About
Private lessons are a vital element in a student’s musical life. The opportunity to study privately with a professional musician is one of the most important factors to an individual student’s success. These professionals provide detailed, specific, one-on-one instruction, tailored for your child. Private lessons challenge the advanced students and accelerate students who need extra attention. Of the students who make the Texas All State Band, roughly 97% take private lessons! Making this ensemble will almost guarantee a scholarship to a major university.
Private Lessons are taught at Clark Middle School, either before, during, or after school, depending on the teacher’s schedule. Lessons are 30 minutes, per week, at a cost of $23 per lesson. The student pays in advance, either two weeks or a month, directly to the teacher. Due to our school class schedule, students taking lessons during the school day (band time) will only receive a 23 minutes lesson each week. For these students, they will continue to be charged the same $23.00. However, to “make-up” the lost time, the teachers have been instructed to issue a FREE private lesson, at the end of each semester.
If you are not currently taking lessons, please consider doing so!!! Remember, private lessons are offered as an enrichment activity and are not required. Though optional, please consider private lessons as a necessary part of the band program.
A private lesson teacher will be contacting you to discuss a good time for your child to begin studying with them. If you are interested in private lessons and have not been contacted, please call or email your assigned teacher. Contact information for all teachers is listed on the reverse side and is available on our website. Thank you again for your interest in the Clark Cougar Band.
Our outstanding booster organization has kindly offered scholarships for families in need that would like to participate in our private lesson program. A scholarship would cover half the cost of a lesson and an application must be filled out in order to be considered. You may apply online by following the link below.
Private Lesson Scholarship Application
Our Private Lessons Staff
Flute
(972) 978-6375 (Currently Full!)
jeniferm2@verizon.net
Jenifer McKenzie is a professional flutist currently residing in Garland, Texas. She has been a member of the Dallas Opera Orchestra since 1989, and during that time, has also pursued an active free-lance schedule, performing for a wide variety of audiences. Many of the programs she has developed are “Meet the Instrument” programs for young school children, and music education programs for adults.
Ms. McKenzie has always enjoyed teaching private lessons to all ages of students and currently maintains a large private studio. She has also taught on the faculties of California State University, Fullerton; University of Veracruz, Mexico; Texas Women’s University; and Texas A&M University, Commerce. She has extensive experience in conducting flute clinics and master classes, judging competitions, organizing and conducting flute choirs and teaching summer flute camps.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from California State University, Fullerton and a Master of Music Degree in Flute Performance from The Cleveland Institute of Music. Before coming to the Dallas area, Jenifer was Co-Principal Flute for six years in the Jalapa Symphony Orchestra in Jalapa, Mexico.
Flute
Lucie Bias
luciemusic@verizon.net
Lucie Bias is a flutist and music teacher in the DFW area. She has been teaching private flute lessons for 40 years. The past 14 years she has taught flute students in the Frisco ISD Schools. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. She has performed with bands, orchestras, choirs, and a variety of chamber groups. Throughout her music career she has had the opportunity to be a flute soloist for many occasions. Teaching music has always been her passion. Mrs. Bias loves to encourage her students as they develop their skills on the flute and she enjoys guiding each student as they experience their own musical journey. She also teaches piano lessons in her home and has accompanied many flute students for their solo contests. Having been married over 30 years, Mrs. Bias has three adult children, one son-in-law, 2 grandchildren and a little black poodle named Millie. In addition to her flute and piano playing, she likes baking, taking walks with her dog, watching sunsets, and spending time with her family.
Oboe
Bethany Ham
ham.bethany@gmail.com
Bethany Ham is a professional oboist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In addition to performing, she maintains a studio of private lesson students throughout the metroplex. Bethany received her degrees for Oboe Performance from Southern Methodist University (BM) and Florida State University (MM).
Bassoon
Ms. Haley Blanchard
haley_blanchard@sbcglobal.net
Haley Blanchard completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Bassoon
Performance at Baylor University where she was a student of Dr. Ann Shoemaker. At Baylor,
she performed as Principal Bassoon of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Baylor Opera
Orchestra, and the Baylor Wind Ensemble. In 2014, she performed with the Wind
Ensemble at the Midwest Clinic in addition to concerts in the central United States. In the summer of 2015 and 2016, she received a scholarship to attend the Eastern Music Festival (NC) where she studied with George Sakakeeny, and Karla Ekholm. She has had the privilege of performing in masterclasses with Leonard Hindell, Ben Kamins, Peter Kolkay, Bernard Kolle, Christin Schillinger, and Jeff McCray. Haley also works closely with the Bocal Majority Bassoon camps, where she has participated as an instructor and Site Manager.
Clarinet
Dr. James Chen
469-500-4381
clarinettogo@gmail.com
https://www.dolcemusicinstitute.com/aboutus/james
Coming from Taiwan, Dr. James Chen earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Upon graduation in 1997, Dr. Chen went back to Taiwan to teach at Aletheia University. As a faculty at Aletheia University, Dr. Chen served as Dean establishing the music department, 1998-2004, and as Assistant Professor teaching clarinet, chamber music, Introduction to the Instruments, and leading Clarinet Ensemble, 1998-2014.
Dr. Chen has been teaching the clarinet students in Frisco, Allen, Lovejoy ISDs for the past 7 years. His students have been selected in the All-State Band Concert performing at TMEA in San Antonio, earned top chairs in the All-Region Band Audition, and top ranks in the All-State Competitions, and also selected at Festival at Carnegie Hall: National Band & Orchestra Festival, while some students pursue their music dream at Baylor University and Berkeley School of Music at Boston.
