Arts Hall of Fame Inductees 2016
Harrington E. “Kit” Crissey, Jr. - Class of 1962
Harrington E. “Kit” Crissey played horn in the Springfield High School band and orchestra, participated in district and state festivals and was chosen student conductor of the orchestra in his senior year. He studied horn privately with Elwood Miller.
As a classical language major at the University of Rochester, he was president and drum major of the marching band and played in the concert band and Baroque ensemble. He also took horn lessons at the Eastman School of Music. In his senior year, he wrote a Latin-to-English translation of the text to Carl Orff's Carmina Burana which was subsequently used as a program note by a couple of major orchestras.
While on active duty with the Navy (1966-1969), he played horn in the Charleston, South Carolina Symphony and the Guam Wind Ensemble.
Since 1988, he has been an impresario for concerts of solo and chamber music under the heading of "Crissey Concerts." In 2010, he began annual symposia on concert and military band history and repertoire. These symposia are now called the East Coast Band Conference, which involves talks on concert and military band history and repertoire and open rehearsals of rare band works.
As a band historian, he has written articles for publication since 1993 and has amassed a large collection of Russian and Soviet band music, as well as possessing what remains of the band library of the famous cornet virtuoso and bandmaster Bohumir Kryl.
After getting a master's degree in English education from Temple University in 1974, Kit embarked on a career in teaching English as a second language to foreign adults.He also served for thirty years in the Naval Reserve (1963-1993), retiring at the rank of commander.
Kim Shockley Fink - Class of 1972
Kim Shockley Fink grew up in a family where music was always playing, and she and her sisters sang at family functions and at church from a very early age. She started playing guitar at 10 years old and was very active in high school choir and musicals at SHS.
Kim began performing at special events over 30 years ago as part of the popular children’s singing duo “Peanut Butter ‘n Jelly” with her sister, Sandi Shockley Eckberg. After 13 years performing as “Peanut Butter ‘n Jelly” Kim loved performing, but wanted something different. She saw the need for a preschool music program with strong educational content that was still fun for children, and included music that adults could enjoy too. In 1994, Kim founded Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms to fill that need. She started with one location and the business grew to 20 locations in the Philadelphia area, with other locations around the country in Texas, Virginia, and Florida. Makin’ Music has received ten national awards and locally has won “Best of “Philly” and “Best of the Main Line”. Makin’ Music also offers curriculum to preschools and their music is used by the Goddard Schools nationwide.
There are many things that make Makin’ Music unique, not the least of which is a tremendously talented and enthusiastic staff. Kim’s sisters, Sandi and Denise, have worked as teachers and performers for many years and are favorites of the families for their fun, outgoing personalities. Kim’s sister Karin also worked as a Marketing Director, and her daughter and nieces have joined in the fun as summer camp counselors.
In addition to numerous schools and churches, Makin’ Music proudly supports many charitable organizations, most relating to children’s health issues, such as A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Cure Autism Now, Cystic Fibrosis Foudation, and Down Syndrome Interest Group of Delaware County, just to name a few.
Kim has been married to Jerry Fink for 41 years and has three children, Britton, Derek, and Aubrey, of whom they are immensely proud. She also has three grandchildren that bring her great joy: Cooper, Laila, and Henry.
Jonathan Jenkins - Class of 2001
Jonathan Jenkins has lived and worked in New York City since graduating from Penn State University in 2005. Beginning as an assistant editor at a boutique commercial editing firm, Jonathan soon transitioned into the city’s rapidly expanding reality television industry, where he quickly moved up the ranks of the post-production field into the role of editor. As a reality television editor, Jonathan has worked on shows for HGTV, National Geographic, AMC, Discovery, Destination America, Spike, History Channel, TruTV, Food Network, and Travel Channel.
You’ve probably seen one or two of the programs Jonathan has edited, but surely the one that seems to generate the most attention (and questions) from friends and family is “House Hunters International”. Everyone wants to know—“Is it real???” Rest assured, if you speak to him at the ceremony this afternoon and ask that question, you will get an answer. But, fair warning—you may not like what you hear! Lifting the curtain may ruin the fun…but it probably won’t—it’s just TV, after all!
Jonathan would like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Benton. Were it not for the video production program that Dr. Benton established and ran for over 20 years at SHS, Jonathan and many others would not have gained the experience necessary to begin successful careers in the media industry. Jonathan hopes to see the continued existence and growth of video production and media programs at the new Springfield High School, as well.
Lastly, Jonathan would like to thank his parents, who have always supported and encouraged him, and never questioned his decision to major in the ‘risky’ field of Film & Video. Their confidence in Jonathan is a gift every child should be lucky enough to receive.
Jocelyn Collins Moore - Class of 1990
Jocelyn Collins Moore is a professional vocalist, violinist, conductor, and music educator. She holds a Bachelor in Music Education degree from Westminster Choir College of Princeton, New Jersey. Studying undergraduate voice under Thomas Faracco, she has been a vocalist in the Princeton Singers, The Bridge Ensemble, Antioch Chamber Ensemble, Emmaus Chamber Choir, and the Westminster Choir. She has performed six seasons in the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, two summers in the June Opera Festival in Princeton, and toured in England and Nova Scotia. Along with her opera experiences, she has also played violin with the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey for three seasons.
