Who We Are
Founded in 2016, the Contemporary Integrational Orchestra Project (CIOP) is a nonprofit 501(c)3, orchestral community that seeks to provide the enriching experience of playing in a string orchestra to people of all ages, all skill levels and all backgrounds.
The traditionally-held orchestral model is competitive, whereas the CIOP seeks to lessen the intimidation associated with playing in an orchestra by providing a uniquely NON-competitive model by intentionally pairing less experienced players with more experienced players. This allows less experienced players to safely grow and gain experience while also offering the more experienced players the opportunity to develop the art of mentorship.
Instead of competing with other local orchestras, it is the mission of the CIOP to supplement the players with additional opportunities outside of the orchestras that they are already involved with, while proactively forming strong relationships with the orchestral community at large and nurturing ALL musical education in Erie, PA.
Meet the team behind the CIOP!
Sally Santon
Executive Director
Sally Santon is the Executive Director and an original founding member of CIOP. Sally enjoys a long and successful career as a private instructor of string instruments. With over 43 years’ experience, she has had many students who have placed well in PMEA events and some who have even gone on to major in music.
Ms. Santon has had the opportunity to study with many great artists. These include Stanley Chepaitis, David Rose, and Randolph Kelly, She has also studied with Kato Havas in Oxford, England. At the Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute, Sally received teacher training under Sonja Berven Zeithamel. In the summer of 2021 Ms. Santon had the opportunity to attend the Retreat for Violin and Viola Teachers, offered by the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Bloomington. Here she observed and interacted with the noted pedagogue, Mimi Zweig, as well as James Przygocki, Rebecca Henry, and Sherry Sinift.
During various summers Sally has performed at the Allegheny Music Festival and Music at Penns Woods. The Meadville Council on the Arts selected her to appear as one of the recitalists in their program “ A Taste of the Arts”. She has served as principal violist of the Greenville Symphony, the Venago Chamber Orchestra, and the American String Teachers Association Orchestra at their conference at Rowan University.
Sally has taught at Germaine and Pappalardo Music Shoppe, French Creek Valley Christian School, Children”s Christian School, and she helped establish the former Primo Strings program at Erie Day School. Currently she maintains large studios in Erie and Meadville.
When not engaging in musical activities, she enjoys the company of her pet hares and rabbits.
Todd Maki
Conductor,
Director of Media Relations
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Todd is an original, founding member of the CIOP since its inception in 2016. He has been working occupationally as a composer for film for approximately 25 years, having composed the soundtracks to 46 feature films which are available on streaming platforms all over the world, with several award-winning scores being nominated in several prominent film festivals including the Sundance™ Film Festival International as well as the Tribeca™ Film Festival.
An avid conductor, Todd routinely works with various orchestras and ensembles around the country, including his work directing the Legacy Scoring Orchestra which produces live orchestral soundtrack work for composers all over the world. A fan of electronic music, Todd is also devoted to electronic, modular synthesis and is passionate about plugging in as many moog modules as possible to each other to see what will happen! Outside of his work in film and music, Todd enjoys the simpler things in life, such as a cup of hot green tea with ginger, slow walks, yoga, watching and discussing films, and is also a huge fan of the works of Edgar Alan Poe.
Sarah Gustwiller
Treasurer, Director of Community Outreach
Sarah Gustwiller is our Treasurer and Director of Community Outreach. She completed two years of training at The Ohio State University as an opera singer and clarinetist. She is currently enrolled full time as a junior at Kent State University majoring in Marketing with a Nonprofit Studies minor, and works part time in the Student Services office at KSU’s Salem Branch. Sarah has over 20 years working as an office administrator, 15 of which were spent acting as a bookkeeping accountant. She served as treasurer for Tapestries of Ohio for two years and currently holds the Secretary office, and served as treasurer for the Salem Music Study Club for five years. Sarah is co-leader of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Spondylitis Association of America support groups. She plays bass clarinet with the Youngstown Area Community Concert Band, and sings with the Kent State Salem Communiversity Chorus and Tapestries of Ohio. Sarah lives in Lisbon, Ohio, with her husband of 23 years, Jason, and loves being a mom and grandma, performing music, swimming, and crocheting.