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Our Team
A community of mentors

Summer Camp enrollment is open! Enroll here.

Every aspiring musician needs mentors


Our well-trained teachers are highly experienced and work together as a team to help students reach their individuals goals. At Music House, you'll have access to some of the best musicians and instructors in Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe and the Kansas City metro. Our entire team of educators works together to bring a diverse range of perspectives to each and every student.

Little-known fact: Our teachers are full-fledged employees of Music House, not just independent contractors like at every other music school in the Kansas City area. What does that mean? It means consistent instruction across the board, fully vetted music teachers, and an incredibly strong music community. We can't wait to meet you!

Administrators
Aaron Sizemore Co-Founder, Executive Director
Aaron Sizemore
Co-Founder, Executive Director

Music House Co-founder, Aaron Sizemore grew up in the Quad Cities, a hotbed of blues and jazz along the Mississippi River on the Illinois/Iowa border. He started out on the trumpet when he was nine...

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Becca Kephart Director of Band Workshops
Becca Kephart
Director of Band Workshops

As a popular independent music lesson teacher, Becca brought a whole fleet of students with her when she began teaching at Music House in 2014. It was the focus on community that had attracted her ...

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Rachel Vandivier Director of Classes
Rachel Vandivier
Director of Classes

Rachel Vandivier is a midwest based singer, actor, harpist, voice teacher, and musical director and is excited to join the Music House team! She holds an MM in CCM Voice Pedagogy and Speech Science...

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Rachel Loewen Director of Outreach
Rachel Loewen
Director of Outreach

Rachel comes to Music House from Wichita, KS where she was born and raised. She brings extensive knowledge of the music retail industry having worked 5 ½ years for one of the state’s largest music ...

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Kinsey Belgeri Director of Community Culture
Kinsey Belgeri
Director of Community Culture

Born in Overland Park, Kansas, Kinsey’s love for music came out of her early experiences as a dancer. Her parents influenced her love for classic rock, and she is now the self-proclaimed number one...

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Brian Kephart Director of Technology
Brian Kephart
Director of Technology

A veteran of many rock, funk & jazz bands from southern Illinois to the Colorado front range, Brian has a diversity of musical experiences that he loves to share with students and fans of all t...

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Joel Stratton Program Coordinator / Guitar / Bass
Joel Stratton
Program Coordinator / Guitar / Bass

Joel Stratton’s love for music first blossomed as a young boy wheeling a comically large upright bass between fireside jam sessions at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, KS. As he gr...

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Mary Self Program Coordinator / Piano
Mary Self
Program Coordinator / Piano

Mary is originally from Laguna Hills, California, but grew up mostly in Springfield, Missouri. A Missouri State University alumnus, she has taught piano guitar and ukulele, for many years in the Un...

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Taylor Carter Community Assistant
Taylor Carter
Community Assistant

Taylor is a new resident of the Kansas City area and is originally from a small town in northeast Missouri. She attended the University of Missouri in Columbia and received her Bachelor of Fine Art...

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Audrey Renner Community Assistant
Audrey Renner
Community Assistant

Audrey’s love for music started with a fascination with Baby Einsteins and blossomed when she started playing viola and guitar. She performed in the school orchestra and as a Music House student! R...

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Maya Larkin Community Assistant
Maya Larkin
Community Assistant

Maya Larkin is a young creative hailing from Kansas City, and loves art in all forms, including music. Maya has been surrounded by music for as long as she can remember. From listening to The Beatl...

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Brass & Woodwinds
Zach Dixon Woodwinds / Piano
Zach Dixon
Woodwinds / Piano

Originally from Lawrence Kansas, Zach has been teaching saxophone for the better part of a decade. A graduate from the University of Kansas (2020) and of the Longy School of Music (2022) in Cambrid...

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Jackson Broadwater Brass / Piano
Jackson Broadwater
Brass / Piano

Jackson Broadwater is an educator and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing across the Midwest for the past 8 years. While studying with an all-star faculty at UMKC featuring Bobby Watson, ...

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Daphne Hootman Piano / Flute
Daphne Hootman
Piano / Flute

Daphne Hootman is a Kansas City native who has been teaching in the area since 1995. “My teaching philosophy is to give students the important tools they need to learn,” says Daphne, “while also gi...

