Private Lessons
Unlike group classes, private lessons are highly focused, more intense, and cater to each student individually. In these one-on-one sessions, instructors assess each student’s unique abilities and develop a personalized plan to progress his or her musicianship to the next level. Private lessons are a great course for beginning music students who want a solid foundation, intermediate students who want to advance their skills, and adult musicians looking for more personalized instruction. Private lessons are $100 per month, includes 4 half-hour lessons.
Tuition is paid monthly for private lessons
Cello
Instructor: Emily Smith
Piano
Instructor: Meagan Miles and Rebecah Zamora
Violin/Viola
Instructor: Kathryn Poore
French Horn
Instructor: Margaret Dixon
Returning Soon: Drum/Percussion
Instructor: Patrick Bain
Trumpet
Instructor: Brandon Loos
Clarinet/Saxophone
Instructor: Aaron Janosa, Jack Covell and Meagan Miles
Guitar/Bass
Instructor: Jack Covell and Meagan Miles
Flute
Instructor: Stephanie Nottke
Returning Soon: Low Brass: Trombone, Baritone, Euphonium and Tuba
Group Classes
Our course offerings aim to provide more than the traditionally taught instrumental and musical techniques. We aim to create opportunities for students of all ages and backgrounds to experience music education in an inclusive environment, build a musical community, and encourage participation in the arts!
Tuition is paid by semester for group classes
Youth String Class – Grades 2-8
Fall Session TBD
This is a group string class designed for youth string players at beginning to intermediate levels! Students will explore basic fundamentals of their instrument, learning basic music notation and literacy, and play fun and engaging songs! Instrument rental: https://www.gviolins.com/rentals.html
Instructor: Kathryn Poore and Emily Smith
Class Meets: Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:15 PM
Steel Pan Ensemble
Coming soon!
Students may sign up at any time
Based on the competition bands that originated in Trinidad and Tobago throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the Steel Pan Ensemble provides members the opportunity to learn steel pan techniques as well as several accompanying percussion instruments. Additionally, members will learn to play in a variety of musical styles, ranging from the traditional calypso and soca styles of Trinidad and Tabago to today’s pop music.
Instructor: TBD
Class Meets: TBD
Register Below
Kindermusik®
We are proud to offer Kindermusik® classes at the Community Music Conservatory! Kindermusik® provides joyful, engaging activities to promote school readiness, lifelong learners, and a more confident, kinder generation.
Offerings:
Mommy & Me | Ages 1-2
More than just a sing-a-long. You’ll sway, shake, tap, imagine, connect, create, and so much more to pump up your child’s early brain development. Kindermusik Educators are committed to making classes joyful and beneficial for everyone, including grownups. At the end of your Mommy and Me class, you’ll take home practical strategies to help fuel your child’s early brain development and keep those priceless musical memories going. This program is $96 for one month (4 weeks) of classes and is a month-to-month enrollment.
Young Musician Level 1 | Ages 4.5-7
Kindermusik® for the Young Musician is a 4-part course. This class is the perfect place for your budding musician to develop a strong musical foundation by learning the concepts, language, notation, and vocabulary of music, and gain appreciation for music and cultures from around the world, all in an engaging and active setting, full of fun and games! Over the course of each 15-week session, your child will explore rhythm and musical symbols, engage in activities that focus on singing and vocal development, and practice playing instruments like the glockenspiel, dulcimer, and recorder. Classes are 60 minutes in length, and parents are invited to participate in the final activities. Kindermusik® home materials allow your family to continue the learning and fun at home with books, CDs, instruments, and interactive home materials. This program is $372 for a 15-week course (one class per week.)
Monthly payment plans are available. Contact conservatory@reillyartscenter.com to inquire.
