Who We Are

We at Tight Strings and Bated Breath are excited to share our music abilities and passions with you. Our ensemble is composed of classically trained musicians with a wide spread of genres between us, spanning chamber music, opera, jazz, funk, rock, alternate, and folk music. Our goal is to push the envelope of what a chamber ensemble can do. We strive to create original compositions, cover your favorite tunes, and highlight underappreciated works by lesser known modern artists or simply forgotten older artists.

About Amanda Dobbs

Our clarinetist and saxophonist, Amanda Dobbs, is a 2022 graduate of Stetson University. With a degree in Arts- Music, she has obtained extensive jazz and classical training and has a killer knack for composition. Her attention to detail is not only meticulous and deeply impressive, but also useful in the creation of arrangements and compositions for us. Outside of work at Tight Strings and Bated Breath, she keeps herself busy with other jobs working with plants, bartending, and beekeeping.

About Charles Glazer

Charles Glazer has extensive classical training on the violin and profound familiarity and proficiency in jazz bass. One of Charles’ most recent excursions involve touring across Asia with a traveling orchestral group, performing for citizens in China and Japan in December 2024. Outside of our band, Charles works as technical director for the non-profit Timucua Arts Foundation and frequently travels to different venues as a contracted musician.

About Jean-Marie Glazer

Beginning his training at a mere three years old, Jean-Marie is classically trained in cello and voice . Outside of being a collaborative and team-oriented musician who brings us closer together, he also travels as a self-employed musician around different parts of Florida, and is involved in well-renowned bands such as Fernwood String Quartet and Festival Singers of Florida. His job outside of Tight Strings and Bated Breath includes the position of artistic director of Timucua Arts Foundation.

About Donnie Fontana

Donnie Fontana, our lead vocalist, pianist, and guitarist, has experience across several genres and has classically trained in voice at Stetson University. Donnie plays in many ensembles and has toured across the East Coast of the U.S.A multiple times. His most recent performance took him all the way to Colorado as a contestant in the LaFont Competition in February of 2025. Outside of his work at Tight Strings and Bated Breath, he is self-contracted as a private lessons instructor, traveling all over Central Florida to tutor students on voice.