Craig Brown | Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Classical, Pop, Jazz, Chord Techniques
Locations: C Street Conservatory

Craig Brown grew up in the Tulsa metro area and studied piano and saxophone and choir growing up.

Craig is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. 

 He has been in choirs, church bands, marching bands, rock bands and drum and bugle corps.

For the past two years Craig has partnered with his long time friend Haley in a singer songwriter duo called Project 1268 that performs all over and recently has been featured on NPR and on international radio stations. The duo has written and recorded 21 songs that appear on two full-length albums as well as individual singles. 

Craig has worked as a teacher full time at Arkansas Music Conservatory for almost ten years. He is qualified to teach beginner, intermediate and early advanced piano, along with beginning, intermediate and advanced saxophone. 

His music philosophy is that you MUST be able to read music, but Craig also specializes in chord structure and chord progressions for pop and jazz. 

Kristine Olefsky | Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Classical
Locations: C Street Conservatory

Making her professional debut at age 10 with the Kammergild Symphony, Kristine has soloed with many orchestras including the Town and Country Symphony, St. Charles Symphony, St. Louis Young People's Philharmonic, Webster University Symphony, and the St. Louis Symphony. She has been invited to present solo recitals at the Sheldon Concert Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, and Missouri State University. Kristine was a principal performer at the St. Louis Municipal Opera, a guest artist at the opening ceremony of the International Piano Pedagogy Teacher's Conference, and was featured on NPR's "From the Top" show.
She attended Lynn Conservatory for her Masters' Degree in collaborative piano where she studied with Lisa Leonard. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Arkansas where she studied with Jura Margulis. Among her other teachers are Zena Ilyashov, Daniel Schene, and Vera Parkin. She serves as orchestral pianist in the Artosphere Orchestra and can be heard on the CDs "Notes from the Underground," "Pa la Calle," and "Undreamed Shores."

Karen Sasine | Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Karen Sasine is an experienced piano instructor, having taught students across the United States and in Brazil. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education from Brigham Young University in 1992, where she studied under Richard P. Anderson of the American Piano Quartet. She began her teaching career as an elementary school teacher in New York State. Locally, she has accompanied for the Bentonville School District at Washington Junior High and Fulbright Junior High choirs and has performed at all-region and all-state choral music festivals. She is a member of the local chapter of the American Organist Guild and serves as a church organist in Bella Vista. She is the mother of four very talented young people who have performed and toured in high school and college choirs around the world. She serves in a volunteer capacity with young women's church groups across Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.

AIMEE LYNN

|PIANO/GUITAR

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Aimee has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Arkansas. She teaches both piano and guitar at Arkansas Music Conservatory. She has been teaching students of all ages since 2005 through private lessons as well as through public school systems in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Aimee prefers teaching guitar and piano, and has also taught choir and strings in schools.

Aimee begins students with classical piano and theory and incorporates jazz studies once the student has advanced to that level. Similar with guitar students, Aimee prefers students to learn to read music and basic music theory first before moving to a variety of styles based upon the students needs and interest. For her own enjoyment, Aimee loves fingerstyle but still plays other styles as necessary.

Currently she is not performing with any local bands or symphonies but has experience performing with both in the past. Aimee is also a yoga teacher and leads guided meditation followed by sound baths twice a week where she plays a variety of sound healing instruments. You can also find her in the film Greater where she had the pleasure to play a fiddler in a bluegrass band.

“My favorite thing to teach is self-acceptance. I enjoy watching my students be proud of what they are able to achieve. Music was my first love. I hope my students find studying music as a way to grow and connect to all others.”-Aimee

Sophia Lopez

|Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: Virtual Lessons

Sophia has a education in Music Education and Piano Performance from the University of Arkansas. She has been teaching for eight years, and loves working with students of all levels. My favorite thing to teach is classical music! 

Sophia teaches virtual lessons only.

SArah burr

|Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Information coming soon!

Seth walley

|Piano/voice

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Seth Walley received his bachelor's degree in music from Southwest Baptist University, with a performance certificate in voice and a secondary focus in piano. He has been a church pianist and music director for nearly a decade, and is currently a professional ballet dancer and musical theatre performer. Seth was accepted to medical school before he realized how much music and dance meant to him, and changed career paths to pursue performance. Seth recently moved to Northwest Arkansas from Colorado, where he was the choir director at Messiah Lutheran Church, a dancer with Colorado West PAC, and dance faculty at Colorado Mesa University. Select professional credits include baritone soloist in The Messiah, featured dancer/cowboy soloist in Texas! Outdoor Musical, ensemble in Fiddler on the Roof, and guest soloist for area churches.

Charlotte Childs | Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Classical, Jazz, Ragtime, Hymns
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Charlotte began studying piano at the age of 7, and is an alumni of John Brown University, where she studied piano, art, and clarinet, then later on was a student of Fran Schuller-Ellis for 3 years. She has been teaching piano for 36 years in the NW Arkansas region.  She holds her students to a high standard of excellence, so that no matter what their ability level is, they may reach their highest potential, and hopefully retain an interest in music for the rest of their lives.  She is honored to be sharing her love of music with students at the Arkansas Music Conservatory! 

