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Mrs. Sara Gautier

Written by RSM on . Posted in Instructors.

Mrs. Sara Gautier is an accomplished pianist, pedagogue, and researcher. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from James Madison University, where she studied with Dr. Eric Ruple. Mrs. Gautier also holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Wyoming, where she studied with internationally-renowned pianist and pedagogue Theresa Bogard. She is currently continuing her studies at the University of Maryland, where she is pursuing a second Master’s degree in Musicology. 

During her time at the University of Wyoming, Mrs. Gautier won the prestigious John P. Ellbogen Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award for her successful teaching of undergraduate courses, including music theory, history, and piano. She was the first music student in the university’s history to win this award. Mrs. Gautier was also hired as a Lecturer, in addition to her appointment as a Graduate Assistant, allowing her to fully design, structure, and deliver a history class to undergraduate music majors. 

Mrs. Gautier has performed in recitals, festivals, and competitions across Maryland, Virginia, and Wyoming, as both a soloist and a collaborative pianist. She has received several piano performance scholarships, including the Margaret Arth Music scholarship, the Cunningham Piano Scholarship, and the Townsend C. and Clydene Allen Memoral Scholarship. Mrs. Gautier has also received full assistantships from the University of Wyoming and the University of Maryland. Mrs. Gautier’s piano playing has been hailed as “breathtakingly beautiful,” “intensely musical,” and “poetic” by musicians across the country.

Mrs. Gautier is interested in the mental health of musicians and dedicates her research to best teaching practices with mental health in mind. Mrs. Gautier completed her master’s thesis on mental health struggles and injury in musicians, and she strives to apply her findings to aid her own students. Mrs. Gautier is trained in several different piano techniques, including injury prevention, allowing her to customize technical approaches for each of her students. She loves to teach musicianship and interpretation to her students, in addition to technique. Mrs. Gautier enjoys teaching lesser known repertoire as well. She has taught students ages 4 to 56, and is open to students of all ages and stages. Mrs. Gautier hopes to foster love for music, and for the piano, in each of her students while helping them achieve their goals. 

Dr. Katelyn McClinton

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Violinist, Dr. Katelyn McClinton has always held an interest in music from a young age. Her parents, both musicians themselves, introduced her to classical music as she grew up. At the age of 9, she began taking violin classes through her school. A year later, she began lessons with Karen Lauffer and studied with her for 4 years.

In her high school years, Dr. McClinton then studied with Dr. Courtney Orlando, who was her primary teacher until high school graduation. Towards the end of her high school career, decided that she would continue her music education through college. In the fall of 2011, Ms. McClinton attended The Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College, studying with Dr. Yeon-Su Kim. Throughout her 4 years at Gettysburg, Katelyn participated and performed in groups like the Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra, Metta Ensemble, and Sunderman Strings, which included a performance in New York City.

Thanks to the years spent at college, Dr. McClinton has a major interest in chamber music and hopes to continue performing chamber music in her career. She has attended music festivals throughout numerous summers, including the International Music Institute and Festival in Maryland and the InterHarmony Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy. Ms. McClinton has a Bachelor’s in Music Performance from the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College and a Master’s of Music Performance from Towson University. She has also studied with the late John Eaken, Grammy-nominated violinist and former concertmaster of the York Symphony.

Dr. McClinton is currently a private violin instructor in the Maryland and York, PA area, giving violin lessons to beginning, intermediate and advanced students. She has been teaching for over 6 years and works with each student to find their own unique path in music. Dr. McClinton has also performed with the West Shore Symphony Orchestra in the Central PA area and is currently a member of the Hanover Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, Dr. McClinton joined the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. She is the founder of Stravaganza Piano Trio. In 2024, Dr. McClinton received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Shenandoah University and Conservatory. She plans to continue studying and performing works of black composers, as well as learning other methods of teaching and playing contemporary music.

When not performing music, Dr. McClinton enjoys diving into other creative outlets by writing stories as well as doing makeup.

Ms. Ella Driver

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Ms. Ella Driver started taking piano lessons at age 11, and she has lived and breathed music ever since. Up until college, she found her voice in four different high school choirs and her local church band.

While attending Susquehanna University, Ms. Driver sang in the Susquehanna University Choir and Chamber Choir. From Fall 2024 to Spring 2026, she acted as both choirs’ soprano section leader. In addition to her choral experience, she performed up to three solo voice recitals each year. She also competed in multiple NATS competitions and placed second in the Spring 2026 NATS regionals.

