Private Lesson Staff
Flute
Jennifer McElroy
mrs.jennifer.mcelroy@gmail.com
Bachelor of Music Education, Baylor University
Master of Music in Flute Performance, Southern Methodist University
Artist Certificate, Southern Methodist University
Serves as Principal Flute with the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra
Second Flute with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra
Second Flute with the Lake Lewisville Symphony
Regular Flutist with the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra
Has performed as a substitute flutist with The Dallas Winds, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Oboe
Kelly Diaz
kdiazstudio@gmail.com
Kelly is an oboist and educator in the North Dallas area with over a decade of professional performing and teaching experience. Kelly serves as a guest artist and substitute musician on oboe and English horn with professional ensembles in the area. She has played with the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, the San Antonio Symphony, and the Dallas Wind Symphony, among others. Kelly has frequently performed as a substitute musician with the Dallas Winds and most recently, in 2021, served as Principal Oboe with the group at the 75th Anniversary Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.
Kelly holds a Master of Music degree in Oboe Performance from the Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, where she earned a University Graduate Scholarship. She
received a Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from Southern Methodist University, where she was a University Scholar and Artistic Scholarship recipient. During her studies, Kelly was a featured artist in the Viva Vivaldi International Music Festival in Mexico City, Mexico. She was also a member of the CCM Spoleto Music Festival in Spoleto, Italy.
Kelly has a studio full of wonderful students and takes pride in seeing individual growth in each one every week. She values the importance of a positive learning environment where everyone can thrive as they set their own specific goals. She works accordingly with each individual to bring out their maximum potential in everything they do, from small tasks including basic technique to larger long-term skills including musicianship, confidence, and performance abilities.
Oboe
Kaycee Ware Thomas
kayceeware@yahoo.com
www.kayceewarethomas.com
Artist Certificate Candidate at Southern Methodist University under Erin Hannigan, Principal Oboist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Masters in Oboe Performance as a fellowship student at the University of Michigan under Dr. Nancy Ambrose King
Bachelor of Music with special distinction in Oboe and Voice Performance from the University of Oklahoma under the instruction of Ms. Johanna Cox
Bassoon
Milena Egan
milenaegan@gmail.com
Bachelor of Music, Texas Tech University
Master of Music Education, University of North Texas
Has taught in McKinney for over 15 years
Clarinet
Kaitlyn Harris
kaitlynvanvooren@gmail.com
Kaitlyn Harris is a graduate of Texas Tech University where she received her Bachelor of Music Education degree and studied clarinet with Dr. David Shea. While at Texas Tech, Mrs. Harris was a member of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Goin' Band, and TTU Clarinet Choir where she performed at TMEA in a featured Clarinet Clinic. Mrs. Harris was also an active member of Tau Beta Sigma and held multiple leadership roles in the organization including Vice President of Membership. After completing her degree, Mrs. Harris began building her studio and now teaches students across three districts in the area. She currently resides in Carrollton with her husband Tyler, their dog, Scout, and cat, Nova, where she spends her free time reading and trying new recipes on her family.
Clarinet
Sherry Miller
sherrymiller24@gmail.com
Undergraduate, University of Louisiana Monroe
Graduate Work, University of North Texas
Taught Band for 37 years at the Middle School and High School level
45 years of teaching experience
Has taught privately in McKinney ISD for 9 years
Hobbies include gardening, boating, and grandchildren
Saxophone
Aaron Pritchett
c.aaron.pritchett@gmail.com
Personnel Manager for the Dallas Wind Symphony
Adjunct Associate Professor of Saxophone at Southern Methodist University
Principal saxophone and soloist with “America’s Premiere Wind Band,” the Dallas Wind Symphony
Music Director and soprano saxophonist with the award-winning Texas Saxophone Quartet
Graduate of the Crane School of Music, S.U.N.Y. at Potsdam, New York
Earned bachelor’s degree in both performance and music education under the tutelage of saxophone pedagogue, Dr. James M. Stoltie
Master’s degree in woodwind and saxophone performance at Michigan State University with saxophone virtuoso, James Forger
Fluid performer in all mediums of saxophone stylings, from the orchestra pit of. the Dallas Opera and Dallas Summer Musicals, to the stage of the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center
Horn
Abdiel Almodovar
almodovarabdiel@yahoo.com
Abdiel Almodovar-Santiago studied Horn performance and conducting at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music and the University of North Texas.
