FCC Music Lessons, Ensembles, and Classes

Adam Gonzalez
[email protected] • (301) 219-4826
Wheaton College, Bachelor's Degree, cello performance; Boston University, Master's Degree, cello performance

Adam Gonzalez, cellist, has performed for over 40 years in a wide variety of music styles as a freelance musician in New England, Mexico, the Southwest US, and in the Washington DC Metro area. Adam has been the founding member of the Helios, Mariner, and Azimuth String Quartets, and Trio Giocoso. He is also a Solo Teaching Artist and the Music Director of The Quicksilver Dancers, an improvisational performance group under the auspices of Arts for The Aging. His commercial recording work has included music for the History Channel and National Geographic. Adam also composes, records, and produces his own music, and recently released "Cello & Other Emotions" available on all streaming platforms. Since 2007, Mr. Gonzalez has taught cello lessons and other classes, including Music History and Music Theory, at Frederick Community College. He teaches students ages 7 to 97, and welcomes students of all levels, beginner to advanced.

Meredith Gersten
[email protected] • meredithclarinet.com • ClarinetHQ.com
Bachelor of Music Education, University of Kansas; Master's in Clarinet Performance, University of Northern Colorado

Meredith Gersten teaches various courses within the Music Program at Frederick Community College and has a private studio in the FCC Community Music Program. She taught music in the public schools for ten years before relocating to Maryland after earning a certificate in nonprofit arts management from NYU. You can find her online as the co-director of Clarinet HQ, an online resource for young clarinetists and their band directors. Driving much of this work is her passion for engaging beginning and intermediate players, especially those without easy access to quality instruction, and helping them establish proper clarinet techniques for lifelong success. Meredith's approach to private lessons is student-centric and collaborative. She works with students to set objectives and select music based on their long-term goals. If you wish to set up an introductory meeting prior to registering, or have any questions, please send Meredith an email at [email protected].

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Michael Gersten
[email protected] • mikegersten.com
B.M.E. in Music Education and M.M. in Clarinet Performance, University of Kansas; D.A. in Clarinet and Music History, University of Northern Colorado

As an educator, Dr. Mike Gersten believes in providing students with the tools and support they need to achieve their goals. As a performer and creator, he is passionate about using music to explore society and culture. His film and live soundtrack, Hate, Hope, and Healing: Exploring the Holocaust Through Music, has received two separate grants from the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission. As part of the ensemble Driftwood Duo, he has written and commissioned new works for two clarinets that blend elements of klezmer music with the music of other cultures. They have performed his own music and the music of others across the U.S. and Europe, including at the International Clarinet Association's annual conference and the Library of Birmingham (UK). Dr. Gersten is the Music Program Manager at FCC and previously served as Assistant Professor of Woodwinds at South Texas College and Co-Principal Clarinet of the Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Jessica Banks
[email protected] • (330) 559-1335
DM and MM in Flute Performance, Indiana University; BME and BM-Performance, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory

Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Dr. Jessica Banks currently serves as flute choir director at Frederick Community College. Prior to moving to Maryland, she served as Assistant Professor of Flute at Mississippi State University and Principal flutist of the Starkville Symphony Orchestra. An active solo, chamber, and orchestral musician, Dr. Banks is a founding member of the Magnolia Trio (fl/ob/pn) and has performed with orchestras throughout the US including the Starkville Symphony (MS), Alabama Symphony (AL), Delta Symphony (MS), North Mississippi Symphony (MS), Lexington Philharmonic (KY), Columbus Indiana Philharmonic (IN), Owensboro Symphony (KY), and Evansville Philharmonic (IN). Jessica also serves as an active member in the Flute Society of Washington, Mid South Flute Society, Flute New Music Consortium, and the National Flute Association. Dedicated to improving access to advanced instruction for all flutists, Dr. Banks provides free resources on social media for young flutists, band directors, and flute teachers. Dr. Banks studied at Indiana University with Thomas Robertello and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory with George Pope.

