MRS. RUTH BROWN, M.M., earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in piano performance from Bob Jones University. Over the last 30 years, Brown has taught private piano lessons, arranged many songs for publishers, accompanied for CD recordings, presented hymnplaying and piano workshops, adjudicated for numerous events, and taught collegiate-level private lessons and courses. Over the years, several of her high school students have placed first in the AACS National Competition and have gone on to major in music. 

JUNE BRUS, M.M., received her master’s degree in performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was head of the piano department at Carroll University for 12 years. Brus has appeared as soloist with several groups, including the Waukesha Symphony and the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra. As the pianist of the Antara Trio, she has toured statewide, recorded on the Orion label, and performed on Wisconsin public radio. As an educator, she frequently presents pedagogy workshops and has adjudicated numerous competitions.

EMILY HAYNES, B.A., graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Pedagogy. Emily has performed with a community civic theater and band. She has also been involved with music ministries at various churches. Emily completed a college teaching internship and then continued teaching in a private studio after graduation. She loves to help students learn music so they can love and appreciate music on a deeper level. Emily strongly believes that to develop a love of music making, students must simultaneously develop both musicianship and technical skills.

DR. DAVID LEDGERWOOD, DMus, has a B.S. in Music Education from Indiana University in Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Sacred Music from Pensacola Christian College, an M.A. in Music Theory and Composition from Indiana University in Pennsylvania, and a D.Mus. from Maranatha Baptist Bible College. In addition to his education, he has extensive experience as an accompanist, composer, arranger, and soloist. David has been teaching music since 1986 and has taught all ages and ranges of ability. “I look upon my teaching as a means to teach character qualities essential in the development of children, especially how to practice in order to get all of the details correct,” he says. “I also try to stress the importance of communicating the emotional context of the music.”

RUTH STEINBART, B.A., graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Pedagogy. Ruth has her Music Teacher National Association Certification, and she is currently pursuing the pedagogy certificate through The Achievement Program. Ruth is also completing the requirements for Level 1 Early Childhood Music and Movement Certification. 

DR. RICK TOWNSEND, Ph.D, has a special love for early childhood music, which is shown by his broad involvement as a teacher, teacher educator, and clinician. He teaches the early childhood methods course at Maranatha and has taught infants through 4/5-year-olds at Kiddie Kampus for seven years. He is a frequent early childhood clinician at the Wisconsin Music Educator’s Association’s annual conference, and currently serves as managing director for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA), a broad, international coalition of early childhood music and movement specialists. Dr. Townsend has studied early childhood music with Dr. Cynthia Taggart, coauthor of MusicPlay and the Jump Right In early childhood and elementary music curricula. He is certified in GIML early childhood music and in two Musikgarten levels, including Cycles and Music Makers at the Keyboard. He and his wife, Linda, have been teaching music at all levels for over 35 years

JANET TSCHIDA, M.A.M.E., NCTM, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Maranatha College in Watertown, WI and completed her Masters of Arts degree in Music Education with a concentration in Piano Pedagogy at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Janet is the director of Maranatha Piano Preparatory School, and she teaches pedagogy courses and private/group piano at the college. Janet maintains professional memberships with the National Federation of Music Clubs (Adjudicator), the American College of Musicians (Site Chairperson), the Music Teacher’s National Association, and The Achievement Program (Site Chairperson). Janet also maintains her National Certification Teacher of Music (NCTM), has completed several early childhood music certifications, and has completed Dalcroze Level 1 certification . Her students have frequent performing opportunities both in recitals and in piano competitions/festivals such as the National Federation, National Guild, The Achievement Program, WACS, and local contests. Most importantly, Janet strives to meet the individual needs of her students by using various teaching strategies to adapt to each student’s unique learning style. Typical lessons include technique, theory, sight-reading, ear-training, improvisation, and educational repertoire. Additionally, she has developed a curriculum for teaching hymn improvisation for interested students. Janet sums up her teaching by saying, “I desire to provide the highest quality of comprehensive musical education for my students by expecting excellence, fostering fine musicianship, and developing creativity and imagination within a respectful and pleasant learning environment.”

Elizabeth Boese

Kara Burgess

Sarah Dixon

Jessica Garrison

Tiffany Henderson

Cynthia Jorgensen

Meredith McCue

Jared Mielke

Joy Parker

Amber Perkins

Ruth Seest

Helen Scott

Angelina Selyukov