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Drums
Nicholas Ferguson Drums
Nicholas Ferguson
Drums

UMKC graduate and Ferguson, Missouri native, Nick brings an electric element, a talented heart, and a creative mind to the Music House community. Working as a professional musician for many years, ...

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Thomas Pribyl Drums
Thomas Pribyl
Drums

Thomas Pribyl is a drummer and percussionist from Kansas City who has been playing drums since the age of 9. He received a finance degree and a music minor from Loyola Marymount University in Los A...

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Spencer Smith Drums
Spencer Smith
Drums

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance graduate Spencer Smith began playing the drums at age eight after his mother discovered that he loved to tap on anything he could find. By the time he'd earned ...

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Dodi Wiemuth Drums/Guitar/Bass/Ukulele
Dodi Wiemuth
Drums/Guitar/Bass/Ukulele

Edoardo (Dodi) Wiemuth has been playing guitar, drums, and bass for over twenty-five years. He is originally from Tuscany, Italy and graduated from the Music Conservatory of Perugia in percussion. ...

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Joel Shipley Drums
Joel Shipley
Drums

Joel Shipley has been teaching drums for years, but what brings him to Music House is his passion for playing music with others. “My goal is to share the joy of drums and music with every student.”...

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Steve Thomas Drums
Steve Thomas
Drums

Throughout his over 20 years of teaching experience, Steve has enjoyed sharing his passion for music with students of all ages. His teaching style is often described as “inspirational” and we’ve be...

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Kevin McAfoos Drums
Kevin McAfoos
Drums

Kevin McAfoos is a drummer, educator, and audio/video technician in Kansas City. Originally hailing from small town Cleveland, MO, Kevin was given ample opportunity to try his hand at music educati...

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Early Childhood Music
Zakara York Voice
Zakara York
Voice

Zakara’s musical journey began at home, with musician parents and siblings. She started writing songs soon after picking up the guitar at age 11, singing in her school choir throughout childhood. A...

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Mary Self Program Coordinator / Piano
Mary Self
Program Coordinator / Piano

Mary is originally from Laguna Hills, California, but grew up mostly in Springfield, Missouri. A Missouri State University alumnus, she has taught piano guitar and ukulele, for many years in the Un...

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Guitar & Bass
Matt Elton Guitar / Bass
Matt Elton
Guitar / Bass

Hailing from Kansas City, Kansas, Matt began playing string instruments at the age of 10, and was playing professionally by the age of 12. After graduating from Turner High School, he pursued a deg...

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Aidan Murrow Guitar
Aidan Murrow
Guitar

Aidan Murrow is a jazz and classical guitarist from St. Louis, Missouri. Since picking up the guitar at age 9, Aidan has performed in many ensemble settings including the Pit Orchestra for the Broa...

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Lilah Cottrell Guitar / Bass / Ukulele
Lilah Cottrell
Guitar / Bass / Ukulele

Lilah Cottrell is a multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer from Kansas City. Lilah got her start in education at Kansas City Young Audiences, first as a student, then going on to lead their "...

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Jon Self Guitar/Bass/Ukulele
Jon Self
Guitar/Bass/Ukulele

Jon Self is a guitarist, trombonist, educator, and composer from Kirksville, MO. Having started as a self-taught guitarist, Jon understands a wide variety of musical perspectives. Recently graduate...

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Dodi Wiemuth Drums/Guitar/Bass/Ukulele
Dodi Wiemuth
Drums/Guitar/Bass/Ukulele

Edoardo (Dodi) Wiemuth has been playing guitar, drums, and bass for over twenty-five years. He is originally from Tuscany, Italy and graduated from the Music Conservatory of Perugia in percussion. ...

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Aiden Jensen Guitar / Bass
Aiden Jensen
Guitar / Bass

Aiden Jensen is a working guitarist and bassist born and raised in KC. He was first introduced to music at age 13 in a school guitar class, then moved on to private lessons and gigs shortly after. ...

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Forrest Fowler Guitar/Bass/Ukulele
Forrest Fowler
Guitar/Bass/Ukulele

Forrest Fowler is a performer, composer, and educator living in Kansas City, Missouri. Forrest graduated from Ottawa University in 2016 with a BM in Jazz Studies and is currently pursuing his Maste...