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Michelle Rippey
[email protected] • (240) 675-0866
Master of Education, George Mason University; Bachelor of Fine Arts in Flute Performance, University of Kansas; High School Diploma in Flute Performance, University of North Carolina School of the Arts

A lifelong musician, Michelle Rippey and her family were always active with the Classical Music Association in their small hometown in southern Virginia, routinely hosting music events in their home and in the community. Ms. Rippey studied violin, piano, and voice as a child, then dedicated herself to pursuing the flute beginning at age ten, studying through high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts and during her summers at the Brevard Music Center. Ms. Rippey performs regularly with the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, the Pro Art Chamber Orchestra (PACO) of Greater Washington D.C., and the Second Winds woodwind quintet. She is an alternate with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, and also performs regularly as a freelance musician. Ms. Rippey has a passion for teaching flute and piccolo. She enjoys assisting youth programs as an adjudicator for youth contests, as a supporting mentor for the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra, and by providing sectional coaching for young flutists in middle and high schools throughout the Potomac region.

Chaz Aguado
[email protected] • (240) 344-5662 • chazaguadoguitar.com
Doctor of Musical Arts, Shenandoah Conservatory; Master's Degree, University of Denver; Bachelor's Degree, Towson University

Chaz Aguado is the classical guitar instructor at Frederick Community College and is also an adjunct professor at Carroll Community College and Towson University. Dr. Aguado has been a private instructor for over ten years and is an active musician and teacher in the greater Washington DC/Baltimore area. He also teaches other styles of guitar such as rock, country, blues, and metal at The Catoctin School of Music in Leesburg, Virginia. Some of the notable pedagogues he has studied classical guitar with are Mathew Palmer, Troy King, Laura Husbands, Jonathan Leatherwood, Julian Gray, and Ricardo Iznaola. Dr. Aguado performs regularly at many different venues, both as a soloist and as a chamber artist with vocalists, cellists, violinists, and flutists. Dr. Aguado currently offers private guitar lessons in-person or virtually.

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Peter Heiss
[email protected]
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music in Guitar Performance, Shenandoah Conservatory

Peter Heiss is a professional guitarist performing and teaching in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. As a band leader, Peter has hosted the Takoma Station Jazz Jam and the Jazz Jam at The Domestic, as well as performing at numerous other venues. As a side musician, Peter has performed in various jazz, R&B, and musical pit bands, and has released original music on popular music platforms online. Mr. Heiss teaches all styles of music, beginner through advanced, on guitar, bass guitar, and ukulele. In his teaching, he stresses fundamentals and improvement at all experience levels and believes in standards for teaching in repertoire and technique. His students have had success at all levels of study from recreational to professional.

Dr. Brandon Carbonari
[email protected]
Bachelor's in Music Education, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania; Master's in Trombone Performance, Carnegie Mellon University; Professional Performance Certificate, Pennsylvania State University; Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature, West Virginia University

Dr. Brandon Carbonari joined the staff of the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra in 2021 and has been an orchestra director for Washington County Public Schools since 2022. He is the Adjunct Low Brass Professor at Frederick Community College and an active performer on trombone, euphonium, and tuba.

Dr. Calvin Evans, Jr.
[email protected]
Bachelor's Degree in Music Education (honors) and Master's Degree in Teaching, Hampton University; Master of Fine Arts in Film Music Composition, University of North Carolina School of the Arts; Doctorate in Music Composition, George Mason University

Calvin Evans Jr. is a composer and musicologist based in Northern Virginia, specializing in chamber music, jazz, and music for visual media. He has composed music for multiple films, television episodes, and escape room experiences across America and was the first prize recipient of the 2025 Philip Slates Memorial Competition hosted by the Southeastern Composers League. His scholarly interests focus on the forgotten and undiscovered history of African American film composers, and his dissertation was written on the film scoring career of Quincy Jones. His research has been presented at multiple academic conferences including the Music and the Moving Image Conference at New York University and the North American Video Game Music Conference at Stetson University. He won the 2025 "3 Minute Thesis" competition at George Mason University and represented his university at the regional competition at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He was awarded the 2021 Presidential Scholarship at George Mason University in support of his investigation into the forgotten history of Black film composers.

