Artistic Director
John Baker
John Baker is the Artistic Director of Tilikum Choir Community and Milwaukie Lutheran Church Choir. Baker received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Choral Music from Oregon College of Education. He was the Choir Director at Rex Putnam High School for his entire “teaching” career, 1980-2011. During his tenure at Rex Putnam, the A Cappella Choir and Choralaires performed at state, regional and national ACDA and MENC Conventions. In 1993, he and his wife, Sandy, founded the North Clackamas Children's Choir, a program which continued for 15 years with approximately 125 singers in 3 choirs. Now retired from public music education, John keeps active in the greater choral community. Mr. Baker has served as a guest conductor/clinician for honor choirs, workshops, and retreats in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, Canada, Alaska and Thailand. Music literacy is a trademark of his teaching. He holds positions on both the ACDA and OMEA boards, as well as being the liaison for OSAA choir activities.
Associate Conductor
Amber Schroeder
Amber earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Portland State University in 2001 and a Master of Education in 2005. Most recently, she completed a Masters Degree in Choral Conducting from Simpson College in 2023. Her teaching career has focused on choral music education in the Portland area, working with school and church choirs ranging from elementary through adult. In addition to her work with TCC, she also teaches at Sam Barlow High School and with the Pacific Youth Choir. Choirs she worked with have performed at events throughout the Northwest, including both OMEA and ACDA conferences. She regularly adjudicates music events in Washington and Oregon and serves as a clinician for honor choirs and retreat settings. Amber and her husband reside in Gresham, Oregon.
Collaborative Pianist
Madison Berry-Sellers
Madison Berry-Sellers is a proud Oregonian with an appetite for travel and trivia. She grew up in her dad's recording studio, singing for audio projects starting at the age of 5 and began playing piano shortly thereafter. After graduating with a music degree from Oregon State University, her dreams of singing backup for James Taylor or Steely Dan took her to Nashville, TN where she spent three years exploring the music industry and recording background vocals for various projects. Following her stint in the South, she moved home to Portland where she fulfills her passion of accompanying and singing in choirs while working her "real job" at The Dougy Center. When she's not tickling the ivories, she is playing choo-choo trains with her son, enjoying Portland's foodie scene with her husband, or snuggling with her German Shepherd in their Beaverton home.
