Music Teachers that Combine Passion and Progress

Bryce graduated from SMU with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and obtained his certification from TEA. Bryce has a wide array of music experience from playing in full orchestras to teaching privately. Since graduating in 2017, he has been teaching with Zera Music Company, started to grow in record production, and perform with local bands. He also works as a substitute teacher with Plano ISD & Richardson ISD.

Stephanie has been with us since the summer of 2019. Music is an integral part of her life and nothing makes her happier than to share her love and passion with eager students. She received her B.A. in Music Performance from Lubbock Christian University, and has been using her degree to teach privately and publicly since 1991. She is currently the Choir Director at Lake Dallas Middle School and is celebrating her 20th year teaching music with Lake Dallas ISD. She has two grown children and one beautiful granddaughter who are also musically inclined!

Ricardo is a multi-talented music lover from Dallas, Texas that has been with us since February of 2020. He has been a student of music for over 10 years, and has been involved in a plethora of school ensembles, taken private music lessons, and studied music at the University of North Texas. His musical influences include bands like The Beatles, Mana, Young The Giant, Bacillos, Queen and many more. He also has a background in classical music as well so he also enjoys the music of artists like Villa Lobos, Andrew York, and Francisco Tarrega. His passion for music and love of teaching shine through in his lessons and his teaching philosophy can best be described by saying that he knows each student learns in their own way so he incorporates the teaching styles and methods that best compliment each student’s learning style. His approach as a teacher is to have fun and practice hard.

Caden is a talented, hardworking musician from Houston Texas that has been with us since March of 2020. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2017 with a Degree in Music Business with emphasis in Songwriting and Worship Leadership. Caden started learning the guitar in 2007 and also has 10 years of piano experience. With this experience, he also hasn’t shied away from applying these skills to a plethora of other instruments. Caden is a singer/songwriter, releasing music under the name Water & Bone. He has a passion for music and people, in hopes of spreading his love and understanding of the language of music.

Kyle is a percussionist, pianist, bandleader, and dedicated instructor from Santa Barbara, California with experience in every genre from jazz to metal. He began studying drums and learning the language of music in 2008, and since then has been part of bands, drumlines, and orchestras as a percussionist. In 2010, Kyle began studying piano and developing his skills further as a musician. Currently, he is a Drum Set Performance student in his second year at the University of North Texas and has been with us at ZMC since May 2021. Outside of music he enjoys exercise and spending time with his family. He is dedicated to helping others improve their musicianship and increase their love for the art of music.

Harli is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas in Denton with a career goal of being a professional opera singer. In high school, she began her pursuits of piano and voice, and qualified for the Texas All-State Choir two years in a row. Harli has been with us since April 2022 and her teaching technique centers around creating strong music readers with impressive problem solving strategies.

Minnesota native, Jacob has his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Jackson State University. Throughout college, Jacob was a member of the “Sonic Boom of The South” Marching Band where he was a saxophone section leader for three years and was awarded 2nd and 1st prizes in the James E. Hefner HBCU Piano Competition held at Tennessee State University in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Upon graduation, Jacob moved back home to St. Paul, MN to work as the Assistant Music Director at his home church, and was soon promoted to the Minister of Music. Throughout his time in St. Paul, Jacob had the privilege of working with the Minnesota State Baptist Convention Choir, and also collaborating with an eclectic background of artists such as Stokley, Dottie Peoples, “The Voice’s” Jesse Larson, and Kierra Sheard, to name a few.

Cheyenne is currently pursuing a Music Education degree with an emphasis in Choral Studies at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX. She quickly picked up a musical interest early on in life and has performed in several choral ensembles as well as served in worship bands on piano, guitar, and vocals. She is currently in the TWU Concert Choir that has recently traveled all over the United States, as well as Europe and has seen firsthand the impact music has on her life and has a passion for equipping others to be able to experience that impact as well. She is excited to see growth in each of her students in both technique and love of music!

PJ is a pianist, composer, and vocalist currently pursuing a Masters in Music Composition from the University of North Texas. A Nebraska native, he began studying piano lessons at the age of seven and participated in all-state and touring choirs throughout high school and undergraduate studies at UNT. He began his performance and compositional path as a church musician, and now has an appreciation for teaching, listening, and composing all styles of music. PJ’s teaching style centers around an individualized approach to music learning, and he hopes that his students can grow and experience the world through a musical lens with the foundation in structure, technique, and musicianship.

Angie B has taught students at all skill levels and ages for over 35 years. Her musical journey started in high school when learning piano, and in 2001, she picked up an acoustic guitar and hasn’t put it down since. Angie loves serving at her church where she helps write worship songs and plays acoustic and electric guitar as well as mandolin. Music is her passion, and in her spare time, she enjoys learning as many classic rock songs as possible, and attending her grandson’s t-ball and soccer games.

FUN FACTS: Angie loves eating out at J. Macklin’s Grill, Ole’s, Tex Mex, Anamia’s and Salt Grass Steakhouse, and her favorite snacks include Sun Chips, Spicy Trail Mix, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and Paydays.

Caleb is a multi-instrumentalist from southern California. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Worship Leadership and also works as the Music Director at his church in Fort Worth. He began his musical journey at the age of 7 when he started learning classical piano, and expanded his expertise when he started leading worship at church. Since then, he has continued to refine his musicianship in studying guitar, bass and voice. Throughout his journey, Caleb has played in churches across the nation and for a brief period led a church worship team in Frankfurt, Germany. He is dedicated to sharing his passion for music with his students and hopes to equip them to love music for a lifetime. Aside from his love for music, Caleb enjoys cooking homemade tomato sauce, going out to sushi with his fiancée, and snacking on sour patch kids while watching Spiderman.

Evan S. has been involved with music for as long as he can remember. At a young age he began singing and taking voice lessons and in 2015 he started receiving formal piano instruction. Out of high school, Evan attended and later received his bachelor of music degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and in 2023 received his master’s in music from the University of North Texas in Denton. Evan’s extensive performance experience has brought him to many venues across the United States and Italy and has included many principal roles in works by Mozart, Donizetti, Verdi, Britten, and others. Evan has experience in performing a plethora of genres including operatic bel canto, jazz, rock, pop, and folk. He enjoys spending time with his pets, working out, playing golf, and learning foreign languages.

Mark H. is a classically trained pianist who loves to teach and play music of a variety of styles. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he has been playing piano since the age of 10 and holds a certification in Piano Education from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Mark believes that musical experience starts with our first heartbeat, so from the singing of nursery rhymes as toddlers to folk music as adults, music is an inevitable and integral part of each person’s personal growth and development. In his free time, Mark loves to write, spend time in nature, travel, exercise, and attend concerts.

Kara is a musician from Austin, Texas pursuing her Bachelor’s in Music Education at the University of North Texas. She began taking private voice lessons and singing in choir in 6th grade and it quickly became her passion, overflowing into gaining experience on piano and guitar. Once she earns her degree, she plans to work as a middle or high school choir director in order to continue sharing her love of all kinds of music. Kara loves getting to watch students grow into better musicians and being able to leave a positive impact on her students. She believes that music is a powerful and expressive thing that should be shared with everyone.

Riley is a passionate music educator from Mississippi who loves to help students achieve their personal musical goals. He and his wife Katie come to the DFW area from the Houston area where he worked as a middle school choir director in La Porte ISD. Riley earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Music Education from the University of Mississippi where he gained a wealth of vocal knowledge and experience studying under multiple award-winning and nationally recognized professors and conductors. Riley is thrilled to work with aspiring musicians and help them grow in both their musical abilities and their passion for music!