Music Lessons
Exclusive Services
Private Music Lessons for all ages are offered in voice, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, and guitar by our talented teachers. For more information about music lessons, please contact Emma Brestensky, Education Coordinator,
Amy Morgan
Artistic Director
Voice and Piano Instructor
​Amy Morgan is a native of the Eastern Shore and an accomplished musician whose education includes a Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from Salisbury University and Masters in Choral Conducting from Messiah College. Music education and its value to the community inspire her as a director and teacher. Amy has extensive experience as a choral, operetta, and musical theatre director, is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, and is an active musician the Easton community.
Emma Brestensky
Education Coordinator
Emma originates from Butler, Pennsylvania, where she started her musical journey. She holds a degree in Music Education from Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA, and has three years of experience teaching middle school band in Caroline County. While working toward her degree, Emma performed in the wind ensemble and orchestra on flute, and the Symphonic Winds ensemble on baritone. Emma mentors beginner and intermediate wind instrumentalists individually, in small groups while working on tone production, posture, breathing, and music theory. She is passionate about building a strong foundation for music literacy and good technique in beginning and intermediate musicians to prepare them for a lifetime of successful music-making.
Merideth Buxton
Strings Instructor
Since arriving on the Eastern Shore in 1982, Merideth Buxton estimates that she has given lessons to thousands of children, teens, and adults at Washington College, her studio in Royal Oak, and at workshops in New York, D.C., Virginia, and North Carolina. She is the founder, director, and principal instructor of First Strings, a youth outreach program of Chesapeake Music, and also performs frequently as a viola soloist and orchestra member. Merideth's background includes a Bachelors in Music Education from the SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music and a Masters in Suzuki Pedagogy from Ithaca College.
Gerry Devine
Guitar Instructor
Gerry Devine is excited to join the Allegro family as guitar teacher. After studying at Penn State and The Guitar Study Center in New York, he enjoyed a long career in music in New York and Nashville. He came home to DelMarVa to work at PRS Guitars and still performs at local venues . Gerry's adept at multiple styles of popular guitar and tailors lessons to the specific interests and ability of the student.
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Dr. Debra Dew
Piano Instructor
Dr. Debra is an Eastern Shore native who has returned to the Shore after residing in Illinois. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in music education, with piano as her primary instrument. She earned her PhD in teacher education and supervision at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. During that time, she also enrolled in several music courses. Dr. Dew has taught elementary and middle school general music, operated a private piano studio, taught college students how to become teachers in all content areas, taught piano ensemble, keyboard, and theory classes, and accompanied church choirs. For fun, she has sung in various choral groups and accompanied instrumental students during recitals.
Carey Miller
Cello Instructor
Carey Miller has been teaching private cello lessons since moving to the mid-shore area in the 1980’s, but first began classical cello training at the age of 12 in Wilmington, DE with Karen Ahramjian, then in Philadelphia, PA with Elsa Hilger followed by 4 years at Cornell Univ. with John Hsu. She then spent the next five years in Kenya working as a field-biologist in one of the many amazing national parks. Returning to the US, she settled on the eastern shore of Maryland, and picking up her cello again, she found her way into the musical community in Easton. Carey has participated in numerous orchestras, chamber groups, solo recitals, and musical theatre groups starting from the years she was in high school and continuing to do so in the present time. Along with Merideth Buxton, she keeps busy playing for ceremonies and receptions as Shore Strings of Easton, relying on her music to balance out her other profession in her life…she has been a full-time farrier (horse-shoeing) since 1986 and operates a horse boarding farm.
Laura Spies
Voice Instructor
Laura holds an undergraduate degree in music and a master's degree in music education, which is her passion above all other things. She has worked with various local choirs, participated in and directed local musicals, taught voice and piano lessons for more than a decade, and currently teaches general music, chorus, and theater. Laura enjoys sharing her love of music and theater with her students and her children.
Dr. Robert Tennyson
Brass Instructor
Dr. Robert Tennyson is a professional trombone and baritone player and conductor with over 40 years of private trumpet/trombone/baritone/tuba teaching experience -- from beginners to graduate school. His teaching career has included positions at Montgomery College, American University, Columbia Union College, Tirolian State School of Music and the University of Innsbruck (Austria). Dr Tennyson has degrees from Indiana University and the University of Maryland with concentrations in performance, brass pedagogy and conducting. Over the years his trumpet, trombone and tuba students have been chosen for Maryland All-state Band/Orchestra and several All-county/honor bands.
Diane Thomas
Woodwind and Beginning Band Instructor
A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Diane Thomas began playing flute at an early age. In high school, she performed in the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra, touring Romania, Austria, Germany and Russia. A flute scholar, she studied with Robert Prichard at Morehead State University. She earned the MFA in flute performance at Carnegie Mellon University where she studied flute with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra principal flutist, Bernard Goldberg. Diane moved to the mid-shore area in 1989. She has played with The Lexington (KY) Choral Arts Society, The Talbot Chamber Orchestra and The Mid- Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. She has performed in numerous orchestras for the Easton Choral Arts Society, Tidewater Singers, Music Theatre, and many churches. Diane is recently retired from 30 years of teaching music for Talbot County Schools. She served on faculties at St. Michaels, Tilghman, and Easton elementary schools. Presently she is very excited to be teaching beginning instrumental music at SS. Peter & Paul Elementary School. Diane lives in St. Michaels with her husband, William and daughter, Zoe.
Abby West
Piano Instructor
Abby was lucky to have both a grandmother and mother who taught piano. She started piano at age five with her mom and at age 12 joined the studio of Marjorie Leonardi. After high school, where she was actively involved in bands, accompanying, choirs and church services, she went to a school that took music seriously, Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa. While getting a BA in Music, Abby performed with Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.
Since 2006, Abby has been teaching piano students of all abilities, ages 6 and up. Abby is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and believes that you get out of piano lessons what you put in.