Meet Our Teachers

We collaborate with students, parents, and fellow faculty members to develop an individualized approach for each pupil. Instruction is tailored to align with the student’s goals, expectations, and learning needs, incorporating classical and modern techniques, solfège, and ear training as appropriate. Our teachers are experienced with Bastien, Faber, Alfred, and Suzuki as well as other methods. They can also tailor their program to meet individual learning styles.

Leadership across disciplines

Our department chairs oversee student progress benchmarks, recital curation, and repertoire selection across classical and contemporary studies.

Piano

Piano & Voice

Piano, Violin & Voice

Gale McCown

Ella McCown

Tetiana Cherynsheva

Mrs. Gale brings more than 50 years of piano experience and a lifelong passion for music. For more than two decades, she has refined her teaching approach through piano instruction and service as a Sunday school teacher. Her two years as an instructor at a private school further strengthened her ability to provide patient, engaging instruction tailored to each student’s learning style and goals. An avid horsewoman, Mrs. Gale has also taught both children and adults to ride, broadening her experience in adapting to individual needs, building confidence, and helping people to develop new skills. She has performed with several worship bands and at numerous events and functions, giving her extensive experience in collaborative and live performance settings. Mrs. Gale attended the University of Michigan and is the current owner of McCown Conservatory LLC, where she is committed to fostering excellence and joy for students of all ages. In her spare time, she enjoys riding with her husband on his motorcycle, gardening, and spending quiet time in the pasture with her horses.

Miss Ella holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Nelson University (formerly SAGU) and has been immersed in music throughout her life. She began classical vocal training at a young age and later expanded her experience to include contemporary styles. Although she began studying piano later, her strong foundation in music theory enriches her instruction and musicianship. With nearly a decade of involvement in children’s programs and several years of teaching experience, Miss Ella brings warmth, creativity, and encouragement to every lesson. She is passionate about helping students develop confidence, express themselves freely, and discover their own musical voice. Miss Ella has served on numerous worship teams as both a vocalist and keyboardist, including in leadership roles. In her free time, she enjoys arranging and composing music—often from the comfort of her couch with her cat nearby.

Mrs. Tetiana holds a bachelor’s degree in music and is an exceptionally versatile musician. She has played piano for more than 20 years and also fulfilled a childhood dream by learning the violin, subsequently performing with both chamber and symphony orchestras. Her musical talents extend to drums and bass, and she enjoys singing, arranging music, collaborating with fellow musicians, and sharing her knowledge with others. Born and raised in Ukraine, Mrs. Tetiana later lived and worked in Germany before moving to the United States in 2022 with her husband and three daughters. Since moving to the U.S., she and her husband have welcomed a son. Beyond music, she enjoys cooking, discovering new places, traveling, and sharing meaningful conversations over a delicious cup of coffee.

Jordon Olivo

Miss Jordan is a gifted musician whose talents include both violin and piano. Known for her gentle and encouraging manner, Miss Jordan connects especially well with younger students and creates a welcoming learning environment. Recently, she and her family embarked on the meaningful journey of welcoming a newly adopted sister into their family. Outside the studio, Miss Jordan enjoys creating handcrafted crochet pieces, which are occasionally available for purchase at the Conservatory.

Matthew Brodeur

Mr. Matt has been playing drums since the age of four and is also an accomplished guitarist. His extensive background includes teaching and performing on both instruments, and he is a highly sought-after musician who performs with multiple bands. He signed with Ultrax Records in 2007 and worked with them for about 5 years, recording an album and learning songwriting and music production with various producers across the country, including Grammy Award winning producer Chuck Ebert, Elliot Sloan from Blessed Union of Souls, Aaron Accetta from New York, and Geoff Rockwell from Fort Worth. In addition, Mr. Matt owns and operates a recording studio and provides professional sound support for McCown Conservatory LLC recitals and other events.

Angelo Gomez

Connor Olivo

Mrs. Kerri is an independent strings and piano instructor with more than 20 years of experience playing violin and fiddle. She also serves as a valued substitute instructor for McCown Conservatory LLC as needed. When a student’s preferred instrument—such as viola or cello—or individual goals would be better served by her expertise, we are pleased to refer families to her. Our priority is to connect each student with the teacher best suited to support a successful musical journey, whether at our studio or elsewhere, while combining excellence with joy. Outside of teaching and practicing, Mrs. Kerri enjoys painting, caving with her husband, and spending time with their two young daughters. She lives in Waxahachie with her husband, daughters, and their music-loving Labrador, Winnie.

Mr. Connor has been playing guitar for 8 years and piano almost just as long. He has experience in both finger-style pieces and standard chord songs. He offers beginning and intermediate guitar instruction as well as beginning piano instruction. Outside the studio, Mr. Connor enjoys creating stop motion films with LEGO as well as hand-crafted colored pencil pet portraits which are occasionally available to be commissioned at the Conservatory.

Guitar

Piano & Violin

Guitar & Percussion

Piano, Voice

Piano, Violin, Viola & Cello (Substitute Teacher)

Kerri Beckman

Mr. Angelo teaches voice, piano and bass guitar. He has been singing and playing piano and bass guitar since elementary school. Angelo studied music in high school and college, receiving his Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Science from Midwestern State University. He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and on shared stages with Judas Priest, Patrice Pike, Rodney Pyeatt, and many other well-known artists. Angelo is currently working on his teaching certification for music as well as performing in local and regional bands including Katsuk and the Ecletic Vurb, among others. He specializes in rock, jazz, country and worship music. Angelo has experience teaching vocalists to sing in French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian and Latin.