Lincoln Studio Music Teachers
Meet Marble Music’s amazing Lincoln music teachers!
All of our music teachers in Lincoln are dedicated to providing high quality music education and a positive learning environment for their students. Each teacher comes to lessons prepared to teach, listen, encourage, and guide each student in their abilities both as a musician and as an individual. They strive to be creative and are willing to try a variety of learning strategies to meet their student’s needs. As highly trained musicians and performers themselves, our Lincoln music teachers are always expanding both their own ability as well as their personal teaching pedagogies in the studio.
Šárka Stehnová, D.M.A.,
Piano Instructor, Bilingual Czech & English
Šárka Stehnová, D.M.A., is a bilingual pianist and collaborator with roots in the Czech Republic
and Vietnam, and an educator with teaching experience in both Europe and the United States of
America. In May 2022, she will receive her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of
Nebraska – Lincoln, where she studies with the outstanding Dr. Mark Clinton (Steinway Artist).
In 2021 she has appeared in masterclasses with Arnaldo Cohen (First prize winner at Ferruccio
Busoni International Piano Competition) and Joyce Yang (Second prize winner at Van Cliburn
International Piano Competition).
Stehnová received her artist diploma from the Conservatory in Teplice (Czech Republic), where
she studied with a Czech leading educator focusing on natural pianistic body movements, Mgr.
Hana Turková, her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Northern State University, South
Dakota, where she studied with Dr. Marcela Faflak, who showed her different American
teaching strategies, and her Master’s degree in piano performance from University of Missouri –
Kansas City, where she was privileged to study with Dr. Henry Kramer (Second prize winner at
Queen Elisabeth Competition, Steinway Artist) and Prof. Alon Goldstein (who played with
conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Herbert Blomstedt, and Leon Fleisher).
In the summer of 2019, Stehnová was invited to tour in Czech Republic in six different cities
including the capital city of Prague. That same year she became the Vice President of Music
Teacher Association – Collegiate Chapter, which helps provide young pianists concerts, learning
opportunities, and communication skill development. From 2021, she has been a member of Trio
Dulcis Disputatio.
Stehnová does not consider herself a teacher who dictates what is correct and what is not. Rather,
she shares and discusses values and thoughts, and shows students that if they believe in
themselves and their ideas, then they are halfway to success. For more information on her
teaching philosophy, please visit www.sarkastehnova.com.
Ross Mosier
Piano Instructor
Ross Mosier is excited to be joining the Marble Music family as a piano instructor this Fall!
Ross started learning piano at the age of 7 when he was growing up in Star Valley, Wyoming
and instantly fell in love with the piano. In the years since his move to Nebraska in 2009, Ross
continued to study piano with multiple instructors, and eventually began lessons with Dr. Mark
Clinton at the UNL Glenn Korff School of Music his junior year of high school. That moment
was pivotal for Ross, as he decided that music, specifically the piano, was what he wanted to
study in college and have as a career. Throughout his latter years of high school, and
throughout college, Ross also took up playing the organ. After graduating with his bachelors in
Piano Performance in May of 2021, Ross began working at St. Mark’s on the Campus
Episcopal Church as the organist and choir director. Ross loves getting to share music together
with other people and enjoys working at becoming a better musician with his choir members.
Ross is excited to get to know the Marble Music family better, and pass on his knowledge of
piano to his future students and grow as musicians together!
Kaitlin Pearson, MM
Voice and Piano Instructor
Mezzo-soprano Kaitlin Pearson (she/her) is an emerging performer and voice instructor based
in Omaha. Originally from Gretna, Nebraska, she is passionate about collaboration, inclusion,
and outreach through opera and art song performance. In 2021, Pearson joined the University
of South Dakota Opera as an alumnus artist in Michael Ching’s Zoom Speed Dating Tonight,
performing “#41. Overthinker.” She appeared as the title role in USD’s production of Massenet’s
Cendrillon in 2019. That same year, she received third prize at the National level in the Music
Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition and first prize in the Advanced College
Women Division of the North Central Regional NATS Classical Competition.
Pearson is a young artist alumnus of Red River Lyric Opera in Wichita Falls, Texas and the Druid
City Opera Workshop in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance
from the University of South Dakota (2019) and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2015). Most recently, she can be found performing in the
Omaha metro area with the vocal ensemble Résonance. Previous operatic roles include: Tisbe,
La Cenerentola; Hansel, Hansel and Gretel; Mother, The Consul; Costanza, L’isola disabitata;
Nettie, A Wedding; Veronica, Sunday Excursion; Amahl, Amahl and the Night Visitors;
Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro.
