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 has been 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
Rafael Chávez has become a staple of the music scene in Michiana. His work with Lalo Cura and Kansas Bible Company has put his music and his name in national media, including NPR and American Songwriter Magazine, among others. Chávez has also become a very requested jazz musician with various local groups, including VibeNation, Kris Brownlee Band, French Quarter, and Truth in Jazz.
Rafael Chávez
Electric Guitar, Bass
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 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.
Sean Conlon
Bass Guitar, Garage Band,
BeatLab, & Recording Arts
Dave Denlinger
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.
Guitar and Music Theory
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.
Kami Gunnoe
Accordion
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Annie Jacobo
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!”
Violin
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.
Alex Jeffirs
Piano
joHn Kennedy
Irish whistle and flute, bodhran, Irish guitar, Irish fiddle
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.
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.
Jay Kolin
Piano/Suzuki Piano
Laura Rea
Flute and piccolo
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.
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
Don Lerman
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.
Saxophone
Jeremy started studying guitar in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic under the tutelage of Nashville session and national touring musician, Kelby Ray Caldwell. As the world shut down, Jeremy’s world opened up through the healing power of music. Jeremy enjoys teaching blues, rock, alternative, country, and folk music. As a lifelong educator, Jeremy understands the learning process and is here to help beginning guitarists open their worlds through structured practice, guitar mindfulness, and collaborative instruction. Lessons on using Looper Pedals in the creative process are also available. All ages are welcome!
Jeremy Linton
Guitar
Julius Miller
Voice
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.
Bruce Morrow has spent nearly five decades playing and teaching the violin. After graduating from Indiana University in Bloomington where he received a Master of Music in Violin (studying with Franco Gulli), Bruce toured Europe as concertmaster of the New York Harlem Opera Ensemble. He subsequently spent four years as a member of the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra in Graz, Austria. He has been a member of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and performed at countless weddings and receptions in the Michiana area as a member of the Morrow String Trio. In 2020 Bruce retired from his position at the Chicago violin workshop William Harris Lee & Co. to fulfill his passion for teaching. He is grateful to The Music Village for giving him the opportunity to share his excitement and knowledge of the violin with the next generation of young violinists.
Bruce Morrow
Violin
Cristian Ortega
Voice
Cristian Ortega is a passionate and experienced choral conductor, music educator, and Braille music transcriber originally from Bogotá, Colombia. He earned his undergraduate degree in Music from Universidad Central and holds a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. In 2025, he completed a second Master’s in Sacred Music at the University of Notre Dame, where he also studied vocal pedagogy.
In 2016, he founded Estudio Coral de Bogotá, an amateur choir devoted to Latin American and folkloric choral repertoire. With this ensemble, he has participated in numerous festivals, including the District Choral Festival organized by the Bogotá Philharmonic, and several regional sacred music gatherings. He has also worked under the baton of world-class conductors including Gustavo Dudamel and Kent Nagano.
Currently, Cristian is the Director of the Music Program at Washington High School in South Bend, Indiana, where he is leading efforts to rebuild the department and create vibrant musical opportunities for students. He is now offering private voice lessons and looking to form community-based choirs and ensembles. His warm approach, professional background, and dedication to both tradition and innovation make him an ideal guide for students of all ages and levels.
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
Cliff Shoults
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Bass Guitar,
and Ukulele
Cliff Shoults is a classically trained, multi-instrumental musician and has been teaching music for almost 25 years. He holds a B.S. in Music and Business Administration from IUSB. During his career, Cliff has taught over 300 individual students from ages 4 to 92, and at least a hundred more via classes and camps.
Cliff offers instruction on electric, acoustic, classical, and bass guitar, ukulele, other fretted string instruments, as well as music production and studio resources. Cliff is also a skilled luthier (the fancy word for someone who builds and works on stringed instruments) and during the first few lessons, he tailors students' instruments to best suit their hand size and skill level.
While there are universal skills and techniques that every guitar player needs to know, Cliff gives his students almost total freedom in what they want to achieve under his instruction--he addresses each student as an individual. His goal is to give students the tools to learn independently and rely on him to demonstrate complex techniques and provide an honest assessment of their progress.
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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
Michael Márquez-Snyder
Voice
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.
Kyle Symons has over 20 years of experience performing and teaching the flute. He attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA where he received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education. He was awarded a full graduate assistantship to Ohio University while he earned his Master of Music in Flute Performance. While completing his graduate work, Kyle taught private lessons to students ranging from elementary school age to amateur adults as well as to flute majors and minors. In addition to teaching private flute and clarinet instruction at the Music Education Center in Charlottesville, VA, Kyle has also performed in groups such as the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra, The Charlottesville & University of Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Stonewall Brigade Band, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Band, and the Shenandoah Valley Wind Ensemble.
Kyle Symons
Flute, Clarinet
Randy Wagers
Drums
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.
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 Musik Garten at Growing Kids and El Campito and group piano lessons at Indiana Center for Recovery.
Melinda Wesolowski
Piano
A versatile musician, Ji Eun Yang holds a Bachelor of Music from Hansei University, a Master of Music from the University of Mannheim, and an Artist Diploma from Indiana University South Bend. Her career has included numerous engagements as a guest and main member with a variety of orchestras, providing a deep understanding of performance in diverse professional settings. In addition to her performance background, she has built a reputation as a skilled instructor, fostering musical growth in students of all levels.
Ji Eun Yang
Cello