Piano/Voice

Mary Allen-Lynch has an extensive background of over 40 years in music education and music performance. Having taught piano, flute, voice lessons as well as Music History at Culver Academies, a college preparatory boarding school in Northern Indiana for over twenty years, she brings a wealth of teaching and performing experience to her current students at Stafford Music Academy. Her teaching philosophy has always been that of an artist-teacher as well as being student centered. She believes wholeheartedly in meeting students where they are in terms of individual learning styles and their personal goals for studying music.  Mary Allen-Lynch holds a Bachelor of General Studies from Indiana University with a focus on Music, Folklore and German. She also holds a Masters in Music and Arts Technology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is a seasoned professional and has played the piano for 56 years since the age of 6. She studied privately with Purden Lausten and Thomas Lawston in her early years of piano. In addition to piano, Mary Allen-Lynch began studying flute at the age of 10. She continues performing on both flute and piccolo in the Bloomington Community Band and the Bloomington Community Band Flute Choir. She was also very active in teaching, coaching and performing with the Music Theater program at Culver Academies. In 2012 she traveled with and coached a student theater group’s musical production during performances at The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh Scotland. In addition to teaching at Culver Academies, she has also maintained a private teaching studio working with both children and adults of all ages throughout her professional life. In addition, she has worked extensively as a musician within various worship traditions and spaces, playing piano, organ, flute and as a song leader.  Locally, she currently sings in the soprano section of the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington as well as accompanying the choir at Beth Shalom on occasion.  Mary Allen-Lynch believes in using a variety of methods, techniques and technology to help students learn and grow as musicians. In addition, including elements of music theory as a natural part of early learning as appropriate is dear to her heart! She has accompanied extensively and enjoys working with and supporting soloists. Another part of Mary’s musical life is volunteering locally with music and memory sessions, utilizing the power of music within the brain to positively impact the lives of those with dementia and Alzheimer’s as well as their families and caregivers. She currently volunteers at Better Day Club and and in Gentry Park’s memory care residence. Mary Allen-Lynch has traveled and lived abroad for long periods of time, including Malaysia and Japan. She counts her years of living in many diverse cultures as a hugely formative factor in her education. She teaches music so that others may find their voice in many ways and enjoy the many benefits that music lessons and education bring to the quality of life.

Originally from the Hudson Valley in New York State, Sara Callanan lived in the Washington, DC area for many years before moving to Bloomington in 2014. Ms. Callanan attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and the University of Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. From 1982-1984, she was a professional chorister and soloist at the National Shrine in Washington, DC, and has been a soloist at many other prominent DC churches. She regularly performed the national anthem at the Northern Virginia Special Olympics and was a featured soloist with area choirs. Ms. Callanan maintained a private music studio for many years, teaching both piano and voice. Many of her students have become performers, teachers or composers. Ms. Callanan has been very active in community music theatre as both actress and music director/pianist. In 2001, the ensemble she directed for "Little Shop of Horrors" won a prestigious Cappie Award for Best Orchestra. In 1992 Ms. Callanan founded RAVE (Reston Artists Vocal Ensemble) for which she wrote many a cappella arrangements. Her business "Solos By Sara" provided music for weddings and other events in the Washington, DC area. Ms. Callanan is uniquely qualified to teach voice students interested in classical repertoire, music theatre and jazz. Her piano students may learn jazz techniques as well as classical repertoire.

Anoushka Divekar (she/her/hers) is a first-generation American who remembers coming home to hearing her mom singing Hindustani Classical Music, as her dad played Tabla. Her love for music was early and nurtured well. She started clarinet at the age of 10, after two years of learning violin and piano. While she developed a love for performing, and a great fondness for the teachers who had supported her endeavors, she’d tell her mom that her music was “wrong” upon coming home. However, she was so taken by the art form that she therefore began study at the University of Colorado Boulder in Clarinet Performance and Music Education. Throughout her degree, she noticed many inequities in the school system, leading her to question the way she was taught, and her cognitive dissonance about her own Indian heritage. Anoushka also grew to acknowledge the many privileges she held, which allowed her to pursue her passions. Performing many recitals and concerts led her to realize that the works of BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, and women were consistently left out of the music that she played, and the faces she saw in her schools. Throughout her undergraduate, she was part of CU Boulder’s Diverse Musicians’ Alliance, a group that sought to normalize and amplify all voices in the realm of music making. She is a part of the clarinetrepertoire.com team, continuing Dr. Maggie Greenwood’s dissertation of cataloguing a database of clarinet works written by people with a range of gender identities in an effort for them to be played on more clarinet recitals. This led her to creating the Take Two Knees concert, and pledging to play works by all kinds of composers on her programs. Anoushka currently attends Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in pursuit of a Doctor of Music, with a Doctoral Minor in Music Education. Anoushka graduated with her Bachelors degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance in May 2020 from the University of Colorado Boulder. She graduated with her Master’s degree from Texas Tech University in May 2022. Her primary teachers are Professor Gábor Varga, Dr. David Shea, Professor Daniel Silver, and Dr. Christine Bellomy. She has attended Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Eastern Music Festival, and Rocky Ridge Music Festival, and has performed most recently with CU, TTU, and IUs top ensembles. She serves as principal clarinet in the virtual Dad Village Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she won first prize in the International Clarinet Association’s Clareidoscope Festival Collegiate Category Essay Competition and Performance Competition in April of 2021. Anoushka looks forward to a future of performing and teaching. Anoushka is a classroom and private teacher and has now become adept at teaching both in person, and online. She is passionate about social justice, and restorative justice education and feels compelled to use music as a vehicle to make change.

