Troy Collin, President
Troy Collin was introduced to the acoustic guitar by his uncle a couple years ago, and has since taken lessons with him over Zoom in exchange for consulting work for his business. Along with trying new recipes, staying active, and working through a good book, guitar has provided Troy with a fun means of keeping his mind active, while developing a sense of rhythm, something he once sorely lacked. Troy studied finance at Central Washington University, and received his MBA from Gonzaga University in 2020. The first few years of his career were spent in personal finance, before moving into the corporate world in his current role at Boeing. Troy is a native to Washington State, but currently resides in Washington D.C.
Eliza Goodell, Secretary
Eliza Goodell grew up in Newbury, VT. In elementary school, she began learning French horn, and in high school took up the fiddle. She has played in classical and folk settings across Vermont and New England, and traveled with Young Tradition Vermont to Cape Breton, Scotland, and Japan. Eliza graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a degree in Geology with a minor in Music. She now works at Vermont State University as a scientist studying Arctic environments, and continues to be involved in local folk music.
Susan Goodell, Treasurer
Susan Goodell started playing the cello when her younger child left for college, packing as many instruments as she could into the car. The cello did not fit. She was a third-grade teacher at Newbury Elementary school before changing careers to become a fee-only financial planner. She is a graduate of Bates College, has a Master’s Degree from Antioch New England, and completed her financial planning training with The College for Financial Planning. She lives in Newbury with her husband, Jeff, and a menagerie of animals. She has two adult children, one of whom serves on the Music Helps Board with her.
Paul Sachs
Paul has lived in Newbury, VT since 1974 where he started a business and raised a family with his wife, Ruth. Though not professionally involved in music, Paul has been playing guitar most of his life. He became friends with Patrick Ross a few years ago and learned about Music Helps. He’s acutely aware from his own experience how much of a confidence builder playing an instrument can be and thought, “what a great idea,” providing scholarships for students interested in learning to play but unable to afford lessons…or the cost of an instrument. It’s Paul’s firm belief that if you can learn how to play music, you can accomplish almost anything you set your mind to. Paul is founder and owner of North Country Organics, a manufacturer of organic amendments for certified organic farms and other organic applications throughout the northeastern US.
Rowe Williams
Rowe was introduced to music at an early age by his father, who was an accomplished jazz pianist as well as an arranger and composer for a number of acapella groups. He spent his summers as a camper and then counselor at Camp Lanakila in Fairlee, Vermont, where music was everywhere: the camp musical, daily singing at assembly, talent shows and the myriad of guitar players among the staff. It was here in the 1970’s that Rowe began playing guitar. As a classroom teacher at Bradford Elementary for 13 years, Rowe integrated music into his daily classroom routine, and he and his students often composed songs together for various school events. Years later, he had the great joy of playing in bands with two of these former students. These days, Rowe lives in West Newbury, VT, with his wife, Laurie, where he enjoys hiking, backpacking, skiing, cooking, and gardening as well playing guitar, mandolin, and harmonica and writing original music.