Meet Our Private Music Instructors

Proudly teaching students in Jackson Township & Massillon, OH

Lurae Toussant

Director / Piano Instructor

Lurae Toussant is a lifelong pianist and performer. Passionate about music education, she has taught all ages and levels for over 20 years and has maintained a private piano studio for the past 20 years. She graduated from Malone University in 2020, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music with piano emphasis. She also completed her Certificate in Piano Pedagogy in the Fall of 2017. She has studied piano performance, pedagogy and jazz composition with professors Yao Lu, Dr. Michael Benson, and Dr. Ballard. Currently, she is an active member of OMTA/MTNA, plays in local ensembles and community events, and hosts annual recitals.

Ryan Smurthwaite

Guitar & Ukulele Instructor

Originally hailing from West Virginia, Ryan Smurthwaite graduated from West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in music technology and music performance. He studied under Pittsburgh-based guitarist Scott Elliott and Wheeling-based, Emmy award winning composer / producer /studio engineer Jamie Peck.

Studying guitar for well over a decade, Ryan has taught guitar on and off professionally for two years. Besides teaching, he works as a freelance producer and recording engineer, where he has written and recorded several releases under his name, as well as a co-writer with up and coming Ohio Valley country musician Joey Adams and multiple clients spanning across all genres of music. Ryan lives in Cuyahoga Falls with his wife and dog, and apart from music, he spends his free time cooking, playing retro video games and sneaker shopping.

Autumn Rane

Guitar, Voice, Piano, Banjo, Mandolin, Bass & Strings Instructor

Shawna Hill

Voice, Piano & Strings Instructor

Shawna Hill graduated from Malone University in 2017 with her Bachelors of Science in Music Education, with a focus in voice studies. During her career, she has taught a variety of students of abilities and ages ranging from PK-adult. While her primary instrument is voice, she also teaches beginner/intermediate piano, and beginner strings & woodwind.

While most of her career has been teaching large groups as a music teacher, she also has years of experience teaching privately as well.

In addition to teaching, she also enjoys performing and is part of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus where she sings alto 1. On the side, she also volunteers with Hearts for Music (an orchestra for special needs).

She aims to create a positive space for learning and is passionate about watching those grow in their musicianship.

Michele Hartley

Piano Instructor

Michele loves teaching and sharing her passion for music with children, teens and adults. She began teaching piano lessons as a teen herself. Her special interest includes patiently working with beginner level students. A few of her students have pursued music further, with performances at Carnegie Hall at the age of six and majoring in performance at The Juilliard School of Music.

Michele is an elementary school counselor with Akron Public Schools. She earned her Master’s of Education Degree in School Counseling from Kent State University and her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education (K-8) from Bowling Green State University, with a minor in music education. She began her career teaching kindergarten, first and second grade for several years. She has been a school counselor (K-12) for the majority of her career in rural, suburban and inner city schools. During the summers she has been actively involved as a counselor with Girl Scouts, Camp Quality, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Summer Conservatory and Johns Hopkins University- Center forTalented Youth in Hong Kong and California.

She enjoys teaching students how to discover the genre of music that fits well with who they are as individuals. Helping students to acquire life-long musical skills and an appreciation for the arts is beyond rewarding for her. Outside of teaching and counseling, Michele enjoys concerts, musicals, traveling, reading, playing piano, hiking, yoga, kayaking and biking. She is a retired professional clown, graduating from Ohio Clown School. Her favorite motto is “Every day is a gift with something new to discover”.

Devon Crooks

Guitar Instructor

Devon Crooks is a musician, producer, composer, and audio engineer from Northeast Ohio who attended Kent State University receiving a dual BSM degree in Music Production and Audio Recording. They specialized in electric guitar and classical guitar, but they also studied percussion, piano, synthesis, and choral style vocals at Kent State University.
Devon has worked on several independent projects including albums, demos, commercials, podcasts, YouTube editing orchestral scoring, VST coding and much more.
Devon enjoys all things art and culture. Including museums, galleries, concerts, trying new food, and traveling to new places. Devon also enjoys technology, video games and tabletop games as well as reading.

