Penni Abram is a lifelong resident of Port Royal, Pennsylvania. She was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Child Development / Family Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, as well as a minor in music. Penni currently plays with Cumberland Flutes, The Whistle Tones, Raystown Wind Orchestra, Toot in Common, and as a fill-in for various ensembles at Juniata College. Previously she was a member of the Greenwood Community Band. She also conducts a flute ensemble at a local high school, plays in the pit for their musicals, and assists at their band camp as well as playing regularly in worship at Port Royal Lutheran Church. Penni is also an outdoor enthusiast and an avid kayaker.
Originally from Miami, Florida, Lauren Godfrey graduated magna cum laude from Bucknell University in Music Performance. She earned a Fulbright Scholarship to Vienna, Austria, where she toured with local orchestras and taught English as a second language for three years. Lauren is now an interior designer, collaborating with award-winning designers across the country and helping local clients achieve their dream homes. In addition to playing music, when she has free time she focuses on health and wellness; spending time with friends and family; and caring for her two bunnies, Lucy and Pepe.
Joan Kovalchik is a lifelong State College resident who received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Mansfield University and a Master of Music Education from Penn State. Now retired, she taught elementary instrumental music in the State College Area School District for more than 30 years, as well as private piano and flute lessons. Joan plays in the State College Area Municipal Band, which she joined in the early 1980s. She also performs with the Raystown Wind Orchestra and other ensembles in the region. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, walking on the beach, and reading.
A native of York, Pennsylvania, Laurel Sanders graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College and the London Center, magna cum laude, followed by a Master of Arts in Arts Administration and graduate studies in music history from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She was a grant writer and arts administrator in Ohio as well as a professional chorister, Early English teacher, and preschool music teacher during her 11-year tenure in Germany. Laurel is the Director of Music and Arts Ministries at Grace Lutheran Church in State College and plays in the Raystown Wind Orchestra, The Whistle Tones, and The Fair Winds. She enjoys traveling, writing poetry, and composing.
The Centre County Historical Society recently invited the Whistle Tones to play inside Centre Furnace Mansion as part of our Annual Plant Sale Celebration. What a pleasure it was to hear this ensemble playing an eclectic assortment of music, from classical to pop, in the very parlor that would have given rise to such performances 150 years ago. What is most striking is the extraordinary talent of these four female flutists and the manner in which they blend together so well—intonation,nuance, dynamics, energy, elegance, and the obvious joy they derive from playing with one another. These are highly accomplished musicians who deserve a wider hearing. Europe once gave us The Three Tenors. State College now gives us The Four Flutists—The Whistle Tones.
Roger Williams, President, Centre County Historical Society