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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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Kay Pritchard Program Coordinator / Drums
Kay Pritchard
Program Coordinator / Drums

Kay Pritchard is a multi-instrumentalist from Northern California that specializes in drums and percussion. Kay graduated with a Bachelors in Music with a Jazz Performance concentration from Califo...

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Jake Schubert Program Coordinator / Drums / Piano
Jake Schubert
Program Coordinator / Drums / Piano

Jake Schubert is a percussionist from Milwaukee, where he completed his degree in classical percussion performance from UW Milwaukee. He has toured throughout Wisconsin playing jazz fusion and musi...

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Emily Palmer Community Assistant
Emily Palmer
Community Assistant

Emily grew up in Kansas City and has enjoyed music and dancing since a very young age. She graduated from Turner High in 2019 and went off to Johnson County Community College where she took a music...

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Dakotah Martinez Community Assistant
Dakotah Martinez
Community Assistant

Dakotah was born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT and is a recent transplant to Kansas City, MO. She started playing cello at a young age which kickstarted her passion for music and later she picke...

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Morgan Briggs Community Assistant
Morgan Briggs
Community Assistant

Morgan's love for music and marketing started in her childhood, recording Justin Bieber covers for her YouTube channel at 8. Her passion expanded into creative production, leading to a successful c...

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Brass & Woodwinds
Alex Dergal Winds / Piano
Alex Dergal
Winds / Piano

For the past year Alex Dergal has been living in Overland Park while teaching in the Blue Springs school district. Directing most of his energy at Brittany Hill and Paul Kinder Middle Schools, Alex...

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Jen Hoover Voice / Piano / Flute
Jen Hoover
Voice / Piano / Flute

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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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
Frazier Krohn Drums
Frazier Krohn
Drums

Frazier Krohn is a seasoned percussionist with 19 years of experience and a diverse musical background, encompassing performances from classical orchestras to punk rock bands. With a double major i...

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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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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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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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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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Kay Pritchard Program Coordinator / Drums
Kay Pritchard
Program Coordinator / Drums

Kay Pritchard is a multi-instrumentalist from Northern California that specializes in drums and percussion. Kay graduated with a Bachelors in Music with a Jazz Performance concentration from Califo...

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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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Jake Schubert Program Coordinator / Drums / Piano
Jake Schubert
Program Coordinator / Drums / Piano

Jake Schubert is a percussionist from Milwaukee, where he completed his degree in classical percussion performance from UW Milwaukee. He has toured throughout Wisconsin playing jazz fusion and musi...

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Early Childhood Music
Shamika Franklin Voice
Shamika Franklin
Voice

Shamika Franklin is happy to be joining the Music House School of Music as a vocal music teacher. She has prior teaching experience as an elementary teacher, tutor, teaching artist, and Music Toget...

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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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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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Guitar & Bass
Luis Gonzalez Voice / Guitar
Luis Gonzalez
Voice / Guitar

"Music has kept me alive through the most vexing winters of my life; it's a first love that has always fed my soul." Originally from Mexico, Luis was trained classically in voice and piano from the...

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Justin Murray Guitar
Justin Murray
Guitar

Justin Murray has been teaching private guitar lessons and group guitar classes for all ages and skill levels for 10+ years in the greater Kansas City area. He began playing guitar over twenty year...

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Jerad Tomasino Guitar / Bass / Ukulele
Jerad Tomasino
Guitar / Bass / Ukulele

Jerad Tomasino is an American born composer, producer, and teaching artist from K.I. Sawyer, Michigan, living and working in Kansas City, MO. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas Cit...

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Matt Elton Guitar / Bass / Ukulele
Matt Elton
Guitar / Bass / Ukulele

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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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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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 / Ukulele
Aiden Jensen
Guitar / Bass / Ukulele

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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Piano
Cole Harrison Piano
Cole Harrison
Piano

A KC area native, Cole comes from a family of musicians and music teachers. Having been teaching music lessons for over ten years, he’s honored to carry on the family legacy. Starting music at a yo...

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Alex Dergal Winds / Piano
Alex Dergal
Winds / Piano

For the past year Alex Dergal has been living in Overland Park while teaching in the Blue Springs school district. Directing most of his energy at Brittany Hill and Paul Kinder Middle Schools, Alex...

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Yuli Almonte Piano
Yuli Almonte
Piano

Yuli is a passionate music educator with over 16 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education, and is certified in both the Kodaly method and Orff process. Over th...

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Jen Hoover Voice / Piano / Flute
Jen Hoover
Voice / Piano / Flute

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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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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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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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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Jake Schubert Program Coordinator / Drums / Piano
Jake Schubert
Program Coordinator / Drums / Piano

Jake Schubert is a percussionist from Milwaukee, where he completed his degree in classical percussion performance from UW Milwaukee. He has toured throughout Wisconsin playing jazz fusion and musi...

Read More
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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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
Luis Gonzalez Voice / Guitar
Luis Gonzalez
Voice / Guitar

"Music has kept me alive through the most vexing winters of my life; it's a first love that has always fed my soul." Originally from Mexico, Luis was trained classically in voice and piano from the...

Read More
Shamika Franklin Voice
Shamika Franklin
Voice

Shamika Franklin is happy to be joining the Music House School of Music as a vocal music teacher. She has prior teaching experience as an elementary teacher, tutor, teaching artist, and Music Toget...

Read More
Connor Rich Voice
Connor Rich
Voice

Growing up in St. Joseph, Connor Rich has been around music all of his life. In school he participated in church choir, band, jazz band & choir, and university choir. He received his Bachelor’s...

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Jen Hoover Voice / Piano / Flute
Jen Hoover
Voice / Piano / Flute

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...

Read More
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