Meet Your Instructors:

Our teachers are professional musicians or music degree holders that provide high-quality music education. Our teachers have a passion for teaching and mentorship and it is important for us to deliver both excellent musicianship, mentorship and guidance to each of our students.

Instructors:

Samantha Sayar

Voice instructor

B. MusEd. Vocal Performance, Ohio State University
B. MusEd. Choral Education, Ohio State University

Leigha Schumaker

Voice instructor

B.Mus. Vocal Performance, Ohio State University
B. MusEd. Choral Education, Ohio State University

Shelby McSwords

Acting instructor

Double degree in BM Theatre and BA Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), Otterbein University

Sarah Jeric

Voice and beginner piano instructor

M.M Voice Performance, Shenandoah Conservatory | B.M. Voice Performance, Middle Tennessee State University

Dylan Koski

Dylan Koski

Guitar (acoustic, electric and bass), ukulele, piano and beginner drums instructor

B.M. Guitar Performance, Musicians Institute
Graduate of The Recording Workshop

Phil Meyer

Brass, percussion, woodwinds, beginner violin and beginner piano instructor

B.M. Music Performance (French Horn​), Denison University
M.M. Music Education, University of Illinois

Amy Conley

Clarinet, saxophone, flute, and piano instructor

B.M. Music Education, University of North Texas
M.M. Clarinet Performance, The Ohio State University

Bart Jackson

Drums instructor

Songwriter, Lyricist, and Drummer
Worship drummer for various churches

Dan Stevens

Voice, piano, brass and beginner violin instructor

B.M., Music Education, Early Childhood Education, and Bass Trombone Performance, Ohio State University

Nick Harwas

Cello, viola, violin, piano, voice, guitar and ukulele instructor

B.M. Music Education, Baldwin Wallace University

Christina McDonald

Voice, piano, and guitar instructor

B.M. Music Business, Southwest Baptist University

Kim Cornelius

Voice, piano and beginner guitar instructor

B.M. Vocal Performance, Bluffton University

Lucy Hoy

Voice, piano, guitar and ukulele instructor

B.M. Music Education (Piano), Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music

Richard Jeric

Piano, music theory, and vocal instructor

D.M. Musical Arts, Shenandoah Conservatory | Master of Music, University of Missouri | B.M. Kent State University

Sam McGonigal

Susan Musselman

Voice and piano instructor

B.M. Vocal Performance, Western Michigan University
M.M. Vocal Performance, Ohio State University 
D.M. Vocal Performance, Ohio State University 

Sarah Lindemann

Music therapist

Music Therapist, Board-Certified (MT-BC)
B.M. Music Education, Taylor University

Regan Goins

Acting (theater and film) and voice instructor

B.F.A. Acting, Texas State University

Teacher Aides:

Abby Kay Griffith

Teacher Aide

Abby Kay Griffith is originally from Marysville, OH where she studied voice and piano privately with Mrs. Chelsea Hart Melcher at Red School of Music for over 6 years…

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She also was involved in the Broadway performance program for 4 years and starred as Matilda in Red School of Music’s first production of Matilda and Aphra and understudy of Yonah for Children of Eden.
She is currently studying at Belmont University in Nashville, TN to earn her bachelor’s in Music Therapy. Through Belmont, she is intensely studying vocal technique and pedagogy, piano technique, and guitar.

She has experience teaching through various organizations such as being one of the high school instructors for Red School of Music’s StageWorks class for two years and being the vocal director for Summer Theater Workshop productions of Honk Jr. and Annie Jr. She has also helped with Bunsold Middle School musical productions.

She is looking forward to being a teacher’s aide this summer and meeting so many smiling faces!

Take lessons with Abby Kay!

Andrew Partee

Teacher Aide

Andrew Partee from Marysville, OH is going to be a senior at Marysville High School and has been involved in theatre for over 6 years…

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He’s done many musicals and plays through Red School of Music and Marysville School District including Peter Pan (Peter Pan),  Clue (Mr. Green), Mary Poppins(Vann Hussler), Matilda (Rudolpho), Children of Eden (Japeth), and Little Shop of Horrors (Skip Snip). Andrew has also taken the stage for over five years with the nationally ranked Marysville Swingers Unlimited and Bunsold Mini Swingers. He has stage directed Annie Jr (Summer Theatre Workshop) and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Jr (Red StageWorks) and will be stage directing Finding Nemo Jr (Summer Theatre Workshop) this summer. 

Andrew has studied voice and acting at Red School of Music for the past four years. He is a member of Marysville’s Symphonic choir and has served as a section leader for one year.

Andrew is represented by Heyman Talent Agency and plans to pursue his BFA in Acting after graduation next year. He will be working to develop a professional film and stage career. He also has an interest in teaching and loves sharing the same skills he has learned through his experience at Red School of Music. 

He’s very excited to start learning from the teachers and allowing kids the same opportunity that he has been given.

Take lessons with Andrew!

Sarah Arend

Teacher Aide

Sarah Arend, from Plain City, Ohio is an incoming freshman at Belmont University with a major in music business…

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She has studied vocal performance under Mrs. Chelsea Hart Melcher for over 8 years and taken several years of private piano lessons. Sarah has been involved in many productions at Red and starred as Ms. Honey in Matilda, Yonah in Children of Eden, Mrs. Darling/Smee in Peter Pan, and Maleficent in Descendents. She also has been the music director for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Jr., the StageWorks music theatre scenes program, and assistant music director for Descendants. Additionally, she was the First Place winner for Age Division 2 of the Ohio Art Song Competition in 2022.

Sarah is passionate about sparking a love for music in students, just like her voice instructor did for her since her very first lesson. She wants to share the importance of music for community building, cultivating creative minds, stepping out of one’s comfort zone, and more!

Take lessons with Sarah!

Thomas Johnston

Teacher Aide

Thomas Johnston is an Australian born composer and multi instrumentalist, who currently attends Bowling Green State University, studying Music Composition and Jazz Studies…

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His current teachers are Dr. Christopher Dietz and Jeffrey Halsey. While at BG, Thomas has had over 20 premieres of his new works, including several commissions from numerous individuals, as well as chamber ensembles. Thomas’s works have been premiered in San Francisco, Columbus, Dallas, Boston, and Athens, Greece. Thomas plans to obtain his Masters Degree of Music in wind conducting and composition, and then a Ph.D in composition, as he hopes to teach composition at a university, as well as still gig on his primary instrument, (bass guitar/upright bass) and teach other topics in music on the side. Thomas graduated from STEM Early College High School in 2022, and was very involved in the music programs, predominantly both band and show choir. He served as Head Field Commander his senior year, as well as the bass player in the show choir combo, and also assisted Jeremy Alfera with the arranging of the combo music. Thomas got his start at Red School of Music in 2022, where he was cast as Garden Adam in Children of Eden.

Take lessons with Thomas!

Founders:

Chelsea Hart-Melcher

Voice and piano instructor

B.M. Vocal Performance, Central Michigan University
M.M. Vocal Performance, Ohio State University
Performance Diploma, Jacobs School of Music (Indiana University)

Paul Melcher

Piano and voice instructor

B.M. Music Performance, St. Olaf College
M.M. Music Piano and Vocal Performance, Central Michigan University

Career opportunities at red

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Send us an e-mail at support@redschoolofmusic.com or call us at (937) 828-4733. Learn more about our lessons on our Lessons page.

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