Register Below
Meet Miss Anne our Kindermusik® Educator
Anne Seufert has had a lifelong passion for music that she wishes to ignite within the children of her community. From her earliest memories, growing up in the Miami, Florida area, music has filled every facet of her life. She learned to play guitar and to sing at her mother’s knee, which formed a treasured bond throughout their years together. Miss Anne joined the junior high band playing the flute starting in seventh grade and transitioned to marching band in high school. She continued with the flute in a Woodwind Ensemble in college while studying Music Ed. While there she also joined the college choir with her mother and her brother which was a tremendous family bonding experience. Miss Anne continues to pursue music for her own enjoyment and loves to play guitar and sing for people in venues around Ocala and for her fellow mothers of twins, in the state organization, in the role of chaplain. Anne has been working in Early Childhood Education, at Maplewood Elementary School, since 1994. After almost 20 years, she decided to take her affinity for working with young children and her passion for music and combine the two into one joyful venture. She also wanted families to have the opportunity to form their own special bonds over music, understanding how intrinsic the love of music is in babies and young children. So, in 2013, she became a certified Kindermusik Educator and started her own business as Kindermusik with Miss Anne, serving many families over the years. She also continues to work at Maplewood in her current position in the music department. The Kindermusik philosophies were quickly embraced by Miss Anne. Their approach to teaching the whole child made perfect sense. There is such excitement in watching the benefits of Kindermusik come to fruition through the noticeable growth of the children in the program. As stated on Kindermusik International’s website, “Combining read-aloud, singing, dancing, and tapping the imagination at every juncture is multi-sensory learning at its best! Kindermusik’s curricula stimulate multiple areas of the brain at once, heightening age-appropriate development in every lesson.”
Grant support provided by:
Summer Camps and Classes
The Community Music Conservatory is hosting workshops and camps over the summer. Please see below for current summer camps:
Sponsored by:
Songs and Stories – Grade K-3
Wednesdays at 5 PM
June and July 2023
This weekly offering is a fun and interactive combination of music, play, and literacy for younger children. Children will experience movement through music, stories presented through song, and interactive musical tales!
Tuition: $100 for entire course
Instructor: Hannah Whitston
Scholarships Available. Contact Margaret Dixon, at conservatory@reillyartscenter.com to inquire about scholarships or other questions regarding the Community Music Conservatory and programming.
Register Below
Meet the Instruments: 3-Day Music Camp – Grades 3-6
Camp #1: June 28 – June 30
Camp #2: July 12 – July 14
Meet the instruments is a hands-on introduction to the instruments of the band and orchestra. Students will learn about how each instrument works, learn about its place in the ensemble, hear playing examples, and have the opportunity to play each instrument themselves. Sessions will be led by professional musicians and educators from both the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and Marion County Schools. Day one covers woodwinds, day two is brass and day three is strings and percussion. Instruments that will be covered include flute, clarinet, sax, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, violin, viola, cello, bass, and percussion. Snacks will be provided!
Tuition: $100
Camp Schedule:
- 8:45 AM – Drop off/Check-in
- 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Instrument Lesson in NOMA Black Box (with rotation and brain breaks)
- 11:00 AM – Instrument Activities and Test Play (rotating groups)
- 12:00 PM – Pick-up.
* Schedule is subject to change.
Scholarships Available. Contact Margaret Dixon, at conservatory@reillyartscenter.com to inquire about scholarships or other questions regarding the Community Music Conservatory and programming.
Register Below
Guitar Camp – Grades 1-8
Camp #1: June 12 – June 16
Camp #2: July 17 – July 21
This week-long camp is open to students ages 6-8/9-12, and is the perfect way to begin your guitar journey. Under the guidance of CMC guitar instructor and experienced studio musician Jack Covell students will learn basic music fundamentals, guitar technique, and a few standard chord progressions; they will leave with all the information they need to jam to some of their favorite songs! No prior playing experience is necessary, and guitar purchase options are available here
Tuition: $100
Workshop Schedule for Grade 1-3
- 8:45 AM – Drop off/Check-in
- 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Instrument Lesson in NOMA Black Box (with rotation and brain breaks)
- 11:00 AM – Instrument Activities and Test Play (rotating groups)
- 12:00 PM – Pick-up.
Workshop Schedule for Grade 4-8
- 12:45 PM – Drop off/Check-in
- 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Instrument Lesson in NOMA Black Box (with rotation and brain breaks)
- 3:00 PM – Instrument Activities and Test Play (rotating groups)
- 4:00 PM – Pick-up.
