Community Music Academy

• Tuition-free, two-year-long after-school group classes in Violin and Cello at select local elementary schools; instruments provided for a minimal fee. Any 2nd-3rd graders may enroll in Violin classes, 3rd-5th graders in Cello classes.
• Tuition-free Beginning Youth Choir meeting at TLU. Any 1st-3rd graders may enroll.
• Need-based scholarships covering tuition for students in CMA Youth Orchestras or the higher level CMA Youth Choirs.

The Lindenbaum Outreach Program offers youth in Seguin-area communities high quality after-school programs in string and choral music, two types of music education that are otherwise lacking in the area’s school districts, music shops, and private studios.

By reaching out to elementary-age students, we hope to create a snowball effect in the development of cognitive, social, and emotional skills through the challenges of learning music in an encouraging learning environment, which also strengthens their families and communities.

Violin and Cello classes will last for two school years; in most cases, class times and locations remain the same from year to year—no need to adjust your family’s schedule in order to continue into the second year. All Lindenbaum Outreach Program instructors use the Suzuki Method, a holistic approach specifically designed to successfully teach young students to play beautifully. Students who complete the two-year after-school curriculum are welcome to join the Community Music Academy’s Beginning Youth Orchestra without audition.

Beginning Choir will teach young students to be aware of their physical posture and develop self-control, listening, and focus skills. Students will learn to match pitches and begin to discern differences in the tone quality of their voices, laying the foundation for developing strong, resonant speaking and singing voices through adolescence. Foundations of music reading are also addressed and will continue to be developed as students grow into the Intermediate and Advanced Youth Choirs.

The Lindenbaum Outreach Program is partially funded by the Lindenbaum Music Education Fund, which was created by a generous donation to TLU by the Lindenbaum family. The Community Music Academy also has received, or currently receives, FUNDING from the Texas Lutheran University School of Music, the Dubón Family Foundation, Barbara Ringen, Mid-Texas Symphony, Guadalupe County United Way, the Seguin Rotary Club, Seguin ISD, Navarro ISD, and from many individual donors.

Criteria for Acceptance into the Program

When registering for the Lindenbaum Outreach Program, you are committing to the following criteria:

• Families in violin and cello classes are asked to commit to participate for the entire two-year curriculum. We can help if you’re having trouble!
• A parent or guardian must attend violin and cello classes with the student.
• Parents and students in both Strings and Choir classes should practice together and be prepared for class each week.
• Missing three or more classes or a required concert may result in dismissal from the program.
• Parents or guardians of Strings Class students renting CMA instruments will be responsible for paying a $20 instrument maintenance fee.
• Parents or guardians of Beginning Choir students will be responsible for paying a $10 music fee each semester.

Programa de Extensión de Cuerdas y Coro de Lindenbaum

El programa Lindenbaum Outreach ofrece a los jóvenes de las comunidades de Seguin programas extraescolares de alta calidad en música de cuerda y coral, dos tipos de educación musical que, de otro modo, escasean en los distritos escolares, las tiendas de música y los estudios privados de la zona.

Al llegar a estudiantes de primaria, esperamos crear un efecto dominó en el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas, sociales y emocionales a través de los retos del aprendizaje musical, en un entorno de aprendizaje estimulante que también fortalezca a sus familias y comunidades.

Las clases de violín y violonchelo duran dos años escolares; en la mayoría de los casos, los horarios y lugares de clase se mantienen, por lo que no es necesario modificar el horario familiar para continuar en el segundo año. Todos los instructores del Programa de Extensión Lindenbaum utilizan el Método Suzuki , un enfoque integral diseñado específicamente para enseñar a los jóvenes estudiantes a tocar con belleza. Los estudiantes que completen el programa extracurricular de dos años pueden unirse a la Orquesta Juvenil de Iniciación de la Academia de Música Comunitaria sin necesidad de audición.

El coro para principiantes enseñará a los jóvenes estudiantes a ser conscientes de su postura y a desarrollar el autocontrol, la capacidad de escucha y la concentración. Aprenderán a entonar correctamente y a distinguir las diferencias en la calidad del tono de sus voces, sentando las bases para desarrollar voces fuertes y resonantes, tanto al hablar como al cantar, durante la adolescencia. También se abordarán los fundamentos de la lectura musical, que se seguirán desarrollando a medida que los estudiantes avancen a los coros juveniles intermedios y avanzados.

