2013, he was appointed Director of Music/Organist at Trinity Episcopal Church, Southport, Connecticut, where he directs a music program that includes three choirs, two organs, and a concert series.
In addition to church work, Robert maintains an active piano teaching schedule and collaborates extensively with choirs of all ages in the Westport and Fairfield School districts. Outside of professional life, he enjoys traveling, going to concerts and shows, cooking, baking, puttering in the garden, and recreational sports such as tennis in the summer and curling in the winter – a sport dubbed “chess on ice” requiring brooms, rocks, and special shoes! In 2019 he Skipped (curling-speak for Captained) a team to a tournament victory at a World Curling Tour event.
Assistant
Long-time Westport resident Joan Merlis has a background as a music educator and choral conductor. She was on the music faculty of the Calhoun School in New York City, and at The Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts in Massachusetts. Founder of the TCS chorale in 1994, she has served as its music director for 25 years. She also performs with the Boston based choirs "Koleinu" and "Zachor."
Joan holds an MBA from Columbia University and worked in finance in New York City. She is also a certified teacher of the GYROTONIC® method of movement, used by many musicians, dancers and others to maintain free movement of the body to enhance their professional and daily activities.