Our staff strives to create an inclusive, encouraging environment, in which all students feel valued and safe. We build a culture of positivity and fun, and then aid our students in singing musically, taking risks, and learning new skills.
Nathan Wubbena
​​MS/HS Director
Nathan Wubbena has performed as a soloist and chorus member locally and internationally; he has won awards in both classical and musical theater competitions, and he been cast in several lead roles in musical productions. He has performed with critically acclaimed choral ensembles, most recently performing with the Denver-based group Kantorei. He also arranges a cappella music, which he uses with the groups he directs and performs himself; he has several years of experience with a cappella groups, both singing in and directing them, and currently directs elite a cappella ensembles, at both middle and high school levels. 

Mr. Wubbena holds a Master of Music Education (with a Conducting Specialization) from Colorado State University. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Northern Colorado with his Bachelor of Music Education, specializing in Vocal, Piano, and General Music. 

​He has taught students in the public schools from K-12. He has been the director of numerous well-received musicals, and his choirs have won competitions with superior ratings. In 2015, Nathan received the Outstanding Young Music Educator Award from the Colorado Music Educator's Association. He is the co-founder of this camp.
Carly Neumann
​​MS/HS Director
Carly Neumann is a passionate and empathetic music educator who hails from the small town of Peyton, Colorado on the Eastern Plains. In addition to her teaching experience, Carly has a background in youth development and youth mental health support. Carly's passion for music education extends beyond the classroom. She has experience conducting church choirs, leading community choir programs, and organizing musical events. Her commitment to providing diverse performance and musical opportunities for students in both rural and urban communities has made a significant impact on the lives of her students.

Most recently, Carly served as the Vocal Music Director at Westview Middle School in Longmont, Colorado, where she instructed seven choirs, including treble choirs, tenor-bass choirs, mixed choirs, and an auditioned mixed show choir. 
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Carly brings over seven years of experience as a dedicated music educator to the team. She graduated with honors from University of Colorado-Boulder with a degree in Music Education. In the fall, Carly will be pursuing her Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting at Colorado State University, where she will also be serving as a graduate teaching assistant. She is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association, and holds a certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Paul Falk
​​MS/HS Director
MS/HS Pianist
Equally at home in Jazz, Music Theatre, Music Worship, Pop and Classical Music, Paul has been playing piano since the 1st Grade.  Paul is currently the Director of Music at St. Stephen's Episcopal Longmont and has previously served as Director of Choirs at Trinity Lutheran Fort Collins as well as long term subbing at many churches across the front range.  A graduate of The University of Northern Colorado and Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, he has been active as a choral/vocal jazz clinician as well as a pianist in Recital Performances, All State Choir/All State Jazz Choir Performances, Jazz Ensembles, Reading Sessions, Recording projects and Music theatre pits from Colorado to Illinois and New York.  Some Music Director highlights include CO Premier productions of RENT, Next To Normal, Memphis, Fun Home, Motones vs. Jerseys, A Christmas Story and many others.
 
Before teaching choir at Ponderosa High School, CU Boulder Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Rocky Mountain High School (GRAMMY Signature High School) and Windsor High School, Paul served as Assistant Director of Purdue Musical Organizations and Vocal Percussionist for CO Acappella group Groove Society.   Paul has had the opportunity to work with artists such as: Anton Armstrong, Mandy Harvey, Patricia Barber, Laurence Hobgood, Judy Kaye, Janine DiVita, Terrence Mann, Stephanie J. Block, Roger Treece, Kate McGarry, Judy Niemack and Ben Folds.  ​
Cathy Keller
​​Elementary Director
Cathy Keller is in her sixteenth year at Prairie Ridge Elementary School in the St. Vrain Valley Schools where she serves as the general music teacher and conductor of the Soaring Singers. She also serves as the conductor of the third grade Beginning Choir as well as the director of the Soaring Sounds tone chimes ensemble and other musical extra-curricular activities. In 2017, Mrs. Keller co-presented with her fellow general music council member a session at CMEA entitled “Tried and True: Our Choral Favorites.” She also, along with her district colleagues began collaborating in order to develop and prepare viable lesson plans and materials for the autism spectrum disorder programs at their respective schools. She and her colleagues presented their work at the CMEA Conference in 2018. Following their presentation, they shared their work again at the University of Colorado NafME student chapter meeting in early spring. She served on the General Music Council for CMEA for eight years, four as the district 3 representative, and most recently as the Chair and Chair-Elect of the GMC and on the Board of Directors for CMEA.
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Mrs. Keller has two children with her husband, Travis Keller: Matthew (14) and Emma (11). She and Travis have been happily married for 18 years. She enjoys traveling, swimming, camping, hiking, attending Broncos and Rockies games and any outdoor activities with her family. She loves exercising every day and taking care of her mental and physical health. She loves attending Travis’ and Matthew’s marching band activities in the fall to cheer on the Fairview Marching Knights and Emma’s dance and voice recitals!
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Grable Howie
Assistant Instructor
Grable Howie is a producer, songwriter, music director, and performer who currently studies at Berklee College of Music. He is earning his bachelors in Independent Recording and Production and a minor in Music Health. He is working to perfect his craft as an independent musician, developing skills in production, mixing, and mastering. Specializing primarily in guitar and voice, Grable performs all around Boston and Colorado, mainly in the genres of folk, alternative, and pop. 

He is also the current music director of On The Vox A Cappella, an award winning pop based collegiate a cappella group at Berklee. This group recently became two time semifinalists in the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella. 

Grable has a diverse choral and theatre background, winning multiple awards in both areas. Most notably, Grable has been a MainStage performer at the International Thespian Festival, and won the National School Choral award back in 2021. He is so excited to bring his knowledge and experiences to Ascent Vocals again!
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Anastasia Damick
​Assistant Instructor
Anastasia has been playing piano since she was 4, has been singing most of her life, and has been singing in a choir since 6th grade. She will be graduating in December with her Bachelors’ of Music in Music Composition as well as Choral/General Music Education from Miami University in Ohio, after which she plans to be a middle or high school choir teacher. 

Anastasia first composed a recorder trio at the age of 7 on a few sheets of printer paper on which she drew staff lines using a ruler; unfortunately, that composition has been lost to time. She began composing in earnest in 9th grade. Through her studies at Miami University, she has had the opportunity to compose music for musicians from Guerilla Opera as well as Unheard-Of Ensemble during their short residencies. She also presented her choral piece at a reading session at the Indiana Choral Directors’ Association conference in 2024.

​While Anastasia currently lives in Indiana with her family, she grew up in Longmont and was a student in the camp from 2017-2019 (you can spot the back of her head below and just to the left of the flag in the group photo in the footer), and she is so excited to be back on staff!
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Mason Siders 
​Elementary Pianist
Mason Siders is a pianist based in Colorado. Mason is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in Music Education (Instrumental concentration). Specializing in musical theatre and jazz, he performs frequently with school choirs and show productions, in addition to Music Directing at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown, CO. ​