Music Staff

Lois has been a church organist for over 30 years at large churches in Omaha, Nebraska and Hutchinson, Kansas before coming to Longmont and FUMC in 2000. She teaches piano, organ and cello to 25-30 students a week and is an active member of the Boulder Area Music Teachers Association. She graduated with a music degree from the University of Nebraska and taught public school music for 2 years before starting private teaching. She and her husband Gary, a C.P.A. and Financial Planner have 2 grown children—Tim and Amy, and 1 grandson.

She serves on the Trustees and has been involved in the redesign of the Church Sanctuary and Gallery in the past couple of years.

Lois was principal cellist in the Hutchinson Symphony and the Omaha Town and Gown Orchestra and has also sung in the Longmont Chorale. She plays the harpsichord which she built and also performs on soprano and alto recorders.

In addition to numerous music activities, her interests include hiking, photography and decorating

Daniel Chaikin holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Manhattan School of Music.  He taught and performed classical piano in New York before moving to California, where he developed his passion for jazz by founding RemRad, an original ensemble.  Dan was RemRad’s principal composer and led the group to success in radio, television and concert venues.  Desiring to pursue other musical ventures and inspired by music for the church, Dan was the Music Director at Irvington Presbyterian Church in Fremont, California, conducting the choir and leading the praise band for eight years.  Dan relocated to Longmont, Colorado in 2007 and sang with the First United Methodist Church choir for a year and a half before becoming FUMC’s choir director.

Diane Hansen

Valerie Matthews