Ukulele Class – Grades 1-8
Mondays at 3 PM
June and July 2023
This class is open to students ages 6-12, and is the perfect way to begin your ukulele journey. Under the guidance of experienced studio musician Meagan Miles, students will learn basic music fundamentals, ukulele technique, and a few standard chord progressions; they will leave with all the information they need to jam to some of their favorite songs! No prior playing experience is necessary, and ukulele purchase options are available here
Tuition: $100 for entire course
Instructor: Meagan Miles
Register Below
Proudly partnered with Music & Arts – one of the nation’s leading providers of instrument sales, rentals, and repairs!
An Affordable Way to Purchase an Instrument
When you rent from Music & Arts, 100% of your payments are applied to the purchase price of your instrument. You are not just renting the instrument, you are paying it off as you go, and it will one day be yours! There are also no time or payment commitments! So if your child quits in one month or switches to another instrument, all you do is return or exchange the instrument and you’re done! It’s the best option for younger players looking to explore!
Music & Arts also offers different price points on new and used instruments. You can often save hundreds of dollars by opting for a used instrument. Any used instrument rented through Music & Arts is fully serviced, sanitized, and guaranteed to be in perfect playing condition.
Additionally, Music & Arts often offers special discounts, if you choose to pay your remaining balance in full. Once you know you want to keep your instrument, paying off in full can save you up to 30% of the purchase price!
Guaranteed Quality Instruments
Music & Arts offers a variety of brands and levels of instruments. You will never receive something that is poorly manufactured, unable to be repaired, or not acceptable for an average band program. Even their used instrument stock is fully maintenanced and guaranteed to be a quality instrument
Repair Options
Music & Arts offers a maintenance package that covers your instrument from top to bottom! With their convenient maintenance package, all your standard maintenance and cleanings are totally free, as well as any accidental drops, bumps, scrapes, and “I don’t knows.” It even covers your instrument for fire damage and theft!
Our Supporters
The DLM Foundation designated an initial gift of $300,000 to support the Community Music Conservatory and continue to provide strong support to build programming and support scholarships for students. The DLM Foundation supports arts and education primarily in Central and South Florida. “Art moves us. Be it film, music, sculpture, a painting, or simply great design incorporated into an everyday item, art ties us to our senses and humanity like nothing else. Grant opportunities are by invitation only, focusing on arts and education.”
Education Consortium Donors
The consortium is a group of donors who have given $10,000 or more to support the Conservatory‘s equipment and facilities while ensuring its important community mission and programming for years to come.
Grace Dunlevy and Bob Levenson
William and Cindy Nassal
Tom Dobbins
Ways to Give
Supporters of the Community Music Conservatory create a solid foundation for several programs that will become an established part of the musical community of Ocala. By investing in the availability and quality of music education, as well as the fundamentals of music and music appreciation, we can and will inspire more Ocala residents to take part in the arts, and provide more opportunities for marginalized and/or underserved groups to participate in the arts. Click here to fill out a sponsorship form. Completed forms can be emailed to Pamela@reillyartscenter.com
Sponsor a Student Scholarship
Full Year Conservatory Scholarship – $1,800
This is a full year (3 semester) tuition scholarship and instrument stipend. Funds from this scholarship are applied to a full year of any class, and included instrument stipend will be applied to the cost of obtaining an approved musical instrument.
Partial Year Conservatory Scholarship – $600
This is a four month (1 semester) tuition scholarship and instrument stipend. Funds from this scholarship are applied to a single semester of any class, and included instrument stipend will be applied to the cost of obtaining an approved musical instrument.
Partial Year Tuition Scholarship – $450
This is a four month (1 semester) tuition scholarship that students can apply to any class.
Instrument Scholarship Fund – Amount up to you!
This scholarship fund is used on a case-by-case basis for students in need of financial assistance in obtaining a musical instrument of suitable quality, for use in any class in which they are enrolled.
General Programming – Amount up to you!
This scholarship fund is used to support additional costs within the Conservatory. Costs may include: piano tuning, instrument and equipment maintenance, purchase of teaching materials and curriculum, purchase of classroom furniture such as children’s chairs and music stands, purchase of instruments used for ensemble and group teaching, funding for educational outreach, funding for philanthropic endeavors, and more.
