OUR INSTRUCTORS
Josh is a cellist, symphonic conductor, and arts administrator. He has performed throughout the US and abroad as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. Josh can be heard on numerous recordings, is a founding member of the Sylvan Trio and the Gichigami Piano Trio, and has premiered a variety of new works as both conductor and cellist.
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Josh is Music Director with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Columbus, Indiana, Director of the Woodland Chamber Music Workshop, and Executive Director of The Music Village.
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Josh received a Master of Music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Colorado, and completed his undergraduate work at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Oberlin College.
Josh Aerie
Cello
Austin Carlson, is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist, who has been playing drums for over 20 years. He studied music for 2 years at Southwestern Michigan College, and is currently working on his latest album for his solo project, in which he writes and records all of the music.
Austin Carlson
Drums
Vincenzo has more than 10 years of teaching experience and has been a professional drummer for almost 30 years. He was the lead drummer for UZIMA! Drum and Dance for many years, has performed with countless local bands, and is currently the drummer for a popular cover band called Mr. Z.
Vincenzo Carrasco
Drums
Kevin Cawley earned his living as a teacher for a decade or so, and then spent half his life working as an archivist at Notre Dame. He has been learning traditional country dance for over a quarter century and in recent years has been teaching song and dance at the Forever Learning Institute. He belongs to a band called riverrun that provides live music for this kind of dancing in Michiana.
Kevin Cawley
Traditional Country Dance
Robert is a performing hornist based in the South Bend area. He has worked with many organizations including the South Bend Lyric Opera, LaPorte County Symphony, and Elkhart Municipal Band. Robert is also a founding member of The Brass Boys, a brass quintet based in South Bend. Robert is looking forward to passing on his knowledge of music and performing to the next generation of musicians.
Robert Compton
Brass
Sean Conlon
Bass Guitar, Garage Band,
BeatLab, & Recording Arts
Sean Conlon is an educator, bassist, DJ, and music producer from Milwaukee, WI. He has lived his passion for music and taught for 3 decades. His music has sold internationally and been featured on television. As both a bassist and DJ'ing as the Funky Professor he has performed from Seattle to New Orleans with appearances at Seattle's Bumbershoot, Milwaukee's Summerfest, the BurningMan Festival, Chicago's Cabaret Metro, South Bend's Reggae Festival, Venice Beach, the Traverse City Film Festival, Kalamazoo's Black Arts Festival, Three Oak's Acorn Theater, LangLab, Martha's, Vegetable Buddies, and Czar's 505.
Sean currently teaches the BeatLab, where students explore the creative world of modern music making with Apple's Garageband. He developed the BeatLab at Nuner and Perley Fine Arts Academies where he worked for over a decade. He also worked as a bass instructor at Hoosier Dad's Music and as a Pro Audio Manager at Guitar Center helping customers with computer recording, DJ rigs, and PA systems. He has taught an African American music history class at Portland Community College and worked at Seattle's Experience Music Project. In addition to the BeatLab he teaches bass lessons, Ableton Live, DJ'ing, GarageBand, and audio production/recording.
Dave is an award-winning graduate of the McNally Smith College of Music. He has over twenty years of guitar instruction experience in a variety of styles including rock, jazz, heavy metal, pop, etc. He has almost thirty years of experience with ensemble playing as a professional in the local area. Additional teaching skills include music transcription and theory.
Dave Denlinger
Guitar and Music Theory
Kami Gunnoe
Accordion
Kami began her career at the age of five, before she could read, by taking lessons at Gene Van’s Conservatory of Music. Mr. Van believed that the ability to recite the alphabet and count was a solid enough foundation, despite her young age.
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During that time, she was a member of the award winning all-accordion orchestra. They have reunited over the years to participate in fundraisers and concerts. Throughout the course of her 50+ year accordion career, she has also competed independently in, and won, many state and national contests.
Kami has experience teaching children, teenagers, and adults.
Annie is a student at IUSB pursing a degree in the Bachelor Of Arts, with a focus in violin, studying under violinist Jameson Cooper.
Annie has been playing the violin since the age of 12 and currently plays in the IUSB Philharmonic Orchestra. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and being at home with her cat.
Annie says, “I enjoy inspiring others with music and teaching. I look forward to meeting and working with you!”
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Annie Jacobo
Violin
Alex Jeffirs
Alexandra Jeffirs is a pianist and conductor active in both St. Joseph County and
Marshall County. In 2015, Alex was a recipient of the English Speaking Union’s
Secondary School Exchange Scholarship and was provided with one year of
music-focused education in the United Kingdom before completing a Bachelor of
Arts in Music with a minor in English. Approaching music as an expressive language, she emphasizes ear training and sight-reading to cultivate self- expression in piano. Alex is an active member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, which provides her students the opportunity to assess their progress with a new highly-trained judge each year. Alex is the Artistic Director of the Marshall County Church Orchestra and has
played for the South Bend Symphonic Choir, South Bend Civic Theatre, South
Bend Lyric Opera, and the Laporte County Symphony Orchestra.
