Our instructors and directors pride themselves in providing performance, learning, and artistically expressive opportunities for residents of central Oklahoma in a safe, nurturing environment.
Background checks are performed on every faculty member to insure that our Academy is a safe environment for all students.
Amber Mash
VOICE
Amber is excited to join the St. Paul’s Fine Arts Academy staff as a voice instructor. A 20-year veteran of teaching middle school and high school choirs in Oklahoma, she is currently teaching vocal music for 5th through 12th grades at Crossings Christian School in OKC. In addition to preparing choral performances, Amber has enjoyed helping hundreds of students prepare for success in individual opportunities, such as honor choir auditions and solo competitions.
Amber holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Southern Nazarene University. She is an experienced adjudicator for All-State Choirs, OSSAA Contests, and Fine Arts competitions. She is currently serving as Vice President of the Vocal Division for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association, and is a member of Oklahoma Music Adjudicators Association, American Choral Directors Association, Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, and the National Association for Music Education.
In addition to professional activities, she is active in Music, Teen, and Children’s Ministries at Calvary Church of the Nazarene, and enjoys spending time at home with her husband and two boys.
Alayna Bryson
VOICE
Alayna Bryson is a recent graduate holding a Bachelor’s in Vocal Music Education from Southern Nazarene University. While at SNU Alayna performed as Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Jo March in Little Women, and the Dowager Empress in Anastasia. Alayna’s classical training also includes operatic performances as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, The Princess in Suor Angelica, and Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance. Beyond the stage, she is passionate about student development, focusing on helping young musicians find their unique voices within a supportive and challenging studio environment. She is thrilled to continue sharing the transformative power of music through both performance and teaching.
Anna Adams
PIANO
Anna has been playing piano since age six and has taught private lessons for over 10 years. She grew up in Rochester, NY and studied piano at several different music schools including Eastman School of Music and The Hochstein School. She also studied violin and clarinet. Anna went on to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at Roberts Wesleyan College. She has experience teaching all ages pre-school to adult. She worked in a middle/high school vocal program for 6 years, music directed and/or accompanied over 50 musicals throughout the Rochester area, music directed a show choir performance team, and taught several group music lessons. When she moved to Oklahoma, she started her path to a new career in nursing and received her Bachelor’s of Nursing from the University of Oklahoma. Currently, she is a RN Pediatric Case Manager at a local clinic. Anna is grateful to still be able to share her love of music by being the Accompanist/Choir Director at the First Presbyterian Church in Duncan, teaching private lessons, and most recently being able to get back into musical theater by directing Lawton Interactive Theater’s performance of Annie Jr in the summer of 2021.
Jeannie Tyler
PIANO
Jeannie has been teaching piano for many years. She is a member and adjudicator for the National Piano Guild and also serves as the Chairman of Bethany Guild Auditions. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) and holds memberships in Music Teacher’s National Association and Central Oklahoma Music Teachers Association as well as Central Oklahoma Music Teachers Association. While teaching, Jeannie has had several winners at Junior Competitions, Senior Competitions and also in the Composition Competitions. Numerous students have presented National (10 piece) programs at the Guild as well.
Jeannie received a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor (UMHB) in Belton, Texas where she also served as a faculty member at the UMHB Conservatory of Music. Following relocations to Oklahoma, she received a Master’s in Music History with additional graduate hours in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma (OU). While attending OU she served as a graduate assistant. Following graduation, she taught at Oklahoma Baptist University as an adjunct piano instructor until 2016. She currently operates a studio out of her home.
In addition to teaching, Jeannie serves as a freelance accompanist with many years of experience in instrumental and vocal accompaniment. She has been involved at the high school and collegiate level for solo and ensemble as well as accompanying in church in all capacities.
Billie Thomas
PIANO
Billie is a native Oklahoman. She lives in Edmond with her husband and 2 children. Billie was a choir teacher for over 20 years and recently retired from public schools. She is excited to be a part of the ministry provided at St. Paul’s to help instruct students in learning to play the piano.
“With over twenty five years of experience as a private piano instructor, I focus on providing my students a well-rounded program which includes piano instruction, theory education, and music history. My primary goal is to lead students to a new and deep appreciation of music as they learn to play the piano”.
Sarah Heinen
PIANO
Sarah has played piano since the age of seven. She has been teaching lessons both in-person and online since 2021. Her love for music and passion for education led her to the Wanda L. Bass school of music at Oklahoma City University. She is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education. She is studying piano under the direction of Dr. Sergio Monteiro. Besides her primary instrument, Sarah is also studying violin under Dr. Nicholas Hatt and organ under Dr. Melissa Plamann.
Sarah also performs in the OCU Symphony orchestra on both piano and violin. She is very involved in accompaniment and other performance opportunities at OCU. She often accompanies instrumental soloists and has been asked to perform newly-composed music in Project 21 concerts.