Kaitlin Privara

Voice Instructor

Kaitlin is a vocalist and vocal instructor from Cleveland, Ohio. With ten years of pedagogy experience, she believes in teaching healthy vocal technique, aural skills, music theory, and music history to help her students become well-rounded musicians. Kaitlin utilizes a variety of teaching methods, such as Kodály and Estill Voice Training, because something different works for every student! She earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Cedarville University, where she directed CU’s premier a cappella group, The Inversions. In past years, Kaitlin had the pleasure of coaching the jazz band vocalists of the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association. She currently sings with the Akron Symphony Chorus, and when she’s not singing or teaching, you can find her reading a good book or thrift shopping.

Ellie Chamblee

Piano Instructor

Ellie Chamblee began playing piano at age five, studying with Bernard and Carolyn Shaak in Denver, CO, for sixteen years. She competed in local and state competitions and began teaching piano students at age fourteen. Ellie currently studies piano with Dr. Maira Liliestedt and has enjoyed many performance opportunities the past several years.

Additionally, Ellie earned a BS in Cell Biology from University of California Santa Barbara and a BSN from University of Colorado. As a nurse she has worked in rehab, med surg, newborn nursery, sedation dentistry and lactation consulting. Playing piano has always been Ellie’s favorite activity, she even dressed as Mozart for Halloween at age ten! Ellie resides in Canton, Ohio with her husband, Erick, and four children.

John Alexander

Percussion and Upright Bass Instructor

John Alexander is a versatile and accomplished musician, specializing in double bass and percussion. As Principal Bassist with the Kent State Orchestra and former snare drum section leader of the Kent State Marching Band, John has honed his craft under the mentorship of some of
the region’s most respected bassists. He has performed with numerous professional orchestras and operates a private studio, where he provides high-quality instruction to aspiring young musicians.
Committed to excellence, John has guided students of all ages and skill levels for six years, fostering their musical growth and passion.

Ben French

Piano and Trumpet Instructor

Ben French is a professional trumpet and piano player and teacher. He graduated from The University of Akron in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He has taught brass and piano lessons since 2017. He has performed with Not Quite Saints Dixieland Band, Northeast Ohio Jazz Orchestra, and solo acts on trumpet. As well as, performing solo and group performances at many churches on piano. He has taught in public and private schools in music and has also taught adult music lessons.

Quinn Mattern

Flute Instructor

Quinn is a graduate of the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance and Chemistry, where she was a student of George Pope. She is currently a Master of Music student at the University of Akron, studying with Kimberly Zaleski. At Baldwin Wallace, she was a member of the Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble and she now performs in Akron’s Wind Symphony, Orchestra, and Graduate Wind Quintet. She currently holds the Graduate Teaching Assistantship at Akron for Flute.

She believes in a positive and fun lesson atmosphere while keeping productivity, creating an enjoyable learning environment where students feel welcomed to grow. The most effective learning occurs when students are fully engaged in the process and feel comfortable in their learning space and she strives to create these conditions in her lessons.

Shane Adams

Trombone, Baritone & Tuba Instructor

Shane Adams is a trombonist and educator based in northeastern Ohio. He maintains an active private teaching studio and is happy to join the team at the Jackson Massillon School of Music. He has held low brass teaching positions throughout northeastern Ohio. A versatile musician, Shane is equally adept performing in jazz, classical, and chamber music. He regularly performs in multiple jazz ensembles and is a lead trombone player in the Ohio Community Trombone Choir. Shane believes it is important to bring music to the greater Akron community and has performed in a wide variety of venues including the Akron zoo, nursing homes, jazz clubs, churches, and performance halls across Ohio.

Shane is currently pursuing a degree in music education with a minor in jazz studies at the University of Akron. He studies under Dr. Lauren Rudzinskas and takes jazz lessons with Prof. Theron Brown. He aspires to share his love for music to surrounding communities and believes that music is for everyone regardless of their age or background.