Merry Music Makers

OUR TEACHERS create a fun musical experience that spurs engagement and supports each child's musical development. All of them are passionate about music and guiding the growth and development of every child's musical ability. All of our early childhood instructors are Registered or Certified Music Together® instructors. Each and every private lessons instructor will tailor the method to the individual student's learning style, which may include the Suzuki methods or a more traditional approach.

Devin Burgess

Violin Instructor

Originally from the Finger Lakes region of New York, Devin began playing the violin at the age of four and spent the entirety of her first lesson hiding under the table. An enthusiastic teacher, Devin enjoys exploring where learning and play interact, tailoring her teaching approach to the individual and creating an environment that fosters a love of music. Devin received her Bachelors in Music Performance from Baldwin Wallace University and her Masters in Viola Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oregon. She is currently pursuing a Performance Certificate from DePaul University. When away from her viola, Devin enjoys playing street hockey, spending time with the family dogs, and eating ramen.

Katie Dunn-Rankin

Early Childhood Music Instructor

Katie Dunn-Rankin is an early childhood educator with experience teaching kindergarten and preschool. With a background in musical theatre, Katie has a lifelong love of music and performing that she has enjoyed sharing with young people since she was still in grade school herself. She has a degree in elementary education from Wheaton College, and a certification in ESL education, speaking conversational Spanish. These days, Katie enjoys acting in the comedy and theatre scene here in Chicago, as well as performing in character at children’s birthday parties and events with Princess Party Chicago

Jessie Ewers

Early Childhood Music Instructor & Enrollment Manager

Jessie is a mother of two daughters and music and dance has always been a part of their everyday routine--whether it be family karaoke night or a random dance party in their living room. She was in choir and acapella singing groups all through school. Jessie worked as a preschool teaching assistant at a local public school and a Montessori school. She has her paraprofessional education certificate, as well as an associate's in early childhood education. When she's not teaching, or handling enrollment for MMM, she loves to spend time with her daughters and snuggle with her dog.

Amber Farish

Early Childhood, Voice & Piano Instructor

Amber Farish grew up in Orlando, Florida, and has been living in Illinois since 2014. Her love of music and play allowed her to take to the Music Together curriculum like a fish to water, and under the mentorship of Julie De Grandpré, she completed her training in 2021. When Amber is not leading group classes at Merry Music Makers she teaches private voice and piano lessons in the suburbs at Des Plaines School of Music. Amber earned her Master’s Degree in 2016 in Vocal Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Bernadette Garza

Voice & Piano Instructor

Bernadette has over 15 years of professional experience teaching and a genuine excitement to develop musical growth at any age through ear training, pitch recognition, rhythmic structure and harmonic expression. She has performed throughout the regional Midwest in the classical, musical theater, and contemporary genres, including Chicago Opera Theater's Nixon in China, American Chamber Opera’s Madame Butterfly, and Porchlight Theater’s Ragtime. Bernadette works with several different groups as lead vocalist, performing for live music venues, jazz series, festivals, and private events. She has a Masters of Voice degree from the Chicago Conservatory of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Taylor Knowles

Early Childhood Music Instructor

Taylor Knowles enjoys facilitating musical experiences that focus on movement, creating, and accompanying music. She always dreamed of living in Chicago and began her career as a PreK-8th grade general music teacher in 2018. She has a bachelor's of music education from Illinois State University. When she isn't in the classroom, Taylor enjoys exploring the outdoors, reading novels, and baking.

Camille McClain

Executive Director & Early Childhood Instructor

Camille McClain has been teaching and managing the daily operations of Merry Music Makers since 2016. Prior to that, she spent most of her career in performing arts marketing--most recently at the Chicago Sinfonietta and Lyric Opera of Chicago. As a musician, it was important to her to find the best music class for her children, so shortly after her first child was born she did some research on the available options and enrolled her daughter in Music Together class. She became such an advocate for the curriculum that after she quit her job downtown, she accepted the role of Marketing Director for Merry Music Makers in 2014. She still sings and plays her flute at church for the love of performing and to make sure that her degree in music is put to good use!

Cara Paden

Early Childhood Instructor

Cara grew up in a musical family and always knew she would utilize this nurturing later in life. She obtained a bachelor's at Goshen College in Indiana and went on to teach elementary school for a year in Zimbabwe. She then went on to obtain her masters in music therapy at Illinois State University. She has been facilitating music therapy groups at various behavioral health hospitals in the Chicago area before joining InTouch & Motion, a private practice for creative art therapists. Cara believes that her varied experiences have helped shape who she is as an inclusive and mindful music therapist. She is excited to join Merry Music Makers and bring joy to all the families who join her classes.

Kristen Regester

Early Childhood Music Instructor & Program Manager

A percussionist, dancer, and singer, Kristen Regester has been teaching and performing around Chicago since 1999. She started her career at Sherwood Community Music School and received her Music Together certification in 2000. She went on to create early childhood curricula and served as Children’s Program Chair at Columbia College. Kristen now spends her time applying the principles of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a unique kinesthetic approach to music education, to the students at four different music schools. She is very passionate about working with children who are differently-abled, and finds that music is the bridge connecting her to them. Kristen holds a BA in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Michigan.

Sam Sharp

Violin Instructor & Program Manager

Sam Sharp is a music teacher, violinist, composer, arranger, and very mediocre juggler. A full-time teacher since 2010, Sam uses his Suzuki training, therapy and healing work, and performance experience to create a unique and highly personalized learning environment. His vision as a teacher is to guide each student in a way that allows them to find their own creatively fulfilling path with music. Sam's performing activities include outreach concerts at hospitals and schools and shows with his Beatles string quartet. He loves playing classical, blues, bluegrass, and Irish music and has been exploring improvisation as important element of learning the violin. He holds violin performance degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University.

William Smith

Guitar Instructor

William's teaching career began soon after he took up the guitar at age 11, offering instruction to peers and family friends. This passion for teaching continued at Ball State University where he taught fellow students. After graduating in 2013 with his Bachelor of Music Performance degree, William moved to Chicago where he earned his Master of Music degree at DePaul University. William also teaches after-school guitar classes through AES’s Guitar Stars program and assists with Suzuki instruction within DePaul’s Community Music Division. William enjoys performing with various ensembles in the Chicago area, gigs with his bands, composes/arranges works for the guitar.