Teaching Studio Sponsorship – $25,000
Includes a 5-year sponsorship recognition
Join the Education Consortium – $10,000
A central tenant of our expansion is the new Community Music Conservatory, a gift of the David and Lisa Midgett Foundation. The Conservatory’s mission is to provide accessible music education for all with excellent and innovative programming. Launch offerings include Buckets and Boom Sticks, a percussion-oriented class to create a love for music and performance in children, Class Guitar for youth and adults, and fundamental music classes like Music Appreciation and basic Music Theory for all ages.
With the Foundation’s initial gift of $300,000 to establish this incredible musical asset for Ocala, we are seeking 25 gifts of $10,000 and above to further support the brick and mortar, and enshrine programming for the first five years.
Donors joining this special consortium will be recognized in a unique and prominent place in the Reilly Arts Center’s new lobby.
Sponsorship is 100% tax deductible and includes sponsor recognition at the level of giving.
Interested in learning more, contact Pamela Calero Wardell at pamela@reillyartscenter.com
Scholarships
The Ocala Symphony Orchestra and Reilly Arts Center’s mission is to connect as many people to music and the arts as possible. The Community Music Conservatory is a professionally run music school, and provides scholarship opportunities to students wishing to participate in group classes or private lessons. Scholarships are limited and awarded based on financial need and merit. Applications are reviewed at the beginning of each month.
Full Year Conservatory Scholarship – $1800
This is a full year (3 semester) tuition scholarship and instrument stipend. Funds from this scholarship are applied to a full year of any class, and included instrument stipend will be applied to the cost of obtaining an approved musical instrument.
Partial Year Conservatory Scholarship – $600
This is a four month (1 semester) tuition scholarship and instrument stipend. Funds from this scholarship are applied to a single semester of any class, and included instrument stipend will be applied to the cost of obtaining an approved musical instrument.
Partial Year Tuition Scholarship – $450
This is a four month (1 semester) tuition scholarship that students can apply to any class.
Summer Camp Scholarship – $75 to $150
Choose to sponsor a student’s summer camp tuition.
Instrument Scholarship Fund – Amount up to you!
This scholarship fund is used on a case-by-case basis for students in need of financial assistance in obtaining a musical instrument of suitable quality, for use in any class in which they are enrolled.
Apply
Download Community Music Conservatory – 2023 Financial Aid Application Here
Please email the completed application to Margaret@reillyartscenter.com
Interested in funding? Click here
Meet the Staff
MATTHEW WARDELL (b. 1983) began his tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra in 2009. When appointed Music Director of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, the Ocala Star Banner declared, “Wardell brings an impressive resume of musical and conducting training … Maybe more important than his musical credentials is Wardell’s youthful enthusiasm and unabashed zest … Wardell is not only a daring and dynamic choice as the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s new conductor, but a smart one.”
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Wardell began his undergraduate work in percussion and composition at the University of Florida and received his Bachelor of Music cum laude at the University of North Florida working under Charlotte Mabrey. Wardell continued his education by earning a Master of Music at the University of Florida and is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree there with his mentor, Raymond Chobaz. Wardell has served as a guest conductor with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Gainesville Orchestra, Florida Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Ocala Civic Theatre. In addition to purely orchestral pursuits, he thrives in the theatre and has appeared as conductor for the fully staged productions of A Little Night Music, La Bohème, Tosca, The Miraculous Mandarin, Phantom of the Opera, Susannah, The Impresario, Dido and Aeneas, Die Fledermaus, Sunday in the Park with George, and Camelot. As a composer, Wardell wrote music for the award-winning NPR podcast, Odd Ball, and co-wrote a new full-length score to the 1923 silent film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Wardell spent five summers at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians in Hancock, Maine studying with Maestro Michael Jinbo. He was fortunate to have been recognized as both an Osher and Quimby Family Foundation scholar and serve several summers in Hancock as an Orchestra Assistant. Wardell has been selected and participated in masterclasses with Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops and BBC Orchestra, Thomas Cockrell of the University of Arizona, and studied for an extended time with conductor and composer Peter WesenAuer in Salzburg, Austria.
