Bio - Shelley Rink

Shelley Rink teaches piano, music fundamentals, and music appreciation at American River College, Folsom Lake College and Sierra College in northern California.  She has been involved in performing groups since her sixth grade music teacher put a bassoon in her hands.  Conducting musicals, orchestras, choirs, and bands, Shelley was the conductor of the American River College Orchestra for over 10 years, and she has also guest conducted groups such as the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra.  She was Music Director and Conductor of Access Theatre in Santa Barbara for many years, often arranging and writing music for the productions and recordings.  She has played bassoon in numerous orchestras including the Santa Cruz County Symphony and the Santa Maria Symphony.  Shelley played for the ballet and modern dance classes at University of California, Santa Barbara as a piano accompanist.  While at UCSB, she received her Masters Degree in Conducting.  She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Bassoon Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Arthur Kubey of the Pittsburgh Symphony.  In addition, Shelley spent her junior year of college in Vienna, Austria with IES Abroad.  


Shelley has been to Spain three times with her son and daughter, where she fell in love with all things Spanish, especially the street musicians.  Her favorite Spanish composers are Rodrigo and Granados, and she really loves the blues, but her favorite composer of all is Beethoven. Don't miss her Woodwind Quintet,  Zoo Tango Rag!