El Programa de Extensión Lindenbaum está financiado en parte por el Fondo de Educación Musical Lindenbaum, creado gracias a una generosa donación de la familia Lindenbaum a la Universidad Luterana de Texas (TLU). La Academia de Música Comunitaria también ha recibido, o recibe actualmente, financiación de la Escuela de Música de la Universidad Luterana de Texas, la Fundación Familia Dubón, Barbara Ringen, la Orquesta Sinfónica de Mid-Texas, la organización United Way del Condado de Guadalupe, el Club Rotario de Seguin, el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Seguin (Seguin ISD), el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Navarro (Navarro ISD) y de numerosos donantes individuales.

Criterios de admisión al programa

Al inscribirse en el Programa de Extensión Lindenbaum, usted se compromete a cumplir con los siguientes criterios:

• Se solicita a las familias inscritas en las clases de violín y violonchelo que se comprometan a participar durante los dos años del programa. ¡Podemos ayudarles si tienen algún problema!
• Un padre o tutor legal debe acompañar al estudiante a las clases de violín y violonchelo.
• Los padres y los alumnos de las clases de cuerdas y coro deben practicar juntos y estar preparados para la clase cada semana.
• Faltar a 3 o más clases o a un concierto obligatorio puede resultar en la expulsión del programa.
• Los padres o tutores de los alumnos de la clase de cuerdas que alquilen instrumentos de CMA serán responsables del pago de una cuota de mantenimiento de 20 dólares por el instrumento.
• Los padres o tutores de los alumnos del coro para principiantes serán responsables de pagar una cuota musical de 10 dólares cada semestre.

Contáctanos

¿Tienes alguna pregunta? Ponte en contacto con nosotros.

Contacto

• Teléfono: (830) 372-6015
• esiu@tlu.edu

• Beginning and Intermediate Youth Orchestras and the advanced ensemble “CMA Performers” provide continuing strings education and ensemble experience for graduates from the Lindenbaum Outreach Program and all students from elementary through high school.
• Youth Orchestras rehearse at TLU.
• Need-based scholarships are available.
• Small group lessons for Youth Orchestra students provide an opportunity to focus on improving specific skills.

The CMA Youth Orchestra program is open to all students and community members playing violin, viola, cello, or bass. All students participating in the Youth Orchestra program are expected to perform twice each year with their ensemble.

• Tuition is $50 per semester, per student plus a $10 music fee for a total of $60.
• Full scholarships are provided from the Lindenbaum Fund to students with financial need. Families qualify for the need-based scholarship if they are eligible for any Federal or State assistance programs such as the Free and Reduced-price School Lunch Program, SNAP/WIC, CHIP/Medicaid, etc. Qualifying families may select the scholarship during registration. View the income guidelines for the School Lunch Program.

Ensembles

• Beginning Orchestra
  • Director: Ms. Liz Massad
  • Meetings: Mondays, 4:30- 5:30 p.m.
  • Location: Meet at TLU Schuech Fine Arts – Band Hall
  • Eligibility: Level 2 violin or cello class graduates, or by teacher recommendation
• Chamber Orchestra
  • Director: Ms. Liz Massad
  • Meetings: Mondays, 5:45-6:45 p.m.
  • Location: TLU Schuech Fine Arts – Band Hall.
  • Eligibility: Current Chamber Orchestra students, or by audition
  • Audition Requirements:
    • Students should be comfortable with basic music reading and foundational string techniques, including:
      • Fluid note reading in first position.
      • Standard rhythms (whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes/rests).
      • Keys of C, G, A, and D major.
      • Slurs, hooks, staccato, and legato bowings.
  • For further audition information and scheduling, please contact your current instructor or CMA Director Eric Siu.
• CMA Performers
  • Director: Dr. Eric Siu
  • Meetings: Mondays 6:30–7:30 PM
  • Location: TLU Weston Performing Arts Center – Orchestra Hall
  • Eligibility: Current CMA Performers students, or by audition. Private lessons are required for students in this group.
  • Audition Requirements: Students should be comfortable with music reading and advancing string techniques, including:
    • Reading and playing in first and third positions.
    • Standard rhythms (including dotted quarters and sixteenth notes).
    • Keys up to 3 sharps and 3 flats.
    • Emerging vibrato.
  • For further audition information and scheduling, please contact your current instructor or CMA Director Eric Siu.
• Small Group Lessons
  • Small Group Lessons MAY be offered for members of the CMA Youth, directly addressing elements of instrumental technique needed to continue improvement in musicality and advancement in the Youth Orchestra program. Small Group Lessons offer a lower cost but second-best alternative to private lessons.
  • Enrollment is limited to 4-6 students; registration is first-come, first served. Classes with fewer than four registrants may be canceled.
  • Tuition for Small Group Lessons is $150 per student, per 12-week semester.
  • No performance required—the focus is squarely on improving technical skill and musicality.
• Auditions
  • (Chamber Orchestra & CMA Performers)
  • No audition is necessary for Lindenbaum Outreach Program strings class graduates to join the Beginning Orchestra. Just register!
  • Find audition requirements and expectations for entry to each level here, or consult your current instructor.
  • Auditions for the Chamber Orchestra and CMA Performers will be held at the beginning of each semester. See Orchestra calendar for audition dates. Please contact lytaylor@tlu.edu to schedule an audition.