Teaching both group and one-on-one voice lessons as part of her graduate assistantship led Ms.
Pearson to pursue voice instruction. Kaitlin strives to guide students of all ages and abilities
towards individual, healthy, and confident vocal production through a variety of genres.
Cameron Berta
Piano Instructor
Cameron Berta has been avidly playing the piano since the age of 7. He is originally from Dallas, Texas, where he attended a performing arts high school and gave multiple recitals for both the piano and french horn. At the age of 15 Cameron attended his first music festival at the Music in the Mountains Conservatory in Durango Colorado, where he took private lessons, performed in master classes, and participated in both solo and chamber recitals. Since then, Cameron has attended music festivals around the world, including the Amalfi Coast Festival in Italy, and the Vienna International Piano Academy in Vienna, Austria.
Most recently, Cameron graduated from UNL with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance. At the university, Cameron studied pedagogy, music history, piano literature, orchestration, and various music theory courses including aural skills, counterpoint, and advanced tonal and atonal theory.
Cameron has a passion for playing collaborative and chamber music, and is a member of the Atelier Piano Trio, along with Lucy Collins and Sam Stanley. Together they have been a part of a multitude of chamber recitals, and have premiered multiple works by current composers.
Cameron has experience accompanying, improvising, arranging, and composing. He is currently working as a church pianist, taking lessons in jazz piano, and singing in a local choir. Music has always been an essential part of Cameron’s life, and he is so excited for the opportunity to share that passion with his new students.
Olivia Reininger
Piano & Voice Instructor
Olivia Reininger is originally from Los Angeles, California where she started her music training. Saturday morning “Looney Tunes” inspired her to start playing the piano by ear, at age three. Her first exposure to formal lessons was the Suzuki Method taught by an instructor from The Colburn School of Music, in Los Angeles. Piano naturally transitioned into singing. She remained a piano student through middle school and beyond.
Olivia continued to play with an orchestra in high school, and completed her high school years at The Putney School, in Vermont. She continued her piano instruction and sang in the chamber ensemble and the Blanche Moyse Chorale. She participated in special summer programs including Interlochen Center for the Arts.
While she attended Gustavus Adolphus College, in St. Peter, Minnesota, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. During her years at Gustavus, she sang in college choirs and continued studying voice.
Recently, Olivia worked in the Lincoln Public Schools district as an accompanist. She taught piano and mentored vocal students as well. She is now working with Dr. Wataru Niimori, (Jazz Pianist) and Jackie Allen (Jazz Vocalist) to study a new genre after years of classical training.
Olivia is thrilled to pass along the gift of music to her students!
Jessica Steinke
Piano Instructor
Jessica began taking piano lessons at the age of seven years old and has continued playing and learning
about music since. She obtained a Bachelor of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
where she worked as a TA and tutored high school students. Her passion for educating led her to accept
a position at a childcare center where she developed the skills and methods specific to teaching young
children. These experiences influence her in her work today as an active piano teacher focused on the
whole child’s development. Her primary interest as a piano instructor is introducing young children to
the fundamentals of piano playing and the mathematical concepts underlying the music (such as
patterns and fractions) in a developmentally appropriate and engaging way. Seeing her students grow
both as pianists and critical thinkers is the most rewarding part of teaching for Jessica.
Mee-Hwa Roche
Violin and Viola Instructor
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Mee-Hwa Roche started playing the viola at age eight through the University of Northern Iowa Suzuki School. At age thirteen she began studying under Dr. Julia Bullard. Throughout high school, she participated in chamber music, the Northern Iowa Youth Orchestra, and attended the Iowa All State Music Festival for three years, sitting first chair in her senior year. Additionally, she has experience assistant teaching a classroom of fourth grade beginner string students.
Mee-Hwa received a Bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. In her time studying at UNL, Mee-Hwa participated in orchestra, chamber music, and played as an instrumentalist in five operas. She was also a winner of the 2020-2021 Glenn Korff School of Music Concerto Competition.
More recently, Mee-Hwa has attended the Brevard Music Center Institute and is currently a substitute in the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra viola section. She aims to help students discover and cultivate a love for music, just as her teachers have done for her throughout her journey with the viola.