Matthew is a champion of all kinds of music. He believes programming traditionally core repertoire hand in hand with underrepresented composers and new music believing that good music is just that – good music. He is a member of the American Symphony Orchestra League and has served on the boards of the Ocala Municipal Arts Commission (OMAC), Young Professionals of Ocala (YPO), and The Centers. In addition to his musical pursuits, Wardell is passionate about being involved in his community and served six years as an elected official on Ocala’s City Council from 2015 to 2021. He enjoys traveling, good company, and attending Jacksonville Jaguars games – and even once attended a game that the Jaguars won. In 2019, he married the love of his life and partner, Pamela Calero. Matthew and Pamela have one dog, Buckley, who is probably up to no good at this very moment. Learn more about Wardell here: https://www.matthewwardell.com/
Jack Covell
Guitar
Jack Covell is a seasoned performer and educator with over 50 years of musical experience, in a variety of backgrounds.
As an educator, Jack has been professionally teaching since 1970. His educational experience includes public school, private school, collegiate level instruction, and private instruction. He has also served as a clinician to several educational institutions throughout Florida, a musical theater director, and an ensemble director for community programs!
As a Performer, Jack is multi-faceted! His guitar background includes experience in Jazz, Rock, classical, and bluegrass music, and he is also experienced in Bass and Mandolin. Outside of his string playing, Jack is also proficient in Woodwind Instruments, including Flute, Saxophone, and Clarinet!
Jack holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, a Master’s dEgree in Gifted Education, and is a member of the Florida Bandmaster’s Association.
Margaret Dixon
Margaret Dixon began her relationship with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra in 2010 as a hornist on stage, but she quickly took on additional roles with the ensemble. In 2016, Margaret assumed leadership of the orchestra’s Symphony for Schools Program, helping it grow to reach over thirty Marion County Schools. In 2019, her duties expanded to include the positions of Librarian and Personnel Manager of the Orchestra, and in 2021 she was appointed Director of Education and Community Outreach for the Reilly Arts Center.
Margaret has a great passion for teaching and spreading the joy of music, especially to youth and underserved communities, and having her own music school has been a dream of hers for the last decade. Music is such a natural and human form of expression, and it opens the door to such a wealth of opportunities. From traveling the world performing to singing holiday tunes with your family, the possibilities and reach of music are endless and should be available for everyone. Margaret’s philosophy is that anyone can learn music, regardless of age, experience, background, socio-economic status, or physical or mental ability. You dont have to be great to enjoy making music, you only have to be willing to try. Music creates deeper personal connections, encourages community, builds confidence, inspires creativity, and even has mental and physical health benefits.
Margaret is still an active performer and music educator. She holds the Principal Horn position in The Gainesville Orchestra, the Second Horn position in the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, and she is a well-known and regularly requested performer throughout North-Central Florida. She has also performed with Orchestras in the surrounding states, recorded with Carl Fischer and the Trade Winds Ensemble, and has played in numerous performances around the world.
Margaret has a successful private studio of students of varying abilities and age ranges, and she currently holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Horn for the College of Central Florida. She provides group coaching at several local middle and high schools, and she has worked extensively with local collegiate institutions, including Santa Fe College, College of Central Florida, and the University of Florida. Margaret’s younger students are typically the top performers in their county and in the state, many have received college scholarships and have gone on to pursue successful careers in music performance and education. Her adult students are all active players in their respective communities, and they always have a great time!
Margaret’s business experience includes several years managing the former music school and retail store Great Southern Music. It was in this position that Margaret honed her leadership, organization, and communication skills, and learned first hand the pitfalls of the typical music school.
Margaret has had the privilege of studying with some of the finest horn players in the country, including renowned teachers and performers Lowell Greer, Michelle Stebleton, Michelle Baker, Joseph Anderer, and Robert Watt. Margaret holds a Bachelor’s in Music from the University of Alabama where she studied with Professor Charles “Skip” Snead, and a Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Florida where she studied with Dr. Paul Basler.