In 2025, Ms. Driver studied music history and Classical opera abroad in Salzburg and Vienna, Austria. In May 2026, she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music and a Minor in Arts Administration. During her last two years in college, she gave voice lessons to her peers and worked with children aged 0-5 in early music education. Her #1 priority when teaching music is for students to work at an engaging but comfortable pace, and she believes that anyone can learn to sing through personalized and compassionate instruction.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Driver enjoys performing Classical opera as well as composing more contemporary music. Outside of music, she enjoys reading, painting, and gaming.

Mr. Harrison Sturges

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Mr. Harrison Sturges is a music educator specializing in guitar, bass, drums and music theory, working with students from beginner to advanced levels. He gained a Bachelor of Science in Music Engineering Technology and Electrical Engineering, and has years of performance experience across a range of genres, including jazz, rock, blues, Latin, and funk. 

During his studies, Mr. Sturges performed regularly with Jazz ensembles, and later with the American Music and Metal Ensembles at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. He has also taken part in multiple regional and national tours while in high school and during his time at the university, gaining practical, real-world experience as a performing musician. Mr. Sturges brings a well-rounded, practical approach to teaching and focuses on helping students build solid technical skills, musical understanding, and confidence in their playing, in a supportive and structured learning environment.

Mr. Keith Karasik

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Mr. Keith Karasik teaches violin, viola, cello and bass. He enjoyed his first professional performance at age 10 when he play the tuba in his father’s band. He switched to the bass violin in High School where he played in the school orchestra and jazz band. Outside of school he was invited to perform and record with a local band called Daybreak.

Mr. Karasik received his Bachelors of Arts in Music Education and a Masters of Music in Performance. He has advanced training in theory, composition and improvisation. Mr. Karasik has a variety of musical experiences which include chamber groups, symphony orchestra, opera, jazz, theater and pop.

Mr. Karasik believes music is an important part of human culture. It is a form of expression and tells a story.

Mr. Karasik’s music approach includes three main parts.
1. Neuro-Mechanics: Connecting to your instrument, producing a sound you enjoy and developing muscle memory.
2. Musical Structure: Understanding the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic patterns in music and recognizing them whenever they occur.
3. Enjoy the Journey: Learning how the musical experience expands your appreciation of and sensitivity to your other pursuits.

Ms. Sieun Park

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Ms. Sieun Park Ms. was a part of Demarre McGill’s flute studio during her four years at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music [UC CCM], attending with 5+ earned scholarships. Ms. Park graduated in 2024 with a Bachelors of Music in Flute Performance. She has currently been continuing her studies at the University of Maryland, participating in the post-baccalaureate music education program to earn a K-12 teaching certificate. 

Alongside teaching at Roberson School of Music, Ms. Park currently teaches flute/piccolo and piano at Baltimore Symphony Orchestra OrchKids and other affiliated music programs. She served as the BMF flute sectionals coach for two years and the BYO conductor for one year.

Ms. Park has taught pre-K ~ high school students music, English, and flute in a variety of professional/volunteer settings including Peabody Preparatory, and is always excited to welcome more students at RSM. 

Ms. Park has performed in honors and GT Howard County bands/orchestras as a middle and high school student. She performed the Ibert Flute Concerto with the Peabody Wind Orchestra after winning first place in the concerto competition (‘20). She has a significant number of performance experiences with chamber groups, pit (opera), wind, and concert orchestras since high school. Ms. Park also regularly serves as a substitute flutist at Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church.

Ms. Park’s goal as a teacher is to guide her students to use their instruments to learn more about themselves and who they want to be, as they inspire themselves through music. 

Ms. Jasmine Phillips

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Ms. Jasmine Phillips is a vibrant, fun singer and voice teacher. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Songwriting with a focus on vocal study from Berklee College of Music. Her background includes singing, songwriting, rapping, producing, arranging, acting and dancing.

Ms. Phillips has taught voice to children and adults of all ages and levels. She has experience teaching Musical Theatre, Classical, Pop, RnB, Rock, Hip-Hop, Kpop and more. In her lessons, she loves to focus on teaching vocal technique and music theory through songs that her students know and love as well as introducing them to new music. But most importantly, she makes sure her students are having fun and becoming confident singers.

Ms. Phillips has a wide range of performance experience including social media Kpop covers, KCON LA, multiple Kpop World Festivals, Children’s Theatre, Musicals, Dance gigs, and Berklee concerts. Through these gigs, she has become a dynamic and versatile performer, singing music of many different genres. These experiences have allowed her to become a teacher that can connect with a diverse group of students.

