The Roxbury Arts Alliance is pleased to announce the judges for “The Star Next Door – Take 2” singing competition finals; the three judges are Stephanie Lindley, Renee Paddock, and Diana Stierli.
The twelve finalists will be notified by email on Sunday, March 10 and they will compete on the Final Event on Saturday, March 23at 7:30 pm at Investors Bank Theater.
Stephanie Lindley
Stephanie received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Theatre Degrees from UNC-Greensboro. She currently teaches voice and piano at Passaic County Community College and serves as Director of Music at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Morris County, New Jersey. Stephanie Lindley has been performing, directing and teaching music and theatre in New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina for decades.
Stephanie has worked frequently as a Musical Director/Keyboardist and her favorite musicals include “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Triad Stage/Barn Dinner), “Passing Strange” (Greensboro College), “Five Guys Named Moe” (Barn Dinner), “Eubie!” (NCA&T), “Rent” (Open Space Café/Catawba College/Lee Street Theatre), and “Hands on a Hardbody “(GTCC Creative Arts Theatre). Since moving back to NJ from NC in 2017, Stephanie has served as Musical Director/Keyboardist at Centenary Stage and the Bickford Theatre, working on 8 different musicals within 6 months.
Rene Paddock
Renee is an active performing musician and musical arts advocate. She has been trained classically in violin, viola, piano and voice and has performed in many and varied capacities since age 5 – orchestras including NJ region and all-state, local and regional theater, a capella choirs including Rutgers Glee Club and Olympia’s Daughters, and most recently adding violin improv and vocal harmonies to many indie folk rock artists performances.
For more than 10 years, Renee and her husband Clark have been advocating for, producing and promoting local songwriting musicians, and in 2016 officially created the non-profit organization “Skylands Songwriters Guild”. They present their “Riverside Rhythm & Rhyme” series here at Investors Bank Theater, once a month.
Diana Stierli
Diana is a music educator just recently retiring after 36 years in the Roxbury School District. Diana grew up in Flanders graduating from Mount Olive High School. She has been involved with the music activity in the United Presbyterian Church of Flanders her entire life starting the church choir while still in High School. She then went on to study at Trenton State College, (Now known as The College of New Jersey.) Diana is a part of the Delta Omicron Music Fraternity. Upon graduating she started her career in the Roxbury Schools teaching both vocal and instrumental music in grades 1 thru 8 and eventually just concentrating on the vocal/classroom education for grades 5 & 6. She is a member of the NJEA and was a member of NAfME.
Growing up, Diana knew that music was what she wanted to teach and has felt very fortunate to be able to have shared this love for so many years with her students. Diana enjoys all kinds of music second only to being a wife, mother and grandmother.