Jacob Hardy
Low Brass
Jacob Hardy is a graduate of the University of Florida with a masters in music performance, concentrating on Bass Trombone. Prior to UF, Jacob completed an undergraduate degree at Eastern Illinois University in 2018 where he studied music performance with a concentration in jazz studies on tenor trombone. While at UF, Jacob performed with the Wind Symphony, University Orchestra, Big Band, Graduate Brass Quintet, New Music Ensemble, UF Chamber Winds, Student Brass Ensemble, UF International Brass Festival Faculty Ensemble, and the UF Trumpet Ensemble. Outside of performing responsibilities, he coordinated and conducted the UF Trombone Choir, helped coordinate weekly convocations, and worked with the Gator Marching Band trombone section.
While at UF, Jacob auditioned for the 2019 International Trombone Festival’s Douglas Yaxley Bass Trombone competition, where he was awarded honorable mention. He performed at the 2018 festival with the EIU Jazz Trombone Quintet and the 2021 festival with the UF Trombone Choir. He has also been a participant at the Southeast Trombone Symposium on both tenor and bass trombones during the summers of 2016-2018, and a participant and Graduate Assistant of the DC Trombone Workshop in the Summer of 2019 on bass trombone. Currently, Jacob is a freelance trombonist in the state of Florida. He holds the position of Assistant Principal/Utility Trombone with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra and has made appearances as a guest section player with The Florida Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, and Jacksonville Symphony. He is also a founding member of the UF Brass Band as principal trombone and section coordinator.
Aaron Janosa
Mr. Aaron Janosa is the Director of Music at North Marion High School, and oversees all aspects of the music department. He directs the “Colt Stampede” Marching Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band.
Mr. Janosa received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Certificate of Music Performance from the University of Florida. He actively performed in the UF Wind Symphony and Clarinet Choir, among other ensembles, playing under the baton of such conductors as Dr. David Waybright, Thomas Leslie, Christian Schulz, and Harvey Hermann. He recorded two albums on the Mark Custom label, one as basset horn soloist on Christmas Clarinets, and one as rotating principal on Masks and Machines. He studied clarinet under Mitchell Estrin, and has participated in masterclasses with artists Stephen Williamson and Julian Bliss.
Mr. Janosa’s professional affiliations include National Association for Music Education, Florida Music Education Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, and the International Clarinet Association.
Brandon Loos
Trumpet
Accomplished trumpet artist, Dr. Brandon Loos has captured the attention of audiences throughout the United States and abroad with his musical mastery and finesse. He has appeared as a member of successful big bands, regional broadway show pit orchestras, chamber ensembles, and symphonic orchestras. Brandon has had the good fortune to travel extensively overseas as a musician performing in Spain, Ischia, Italy, Austria, and Argentina. Dr. Loos has shared the stage with world renowned artists including James Morrison, Jens Lindemann, Thomas Gansch, and Hans Gansch. In addition to performing with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra as a core member and serving as Artistic Director and conductor for Volusia Community Arts, Brandon is equally committed to his profile as a teacher, working with students of all ages and abilities through his position at the College of Central Florida and an active private studio.
Patrick Bain
Percussion/Bucket Drumming
Patrick Bain has been actively performing in various professional and academic settings throughout Gainesville since 2015. He received bachelor’s degrees in Music and Mechanical Engineering as well as a Performer’s Certificate for percussion from the University of Florida where he studied percussion with Dr. Kenneth Broadway and drum set with Clyde Connor. Since graduation, Patrick has performed with ensembles in Gainesville and throughout the state as an orchestral percussionist.
During his education at the University of Florida, Patrick received numerous opportunities to perform throughout the state as well as internationally, including WASBE with the American Chamber Winds, ClarinetFest with the Professors Clarinet Choir, and the Festival des Anches d’Azur with the University of Florida Wind Symphony. He also served as a member and section leader for the Florida Drum Line in the Gator Marching Band. Patrick was awarded the Francis Millikan Reitz Scholarship Award in 2016, given for being “the most outstanding undergraduate music student demonstrating excellence in performance, musical service, service to the University and community, and promise for future development.”
Patrick has taught students aged elementary through college as a private lesson instructor, group lesson instructor, and performance technician for drum lines and front ensembles. When he is not practicing, performing, or teaching percussion, Patrick works as a quality engineer in the medical device industry.