Miguel Moreno Turner
STRINGS – Violin
Miguel’s journey with the violin started when he was seven years old. Originally from Panama, he performed with the National School of Music and a renowned music festival in Panama as concertmaster led by students from Oberlin Conservatory. After finding his passion for music, he worked his way up to pursue a degree in Violin Performance at Oklahoma City University where he studied under Dr. Sophia Ro and Dr. Benjamin Shute. He performed both as section violinist as well as principal second and concertmaster under Jeffrey Grogan. After graduating in 2021 from OCU, he started his master’s in performance studies at Baylor University under Dr. Eka Gogichashavili. Recently he has performed as a substitute with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Lawton Symphony, and is a member of the Signature Symphony in Tulsa. In the past, he has performed at the Texas Music Festival, with the Waco Symphony, and multiple masterclasses led by artists like Tessa Lark, Chee-Yun Kim, Sheryl Staples, Benjamin Schmid and Dr. Kristen Yon. Now, he freelances and teaches in Oklahoma City and works every day to become a violinist his younger self would feel proud of.
Jeff Israel
STRINGS – Guitar
Jeff is a native of Oklahoma City. He began playing the guitar at the age of twelve, taking private lessons in punk and rock. Jeff turned to classical music while attending a magnet school for the arts where he majored in music. After high school, Jeff studied guitar at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Following Hurricane Katrina, Jeff continued coursework in music at Oklahoma City University then transferred to the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating from the Peabody Institute in 2010, Jeff relocated to Argentina where he learned to speak Spanish and worked as a teacher and translator. In 2016, Jeff entered a master’s program in guitar at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the direction of David Tanenbaum. Most recently, Jeff has served as an adjunct instructor of guitar at Hollins University and as a private instructor in the OKC area.
Lauren Fletcher
BRASS – Trumpet
Lauren is a local trumpet performer and instructor in the Oklahoma City area. She is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and from Oklahoma City University where she earned her Master of Music in Trumpet Performance. She has studied trumpet privately with Dean Haist and Michael Anderson. During her time at Oklahoma City University she had the honor of performing in the semi-finals of the National Trumpet Competition and playing in masterclasses for world class trumpet players including Thomas Hooten and Ryan Anthony. Lauren currently enjoys sharing her passion for music with beginning to advanced trumpet students.
Naomi Tomko
Flutist
Naomi is a Masters student at Oklahoma City University (OCU). She received a
Bachelors of Music in Wind Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma
(UCO). Her teachers include Dr. Emily Butterfield and Parthena Owens. As a
performance major, she plays in several ensembles, including the OCU Wind
Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Five-Star Wind Quintet, Polaris Flute Quintet, and
Flute Choir. Naomi held the position of principal flutist in both the UCO Symphony
Orchestra and UCO Wind Ensemble. During her time in the wind ensemble, they were
selected to perform twice at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OKMEA)
conference and once for the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA)
conference. Naomi was once selected to perform with the National Flute Association’s
Collegiate Flute Choir, directed by flutist and composer Gareth McLearnon. She has
also performed in masterclasses with names such as Amanda Harberg, Teri Sundberg,
and Ebonee Thomas.
Nancy Krause
Academy Director
Nancy has been the Academy Director for over 15 years. She recruits and supervises teaching faculty, pairs students with instructors, and facilitates studio scheduling. Nancy has been a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church since 1981 where she currently serves as the Director of Music Ministry, a position she has held since 1993. Even before joining the church staff, she has been providing music education to the teenagers at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church through singing and ringing for more than 30 years. She also currently directs the church’s adult choir and hand bell ensembles.
A proponent of collaborative events, Nancy has served as chairman of the Lutheran Musicians of Central Oklahoma, past president of CORD (Central OK Ringers and Directors) and the chairman of a committee that planned a commemoration service for the 20th anniversary of the OKC Bombing, We Rise to Bless You Still, sponsored by Oklahoma Alliance for Liturgy and the Arts (OALA). Her Adult Choir members have sung in Lincoln Center in NYC as well as on tour in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Barbara Bonham
Board of Directors
Barbara grew up playing the piano, playing the violin, and singing in choirs at school and church. She also played keyboard and bass drum in the Oklahoma Territorial Band of Guthrie. Over the years, she has taught piano lessons in Norman and Guthrie. Currently, Barbara enjoys playing the piano for her own pleasure and relaxation. As an adult, she began playing the harp and currently plays monthly in the Red Bud Harp Circle. She has both directed and rung in handbell choirs in recent years. While her first love will always be instrumental performance, She has enjoyed singing in church choirs throughout the years. She loves listening to and performing all types of music. You can often overhear Nancy saying: “A home without a piano is like a day without sunshine.”
Carolyn Behrens
Board of Directors
Carolyn taught Speech and Drama at Hefner Middle School in the Putnam City District for 20, and at Crossings Christian School for 5 years. She has been a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church since 1978 and sings in the Adult Choir, ensembles and solos. She directed The Carpenter’s Kids Children’s Choir for 18 years and serves on the Lay Ministry Board writing and directing many church dramas and skits. Carolyn graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in Communication Arts and Sciences. She has been married to Gene for over 40 years and is blessed to have her married children and 5 grandchildren live nearby.
Rondal Wallace
Board of Directors
Ron is a professional accompanist who has played concerts and performed recitals throughout the United States and Europe. He has also performed extensively and recorded professionally with flutist John L. Edwards. In the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, he has blessed many congregations with music over fifty years of church musicianship.
Ron holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and is nationally certified with Music Teachers National Association. With a devout passion for music education, he taught at the secondary and collegiate levels for 30 years. Currently, he is the staff organist at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Other choral activities include being the Executive Director for the Oklahoma Choral Director’s Association. Ron is a member of American Choral Directors Association, Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, Oklahoma Music Educators Association.
St. Paul's Fine Arts Academy 