Jacqueline Ren'ee Schafer Zuill

Jacquie was one of three children, the second child and only daughter born to Donald and Glenda Gimbel Schafer. She grew up in a home in which music was an important activity for everyone. Although she started formal lessons on piano at age six, her mother, who had a degree in music and maintained a piano studio, had introduced her to the instrument before then. At age seven, she started lessons on violin.

While she was born in Glendale, California, Jacquie spent most of her childhood living in the Portland, Oregon, area, continuing study on both instruments. She attended Portland Adventist Academy where she particularly enjoyed her study in piano with Shirley Sonk, a teacher in Portland. During her academy years, Schafer also played flute and timpani in the band, directed by Richard Herrington, and trombone in a family brass ensemble.

Following graduation from PAA in 1980, Schafer enrolled at Atlantic Union College, studying both piano and violin with Virginia Gene Shankel and playing in the New England Youth Ensemble for two years as principal second violin. She also soloed on piano with NEYE and, as a member of the ensemble, traveled in Western Europe, Israel, and Romania.

In 1982, Schafer transferred to Walla Walla College, now University, where she studied piano with Leonard Richter, organ with Lanny Collins, and violin with Glenn Spring, Susan Pickett at nearby Whitman College, and Denes Zsigmondy in Seattle. She also played timpani in the college band.

Following completion of a B.Mus. performance degree at WWC in 1986 in both piano and violin, Schafer enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, where she was awarded a full scholarship. She completed an M.Mus. in violin performance in 1988, studying with two teachers who had been associated with noted pedagogue Dorothy Delay at the Juilliard School of Music. That autumn, she went to Andrews University, where she held a half-time position teaching violin for one year.

Beginning in the summer of 1986, Schafer had attended her first Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. She enjoyed that experience and returned in the summers of 1987 and 1988 to participate in this nationally famous event.

In fall of 1989, she entered Northern Illinois University with a full scholarship and a teaching and accompanying assistantship in piano. Following two years of study with Donald Walker and completion of an M.Mus. in piano performance and pedagogy in 1991, she returned to the Portland area, where she taught both piano and violin lessons for the next five years and played organ for churches.

She accepted a position at Canadian University College in 1996. In the next eleven years she taught both piano and violin lessons and theory classes and oversaw string activities.

While teaching at CaUC, she married Richard Zuill, a long time acquaintance, in 2005. They had met and become friends in Puerto Rico in 1984 when she was serving as a student missionary in that country. They now reside near CaUC where she teaches privately, gives some lessons at the school, accompanies, and participates as a member in the string ensemble at CaUC.

The Zuills are also extensively involved in lay evangelism. They are presently on the verge of gaining company status for a church group started by CaUC students in the nearby community of Blackfalds.

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