Teachers

 

Tami Losoncy

President

Tami Losoncy is wife to David and mother to Zachary and Megan.  She began MSPA in Tulsa in 2001 and opened the studio in 2003.  Tami has been a vocalist for 25 years.  She began her singing “career” with her first solo “Away in a Manger” in the 3rd grade.  In 1985 she was awarded a vocal scholarship to the University of Tulsa.  She has been actively singing in her church choirs throughout the years and also was the children’s choir director for the St. Nicholas choir at Christ the King from 2001 until May of 2007.  She is currently a vocalist in the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and sits on the Board of Directors where she is the Gala Fundraising Chair.  Her credits include:  The Soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, and Shubert’s Mass in G.  She has performed many major choral works including Bach’s Mass in b-Minor, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and Orff’s Carmina Burana in conjunction with the Tulsa Ballet.  She has sung in many great cities including New York City, New York (Carnegie Hall under the direction of John Rutter), Atlanta, Georgia, Washington DC, as well as Rome and Florence, Italy.

 

 

BOUNCE'N BEETHOVENS/ BABY BACH'S/ MOZART MASTERS

Deena Smith

Deena Smith, 34, lives in Tulsa with her husband Christopher and their two boys, Kyler (7) and Julian (2). She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University with a BA in Early Childhood Education, and she loves watching children learn. Deena is still in her first year of teaching at MSPA, but she has about 15 total years experience teaching dance. She has also worked with children as a substitute and summer teacher in several preschool and elementary school settings. Deena’s music background includes 10 years of piano lessons, two years of flute, four years of “Jazz Singers” in high school and a lifetime of participation in church choirs. She has been a song leader at her church’s Vacation Bible School every summer for the past six years. Her ten plus years experience as a mobile DJ and assistant also served to broaden her knowledge and love of almost every type of music. Her favorite genre of music is jazz, which goes well with her favorite style of dance—tap! Deena looks forward to many more years of fostering our budding musicians at MSPA. 

 

 

Kelly began teaching with MSPA in June 2007.  Kelly has worked for the Tulsa Park & Recreation Department where she organized and taught after-school arts & craft classes, organized activities, and supervised 50 children in Spring Break & Summer Day Camps.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and taught 2nd grade for Tulsa Public Schools for five years.  After the birth of her first son, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom, but always dreamed of returning to work with children someday.  Kelly resides in Tulsa with her husband of ten years, Darrel, and her two sons, Cameron and Jack.  Her interests include watching her son Cameron play ice and roller hockey, special playdate times with Jack, attending Tulsa area sporting events, volunteering at her children's schools, and scrapbooking when there's time!!  She has had so much fun working for MSPA these past few months and is very excited to be working with small children again in such a rewarding experience!  There is nothing like the feeling of a child shouting, "Yea!!!!  It's time for Music!!!  Our Music Teacher is here!!!! Yea!!!!"

 

 

 

Debra Olson

32, has been teaching with MSPA for 3 years.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and has worked as a nanny for 10 years.  Outside of work Debra enjoys reading, photography, scrap booking and playing the piano.  Debra is one of MSPA’s most experienced teachers.  She excels with children and is a joy to be around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Theater / Private Lessons

 

Charlotte Shannon

Piano/Voice Teacher

Charlotte lives in Broken Arrow with her husband Patrick and their daugther, Claire (2).  Charlotte holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Oral Roberts University with a minor in education and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She holds an Oklahoma Teaching Certificate in K-12 vocal music. Charlotte has taught K-12 grades in private and public schools for eight years and has taught private piano and voice lessons for seven years. She has directed elementary, middle school, and high school choirs which have received superior ratings at the district and state level. Her voice students have also received such honors as All-State Choir Members and National ACDA Choir Members. Charlotte has also taught drama at the middle school and high school level and directed musicals, including “Fiddler on the Roof”, “The Music Man”, and “The Sound of Music”. She designed and wrote music curriculum for K-12 grades and has designed the vocal and piano curriculum for Midtown School of Performing Arts. She is a member of MENC, OCDA, and ACDA and has attended conferences and training seminars with each of these organizations. Charlotte has also received such honors as Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and Who’s Who Among American Women. She currently sings in the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Tulsa and is the director and a teacher for Midtown School of Performing Arts. 