• Intermediate and Advanced Youth Choirs provide continuing vocal education and choral experience for graduates from the Lindenbaum Outreach Program Beginning Choir and all students from late elementary through high school.
• Youth Choirs rehearse at the TLU Chapel.
• Need-based scholarships are available.

The CMA Youth Choirs are open to 1st through 12th grade vocalists interested in developing their vocal skills and participating in the team music-making efforts of a choir.

Students in grades 1-3 should first join the Lindenbaum Outreach Program Beginning Choir. The choir meets on Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the TLU Chapel. The class is tuition free, with a $10 music fee.

Young singers can expect to grow in the areas of healthy vocal production, music reading, confidence in performance, and an appreciation of excellent and diverse choral literature as they progress into the Intermediate and Advanced choirs. The choirs are open to singers in grades 4-12 who are accepted on the basis of individual auditions. Students with lower, changed voices are welcome to participate.

The Intermediate Choir meets Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Advanced Choir meets Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m., in the TLU Chapel. The cost of the Intermediate and Advanced Choirs is $50 for tuition plus a $10 music fee—for a total of $60. Full tuition scholarships are provided through the Lindenbaum Fund to students with financial need. Families qualify for the need-based scholarship if they are eligible for any federal or state assistance programs such as the Free and Reduced-price School Lunch Program, SNAP/WIC, CHIP/Medicaid, etc.

Auditions

• Auditions for Intermediate and Advanced Choir will be held at the beginning of each semester. Please see Choir Calendar for audition dates. Students wishing to join for the first time or advance to the Intermediate or Advanced Choirs must attend a brief audition.
• View Audition Requirements
• The CMA Instructors, Ross Cawthon and Shyanne Bermuda, request that students prepare the first verse of “My Country ‘Tis Of Thee” for the audition.
• View Sheet Music
• Download Practice Track of “My Country ‘Tis Of Thee”

• Weekly one-on-one sessions in violin, viola, cello, bass, or classical guitar.
• Violin instructors use the Suzuki Method; all CMA instructors have extensive training in the Suziki Method or hold a Master of Music or Doctor of Musical Arts on their instrument.

The Community Music Academy offers weekly private lessons in violin, viola, cello, bass, and classical guitar from some of the best professional musicians and teachers in Central Texas at a very affordable rate. All CMA string instructors utilize the Suzuki Method.

Students are expected to practice regularly, to bring a pencil and all assigned music to lessons, and to perform in a solo recital at the end of each semester in which they are registered for private lessons. Instructors may ask that parents remain present during lessons with their child.

Class Fees & Duration

Registration for private lessons includes 12 lessons per semester.

• 30-minute lessons = $325
• 45-minute lessons = $425
• 60-minute lessons = $525

Scheduling

• Private lessons for violin, viola, cello, and guitar will be offered in person during the summer.
• Lessons will be offered between June and August, depending on the instructor’s schedule. Make sure you do not register for more lessons than your instructor can teach. Be sure to discuss this with your instructor prior to registering. Participants must register for a minimum of four lessons.
• If you are currently in or have taken private lessons in the past, please continue lessons with the same teacher. After registration, you may contact your instructor directly to schedule specific dates and times for your lessons.

Summer Private Lesson Tuition

• 30-minute lessons: $27 per lesson
• 45-minute lessons: $35 per lesson
• 60-minute lessons: $44 per lesson

If you are a new student, have no preference, or would like advice, contact CMA Director Eric Siu.