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Logan Contino Guitar/Bass/Ukulele
Logan Contino
Guitar/Bass/Ukulele

Logan Contino, a Johnson County native, graduated from Selkirk College in British Columbia with degrees in music composition, music production, and guitar. As a Music House alum, he spent multiple ...

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Joel Stratton Program Coordinator / Guitar / Bass
Joel Stratton
Program Coordinator / Guitar / Bass

Joel Stratton’s love for music first blossomed as a young boy wheeling a comically large upright bass between fireside jam sessions at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, KS. As he gr...

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Piano
David Olson Piano
David Olson
Piano

David has been a professional musician for over 20 years, with vast experience teaching piano/keyboard, bass, guitar and voice. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, David was surrounded by music a...

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Jen Hoover Voice / Piano
Jen Hoover
Voice / Piano

Originally from Topeka, KS, Miss Hoover has spent the past 14 years living & teaching in the New Orleans metro. After graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with double master...

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Zach Dixon Woodwinds / Piano
Zach Dixon
Woodwinds / Piano

Originally from Lawrence Kansas, Zach has been teaching saxophone for the better part of a decade. A graduate from the University of Kansas (2020) and of the Longy School of Music (2022) in Cambrid...

Read More
Ernest Douglas Piano
Ernest Douglas
Piano

Ernest Douglas is a Kansas City based multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, producer, composer and teacher specializing in Rock, Soul, Blues, and film scores. As a second generation musician, Erne...

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Tyler Kemp Piano
Tyler Kemp
Piano

Tyler Kemp is a composer, pianist, bassist, and educator living in the Kansas City area. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University. He also...

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Jackson Broadwater Brass / Piano
Jackson Broadwater
Brass / Piano

Jackson Broadwater is an educator and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing across the Midwest for the past 8 years. While studying with an all-star faculty at UMKC featuring Bobby Watson, ...

Read More
Daphne Hootman Piano / Flute
Daphne Hootman
Piano / Flute

Daphne Hootman is a Kansas City native who has been teaching in the area since 1995. “My teaching philosophy is to give students the important tools they need to learn,” says Daphne, “while also gi...

Read More
Audrey Lena Baughman Piano / Voice
Audrey Lena Baughman
Piano / Voice

Music is Audrey's number one love language. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Audrey finds great joy when she inspires her students and helps shape them to become the artist they desire to...

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Stas Heaney Piano
Stas Heaney
Piano

While growing up in the Midwest, Staś had a knack for chancing upon world-class musical experiences as he studied piano, voice, violin, and percussion. He picked up a number of other instruments al...

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Mary Self Program Coordinator / Piano
Mary Self
Program Coordinator / Piano

Mary is originally from Laguna Hills, California, but grew up mostly in Springfield, Missouri. A Missouri State University alumnus, she has taught piano guitar and ukulele, for many years in the Un...

Read More
Andrew Ouellette Piano
Andrew Ouellette
Piano

Andrew Ouellette is a Kansas City pianist, composer, and educator. Originally from Hannibal, MO, Andrew has taught piano lessons for over 6 years. He had the privilege to study under the world-reno...

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Charles Hoeft Piano
Charles Hoeft
Piano

Charles Hoeft is a versatile pianist and a devoted educator. Originally from Minnesota, he moved to Kansas City in 2014 and has enjoyed teaching at Music House since 2015. He loves to teach people ...

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Voice
Jen Hoover Voice / Piano
Jen Hoover
Voice / Piano

Originally from Topeka, KS, Miss Hoover has spent the past 14 years living & teaching in the New Orleans metro. After graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with double master...

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Evelyn Wouters Voice
Evelyn Wouters
Voice

Evelyn Wouters grew up in the small town of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, and was raised with a deep appreciation for music. Most evenings her families house was filled with the sound of her dad jamming...

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Blair Walker Voice
Blair Walker
Voice

Blair Walker has been singing for as long as he can remember. Music was always present in Blair’s life, from exploring piano at a young age to singing in choirs through all of his secondary educati...

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Zakara York Voice
Zakara York
Voice

Zakara’s musical journey began at home, with musician parents and siblings. She started writing songs soon after picking up the guitar at age 11, singing in her school choir throughout childhood. A...

Read More
Audrey Lena Baughman Piano / Voice
Audrey Lena Baughman
Piano / Voice

Music is Audrey's number one love language. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Audrey finds great joy when she inspires her students and helps shape them to become the artist they desire to...

Read More