Sarah Pinto Andrews
[email protected]
BM in Oboe Performance and BM in Music Education, Ithaca College; MM in Oboe Performance, MM in Chamber Music, and Specialist Degree in Oboe Performance, University of Michigan

Originally from Mt. Airy, Maryland, Sarah Pinto Andrews recently returned to the state after spending the past decade living in upstate New York and Michigan. An active freelancer, Sarah has played with numerous orchestras throughout southeast Michigan and has also performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Bach in Baltimore Orchestra, and the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival. Her recording credits include a performance of Sila: Breath of the World by John Luther Adams, which received a 2023 Grammy Nomination for Best Orchestral Performance. She currently works as the music coordinator for TWIGS, a free Saturday arts program at Baltimore School for the Arts, and she teaches oboe, chamber music, music theory, and music history at Baltimore School for the Arts, in addition to teaching Fundamentals of Music and oboe at Frederick Community College. As a teacher, Sarah is committed to creating a learning environment that is safe, warm, creative, curious, and collaborative, while building a strong musical foundation.

Greg Herron
[email protected] • (443) 621-8694
Bachelor of Music, University of Miami; graduate studies, Boston Conservatory

Greg Herron is a passionate educator equally at home in both the classical and jazz worlds. In Mr. Herron's over three decades of teaching he has developed curriculums for students ranging from pre-k to adult, and he has authored drum methods and composed many pieces for solo percussion, percussion ensemble, and jazz ensemble. He is extremely proud of his numerous students accepted to top universities and conservatories including Temple University, Indiana University, and Shenandoah Conservatory. He is the former principal percussionist/assistant timpanist of the Monterrey Symphony (OSUANL) in Monterrey, Mexico, and currently performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Washington Concert Opera, Cathedral Choral Society, and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Herron can also be heard playing with his electric jazz trio, Peravon, recognized by Downbeat Magazine in 2020. Greg is currently the percussion teacher at FCC, where he teaches private lessons and directs the FCC Percussion Ensemble, a position he has held since 2004.

Dr. Hsin-Yi Chen
[email protected] • (540) 303-2469
D.M.A. in Collaborative Piano, University of Maryland; Master of Music in Collaborative Piano, Shenandoah University; Master of Music in Piano Performance, Shenandoah University; Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Shenandoah University

Originally from Taiwan, Dr. Hsin-Yi Chen joined FCC as an Adjunct Piano Faculty in Fall 2023 and began piano study at the age of five. She has been actively involved in solo and ensemble performances, collaborating with musicians across different instruments, choirs, operas, and musicals. Formerly, Dr. Chen was a faculty member at Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy and an Adjunct Piano Faculty of Keyboard Division at Shenandoah Conservatory. She served as Assistant Director of Piano Studies with Shenandoah Performing Arts Camp, Staff Pianist for Shenandoah Opera Production and Opera Workshop, and Choral Accompanist at Shenandoah University and public schools in Winchester and Frederick County, VA. In addition to teaching at FCC, Dr. Chen teaches at her home private studio and continues performing with middle and high school choirs in Loudoun County, VA.

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Jonathan Kurtz
[email protected] • (301) 991-3354
Bachelor of Music, Taylor University; Master of Arts, University of Maryland, College Park; Certificate of Educational Leadership, Hood College

Jonathan Kurtz is the coordinator for the Academy for the Fine Arts and instrumental music instructor at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland. At FCC, he currently teaches jazz piano and composition lessons. Kurtz has experience teaching concert band, general music, piano, music technology, jazz band, orchestra, and chorus, and regularly writes and arranges music for his ensembles as well as for the piano. He has served as a guest clinician and adjudicator for various local instrumental ensembles, and his ensembles regularly receive superior ratings at festivals and competitions. Kurtz has published articles about music education in Teaching Music, The Instrumentalist, The Maryland Music Educator, and The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Alice Lee
[email protected] • (202) 270-1667
B.M. and M.M. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, Northwestern University; D.M.A. in Piano Performance, University of Maryland

Dr. Lee teaches mainly classical piano repertoire and is familiar with various teaching methods including intervallic, multi-key approach, traditional middle C, and rote memory, seeking to tailor her teaching to the individual needs of each student. She was on the piano faculty of Levine School of Music in Washington, DC (2000-2009), as well as a number of music schools in Chicago, teaching private lessons and class piano. As a freelance musician, she has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, choir conductor, and accompanist in Austria and the United States, and has worked as a vocal coach, staff accompanist, and church musician.