His principal Horn teachers included Prof. Luis Arroyo, PR Symphony Principal, Prof. Pedro Mojica second horn at the PR symphony, Prof. Dennis Houghton from Wichita Falls symphony and owner at Houghton Custom Horns and Dr. William Scharnberg, former Dallas Opera principal horn and past president and editor of the International Horn Society.
Mr. Almodovar also studied instrumental conducting with Dr. Roselyn Pabón at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of music, Wind conducting studies with Prof. Eugene Migliaro Corporon at the University of North Texas, Orchestral conducting with Miguel Harth-Bedoya from the Fort Worth Symphony and Phenomenology of Music with special studies in Sergiu Celibidache’s conducting technique with the Romanian Conductor Octav Calleya and Jordi Mora- Griso from Barcelona, Spain.
Currently, Mr. Almodovar teaches horn to students of all levels at the McKinney and Frisco ISD and is a freelance musician in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex area.
Tuba
Juan Enrique Alonso
juanalonso700@yahoo.com
Juan Enrique Alonso is an emerging tuba artist from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, currently based in Dallas, TX, where he serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Alonso has shared the stage with many of America’s top orchestras, having performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, The Florida Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, Syracuse Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra, and others. He has performed the entire 2021 and 2022 summer seasons with the Buffalo Philharmonic, as well as a large majority of the 2021-2022 concert season while the position was vacant.
In recent years, he has accompanied some of the world's most renowned musical artists, including Byron Stripling, Canadian Brass, Chris Botti, Kelli O'Hara, Kenny G, Leslie Odom Jr, Sultans of String, and Veronica Swift. He has performed under the baton of several prominent conductors, including Robert Spano, Matthias Pintscher, Gerard Schwarz, JoAnn Falletta, Ormsby Wilkins, John Morris Russell, Lawrence Loh, Ron Spigelman, Jack Everly, Bradley Thachuk, Mark Gibson, Jane Glover, and Vladimir Kulenovic. His playing can be heard in the Eastman Wind Ensemble recording of David Liptak's Folgore's Months, as well as in the Naples Brass recording of A Christmas Celebration Vol. 3, featuring members of the Naples Philharmonic.
Additionally, Alonso is an Associate Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival, Round Top Music Festival, Wagner Opera Institute, National Music Festival, and Miami Music Festival, as well as summer institute fellowships with the Detroit Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony. Other acceptances have included offers for the Chautauqua, Sewanee, and Brevard Music Festivals, as well as the Festival de Opera de San Luis. His recent accomplishments include being a finalist for the Minnesota Orchestra Fellowship, New World Symphony, and the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, as well as a semi-finalist for the Buffalo Philharmonic, U.S. Army Field Band, U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Brass, USAF Band of the West, and USAF Heritage Band. He has also performed the John Williams Tuba Concerto with the world-renowned Eastman Wind Ensemble under the direction of Mark Davis Scatterday after having won a concerto competition.
Alonso has found success in several international competitions amongst tubists from China, Japan, and South Korea, having been a semi-finalist in the Leonard Falcone International Solo Artist competition, ITEC Tuba Artist division, ITEC Arnold Jacobs Mock Orchestra competition, and the winner of the 2021 “Stars and Shipes” International Military Audition, judged by principal members of the U.S. “President’s Own” Marine Band, U.S. “Pershing’s Own” Army Ceremonial Band, U.S. Army Field Band, and the U.S. Coast Guard Band. He has also been a prize-winner at several regional ITEA conferences in the solo, mock orchestra, and mock band auditions — conferences in which he has now given artist recitals.
Prior to his current university positions, Alonso served as a Teaching Assistant at the Frost School of Music and Eastman School of Music, as well as Instructor of Tuba at the University of Rochester. He has given masterclasses at the collegiate and grade school level, with students being accepted into top universities across the country. He is a founding member of the Tuba and Euphonium Charity Series (TECS), committed to providing the highest available educational opportunities to students of various backgrounds and promoting necessary values of diversity, equality, and inclusion.
In 2022, he was named a Henry Mancini Fellow at the renowned Frost School of Music, selected to pursue a prestigious Artist Diploma. While pursuing a doctoral degree at the Eastman School, Alonso was selected for a Performer’s Certificate and was a Jim Self award recipient. He holds an MM from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a BM from Texas Christian University (TCU). Alonso owes all of his success to his cherished primary instructors who have never ceased to support him: Aaron Tindall, Craig Sutherland, Don Harry, Tim Northcut, and Richard Murrow, as well as his mentors Warren Deck, Chris Olka, and Andrew Dougherty.
