Our Founder/Director, Pamela West-Finkle (aka "Miss Pam") holds a B.S. in Education, a Masters in Music Education, and holds Professional NYS Teaching Certifications in K-12 Music and 7-12 English Language Arts. In addition, she has received over fifty hours of early childhood music training through Music Together® and was a registered teacher and center director with the program from 2002 to 2022. She taught vocal and general music in the public schools for seven years, and has worked as a community music facilitator and teaching artist in every community she has lived in since the mid-1990's.
In addition to her rewarding work as a music educator, she has been a professional musician for thirty years. Miss Pam and her husband, Theodore Finkle, have five children and three grand-children.
For her full musical biography, read on....
Pamela West-Finkle (“Angel Pam West”) Biography:
Originally from Amish country in Ohio, “Angel” Pam West began performing for Heads of State as a teenager, and entered the U.S. Army bands as a symphonic bassoonist at the age of 17. She studied conducting and performed in symphonies and professional choirs. Pamela, however, was heavily influenced by the classical art rock and psychedelic pop of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s--bands like Led Zeppelin, The Moody Blues, Traffic, Spirit, Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd. Inspired to write because of profound life changes, she left the classical scene to pursue her original music in 1994. She added 6 & 12 string guitar, synthesizer, and a collection of flutes to her repertoire, performing as a solo artist, in duets, bands, and as a session player, embarking on a successful career as an independent singer-songwriter/rock virtuoso for the next fifteen years, performing and recording nationally and internationally.
Pamela has most recently performed as a symphonic bassoonist with the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble; a multi-instrumentalist with the progressive art rock tribute band The Justice League; and as a session musician with Grammy Award Winning Children's Music Producer Dean Jones of Dog on Fleas. She also performs regularly as a solo acoustic singer-songwriter, a children’s entertainer, and with her husband in the Folk Rock duo Diviner. She was also the host of a Wednesday afternoon children's radio show called Miss Pam's Jamboree on WIOX Community Radio, 91.3 in Roxbury, New York for three years.
West has written and produced over 100 original songs in over 14 genres of music and released five independent albums—two progressive art rock, two children’s albums, and one new age/meditation CD. A multi-instrumentalist and powerful, versatile singer, West’s live performances are captivating and serenely enchanting, exploring American Blues Rock, Classical European, Latin Jazz, Middle-Eastern, Tibetan, and Appalachian Folk influences. She was signed to Michael Quatro’s Quatrophonic Records in Detroit, Michigan prior to her relocation to New York City in 2001. She has toured the United States East Coast and Midwest, England, the Caribbean, and spent the summer of 2004 performing in Vienna, Austria.
International Radio & Television:
“Angel” Pam West’s 2nd children’s album “Unicorn Crossing” won a 2012 Parents’ Choice Recommended Award. Previously, her 1997 debut release "Evolution" and her 1999 sophomore release “Dweller on the Threshold” garnered rave reviews internationally and received independent and Internet airplay and sales in Europe, Russia, Hungary, England, Costa Rica, Australia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and throughout the U.S.A. She was a featured artist on MP3.com and her live studio single, “Live to Sing,” held the #1 spot in the psychedelic chart for over six weeks, in addition to several songs in the top 20 charts of several other genres. She has made radio and television appearances both nationally and internationally.
Education:
West graduated from the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Virginia in 1987 with academic honors and a Presidential Premier Band qualification. After her military service, she attended the University of Akron in her home state of Ohio where she double majored in performance and education, studying bassoon, piano, conducting, voice, theory/composition, and creative writing/literature while playing bassoon in several NE Ohio orchestras. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, Gamma Alpha Kappa in 1996 with a B.S. in Education and a teaching certificate from Ashland University. She completed her Masters of Music Education in May of 2012 via University of Montana's online and community-based program. She holds professional certifications in K-12 Music and 7-12 English Language Arts. She has received over 50 hours of early childhood music training at the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ and was a registered Music Together teacher and early childhood music specialist since 2002. In addition, she has attended the Summer Teacher Institute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Community Music:
After the events of 9/11/01, Pam turned away from the music industry and has since been inspired by the international community music movement, researching folk music, musicology, early childhood music, music therapy, and sociological functions of music in society. Pamela West has successfully implemented and continues to develop community arts and music programs for children. She is the founder and Executive Director of The Community Music Network, an organization designed to increase public awareness about the powerful applications for grass roots music and arts development. Her pilot community music center, the Center for Music and Creative Development, was opened in June of 2011 in the village of Hobart, New York. She is an artist in residence at the Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center and teaches early childhood parent/child and preschool music classes, intergenerational music classes, after school music programs, private lessons, a summer rock camp, and outreach programs for at-risk and special needs populations.
Special Honors:
In addition to national and international clubs and festivals, she has peformed for patients in New York City hospitals with Musicians On Call (www.musiciansoncall.org), hospice/nursing homes, school children, homeless teen shelters, and community music events. In December of 2003, she was made an Ambassador of Music through a not-for-profit humanitarian organization called Airline Ambassadors. (www.airlineambassadors.org). Her song "Evolution" from the 1997 album was featured on the national music compilation for Congressman Dennis Kucinich's presidential campaign. In addition, was a featured artist in a national Breast Cancer awareness campaign in 2005, sponsored by Clearchannel Entertainment Worldwide.
Catalog & Genres:
Buy One, Get One Flea, Dog on Fleas - 2014 - Children's Music with Grammy Award Winning producer Dean Jones. Featured bassoonist on numerous tracks.
Unicorn Crossing - 2011 - Children's Music, featuring Matthew Curran, Theodore Finkle, Henry Herman & Fred Harris
Crystal Planet Meditation - 2004 - New Age/Meditation with Reverend Elizabeth Howell & Peter Blum
Are You Ready, Get Set, Let's Go! 2003 - Children's Music, featuring Michael Quatro, Keith Christopher & Sky
Dweller on the Threshold, 1999 - Art Rock & Psychedelic Pop, featuring Chris Frohring & Erik Diaz
Evolution, 1997 - Progressive Rock
Instrumentation:
Vocals (4.5 8va--trained in opera, musical theater, blues, jazz, rock, and gospel), Positive message/social consciousness Lyrics, Ethnic & Traditional Flutes, 6 & 12 String Acoustic Guitar, Bassoon, Piano/Synths, Harmonica, Mandolin, Drums/Percussion.
Music Websites:
Angel Pam West music available on Amazon
www.reverbnation.com/angelpamwest
www.youtube.com/angelpamwest
Justice League Thick as a Brick Performance featuring Pam on flute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kLndiwm7IA