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David Loy
[email protected] • (301) 991-3354
B.A. in Music Performance (piano), Elon University; Master of Music in Choral Conducting, Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

David Loy maintains a flourishing private studio of piano and voice students, many of whom have received high ratings in voice and piano festivals and competitions. He is currently Music Director of the Musical Theatre Factory of Frederick, where he prepares singers for over six performances a year, and teaches a six-week intensive vocal music workshop/camp during the summer. He is Director of Music and Organist at St. Anne's Episcopal in Damascus, Maryland, and Organist/Cantor/Director of the Choir at Congregation B'nai Abraham in Hagerstown, Maryland. He is currently a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Association of Anglican Musicians, Music Teachers National Association, and the Federation of Music Clubs.

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Dr. Jinha Park
[email protected] • (301) 991-3354
DMA, University of South Carolina; GPD, Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University; MM, Seoul National University; MBA, University of Maryland Global Campus; BM, University of Texas at San Antonio

Praised by the San Antonio Express-News for her "dexterity, velocity, and accuracy," pianist Jinha Park has performed internationally for more than three decades. She made her public debut at age 14 with the Sunhwa Arts Orchestra in Seoul and has since appeared with orchestras including the Vienna CMS Chamber Orchestra, National Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, Oltenia Symphony Orchestra (Romania), Alicante Symphony Orchestra (Spain), and the Festival Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea). Her recital and concerto appearances have taken her to Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, Seoul Arts Center, and Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory Small Hall. Dr. Park has taught and performed at major festivals such as Music Fest Perugia, Summit Music Festival, Montecito International Music Festival, Triumph International Music Festival, and the Washington International Piano Festival. She currently serves as Associate Director of the Colorado International Piano Academy & Festival and is on the faculty at the Summit Music Festival in New York and Music Fest Perugia in Italy. She received the Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher Award in 2023 and 2024.

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Lynn L. Staininger
[email protected] • (240) 405-7382
B.M. in Music Education and M.M. in Choral Conducting, Arizona State University

See Lynn Staininger's full bio under Voice.

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Dr. John Wickelgren
[email protected] • 301-668-0355
B.A. and B.M. in English and Piano Performance, Oberlin College; M.M. and D.M.A., Peabody Conservatory

A native of Colorado, Dr. Wickelgren has been described as a pianist who "wonderfully mingled the sounds of gentle breezes with the clamor of racing horses." He has performed in cities throughout Colorado, Maryland, and Pennsylvania as well as Washington, D.C., with summer festival appearances including Bowdoin and Interlochen. He has been a repeat guest soloist with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra and has served as keyboardist with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, Dr. Wickelgren was certified at the instructor level by the Golandsky Institute, successfully integrating the Taubman approach to piano technique into his teaching. Dr. Wickelgren received his Master's and Doctorate degrees in piano performance at the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky, Dominique Weber, and Zitta Zohar. At Oberlin College, he was a finalist in the annual Conservatory concerto competition and received the Piano Faculty Accompanying Prize upon graduation.

Howard Burns
[email protected] • (301) 788-3274
Bachelor of Music, Howard University; Master's Degree, Royal Conservatory of Music, Brussels, Belgium

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Howard Burns attended Baltimore City public schools. In high school, Howard was a member of Chocolate Rain, a well-known band operating in Baltimore, Washington, DC, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Burns attended Howard University, earning a Bachelor of Music degree, and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, Belgium, where he earned his master's degree. A member of the Blackbyrds and the Midnight Movers, he also performed with Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Joe Wilder, Butch Ballard, Buddy Catlett, Benny Powell, Hank Jones, John Handy, Curtis Fuller, Charles Davis, Lou Donaldson, The Four Tops, and The Temptations. The Howard Burns Quartet has been together for 20 years, and he has appeared on five compact discs featuring jazz percussionist Kevin Yost.

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Michael Gersten
[email protected] • mikegersten.com
B.M.E. in Music Education and M.M. in Clarinet Performance, University of Kansas; D.A. in Clarinet and Music History, University of Northern Colorado

See Michael Gersten's full bio under Clarinet.