Piano
joHn teaches a variety of instruments including beginning through intermediate Irish whistle, flute, and bodhran, beginner through advanced Irish guitar, beginning Irish fiddle, and sean-nós Irish singing.
The leader of Kennedy’s Kitchen, joHn is an award winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer, producer, and promoter.
joHn is the 2004 All-Ireland Fleadh Silver Medalist in Accompaniment, competing on guitar. He has won numerous Gold and Silver medals in traditional singing and accompaniment at Midwest Fleadhs.
joHn Kennedy
Irish whistle and flute, bodhran, Irish guitar, Irish fiddle
Jay Kolin
Piano/Suzuki Piano
Jay Kolin is a former piano faculty member at the Music Institute of Chicago, Sherwood Conservatory (Chicago), Suzuki Music School of Lincoln Park (Chicago), and the Neighborhood Music School (New Haven). His teachers include Darryl Rosenberg, Sara Kohane, Greg Slowik, Kathleen Supove, Vladimir Leyetchkiss, Lenna Crothers, David Delucia, and Geena Kam. He also trained in the Suzuki method with Leena Crothers and Caroline Frasier. He is a graduate of Hampshire College in Massachusetts and lived in Togo and Kenya for many years.
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His other interests include raising 3 dogs, gardening, and landscaping. He was worked with the Peace Corps in Togo, with WorldTeach Kenya through Harvard University, and with Kisumu International School, also in Kenya. He is a graduate of Hampshire College and Boston University, both in Massachusetts.
Laura is the Client Engagement & Program Manager at The Music Village, and a passionate musician of 14 years with experience in orchestral, solo, and alternative flute performance.
Alongside her full-time role at TMV, she teaches private lessons and performs as a flutist in two bands: Joe Baughman & The Righteous Few, a psychedelic-folk-rock band with a touch of Muppet charm, and Pocketboy Solid, an alternative-pop-rock group. Laura is always looking for new and non-traditional ways to apply her classical music background. She encourages her students to challenge the way we think about music and performance and explore what music means to them.
Through her work, teaching, and performances, Laura strives to help build a culture where young musicians feel empowered to discover their own unique voices, both within and outside the realm of music.
Laura Korn
Flute and piccolo
Maggie Kubley has been a dedicated piano and voice instructor for over a decade, starting her teaching career in Chicago before returning to her home state of Indiana. A proud graduate of Ball State University, she holds a BA in Theater and has been an active theater artist for nearly 20 years. Her extensive experience in the performing arts informs her unique teaching approach, blending technical skill with real-world application. Maggie inspires students of all ages to discover their musical and vocal potential. Her classes are a nurturing environment where students are encouraged to grow both as musicians and performers.​
Maggie Kubley
Children's Music Programming
South Bend native Don Lerman is a jazz saxophonist who would like to pass on musical knowledge that he has been fortunate to gain to others. He has taught both private lessons (on saxophone and clarinet) and in classrooms at jazz camps (University of Wisconsin Green Bay), and most recently taught lessons at Quinlan and Fabish in Mishawaka. His experience as a professional arranger and performer in groups in both the Washington, DC, and South Bend areas is helpful in his efforts to provide practical and in depth musical information to students.
Don Lerman
Saxophone
Chloe Li
Piano
Pianist Chloe Lee is a dedicated teacher in South Bend, Indiana. She has more than ten years of experience teaching students ranging from young children to adults. A caring, encouraging, and devoted teacher, her students have achieved ABRSM Piano Grade 8 (equivalent of an American Associate degree) and furthered their music studies at tertiary institutions. She is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and its local chapter, South Bend Area Music Teachers Association (SBAMTA).
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Chloe studied with renowned pianist Nancy Loo at the Chinese University of Hong Kong where she earned a MA in Music. She has performed as soloist and chamber musician in a wide-ranging repertoire, including Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Gershwin, Tan Dun, William Bolcom, in the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland China.
Julius Cruse Miller, III is a lyric baritone from Detroit, MI. During the summer of 2015, Mr. Miller took part in the OperaMaya Young Artist program in Mexico and attending the program again in the summer of 2018 on a full scholarship. In the summer of 2016, Mr. Miller performed the role of Count Almaviva in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy. Mr. Miller has performed as a soloist with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, was a featured soloist at the Detroit Spiritual Festival, played the role of the Father in the South Bend Lyric Opera’s production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s, “Hansel and Gretel” Marullo in “Rigoletto”. Mr. Miller has also music directed a few shows with the United Youth Theatre in South Bend, and is a member of the Gamma Eta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon International Professional Music Fraternity, Inc.