Cindy has been teaching piano lessons for over thirty years and is an expert in the field of young children’s music programs. She received Kindermusik training under the program’s writer and founder Lorna Heyge. She is also trained and certified in the Yamaha Music Education System. Cindy is the music director at McDoel Baptist Church, and she sings soprano in the Bloomington Chamber Singers. Cindy has been teaching for the Stafford Music Academy since March of 2006.

Soprano, Lillie Judge is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Music in Voice Performance with a Certificate in Vocology from Indiana University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in Voice Performance and Literature at IU under the tutelage of Dr. Brian Gill.

Lillie has over 8 years of teaching experience, including piano and voice lessons as well as choral direction. Her teaching philosophy centers on the student and achieving their musical aesthetic goals while building sustainable techniques, so music-making can become an enjoyable and empowering experience despite age and ability.

Lillie’s most recent performance credits include Rosalinde in the Fall 2024 production of Die Fledermaus with IU Opera, Despina in John Davies’ The Three Little Pigs and Red Song Bird in the premiere of Zach Redler’s The Red Song Bird at the inaugural Children’s Opera Festival in Columbia, SC, and Mrs. Edith Frank in the World Premiere of Anne Frank at IU. During her time at Westminster, Judge sang and toured with Westminster Choir and performed Bach’s B minor Mass under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Westminster Symphonic Choir and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

 

Korean-American violinist Hayne Kim leads a distinctive musical career as a performer and educator that has brought her around the world. She made her solo Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 16, and has performed as a soloist with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (Michigan, USA) and Tuscia Operafestival orchestra (Viterbo, Italy). An active chamber musician, Hayne has collaborated with reputed artists such as Alexander Markov and Clive Greensmith, and performed for diverse occasions ranging from ensemble performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to intimate gatherings at the home of Thailand’s Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Taking a special interest in contemporary music, she is the violinist and co-founder of Círculo Trio, an ensemble dedicated to exploring and presenting new and/or underperformed works alongside standard repertoire. Projects that the trio has commissioned include The Triumph of Time, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale for actor and trio with original music, and a collaboration with Bangkok City Ballet for Thea Musgrave’s theatrical chamber work, Pierrot.

Hayne holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Michigan State University. Her past mentors include Lyman Bodman, Grigory Kalinovsky, and Dmitri Berlinsky. Dedicated to sharing her experiences with up-and-coming generations of musicians, she served as a faculty member of Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music in Bangkok, Thailand from 2017-2022. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music degree at Indiana Jacobs School of Music under the guidance of Kyung Sun Lee.

 

Malhar is a versatile musician with a B.M. in Voice from Indiana University and four years of teaching experience. With 15 years of training in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, Malhar specializes in classical voice and piano, and is skilled in various string and percussion instruments.

A dedicated member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Malhar actively advances his knowledge in voice pedagogy and best practices. His professional development has been significantly influenced by renowned mentors including, and certainly not limited to, Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Christopher Albanese

Malhar’s performance experience is extensive and diverse. He has been a soloist in a range of works, including Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols. Additionally, he has performed as both a vocalist and collaborative accompanist at ACDA National, Midwestern and Eastern Conferences.

Known for his patient and adaptive teaching style, Malhar works with students of all ages and skill levels, creating a supportive environment that fosters growth and confidence. His broad musical background and dedication to ongoing learning ensure that his instruction is both innovative and effective. Outside the classroom, Malhar continues to engage in performance and exploration of new musical genres, staying inspired and connected to his craft. His commitment to both his students and his own musical journey makes him a valued mentor and a source of inspiration.

Jessica has studied flute and piano privately since she was in middle school. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Flute Performance from Northwestern University and the University of Louisville. She also recently completed her Master of Music Education degree at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Jessica performs on flute and piccolo with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Jessica has been teaching piano and flute for the Stafford Music Academy since 2008.

Andrew Sohn was born in Perth, Western Australia, and immigrated to the US in 2004. Andrew graduated from the University of South Carolina with his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and from the Eastman School of Music with his Master of Music in Piano Performance. In 2023, he completed his Doctor of Music degree from Indiana University.

Andrew has been invited to judge several music festivals in Indiana. In addition to being a piano instructor at the Stafford Music Academy, he currently serves as pre-college piano faculty at Indiana University. Andrew has given presentations and guest lectures on diverse topics ranging from piano pedagogy to piano literature. One of his current research topics explores inclusive teaching methods for students with autism.

Andrew has an international reputation as an active pianist and pedagogue. In 2013, he made his orchestral debut at the Perugia Music Festival in Italy. Andrew is frequently invited to collaborate with chamber musicians as a guest performer. Andrew has attended numerous world-renouned summer institutes and academies including Banff (Canada), Piano Texas (TX), Chautauqua (NY), and many more.

Zach Walter is a trumpeter and violinist based in Bloomington, IN. Having started music at a young age, it quickly developed into a deep passion. Following the footsteps of his first trumpet teacher, Zach received his Bachelor of Music from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he also specialized in music production. He is currently finishing his Master of Music at Indiana University.

Zach began teaching in 2019 with the philosophy that anyone can learn an instrument. It is never too late, and the love of music should be a universal experience. He has helped students of all ages and skill levels along their musical paths through personalized, student-centered instruction.

While classically-trained, Zach is also immersed in the jazz/commercial realm as a lead trumpet player. He has a diverse performance history spanning a variety of genres and ensembles, including solo work, chamber music, orchestras, wind bands, jazz ensembles, and mariachi bands. His performance has been recognized at the national level, having placed in the quarterfinals of the National Trumpet Competition in 2022 and 2024.

Zach has extensive background in the marching and pageantry arts communities, having toured nationally for two years with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in the Drum Corps International circuit. Previously a brass instructor with the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps, he remains active in the community teaching various high school marching bands in Indiana and southeastern Pennsylvania.