David Lester
[email protected]
Bachelor's Degree, Hood College; Manhattan School of Music studies

David Lester is a double bassist and electric bassist from Frederick, MD. A versatile musician, David is equally at home playing classical, jazz, funk, or rock and has been freelancing in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area since 2006. Frequent collaborators include local legends Howard Burns, Anita Thomas, Jordan Clawson, and acclaimed jazz vocalist Kerensa Gray. His double bass teachers include Lynn Fleming, Jeff Weisner of the National Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy McCoy of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and Orin O'Brien of the New York Philharmonic. A passionate educator, David maintains a busy teaching schedule at Jammin' Java Music School in Vienna, VA, The Music Loft in Ashburn, VA, Frederick Community College, and his home studio in Frederick.

Olivia Malin
[email protected] • (443) 845-5437
Yale School of Music

Trumpeter Olivia Malin has performed professionally with the Vermont Symphony, BRASS quintet, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Brooklyn Funk Collective, and Mikata Salsa Band. A graduate of the Yale School of Music, she has also performed extensively with numerous graduate and undergraduate ensembles there, including at Carnegie Hall with the Yale Philharmonia. While a student, her brass quintet was a finalist in the annual Chamber Music competition, and she has since appeared on multiple CDs spanning a variety of music genres.

Jason Diggs
[email protected] • (410) 812-2018
B.M. in Viola and Artist Diploma in Quartet Studies, Shenandoah Conservatory; M.M. in Viola Performance, San Francisco Conservatory

Mr. Diggs began studying violin at the age of 9 in Baltimore City public schools. He received his B.M. in viola and Artist Diploma in Quartet Studies from Shenandoah Conservatory and is one of the founding members of Argot. He received his M.M. in viola performance from the San Francisco Conservatory under the instruction of Jodi Levitz of the Ives Quartet. He has participated in chamber masterclasses given by Kim Kashkashian, Christoph Wyneken, John O'Conor, and the Juilliard Quartet as well as an orchestral master class given by Sir Simon Rattle, serving as principal viola. When not performing with Argot, Mr. Diggs freelances with several orchestras including The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, The National Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra, and is the principal violist of the National String Symphonia.

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Rowell Jao
[email protected] • (757) 779-7815
M.M. in Violin Pedagogy, M.M. and B.M. in Violin Performance, Shenandoah Conservatory of Music; Certificate in Teaching the Violin and Viola: Creating a Healthy Foundation, Northwestern University

Rowell Jao is a Registered Suzuki Violin teacher and a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, the Suzuki Association of the Greater Washington Area, and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). With an extensive performance history playing with orchestras in Virginia and Maryland, as well as being the first violinist for the 2008 Grammy nominated album Indigo Road by lutanist Ronn McFarlane, Rowell Jao has a thriving music studio with over 10 years of experience teaching students of all ages.

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Marjory Serrano
[email protected] • (540) 664-4068
BM and MM in Performance and Artist Diploma in String Quartet Studies, Shenandoah University; Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance, Catholic University of America

Dr. Marjory Serrano-Coyer is a Venezuelan violinist with extensive training from renowned teachers in both her home country and the United States. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance, specializing in Latin American music, and has participated in master classes with acclaimed figures such as Midori, Anne-Akiko Meyers, Glen Dicterow, and pianist John O'Conor. With orchestral experience from El Sistema in Venezuela, Dr. Serrano brings a wealth of experience from prestigious international music festivals and has worked with renowned conductors including Larry Livingston and Lorin Maazel. She has performed and given lecture recitals in South America, the United States, and Europe. Her album Sonatas Venezolanas, released September 29, 2023, features world premiere recordings of two sonatas by historically significant mid-20th century Venezuelan composers Angel Sauce and Nelly Mele Lara.