She is a founding member of the NW Arkansas Music Teachers’ Association as well as chairman of the Sonata/Sonatina Festival, National Piano Guild auditions, and Arkansas Music Teacher’s Association competitions. She has been the pianist for numerous school choirs and churches in the area.  She has been the keyboardist for the Jack Mitchell Big Band, the NW Arkansas Jazz Orchestra and More, The Happy Five (a jazz/swing band she and her husband had for 8 years), and a piano/clarinet/flute trio, Opus 3. She is currently the pianist and organist for First Christian Church in Bentonville. 

Brian Reding | Piano/guitar/bass/ukulele

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced,

Other things Brian Teaches: Composition & Songwriting
Music Styles: Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, Classical Piano
Locations: C Street Conservatory

Brian Reding is a modern rock, jazz, and pop producer and performer who owned and operated a recording studio in Seattle, Washington, from 2008 to 2020. He received degrees in Jazz Music Theory and Composition from the University of Arkansas and the University of Memphis. He is passionate about educating musicians and, for 20 years, has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to students of all ages. Whether you're a first-time learner eager to get your hands on the piano or guitar, an enthusiastic band member looking to enhance your collaborative skills, or a creative mind seeking to write and produce your own music, Brian is dedicated to helping you on your musical journey.

Allen Zirkle | Piano/Guitar

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Church Music, Classical, Any
Locations: C Street Conservatory

Allen is a dedicated musician and educator with a Mater’s degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from Arkansas State University. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano from Arkansas Tech University. With over a decade of teaching experience, Allen offers engaging lessons in piano, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar for students of all levels. His specialties include classical and worship music. However, Allen is enthusiastic about helping students learn any musical style they desire.

As an adjunct professor at North Arkansas College, Allen shares his knowledge and passion with aspiring musicians. Beyond the classroom he runs a successful YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@mrzsmusiclessons) with over 118,00 subscribers, where he provides valuable instructional content. Allen’s teaching approach emphasizes well-rounded instruction, covering music theory, musicianship, and performance skills. Students studying with Allen can expect a supportive and encouraging environment, fostering their musical growth and exploration.

Lori Stevens | Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Classical, Pop, Vocal Accompaniment
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Lori Stevens has been playing music on all levels for most of her life. She began her classical piano training at age seven in Southern California where she was privileged to study under Joanna Hodges. Lori continued her musical studies through high school and college playing the tenor saxophone, clarinet, bassoon and piano in various musical ensembles and also participated in vocal jazz groups as a mezzo soprano soloist. She began her college career with a piano performance scholarship and graduated from California State Long Beach with degrees in both English/Creative Writing and Music. Lori went on to receive her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University and strongly believes that there is healing in music. She has five children who are all musical; her oldest being a professional pianist and vocal director in the San Francisco bay area. The other four of her children live here in Northwest Arkansas and have found other passions which have led them to be a TV news anchor for KNWA, a paramedic for Central EMS, a deputy sheriff with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and a hopeful architect attending college. Lori recently moved here from Orange County, California where she has taught in her private piano studio and in music academies for the last 28 years and is thrilled to be sharing her love of music with the students at the Arkansas Music Conservatory.

Luanne McLaughlin

|Voice/Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Luanne started performing publicly at the age of 3 years singing at church and community events. She started taking piano lessons at the age of 8 years which led to her accompanying soloist, choral and theatrical productions by the time she was in high school. She has spent her years performing in Elizabethan Concert dinners, the Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble, and accompanying many musicals, operas, and orchestras. Luanne has been teaching privately for over 45 years to all ages and skill levels in piano and voice. She has a Masters in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Science in Human Service Management from the University of Phoenix, and double Major in Music, Piano and Voice from the California Statue University, Stanislaus. SHe has spent her years as private and public-school teacher, teaching K - 12, specifically in music. She also taught college courses in Music Appreciation. Since moving to Arkansas this past March, she is currently the collaborative pianist at Heritage High School and plays the piano at church. She has the capability of teaching music theory, improvisation, sight-reading and ear tuning to all students. Luanne is excited to inspire and teach interested musicians!

Margie West

|Piano

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Margie began her life-long love of music in 3rd grade with 6 years of classical piano studies at Millikin University of Music in Decatur Illinois. When her family moved to California, she spent her high school years accompanying all music activities including musicals, competitions, bands, and choral groups.  In college she chose to pursue a career in medicine but enrolled in organ lessons and chorale singing.  Margie went on to always being involved in musical activities as a student, pianist, and vocalist.  In addition to teaching piano, she has accompanied musicals, choral groups, solo performers, and served as church accompanist and organist for over 45 years.  She has had piano students of all ages in California, Nevada, and Arkansas.  Margie and her husband moved to this area 16 years ago to be close to their children and 6 grandchildren.  Margie has provided music locally for church services for the last 13 years as pianist, organist, and choir director, in addition to teaching piano.   Margie and her husband John play an array of acoustic instruments, including piano, guitar, bass, and autoharp, and perform regularly in the community.  Margie finds joy in sharing her love of music with all ages, and being a guide in developing each skill needed to develop each student’s musical ability and then seeing them enjoy their growing talent.