 

Lauren Gancarz

Catoosa Studio Director

Lauren is a Tulsa native who lives in Broken Arrow with her husband, Thomas.  Coming from a musical family, her love of singing began before she can remember.  At Jenks High School, Lauren was an active participant in choir and a member of showchoir during all four years.  She also performed in shows such as "Sound of Music" and "Guys and Dolls".  Lauren attended Oral Roberts University on a music scholarship to pursue a degree in Vocal Music Education.  While at ORU, Lauren sang in the prestigious "Chamber Singers" and "Ladies and Gentlemen of Jazz".  In 2004, she graduated summa cum laude and "Muisc Education Student of the Year".  From 2004-2008, Lauren worked in Broken Arrow Public Schools as a middle school choir director and general music teachers.  During her four years as choir director, she had students accepted in OCDA all-state and OMEA all-state children's chorus.  At her church, Christian Chapel, Lauren sings on the Praise Team and leads both youth and adult choirs in special productions and musicals.  Lauren has been a private voice intructor since 2004, and she also works as a showchoir choreographer.  In her spare time, Lauren enjoys oil painting and spending time with her husband.

 

Chris Combs

Private Guitar Teacher

Chris Combs is a professional musician in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He began playing live during his freshman year at Bishop Kelley High School.  Since then, he has forged a stellar reputation as one of the finest composers and performers in Tulsa and abroad.  His guitar playing has taken him all over the country and has afforded Chris the opportunity to play with some of the world's top musicians. For the past three years, he has taught music in Tulsa working with Project Creates, Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.  He now teaches private guitar with Midtown School of Performing Arts.  Chris holds numerous awards for his involvement in original music and performance from The Tulsa World, The Urban Tulsa, and Tulsa Community College.  This summer, he will embark on an East Coast tour with the internationally acclaimed jazz-fusion group Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.  The group will play many of the nation's finest venues including the world famous Blue Note in New York.  Chris is currently working on a Bachelor's degree at OSU-Tulsa.

 

Teresa Sutter

Private Piano Teacher 

Teresa Sutter has been teaching private piano lessons for five years. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Alma College (Alma, Michigan). She graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.9 GPA) and received honors in music (4.0 GPA). She was awarded over $30,000 in a music scholarship from Alma which helped fund her 4-year music education at this private, liberal-arts school. During college she played in the jazz band, sang in the choir, tutored beginning students in music theory, recorded her first CD, and led worship at a local church. Her experience previous to college involved a few competitions, many performances, and annual recitals. She won 3rd place at a piano competition at the Midland Center for Performing Arts in Midland, MI (1998). She sang and danced in three musicals, "Singin' in the Rain," "Babes in Arms," and "Bye-Bye Birdie." Her natural talent was discovered at the age of four and continued to develop through private lessons from well-respected teachers. Not only did she invest 18 years in piano lessons, but also ten years in dance and four years in vocal training. She particularly loves writing new pieces of music and arranging traditional ones. She enjoys teaching piano and watching each student experience the beauty and passion embedded within the printed page. Her future dream is to one day be the founder/director and producer of a music, dance, and drama company that travels the world with an irresistable message. As for now, she is working on her Master of Divinity degree at Oral Roberts University where she is diligently maintaining a 4.0 GPA while sporadically traveling the world on short-term mission trips.
 