Trumpet
Paul Stephens
brass@perfectpulse.net
Bachelor of Music, University of Texas at Arlington
Master of Music Education, Texas A&M University-Commerce (ETSU)
Served 35 years as a Band Director in McKinney ISD
2017 McKinney ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year
Trombone
Nathaniel Geiger
nathangisu@gmail.com
Bachelor of Music Education (Summa Cum Laude), Illinois State University
Masters of Music Performance, Michigan State University
Phone: (217) 493 - 5764
Percussion
Daniel Crisp
dcrisp16@yahoo.com
Bechlor’s Degree in Percussion Performance, East Carolina University
Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance, University of North Texas
Studied with Christopher Deane, Mark Ford, and Paul Rennick.
Mr. Crisp served as the principal percussionist of the Wind Symphony, directed by Eugene Corporon, and was an active member in the percussion ensemble directed by Mark Ford, as well as the NOVA ensemble under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth McNutt.
Trumpet
Ariel Biholar
arielbiholar@gmail.com
Ariel developed a love for music when she signed up for band classes in middle school. She graduated from Plano Senior High School, Plano, Texas in 2007.
During this period she learned the value of private lessons. Her lesson teachers include: Lee (Smith) Holland, Mike Rossi, and Phil Holland.
Ariel went to Mississippi State University (MSU) to study with Dr. Mike Huff and later Tony Kirkland. She was involved in as many ensembles as possible, including the Famous Maroon Band. She graduated in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Music Education.
After MSU, she attended the University of Alabama (UA) to study with Dr. Eric Yates. She was a member of the UA Wind Ensemble, Huxford Orchestra, Jazz Band, a Trumpet Ensemble, and a Brass Quintet. While at UA, she recorded 2 CDs with the Wind Ensemble. She was also a graduate assistant for the Million Dollar Band. In 2014, she graduated from UA with a Master in Trumpet Performance.
She moved back to Texas in 2014 to be closer to family. Now she is enjoying teaching private trumpet lessons in the McKinney and Lovejoy school districts. When she is not teaching or playing her trumpet around the area, she enjoys watching college football (Hail State and Roll Tide!), animal photography, or hanging out with friends and family.
Euphonium / Tuba
Grant Jameson
grantjamesoneuphonium
@gmail.com
Originally from Dublin, Ohio, Grant Jameson has spent extensive time both in the United States and the United Kingdom. He received his Bachelor of Music and Masters degrees from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff (UK) where he studied with David Childs for six years. During his time in the UK, Grant immersed himself in the British brass band tradition and won many awards and prizes within this genre, including the Best soloist prize at the Welsh Open (2014). Grant has also performed as guest soloist with many of the UK's finest bands, including Cory - the world's No. 1 ranked band, Grimethorpe Colliery from the movie 'Brassed Off!', Brighouse and Rastrick and the current National Champions of Great Britain (2018), Foden's.
Grant was also principal euphonium of Tredegar Town, Tongwynlais and Woodfalls bands, before joining the Flowers Band with whom he won various contests and featured as soloist, performing part of Sir Karl Jenkin's Euphonium Concerto, on the band's highly acclaimed CD release - Celebrate! - 5o years of Flowers.
As a chamber musician, Grant was the winner of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble Competition (2013, 2014 and 2016) and gave several world premières with his award winning euphonium quartet. In 2015 Grant won the prestigious RWCMD Concerto Competition and performed Joseph Horovitz' Euphonium Concerto with the RWCMD Orchestra. During the same year he appeared as soloist with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, performing as a duet artist alongside Philip Cobb, Principal Trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra. In addition Grant also won the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award (2015), the first American to ever achieve this distinction.
As a recording artist, Grant has released two solo albums: Genesis" (2015) and Versatility Reimagined (2019). He's also been featured on TV and radio with broadcasts by the BBC and S4C, as well as NPR. In 2019 Grant appeared alongside fellow Besson Euphonium Artist, David Childs, performing duets at New York's Rainbow Lounge in a concert to honor Hollywood A-lister, Catherine Zeta-Jones CBE. On multiple occasions, Grant had the honor of performing as a soloist and chamber musician for HRH The Prince of Wales at his private residence in the UK.
Currently a DMA candidate and Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas, Grant is busy as both performer as Principal Euphonium with the Dallas Winds and Musical Director or the Dallas Brass Band.