Instrument Rental

Instruments are available for rent at $20 per semester. This fee is paid at the time of registration.

Cancellation & Makeup Policy

By registering for private lessons you indicate your understanding of and agreement to these policies.

• One-week, half-day Strings and Vocal Arts Camps during July provide an exciting encounter with music for beginners and experienced students alike.
• Discounts are available for multiple siblings and for students and graduates of the Lindenbaum Outreach Program strings classes or Beginning Choir.

Registration & Schedules

The CMA Summer Strings and Choral Camp is held every summer at TLU in the Schuech Fine Arts Building. The camp is open to all students who will be entering the 2nd-6th grades, including new beginners as well as current CMA students.

Detailed registration information will be made available in the spring.

Program Discounts

• If a student was previously enrolled in a Spring 2027 Level 1 or Level 2 Violin Class, Cello Class, or Beginning Choir, you may request the Lindenbaum Outreach Level 1 Class Discount Code, making the cost of ONE camp $100. If attending both STRING and CHOIR camp, you may also request the CAMP COMBO discount.
• If attending BOTH STRING AND CHOIR CAMP, you may request the Camp Combo Discount, making the cost to attend both camps $225.
• If applying for the sibling discount for ONE camp, one child must be registered for the camp at full price ($125), and additional siblings may then be registered for $100.
• If siblings attend BOTH STRING AND CHORAL CAMPS, first child pays full combo camp price of $225, and additional siblings will pay $200 for camp combo.
• Instruments will be available to rent for the week for $20. Students enrolled in summer private lessons by spring outreach concert will have the instrument rental fee waived.

Treble choirs from communities and schools across Texas are invited to a one-day workshop alternating years in January.

Violinist Eric Siu is currently a member of the San Antonio Philharmonic, Assistant Professor of Violin at Texas Lutheran University, and Director of the TLU Community Music Academy. He began studying the violin at age six in his native Hong Kong, later attending Wells Cathedral School and earning degrees from Mannes College of Music (BM), The Juilliard School (MM), and Rice University (DMA). His primary teachers include Catherine Lord, Sally Thomas, and Kathleen Winkler.

Eric has appeared on KUHF Houston Public Radio and Texas Public Radio’s KPAC. Solo performance highlights include a recital of the complete violin sonatas of Eugène Ysaÿe, a lecture recital on Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin, and Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending with Symphony Viva. As a chamber musician, he has performed with the Olmos Ensemble and Musical Offerings, and at the Torrey Chamber Music Festival, the Saugatuck Chamber Music Festival, and the Cali de Cámara Festival in Colombia.

Beyond his role at the San Antonio Philharmonic, Eric has performed with orchestras such as the Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Hong Kong Philharmonic.

An avid pedagogue, Eric earned his Suzuki Teaching Certification at the School for Strings in New York and served as Sally Thomas’s teaching assistant at the Meadowmount School of Music for five years. He has attended the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, where he was concertmaster for two years. He has taught masterclasses at the Antonio María Valencia Conservatory in Colombia and Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Elizabeth L. Massad, also known as Liz Massad, is a sought-after teacher, composer, and performer in the Austin, San Antonio, and surrounding areas.

She studied composition with Dr. Michael Ippolito, Dr. Neil Flory, Richard Hall, Dr. Russell Riepe, and Dr. Thomas Clark, and cello with Dr. Karla Hamelin, Claire Holland-Onuf, Susan Sturman, and Benjamin Westney. She also studied piano and choir with Mildred Benight and Judy Mellenbruch.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Music in Composition and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Texas State University. Her main interests are composing for film, commercials, video games, and performing electronic, classical, and new music.
As an artist, Elizabeth has performed frequently with the Mid-Texas Symphony and the San Antonio Philharmonic and has served as a substitute for other Texas orchestras including the Central Texas Philharmonic.

In 2017, she was a guest soloist for the Del Mar Chamber Orchestra. She has performed works written by colleagues that range from string quartets and cello solos to amplified cello with visuals. In addition, Elizabeth performed as a pit musician for operas and musicals including “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” with Texas State University’s Musical Theater.

Elizabeth is a cello instructor and the director of the Beginning and Chamber Orchestras at the Texas Lutheran University Community Music Academy. Since 2005, she has served as a faculty member of the Texas State University Strings Camp and run a private cello studio. In 2026, she was a substitute faculty member at the University of Texas-Austin String Project.

