MEET THE MUSIC TEAM
These musicians, vocalists, worship leaders, are dedicated to connecting with each participant to provide expanding insights, enhanced technical instruction and refined wisdom to deepen vision for worship through music. Specifically we hope each guest will leave uniquely equipped to convey the hope, love, truth, and passion of Christ through musical gifts to the church and to their world!
Ascend 2026 focuses on The Unmitigated Power of Song and Instrumentation within the context of worship- With Jim Abdo, Iryna Kudielina, Pat and Majorie Daly, Shelley Kristen Jones, and Rich Peterson. This highly passionate team of highly skilled multi-generational musicians and worship leaders will passionately deep dive into the principles and practices that highlight the power of song, singing, instrumentation and the transcendent worship of God through the centuries and in contemporary worship. Whether you’re an individual wanting to explore more depth of personal worship with music, or as a pastor or worship leader or team member wanting to inspire and advance your entire worship team together.
Jim Abdo has a long and rich history of dedicated music production, song, worship, performance and teaching.
From his early days with the Jesus Revolution era popular band Aslan with Maranatha Music and performing at ground zero of the movement, Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, , to the building of his recording studio as Owner-operator at BrokenWorks Productions, LLC in 2003 to present. Jim infuses our culture with the power and pleasure and deep meaning of music.
Jim states ,"For Artists And Their Craft: Technology is just paint and canvas. The real magic comes from you, the artist." He dedicates himself to helping musicians develop their fullest potential in performance and music production, leaving a enormous legacy of music in the atmosphere and of record because of his talents, commitment and hard work.
He regularly performs with music groups throughout the Rogue Valley and serves with the Table Rock Christian Fellowship worship and production team.
IRYNA KUDIELINA
PIANIST / TEACHING WORSHIP PIANO
Iryna Kudielina was born in Ukraine and started playing piano when she was six years old. Her parents were worship leaders so she was playing the piano also in church by age 10. She specialized in music at a prestigious boarding school in Kharkiv, where she graduated, with honors and a silver medal.
Iryna went on to attend the Kotlyarevsky Kharkiv National University of Arts where she graduated, with honors, with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. In September 2019 she won the Erasmus+ Project Competition and then moved to Portugal, to study piano at the Superior Conservatory where she received a masters degree in piano performance. and studied with other professors from Vienna, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, and Ukraine. Iryna has performed a series of solo recitals at Teatro Nacional São João in Porto, Portugal. In June of 2022, Iryna was awarded the First Prize at the 16th Concurso Internacional de Piano do Alto Minho and the First Prize at the Premio Elisa de Sousa Pedroso in Vila Real, Portugal.
Not wanting to return home to her war torn region, she came to Southern Oregon University to receive her masters degree with in Piano Performance studying under Dr. Alexander Tutunov.
She currently teaches piano and plays in Southern Oregon for many special events including on Sundays during worship at Ashland Christian Fellowship.
PAT DAY
CLASSICAL PIANIST/ PIANO INSTRUCTOR/ WORSHIP PIANO/ BROADCASTER/ ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF MUSIC HISTORY
Pat grew up in a musically rich environment in Germany and Washington DC. He started playing piano at age six and, in middle school, studied at Dunbarton college with Dr. Silvio Scionti. After one year at the University of Maryland as a Physics major, he came to his senses and graduated with a B. Music degree in 1976. Wanting more, he went to Wichita State University where he studied with Robert Roux, accompanied the ballet, taught piano and volunteered at a public radio station, announcing classical music. Upon graduation in 1980 with a B Music degree, he was hired on the communication faculty as Music Director of KMUW and began broadcasting music to central Kansas. In Wichita, Pat put his faith in Jesus, met and married his wife Margie, had a son and then moved to southern Oregon to be Music Director at KSOR/Jefferson Public Radio, sharing his love of classical music every weekday morning from 7 to 10am. He also taught music history at SOU as adjunct professor. In 1996 he became Operations Manager at Christian radio station KDOV, and in 2006, became a private piano instructor which he still does today. Throughout this time in the Rogue Valley, Pat has been involved in church music as a choir director, accompanist and worship pianist. He also has been cajoled to give concert performances as part of Oregon Music Teachers Association.
SHELLEY KRISTEN JONES
VOCAL COACH AND HARMONIZING IN WORSHIP
Hop into Ascend's vocal training breakout sessions with Shelley Kristen Jones. Shelley is a singer, songwriter and author of the complete singing voice lesson series. Shelley's expertise, experience and encouraging teaching style is second to none. Shelley routinely teaches out of J O N E S music professional recording studio with all the bells and whistles for a truly fun and professional music lesson experience. She will help to raise your vocal technical awareness and abilities to advance your vocal gifts and harmonizing to the next level and have you consumed with the joys and pleasure of singing..
RICH PETERSON
| SONGWRITER | PLAY WRITE | GUITARIST | PRODUCER
Rich has a extensive and diverse background of music/drama/acting and producing original music and scripts for theater and musicals. After graduating from Texas with a bachelors in Music, Rich written and produced many full length musicals and dramas including “Left Behind”, “This Present Darkness” . Produced video sequences for “Left Behind” stage production featuring 100 cast members, pyrotechnics, helicopter cameraman, simulated newscast, special disappearing effects and stunts. He was a Screenwriter “Peter and the Wolf” with Dudley Moore BBC, He has written music for Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Tim Curry and Smoky Robinson. He has produced many CDs, film soundtracks and videos. This just begins to scratch the surface of his list of music and theater accomplishments.
Rich has had experience conducting orchestras and choral performers and also served as a school band instructor. He has passionately taught guitar lovers of all levels of skill for several years full-time in Fort Worth Texas.