Mary Gresock
[email protected] • (301) 879-2069 • (301) 830-3170
M.M. in Voice and Opera Theatre, University of Maryland, College Park; B.M. in Music Education (pre-K–12), Catholic University Conservatory of Music; Certified Level 3 Somatic Voicework™, The Lovetri Method

Mary Gresock, Soprano, has served on the voice faculty at Frederick Community College since Fall of 2001. In addition to FCC, Mary is on the voice faculty at Academy of Fine Arts in Gaithersburg, MD, and Washington Conservatory of Music at Glen Echo, MD. As a Master Teaching Artist, Mary facilitates performing arts and arts-integrated residencies in the schools for The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and her own company, Odyssey Opera Theatre. As a performing artist, Mary has portrayed various roles with such companies as the Washington National Opera, Baltimore Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera International, Annapolis Opera, Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia, MD Lyric Opera, Signature Theatre, The "IN" Series, and The Washington Savoyards. She most recently appeared in both musicals and plays at Clear Space Theatre in Delaware, performing "Mother Superior" in Sister Act, "M'Lynn" in Steel Magnolias, and "Ida" in The Cemetery Club. On the concert stage, Mary has sung with The Capital City Symphony as the soloist in Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. As a vocal instructor, Mary loves working with a wide span of ages, six through adult, and is comfortable exploring various types of music and singing styles.

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David Loy
[email protected] • (301) 991-3354
B.A. in Music Performance (piano), Elon University; Master of Music in Choral Conducting, Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

See David Loy's full bio under Piano.

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Sterling Scroggins
[email protected] • (202) 906-0613
Bachelor of Music Education, Colorado State University; Master of Music, University of Colorado; D.M.A., University of Maryland

Sterling Scroggins, baritone, has performed, directed, and taught in the Washington D.C. area since the mid-1980s. His favorite performing roles are Papageno from The Magic Flute, Mephistopheles from Faust, and Don Quixote from Man of La Mancha. As a director, his favorite productions include La Traviata, Don Giovanni, and Fiddler on the Roof. Dr. Scroggins earned a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Maryland in the studio of James MacDonald, a Master of Music Degree from the University of Colorado with a specialization in American Music History, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Colorado State University in the studio of Edward Anderson.

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Lynn L. Staininger
[email protected] • (240) 405-7382
B.M. in Music Education and M.M. in Choral Conducting, Arizona State University

Lynn Staininger received her degrees in music education and choral conducting from Arizona State University. Lynn teaches music theory, choir, voice, and piano at FCC and is the 2017 recipient of the Maryland Music Educator's Association "Outstanding Music Educator Award." She is in her 18th year as the Artistic Director of the Choral Arts Society of Frederick, the city's oldest community choir, formed in 1943. The ensemble was recently selected to perform as the sole choral representative of the United States at the 79th commemoration of D-Day in Normandy, France. Ms. Staininger is also on the faculty at Hood College, where she directs choral ensembles and teaches music theory, appreciation, and choral conducting. Trained as a theater organist and harpsichordist, she enjoys performing both as a soloist and accompanist, and currently serves as organist and staff accompanist at St. Joseph on Carrollton Manor in Buckeystown. In 2020, Ms. Staininger was honored by the faculty, staff, and students of Hood College as the recipient of the Martha E. Church Prize for service to school and community.

If you need to cancel a lesson (for any reason), you must communicate with the instructor as soon as possible.  Although the instructor is under no obligation to make up the lesson, you are welcome to discuss the possibility of a make-up lesson with them.  If the instructor cancels the session, the lesson will be rescheduled. 

As most Instructors teach back-to-back lessons, it is important you arrive at least 10 minutes early so lessons can start on time.  If you are late, it will be up to the instructor’s discretion as to whether they extend the lesson.

For refund information, please review our Refund Policy for complete details.

Please review our Inclement Weather College Closing Policy and our Inclement Weather College Closure and Delay Decision Procedure for complete details.

Please make note of the following information.

1. All FCC Music Instructors are performing artists and may need to take time off for upcoming performances, recitals, or concerts. If needed, instructors will reschedule or provide a substitute teacher, always with sufficient notice. 
2. Any complaints, or scheduling conflicts, should be addressed with the instructor first. 
3. If an instructor is no longer available to teach, the remaining lessons will be taught by an alternative instructor. 
4. Students and/or guardians must register for lessons through Frederick Community College and may not directly exchange payment with an instructor. 

These policies and procedures are subject to change without notice. Questions? Please email Dr. Mike Gersten, FCC Music Program Manager, at [email protected].