In her spare time, Ms. Phillips enjoys reading, gaming, cooking, and travel which keeps her well rounded as she pursues her musical career.

Ms. Grace Kang

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Ms. Grace Kang is a classically trained pianist, instructor, and performer who has been a member of the faculty at the Roberson School of Music since 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she studied from 2020 to 2025 under the distinguished guidance of Dr. Daniel Pesca and Dr. Liana Harron.

A recipient of the UMBC Performance Fellowship Scholarship, Grace’s career is marked by a history of competitive excellence, including winning First Place in the MSMTA Piano Solo Competition and participating in the 2024 UMBC Concerto Competition. Her performance credits at UMBC include the Wind Ensemble, Chamber Players, and a featured collaborative performance in the 2024 Pianorama, where she performed Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances for four hands under the direction of Dr. Audrey Andrist.

In addition to her performance career, Grace is furthering her expertise through Music Therapy studies. Her clinical work includes internships at hospitals and retirement homes, where she utilizes the therapeutic power of music to support healing and emotional regulation. She also serves as a versatile collaborator, having previously acted as the principal accompanist for the Marriotts Ridge Women’s Ensemble and Madrigals.

As an educator, Grace is recognized for her ability to foster a positive, tailored learning environment for a diverse range of students. She has extensive experience working with students from ages 5 to 30, adapting her instruction to meet the unique developmental and artistic needs of both young beginners and adult learners. By organizing and leading numerous student recitals, Grace remains dedicated to fostering measurable artistic growth and helping every pianist build a solid foundation while cultivating a lifelong passion for music.

Mr. David Lowe

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Mr. David Lowe has decades of experience as a performer, writer, independent researcher, and educator in many genres of music.
For many years he has informally studied West African Styles, Brazilian Styles, Cuban and Caribbean Music, Jazz, Art Music, and Early Music. He continues to research and refine his discipline.

As a composer, arranger, and performer, he is fluent in traditional writing, popular music, and Jazz. His professional training began as a self-taught electric bassist developing relationships with musicians like Koko Taylor, Albert King, and John Lee Hooker. His experience inspired him to formalize music studies and earn a degree in composition in Boston. Over the past decade, he learned to play Double Bass from Ira Gold. He devotes efforts to refining his bass soloist and writing skills and his independent research. His current projects include surveying the musical development of the North Eastern region of Brazil, African American Church Music, Early Italian Music Pedagogy, and Early European Folk Music and Dance Traditions. Additionally, he operates an experimental musicianship skills training lab. The goal is to develop customized standards-based instrumental music instruction for learners interested in learning popular music and jazz professionally.

Mr. Jonah Kappraff

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Jonah Kappraff is a trumpet player and private instructor based in Baltimore, MD. After training at the Oberlin Conservatory and Boston University, Jonah spent a decade freelancing in Boston before relocating to central Pennsylvania in 2015. In Boston, Jonah was a regular member of the Lexington Symphony, Marsh Chapel Collegium Musicum and the avant-garde Boston Modern Brass Quintet, and performed frequently with the Boston Ballet, Boston Pops, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Monadnock Music Festival, and Odyssey Opera. In Pennsylvania, Jonah performed with the Williamsport Symphony, York and Harrisburg Symphonies, Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and the Penn’s Woods Music Festival. Additionally, he was featured as a guest soloist with the Penn Central Wind Band and in performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 with the Allegretto Chamber Orchestra and the Nantucket Baroque Festival. Jonah is principal trumpet with the Boston-based Ambient Orchestra (dir. Evan Ziporyn), a group with whom he has recorded and toured nationally and internationally. 

Jonah performs regularly with the orchestra of Bach in Baltimore, the Alexandria and York Symphonies, and the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra. He is also principal trumpet of the Maryland Winds. Alongside freelancing from Philadelphia through Washington D.C., Jonah maintains a robust private studio serving students from age 8 to 80, mentoring trumpeters who frequently compete in state and national competitions and honors ensembles. Additionally, he holds the position of lecturer in music at Stevenson University and the Peabody Institute and has been on the faculty of the Peabody Preparatory division since 2020. 

As a recitalist and clinician, Jonah has presented solo recitals and masterclasses at Keene State College, MIT, Harvard University, Bucknell University, and Lycoming College. His primary trumpet teachers include Roy Poper, Terry Everson, Steve Emery and Andrew Balio.