An instrumental and general music teacher for 21 years, Jocelyn is currently a String specialist for the Egg Harbor Township School District in New Jersey. She teaches strings in both elementary and middle school buildings, coordinating a yearly district wide string festival for over 250 players every spring, and varied performances throughout the year.
While attending SHS, she participated in High School Marching Band, Orchestra, and Chorus programs for four years, played violin in the Delaware County Youth Orchestra, and participated in regional and state level festivals. With the support of SHS music staff, she was awarded a scholarship to study voice under George Massey of Temple University her senior year.
In church music, Jocelyn has performed in several area churches, including Washington Memorial Valley Forge, First Presbyterian Trenton, Lamington Presbyterian, Trinity Princeton, Trinity Moorestown, Grace Church Pemberton, and is currently a vocal soloist and vocal quartet member for Saint Andrew the Apostle in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. She also had the honor of directing the adult choir at Atco Presbyterian Church for three years.
Jocelyn resides in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.
Scott Van Patter - Class of 1970
Scott Van Patter attended Temple University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance on Trombone. Scott studied with Glen Dodson and Robert Harper, both from the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also studied with Douglas Edelman, from the Metropolitan Opera, and Carmine Caruso, a world renowned “chops” teacher.
Teaching trombone has always interested Scott. In addition to offering private lessons, Scott has taught trombone at Camden Catholic High School, Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC, and at the Philadelphia College of Bible, where he played in the faculty brass quintet.
Scott’s career crossed the invisible line between Classical Music and Commercial/Jazz. On the classical side, he played Principal Trombone in the Charlotte Symphony and in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Locally, Scott worked with the Delaware Symphony, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philly Pops, Concerto Soloists, and Bethlehem Bach Festival Orchestra. He also worked with the Chestnut Brass Company and the Westminster Brass Quintet.
On the Jazz/Non Classical side, Scott worked his way through Temple playing for Latin salsa bands in North Philadelphia. In summers, you could find him in a Wildwood, NJ nightclub, where each year he would play 150 shows between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Scott worked in the Walnut Street Theater, the Shubert Theater, the Valley Forge Music Fair, the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, NJ, and most of the big showrooms in the Atlantic City Casinos. Most of the big headliners of that time came through those showrooms. A partial list of the stars Scott has worked with would be: Ann-Margaret, Bob Hope, Burt Bacharach, Dean Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Dionne Warwick, Frankie Valli, George Burns, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Milton Berle, Liza Minnelli, Mel Torme, Mickey Rooney, Natalie Cole, Pearl Bailey, Perry Como, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr., the Four Tops, the Temptations, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra.
Scott and his wife, Barbara have four grown children, and all are involved in music.
Deidre Finnegan Wilman - Class of 1992
Deidre Finnegan Wilman has been teaching, performing, directing and choreographing in the Philadelphia region for over 20 years. She started out choreographing in the Performing Arts Youth Theater in Springfield in 7th grade and continued teaching, directing, and choreographing all through her middle and high school years. She graduated with a BFA in Musical Theater from the University of the Arts where she had received a scholarship. While in school, she choreographed Broadway Swings and created a solo show entitled, A Space of One’s Own. After graduating, she continued working in the Philly Theater and Dance community and has choreographed and/or directed for Theater Horizon, The Arden, Hedgerow, Radio City Music Hall, UArts, St. Joseph University, Upper Darby Summer Stage, City Theater (Pittsburgh), and many schools, dance studios, and events such as Ed Rendell’s second inauguration party. She has worked with Broadway stars such as Kathy Dietch and Megan Hilty, as well as preschoolers and everyone in between. She is currently the Director/Choreographer at Cheltenham High School, and excels at translating professional level theater insights to children and young adults.
As an actor, she is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, and most recently appeared in the world premiere of The 3 Maries by Michael Ogborn at The Prince Music Theater which was produced by TV star Monica Horan and Phil Rosenthal of Everybody Loves Raymond. In this show, she tap danced along with 20-somethings, and played multiple character roles, including both a Rittenhouse Square matron and a South Philly housewife. She has performed with Mazeppa productions—SHS’s Rob Henry’s company—(You’d be Surprised, Closer Than Ever), Theater Horizon (Honk), Hedgereow Theater (Starting Here, Starting Now ), Storybook Musical Theater (Cinderella, Puss in Boots, etc. ) among others.
Deidre has been a professional church soloist for many years throughout Delaware Valley, singing for countless wedding and funeral masses. Her most recent musical endeavor is a lead singer for a Rock/Blues/Jazz band called “Traction”.
She lives in Glenside, Montgomery County with her husband Rob Wilman (SHS 1991) and their three children Myles, Frankie, and Nora.