Meet Our KV Music Instructors

  • Ms. Janice teaches piano to adults and children, and loves being able to share the joy of music with all ages - "I am lucky enough to have students from 6 years of age to 75!"

    As her adult students discover, it is never too late to learn, and music is the best gift you can give yourself. Music is a sharing experience, and Janice's adult group classes open doors to new friendships and a supportive and fun way to learn the piano.

  • A North Carolina native, Jamie Gilliam earned a degree in Music Therapy with a minor in piano performance at East Carolina University in 2016. She completed her clinical internship with Atlantic Music Therapy, Inc., and successfully obtained national board certification in 2017.  

    Jamie has been teaching piano since high school and thrives when sharing her love of music with others. Jamie is a member of the American Music Therapy Association and the Music Therapy Association of North Carolina, and is an alto with the North Carolina Master Chorale.  

    Jamie is also a cat lover, volunteering with Safe Haven for Cats and caring for her own sweet feline, BB.

  • With a degree in Piano Pedagogy from Campbell University, Bethany has been very active in the local music scene. She has recently performed at the Ritz with Americana Band, Delta Rae, and at the Underground in Charlotte with local singer/songwriter Azul Zapata. Her original band, Waking April, has recently released songs on Spotify. They were featured artists on Carolina Today in 2021. Bethany performs with her husband, Alex, and they have a dog named Coda. Her hobbies include knitting and cooking.

  • A versatile improviser who has performed in a wide variety of settings, Marc is a fine post bop player. Born in Detroit but raised in Massachusetts, he picked up early experience playing in rock and blues bands before attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 1978 he moved to New York, to study piano with Roland Hanna and composition at Juilliard. He worked regularly at Sweet Basil and was an accompanist with dance companies. Marc has worked as the musical director of Esther Satterfield, Chet Baker, Sonny Fortune, the J.B. Horns, John Blake, Ahmed Abdullah, Kevin Eubanks and Avery Sharpe. Marc has recorded with Jack Wilkins, the J.B. Horns and Avery Sharpe. In addition, he has written classical chamber music and worked extensively as an arranger. Marc has also recorded a few CDs as a leader for Music Masters.

  • Susan teaches guitar lessons at KinderVillage. She loves the KinderVillage model and believes that all students deserve a full, well rounded musical education.

    Susan has taught students of all different ages even as young as 4 years old. She has a BFA in music performance on the classical guitar from Lock Haven University and she earned her Masters in Music Technology at New York University. Susan has been teaching privately many years and has studied the Suzuki Method used for teaching young children and has incorporated some of those elements into her teaching style.

    She performs regularly with various musical projects – Shoot to Thrill (an all female AC/DC tribute), Heart Brigade (a tribute to Heart), Jupiter's Darling (currently recording), Viva la Venus and more!

  • Miss Karen is a versatile pianist with an appreciation of both pop and classical repertoire. She has taught at KinderVillage and KV Music for over seven years and brings loads of joy to her lessons. Miss Karen is fluent in both English and Spanish. Besides teaching piano, she enjoys traveling and working with dogs. The thing we love most about Miss Karen is her gentle spirit and quick wit. 

  • Brittany began her music journey when she started taking piano lessons at age 7. Throughout her youth, she participated in many musical activities including piano lessons, choir, orchestra, musical theater, and music theory class.

    It was her high school music theory class that inspired her to pursue a degree in music education and Brittany obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Ithaca College in 2015. She then moved to the Raleigh area and has been teaching both piano lessons and Elementary General Music for the past several years.

    She is very excited to share her love of music with the KinderVillage students. In her free time, Brittany loves to bake, read, go for walks, play with her 3 sweet cats, and of course, practice piano! 

  • Meet Mr. Thomas, a Northern Virginia native, who has nurtured a lifelong passion for music with piano, vocal performance, composition, music theory, and pedagogy.  A decorated pianist and chorister, he has performed as a soloist and accompanist in various prestigious ensembles.

    After studying vocal technique, pedagogy, and music therapy at Radford University, he earned a scholarship to Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, where he studied Vocal Performance.

    More recently, Thomas taught piano and voice to young students in Denver, Colorado. Now based in Apex, NC, he is eager to connect with and inspire new students.

  • Ms Merritt came to KinderVillage with her own two children and has stayed on as a teacher for over 15 years. With prior experience as a public school music teacher and mother, she immediately saw the value of pre-school music education. Kindermusik programs give strong musical foundations and set the stage for joyful, life-long learning. Focused on levels 4 and 5 students, she has enjoyed guiding hundreds of students through the excellent 2-year program of the Kindermusik Musicians. Parents are often amazed that their children can learn so much: how to read rhythm and melodic notation, and play songs on their glockenspiels, dulcimers, and recorders. Within a fun, nurturing environment, Ms. Merritt is proud to give students a new language and exposure to many different musical styles and cultures. Level 4 Kindermusik is a great way for children to get ready for Kindermusik Musicians and private lessons. Continuing on with life-long learning herself, Ms. Merritt has taken harp and ukulele lessons. 

    An accomplished flutist, you can hear Ms. Merritt perform with the Triangle Wind Ensemble which provides high-quality concert band performances for the community, many of which are for the whole family. Recordings and special video productions are available at the TWE website: www.trianglewind.org. 

  • Miss Karen is a versatile pianist with an appreciation of both pop and classical repertoire. She has taught at KV Music for over seven years and brings loads of joy to her lessons. Miss Karen is fluent in both English and Spanish. Besides teaching piano, she enjoys traveling and working with dogs. The thing we love most about Miss Karen is her gentle spirit and quick wit. 

  • Arlie is a proud summa cum laude graduate of East Carolina University. In 2012, she was honored to be named the 75th Miss North Carolina, and received a non-finalist Talent award at the 2013 Miss America Pageant. She went on to receive her Master of Music from LSU in 2017, and has taught voice and performed with various local theatre companies in the time since. Some of her favorite roles include Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, and being mom to her little boy, Everett.

  • Aldo is a versatile guitarist and keyboard player. He is a member of two popular bands: Raad OG and Tangerine Trees and has both written and performed a broad range of music. Mr. Aldo works with students of all ages and with all styles of guitar, bass, ukulele, and keyboard. He completed his formal training at the esteemed University of Miami's Frost School of Music and loves sharing his musical gifts with his students. Mr. Aldo brings more than a decade of experience with him and believes that music is for everyone. 

  • Ericka is a professional Opera singer and musician.  She holds a BM from Meredith College where she learned the disciplines of what it takes to be successful in music.  Studying under the finest vocal coaches and piano professors in this region, she was able to strengthen her ability to read music, understand music theory and overcome stage fright.  She brings all of these abilities to her piano and voice students whom she teaches privately, many of them nationally.  She loves working with students of all ages and levels.