Dr. Eliza (Thomason) Jeffords is the director of strings and an assistant professor at TLU, holding the Anita Windecker Endowed Chair. She completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she served as teaching assistant to Masao Kawasaki and Catharine Carroll. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Vanderbilt University, magna cum laude, and Master of Music from Indiana University.

Previous to her current position, Dr. Jeffords has served as a mentoring fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and on the faculties of the Cincinnati Music Academy, Wyoming (Ohio) Center for the Arts, and the Talent Education Suzuki School in Connecticut. A registered Suzuki violin and viola instructor, she has also studied string pedagogy with Mimi Zweig and Kurt Sassmannshaus. As a dedicated educator, Dr. Jeffords has presented at the American String Teachers Association National Conference and Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and has served on the Texas ASTA Board for three years. She has studied orchestral rehearsal techniques with Cliff Colnot at Indiana University.

Sought after as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral violist, Dr. Jeffords keeps an active performance schedule. She is currently assistant-principal with the Mid-Texas Symphony and violist for the Mid-Texas Symphony Chamber Players, as well as appearing often with the San Antonio and Corpus Christi Symphonies. In addition to having previously won positions with the Spokane, New Haven, and New World Symphonies, her orchestral solos as principal violist with the Aspen Concert Orchestra have been featured on The Classical Station of New York City and NPR’s show, “Performance Today.”

An advocate of new music, Dr. Jeffords has premiered several works for solo viola, chamber ensemble, and orchestra. Most recently, she has recorded new chamber music for the MSR Classics recording label, “Winning Works of the 2010 Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition.” Jeffords’ other recent performances include chamber and solo works on Texas Public Radio, and at Oklahoma State, The University of Texas at Austin, TLU, and Stephen F. Austin University, chamber music at the International Double Reed Society conference, and solo recitals in various Texas locations.

Michael Keplinger is a guitar educator, composer, and performer based in San Antonio, Texas. He currently teaches classical guitar at Our Lady of the Lake University, Texas Lutheran University, and also teaches guitar ensembles for HOME Orchestra. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from The University of Texas Brownsville and a master’s degree in guitar performance from the University of Texas San Antonio.

During his studies, he has participated in numerous masterclasses and performances with world-renowned artists such as the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, David Russell, Latin Grammy nominee Berta Rojas, and Guitar Foundation of America winners Johannes Möller and Dimitri Illarionov among others. Michael also composes music for both solo guitar and guitar ensemble. In 2019, Michael won 1st prize for the Austin Classical Guitar Composition Competition and the next year, was commissioned for another work called “Forward.” He is also the primary music writer for his hard rock band “Bingo Night.” In addition, Michael has found success in several solo guitar competitions and performs regularly for various events.

Elizabeth Lee (cello) is a dedicated performer and independent teacher residing in Austin. She completed a DMA in Cello Performance at the University of Texas at Austin studying with Joshua Gindele of the Miro Quartet. She is currently a faculty member at TLU.

Past studies have included degrees from Rice University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as training in the Juilliard Pre-College division. Her principal teachers have included Norman Fischer, Jean-Michel Fonteneau, Timothy Eddy, Hyung-Won Chang, Andre Emelianoff, and Michael Kannen.

Nominated by Austin Critics Table Award for Best Instrumentalist in 2009 for her performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto, she is also committed to playing cello across many music genres and enjoys exploring the many possibilities of sound. This commitment has led to performances across North America, Asia, and Europe.

Elizabeth was a prize-winner in the Yonkers Enrico Fermi Concerto Competition resulting in a performance with the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra at just 15 years old. She has also been a featured soloist with the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, and the Texas Chamber Players.

With a passion for chamber music, Elizabeth has also performed as a chamber musician and recitalist in esteemed halls including the Overture Center, Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall. In addition, In addition she has performed in masterclasses for Mstislav Rostropovich, Paul Katz, Desmond Hoebig, Colin Carr and Lynn Harrell.

As a chamber musician, she has performed with artists Ian Swensen, Jorja Fleezanis, Bonnie Hampton, Joel Krosnick, Jean-Michel Fonteneau, eighth blackbird, Bang On A Can AllStars, and the Colorfield Ensemble. Elizabeth is a founding member of the Sonorous Ensemble, and Okean Trio premiering many newly composed works.