 

Mike Friedemann

Private Drum Teacher

Beginning at an early age, Mike Friedemann began banging and hitting pots and pans.  Playing on toy drum kits, he soon found himself in the school concert band, marching band and jazz band.  Performing was his forte.  Numerous awards including metro honor band for Tulsa Public Schools and alternate All-State Jazz drummer in 1995-1996, he then entered Tulsa Community College, where he performed for the jazz band and won the 1997 TCC Talent Show.  Mesmerizing an audience, Mike drummed a six and half minute drum solo. Northeastern State University, in Tahlequah, Ok offered Mike a scholarship for drumming where he performed in the NSU Jazz bands, and eventually earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in applied music.  Several bands including Radio Wave Days, Tony Romanello Band, Philip Zoellner Band and many others hired Mike to record in the studio and perform regularly around Tulsa, Ok and regionally throughout the United States.  Presently, Mike has found a home at the Midtown School for the Performing Arts where he continues to teach the art of drumming through sight-reading and ear training educating young students how to drum.  Mike's goal is to continue the traditions and give these young students private lessons so that they may gain a healthy respect for music and apply their newly learned skill to all aspects of their growing lives.
 

 

Megan Banning

Private Piano Teacher

Megan Banning's 21 years of musical experience began in group classes at the age of three.  Two years later she began taking piano the instrument which has dominated her artistic studies. At the age of eleven Megan added the flute and later the piccolo.  Superior ratings for flute and piano in contests, and her musical talents earned Megan a music scholarship at The University of Tulsa. There she studied under Anna Norberg on piano and under Dr. Jeffrey Rush for the flute.  At TU Megan gained experience accompanying fellow students, participating in the marching band, pep band and other music ensembles. Megan's dependability and high level of organization, along with a push from fate, allowed Megan to become the administrative assistant for the University of Tulsa band program:  A student position that carries with it the responsibility of taking attendance; distribution of uniforms; attending to the needs of the students; being a liaison between the student body and the band directors; and assisting the field commander during performances by being a secondary conductor. At the University of Tulsa Megan is currently working on her bachelor's of arts in music (piano emphasis) and political science with a secondary concentration in international studies.  Megan is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota women's music and service fraternity. Megan speaks three languages (English, French, and Japanese) at fluent or near fluent levels and her other interests include traveling, cultures, and history. Megan has been teaching at the Midtown School of Performing Arts for nearly three years and enjoys her job immensely.  Megan particularly loves teaching the beginner students.  Taking an individualistic approach to each student has helped her be successful at keeping the young student motivated and interested in music.  Megan's goal as a teacher/mentor is to help each child develop a love for music and to have fun expressing themselves through music.

 

 

Noam Faingold

Composer in Residence

Noam Faingold is an eclectic composer who combines pop, modernism and jazz with music from his South American and Middle Eastern heritage.  Currently residing in London, Noam is a member of the NYC-based composer's collective Circles and Lines and is also the composer-in-residence for  Midtown School of Performing Arts.  He has been the composition assistant at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick, ME and his studies include several summers at the Freie Universitat Berlin, the NYU/ASCAP film-scoring workshop and at Bowdoin, where his works have been programmed at the Gamper festival of Contemporary Music.  Other major performances include venues such as the Academy der Kunst in Berlin, Tulsa International Mayfest, Congregation B'nai Emunah and Temple Israel high holiday services and NYC venues like Le Poisson Rouge, Roulette Gallery and Liederkranz recital hall.  Current projects include a concerto for virtuoso double bassist Kurt Muroki (Chamber Music at Lincoln Center), an orchestral collaboration with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and the 2010 OKMozart Festival and perfomances as composer/guitarist/singer/conductor with his rock orchestra the Noam Faingold Orchestra.  the NFO, wich performs both original music and classical repertoire has had the honor of being named on of the 20 finalists in the BBC's "Next Big Thing 2007" competition, out of more than 2,000 entries from 88 countries, and opening the 2009 Lower East side Festival.  Recent performances as a double bassist include concerts with the One World Symphony, Bowdoin Festival Orchestra, the Manhattan Camerata and the Boston-based Juventas new music ensemble.

Noam is currently pursuing his PhD in music composition at king's College London as a Jcak Kent Cooke scholar in the studio of Silvina Milstein, with a teaching assistantship in music analysis.  He holds an MA in music composition from NYU and a BM from the University of Tulsa.  His principal mentors have been Samuel Adler, Ezequiel Vinao, Justin Dello Joio, Claude Baker, Roger Price and Joseph Rivers.