Julius Miller
Voice
Dr. Everline Kwomboka Ogari
Voice
Dr. Ogari a scholar with a Doctor of Philosophy in Music Performance (Kenyatta University), Master of Musical Art Performance (Kenyatta University), a Master of Arts in Music (Andrews University), a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Daystar University) and a Diploma in Christian Music Communication (Daystar University). Her musical experience spans over 20 years, during which she has instructed and attended to varied age groups with varied abilities in all levels of music appreciation. Her areas of specialization are music literacy, western music history, analytical studies, vocal literature, bibliography, diction for singers, performance practices, music in society, leading worship, church music, music industry, vocal, choral, piano and music composition.
One of her key areas of interest is the integration of folk music and contemporary musical elements to create a holistic learning experience. She is particularly drawn and committed to promoting a vibrant and inclusive joyful environment.
As a scholar and musical artist, she has studied and written various articles, journal publications and book chapters, composed over a hundred pieces of music, recorded and performed them in varied musical genres and languages. Always eager to apply her knowledge in a professional setting, her goal is to inspire students to explore their musical talents and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts. Her teaching philosophy and goals align well with Institutional programs such as student-centered learning, community engagement, or excellence in arts education.
Jamie Pawelski is a guitarist who has studied many different styles of music in his 30 years of playing. This includes classical technique, jazz, funk, rock, and bluegrass. He has been playing professionally for almost 20 years as a freelance and ensemble guitarist and studied Jazz Performance for 2 years at IUSB. He has 4 years of teaching experience with both group and individual lessons. He is willing and able to develop lessons based on the students wants and needs for beginner and intermediate level players.
Jamie Pawelski
Guitar
Buddy offers private, and group class instruction for beginning or advanced electric and upright bass. Playing and teaching lessons for over 20 years, Buddy offers a wealth of “know how” in terms of technique, reading music, playing with others, playing various music styles, and much more.
Dennis "Buddy" Pearson
Guitar, Bass, Double Bass and Ukulele
Jason Richmond has been playing the guitar and writing music for more than two decades. A proficient autodidact, he has experience teaching students young and old complex subjects, breaking them down and putting them back together again in an understandable way.
He brings a different perspective with his holistic approach to teaching guitar that focuses on the ear as well as the mechanics of playing, getting to the point of learning an instrument: making music.
Jason Richmond
Guitar
Arina Shumakova is a Master of Music in Piano Performance with 8 years of experience in teaching piano to children, teenagers, and adults. She offers 2 music programs for private lessons:
1. "Classical Music": This program provides professional training for admission to
Colleges/Institutes/Universities. Many of her students have successfully gained
admission to prestigious educational institutions in Russia.
2. "Light Music-Making": This program includes popular classical pieces as well as modern music, rock, pop hits, and music from films, cartoons, or video games. Students will be able to play their favorite music.
In all lessons, Arina covers the basics of jazz harmony, teaches how to play using "numbers" (jazz notation), introduces the fundamentals of classical music theory, and provides a set of exercises for developing the technical aspects of piano playing for beginners.
Arina Shumakova is also a Laureate of the III degree of the "International Competition- Festival of Instrumental Performance named after J. Sibelius" in Finland, Turku (2019). She actively performed concerts in the capitals of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg) as a member of the St. Petersburg Saxophone Orchestra, chamber ensembles and as an accompanist with honored artists of Russia. Arina approaches her work with passion and dedicates herself to achieving new
successes with her students. She creates interesting and tailored programs for each
student.
Arina Shumakova
Piano
Lyric tenor Michael Snyder graduated from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree, with a concentration in vocal performance.
After graduating from CUA, he studied English repertoire, in the United Kingdom, with Robert Tear, Eric Crozier, and Nancy Evans. He sings most everything from Bach to Broadway.
Michael Márquez-Snyder
Voice
Scott Verduin
Orchestral Percussion
Scott Verduin is a versatile percussionist who is currently based in the Michiana area. Most recently, Scott spent eight seasons with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea where he performed as the Assistant Principal Percussionist and Assistant Principal Timpanist. During that time, he also served on faculty at Kyung Hee University as an adjunct professor of percussion. Prior to that, he spent four seasons performing with The Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Scott earned his BM from The University of Michigan and his MM from Temple University. ​
Randy Wagers studied under Professor Robb Thiel during his time at Saint Joseph's College, participating in the college's concert, marching, and jazz bands. He also studied with Eddie Knight (drum set) in South Bend. His performance and recording resume includes multiple genres of music with acts such as Moveable Types, Jassy Grazz, Red Hot VooDoo, Joce Dugan, Badd Assets, Territorial Animal, and Mr. Z.
Randy Wagers
Drums
Melinda Wesolowski
Piano
Melinda is a certified Musik Garten Instructor and Piano instructor. Her interest in music started at a young age, as she sang in choirs starting in grade school, played the accordion as a child, and continued on to play piano as an adult. Melinda has continued her participation in local choirs over the years, singing with the South Bend Symphonic Choir for 14 years. She also cantors and sings in the choir at her church.
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Melinda has been teaching beginner piano for 16 years. In addition to teaching private lessons at The Music Village, Melinda teaches Musikgarten at Growing Kids and El Campito.