Steven Robinson
Bio coming soon!
Saxophone
Mr. Davis
830-613-9785
rondavis5210@yahoo.com
Ron Davis has been teaching saxophone lessons in Frisco since 2009. He has a BM and and a MA in Saxophone Performance from West Texas State University. Prior to teaching privately, Mr. Davis was a high school band director and administrator for 30 years and had groups selected to perform at Carnegie Hall on two occasions as well as many other recognitions. Mr. Davis has been an active performer and clinician on the saxophone as well. He has been the selector of the TMEA All State audition etudes on 3 occasions and is the selector for the 2019 etudes. Mr. Davis is also the recipient of the 2019 Foundation Award from the Foundation for Music Education.
Trumpet
Mr. Abtahi
cameron.abtahi@hotmail.com
Cameron Abtahi is a professional trumpet player and private teacher from Plano, Texas. He holds a Bachelor’s in Trumpet Performance from Baylor University and a Master’s in Trumpet Performance, with Academic Honors, from the New England Conservatory of Music. Mr. Abtahi has performed frequently in world premiere recordings and events, including most recently serving as principal trumpet for Iphigenia, a new opera written by jazz legend Wayne Shorter and featured in the New York Times. He has performed with various Grammy Award-winning artists, as well as with the Las Colinas Symphony and Waco Symphony.
While in Boston, Cameron studied with Ben Wright of the Boston Symphony, and worked
closely with the members of the orchestra. He served as principal trumpet of the conservatory orchestra and was featured as a soloist in the Fall 2020 program. During his time at Baylor, he studied with Wiff Rudd, and appeared three times in the National Trumpet Competition Semi-Finals, earning 1st place in 2014.
In his free time, Cameron enjoys going to the movies, playing video games, reading and
swimming
French Horn
Mr. Womble
931-529-2353
intrubul@hotmail.com
Stuart Womble is an active teacher and player in the DFW area. He is a member of the orchestras of Las Colinas, Garland, and Arlington; and he has performed with many of the other regional orchestras. He received his bachelors in Music Education from Tennessee Technological University and his masters in Horn Performance from THE Florida State University. He also studied with members of the Chicago Symphony while he was a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony.
Trombone
Mr. Wight
810-956-7043
timwightmusic@gmail.com
Timothy Wight is a teacher and freelance musician in the DFW area. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Western Michigan University in 2018 and his Master’s Degree in Orchestral Performance from Southern Methodist University in 2020. At SMU, he studied with John Kitzman, retired principal trombonist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Outside of freelancing, he has found success as a solo performer, being selected named a finalist of the 2018 International Trombone Festival’s Larry Wiehe solo competition. He teaches in the Frisco, Rockwall, and Dallas school districts. His students have earned top chair placements at All-Region Band auditions.
Euphonium
Dr. Chou
940-595-2257
Chouweichien@gmail.com
Dr. Sunny Chou is an active euphonium musician and music educator. She was born in Taiwan and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in euphonium performance at the University of North Texas. Dr. Chou has taught euphonium and tuba lessons in the DFW area for over 8 years. She is also an active euphonium solo and ensemble musician. She is currently a member and marketing manager of Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble. She was a Graduate Teaching Fellow under Dr. Brian Bowman at UNT as well as the founder/conductor of the Plano West Cluster Euphonium Choir. Her students reached the top chairs in the All Region bands. Aside from performing euphonium music, playing the piano, and teaching, Dr. Chou also studied and conducted research in the field of Music and Medicine, which is associated with the music performance related health issues. Her research in this field helps her to gain better insight for teaching and assisting students more efficiently.
Dr. Chou currently resides in McKinney with her husband, Chung. They both enjoy cooking, exploring new restaurants, and exercising.
Tuba
Micheal Moxley
michealmoxley@yahoo.com
(218) 640-3492
Micheal Moxley is entering his first semester as a doctoral student at the University of North Texas and will be studying primarily with Professor Don Little. Moxley has spent most of his life in central Minnesota and recently completed a Master’s degree in tuba performance from the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he held a graduate assistant position. In Duluth and the greater Twin Ports region, Moxley frequented many ensembles of various mediums, most notably performing as a substitute with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, playing lead trombone with the College of St. Scholastica jazz band, and performing with the faculty brass quintet of the University of Minnesota Duluth. Micheal Moxley has also sustained a private low brass studio including students of various ages, skill levels, and instruments, and is excited to have the opportunity to teach and experience music in the DFW area.
Percussion
Randa Shaqaidef (Currently Full!)
randa2277@gmail.com
(469) 396-7849
Randa Shaqaidef is a percussionist based in Frisco, TX. She serves as a percussion private lesson teacher for the Lebanon Trail High School Cluster, which includes Clark and Fowler Middle Schools, as well as Frisco High School and Hunt Middle School in Frisco ISD.
In addition, Ms. Shaqaidef serves as a marching band instructor with Liberty High School and Independence High School in Frisco ISD.
After graduating from Liberty High School in Frisco ISD, Ms. Shaqaidef attended the University of North Texas, where she holds a degree in Percussion Performance (BM). During her time there, she performed with the UNT Wind Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, the 2 o’clock Steel Band, African Ensemble, and the Gamelan Ensemble. Ms. Shaqaidef also spent a summer with the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2019, performing on marimba.
Ms. Shaqaidef’s formal teachers include Mark Ford, Paul Rennick, Christopher Deane, Poovalur Sriji, and Stockton Helbing. She also studied Jazz vibraphone with Ed Smith. She continues to share her love for music as a passionate percussion educator.
Mr. Zach Howard
zhoward35@gmail.com
Bio Coming soon!