Meagan Miles
Piano
Ms. Miles has always had an enormous love and passion for music. She studied music theory, sight singing, ear training, music literacy, composition and performance in College. Her love of performing started at age 15 when she performed in New York City in Eric Whitacre’s production “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings”. From there she performed in cities around America such as New Orleans, Atlanta, Tampa and Disney World in Orlando. She has also played in marching band, wind symphony, jazz band and drum corps.
Performance was her main passion until she was given the opportunity to teach private lessons in College. This job changed her heart from wanting to perform, to instead desiring to teach and inspire children with music. She has taught Middle School and High School Choir at Ambleside School of Ocala for 5 years and has taught privately for 8 years.
Ms. Miles offers lessons in piano, voice, clarinet and saxophone.
Stephanie Nottke
Flute
Stephanie Nottke is a native Marion county musician. Ms. Nottke has worked with many middle school and high school band programs locally and in the surrounding central Florida areas as a woodwind technician. Prior to becoming an educator, Ms. Nottke performed for the Ocala Civic Theatre, private events and symposiums. Additionally, she gave private lessons while finishing her music degree for flute and saxophone to students of all ages. Ms. Nottke earned her bachelors degree in music education from the University of South Florida were she performed on flute in the top Wind Ensemble. She is currently the band director at Citrus Springs Middle School in Citrus county and is an active member of the Florida Band Masters Association and Florida Music Education Association. Ms. Nottke has experience teaching students from the primary, secondary and high school levels as well as adults picking up an instrument for the first time! She has taught in private studios, schools and community centers throughout Central Florida. When Ms. Nottke is not teaching, she is enjoying the outdoors with her two children and furthering herself in the music education field.
Kathryn Poore
Viola/Violin
A recent arrival in Gainesville, cellist Emily Austin Smith maintains an active performing and teaching career. She completed bachelors degrees in Cello Performance and English and a Masters Degree in Cello Performance and Pedagogy at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where she studied with Alan Stepansky, former Associate Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic. Emily has recently performed with the Fayetteville Symphony and the Duke New Music Ensemble, and as a substitute with the North Carolina Symphony and Carolina Ballet. She served as both cellist and Executive Director of WireTap New Music, a group she co-founded in Durham, North Carolina.
Emily has performed in a number of orchestral and chamber music festivals across the country, including Spoleto Festival USA, Weekend of Chamber Music, Texas Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, ENCORE School for Strings, and the Indiana University Summer String Academy. She has worked with members of the Takacs, Emerson, Cavani, Lark, Shanghai, Juilliard, and Jupiter Quartets, and has studied with Alison Wells, Amir Eldan, Brinton Averil Smith, and Eric Kim, and participated in masterclasses with Richard Aaron, Susan Moses, Gary Hoffman, and Jeffrey Solow. During her time at the Peabody Institute and The Johns Hopkins University, Emily was the recipient of the B&O Women’s Club Award in Performance and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society.
Emily has taught students of all ages and levels in a variety of settings, and has received Suzuki teacher training from esteemed pedagogues Dr. Tanya Carey and Ronda Cole. She completed her Master of Music degree in Cello Performance and Pedagogy at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was mentored by Bai-Chi Chen of the Peabody Preparatory Institute. While in Baltimore, Emily taught in the orchestral program at the Baltimore School for the Arts and was a regular substitute teacher at OrchKids, the Baltimore Symphony’s El Sistema inspired after-school orchestra program. Emily also served as an administrator at Kidznotes, an El Sistema inspired program in the Triangle region of North Carolina.
When she is not performing, teaching, or practicing cello, Emily enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time outdoors with her husband and scruffy shelter dog, Lily.
Rebecah Zamora
Piano
Rebecah started her music training at a very young age with her mother, who was a piano teacher. Three siblings later, her mom didn’t have as much time to devote to her musical growth so she took lessons from a local piano teacher for 4 years. At 15 years old, she began teaching young students from her church and later on attended the College of Central Florida and studied under Gaylyn Capitano. Recently, Rebecah has been attending Berklee College of Music’s online course to complete her Bachelor’s in Arts.
Are you interested in learning more?
Please fill out the form below to stay updated on classes, schedules and more regarding the Ocala Symphony Orchestra Community Music Conservatory.
Music Conservatory Interest