Our Staff



Our Director

Cathy Bleecker

Directing Westside Singers since end of Spring 2022.

Cathy has a Bachelor's degree in Music from University of Redlands, Master's degree Conducting from Western Michigan University, and has done Doctoral work in Choral Music and Conducting at UMKC Conservatory of Music. 

She has years of experience as Assistant Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University, a music teacher K-12, private lessons teacher for piano and voice, and was the Music Director of "Something Rotten" at California State University in winter 2023.

You can contact her at director@westsidesingers.org  



Our Assistant Director

Jen McMillen

Singing with Westside since Fall 2022, assistant directing since Fall 2023.

Jen has a Bachelor's of Music from Northern Illinois University where she studied music education, and a Master's in Teaching K-8 from Western Governor's University.

She started directing community choirs and teaching music in elementary school in 2015. Jen has taught private music lessons for voice, beginner piano, and beginner guitar for over a decade. She worked as one of the conductors of Blueprint Arts Ensembles in Portland, working with two choirs that specialized in pop and rock music. 

Jen got her start in music from her grandma, Martha McMillen, who has been a music teacher and director of many choirs. When Martha went in for surgery, Jen briefly took over rehearsals and performances for the Silvertones (senior citizen community choir in Wheaton, IL).

You can contact her at westsidesingerspdx@gmail.com