Lucy Collins
Violin and Viola Instructor
Sam Stanley
Cello & Piano Instructor
Sam Stanley has a Bachelor of Music Degree in Cello Performance and a minor in music technology from the UNL Glenn Korff School of Music. They study cello under Dr. Karen Becker, composition under Dr. Greg Simon, and have also studied composition under Dr. Tyler White. They were awarded the Vreeland award in Music Composition by the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing arts in 2021 and received honorable mention for their piece “Black as the Void” in the Sheldon Art Gallery’s art competition: Conversation Black in 2019.
Sam is a two time prize winner of the Vesper Youth Composes competition with their piece Adagio for String Quartet, taking first place in 2015, and Introduction and Waltz, taking second place in 2016. In 2021, Sam was commissioned to write incidental music for the Nebraska Repertory Theatre’s production of Dracula: Mina’s Quest.
In 2019, Sam received a fellowship to study composition, counterpoint, and musicianship at the European American Music Alliance Institute in Paris, France. Sam was also a fellow at the Cortona Sessions for New music in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Sam is passionate about teaching music theory and studied Music Theory Pedagogy under Dr. Gretchen Foley in 2021. Sam currently teaches private piano and cello lessons at Goldenrod Music Studios, Foster Jones Studios, Fiddlestick Music Studios, and Marble Music Studios in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Jackson Stull
Guitar and Ukulele Instructor
Jackson Stull is a Lincoln-based guitarist pursuing a BA degree in Music and German. He is currently studying at the Glenn Korff School of Music with Peter Bouffard and Tetsuya Nishiyama.
Jackson has been playing guitar since he was a child, beginning with rock/blues and eventually taking interest in jazz, classical, and flamenco. He frequently performs his classical and flamenco repertoire as a soloist, and has also performed with many groups through his school including the UNL Big Band, UNL Jazz Combos and UNL Early Music Group.
He has been teaching for two years and specializes in classical and electric guitar. His teaching philosophy combines general music knowledge with repertoire appropriate to each individual’s skill level, all the while maintaining a fun and encouraging atmosphere.
Malachi Million, D.M.A.
Guitar & Ukulele Instructor
Malachi has been playing for many years, primarily beginning with metal/rock where he developed his playing technique before taking lessons. Under Michael Massons at Airhouse Music Academy, Malachi further developed his playing skills and technique studying theory and jazz.
Malachi graduated with honors from Friends University where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Guitar Performance. At Friends, he studied jazz guitar under Randy Zellers and classical under Howard Glanton. Malachi attended Graduate School at the University of Arkansas and earned a Master of Music Performance in guitar studying under Benjamin Harris and Jake Hertzog.
He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he is earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies Performance under Dr. Peter Bouffard.
He has experience playing with Jazz groups, performing solo guitar in Jazz and other styles, Vocal Jazz Groups, Large Jazz Ensembles, Guitar Ensembles, Metal bands, Funk Bands, Blues Bands, and Worship Music.
Alex Levake
Voice Instructor
Alex is a Vocal Performance Major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and plays a variety of instruments from the cello to the mandolin! In her free time, she likes to ice skate and also sing in operas! Alex has been in the music business since she could remember, and loves to share her love of music with everyone! Alex has sung since she was in 6th grade and played cello since she was in 5th grade! Working with other musicians and supporting others in their love for music is one of her many passions and is ecstatic to be teaching!
Krista Lawrence, MM
Voice Instructor
Krista Lawrence is a soprano who has been teaching voice for over 15 years. Originally from Laramie, WY, she came to Lincoln for graduate school. She holds a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from UNL, as well as a Bachelors of Music from the University of Wyoming. She has performed as a soloist with Opera Omaha, has been a Young Artist at multiple programs, and has competed both the international and national level. Favorite past roles include “Amalia Balash” from SHE LOVES ME, “the Queen of the Night” from Mozart’s the Magic Flute, and Cinderella in “Into the Woods.”
Krista’s favorite thing about teaching voice is working with different styles. She enjoys operatic, musical theatre, and contemporary styles. Krista believes that each singer should find their own sincere sound, and learn the tools to help them communicate with others in a healthy and effective way.
Register
We accept new students all year round! Click the link below to register online and we will contact you to schedule an intro lesson.