As an orchestral musician, she has performed with the Austin Symphony, Mid-Texas Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, and the San Francisco Lyric Opera. She has also ventured beyond classical music and has recorded and toured with the bands Future of Forestry, Fernando Ortega, as well as recorded for independent artists. You can follow her on social media and YouTube @cellomoji.

Dr. Heather Couture began her studies in music education at Texas State University under the direction of violinist Dr. Lynn Ledbetter. Throughout her time at Texas State, she participated in the Symphony Orchestra, chamber music ensembles, and the Gamelan Lipi Awan ensemble. She was the president of the American String Teachers Association Texas State chapter for two years, and while the program was under her direction the Texas State chapter won the “Most Improved Student Chapter” award. Heather was also a lead teacher in the Texas State String Project for three years. After a study abroad in China, she won an award through the Texas State Undergraduate Research Competition for her research involving the Chinese diasporic musical performance known as Shen Yun.

After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in music, Heather went on to attend graduate school at both the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Texas at Austin, where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology. Heather has a variety of world music performance experience, including performing with such ensembles as Japanese Gagaku, Chinese Jiangnan Sizhu, Javanese Gamelan, and Balinese Gamelan. She currently performs in chamber ensembles or solo on Violin and Chinese Guqin for community events and gigs and has continued to teach private violin lessons and perform on violin throughout her graduate career.

She also gives masterclasses for world music ensembles such as Javanese Gamelan and hopes to bring the culture and music of the Guqin to K-12 students in the Central Texas area. She recently came back from fieldwork in Taiwan, in which she studied musical tourism and identity politics. Heather’s world music background gives her a unique perspective while teaching violin, and she tries to utilize music and culture from other countries to make lessons interesting and engaging. She maintains membership with the Society for Ethnomusicology, the American String Teachers Association, and the Texas Music Educators Association

Helen Lundy is a violinist and educator currently based in Wimberley, Texas. When Helen was only three years old, she told her parents that she wanted to play the violin. Fortunately, her parents took her request seriously, and she started lessons that same year with Deanna Badgett, who nurtured what became a lifelong love of music. 

As an active performer, Helen enjoys performing on a regular basis in a variety of contexts. Currently, she is a member of alternative rock group, careabout, which has performed at many notable Austin venues, including Antone’s Nightclub, Stubb’s, Mohawk, and Empire Control Room. She has also performed extensively with the Edinburgh, Scotland based folk band, The Greasy Whiskers, and returns to play with them whenever possible. 

Helen was a recipient of the competitive Undergraduate String Quartet Scholarship at the University of North Texas, which is a full scholarship position given to only two violinists in each undergraduate incoming class. Her quartet, known as the Avenue C String Quartet, engaged in four years of intensive string quartet study under professors Julia Bushkova, Nikola Ružević, Daphne Gerling, and Horacio Contreras. These studies included masterclasses with world renowned experts, including William Fedkenheuer and John Largess of the Miró String Quartet and Philip Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet. Avenue C was a finalist in the 2023 and 2024 George Papich chamber competitions. Additionally, she has appeared on a variety of recording projects, including Graham Reynolds’s Exit Wounds soundtrack for Ballet Austin and indie albums such as Jake Dixon’s When I Fall Apart. 

In addition to her studies at university, she began Suzuki teacher training in 2021 and has since become certified in Suzuki Violin Books 1-4. Her pre-college teachers, Deanna Badgett and Nicolette Solomon, significantly shaped her as both a musician and person, so she hopes to follow in their footsteps impacting the lives of future generations. 

Music is a central part of Helen’s life. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music in Violin Performance at the University of North Texas, where she studied under renowned violinists and pedagogues Julia Bushkova and Chloe Kiffer. In her free time, Helen likes to cook elaborate meals for her family and friends, spend time outdoors, and play bluegrass and old-time fiddle music.

Ross Cawthon is Director of the Advanced and Intermediate CMA Choirs and Interim Professor of Choral Activities at Texas Lutheran University. He previously taught at DeLand High School in Florida and Louisiana State University, conducted the professional choir VIVA, and has served as a church musician across several denominations. His teaching centers on singing expressively, thinking creatively, and achieving fluency in music literacy. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Louisiana State University.

Ms. Shyanne Bermuda earned her Bachelor’s degree in All-Level Music Education at TLU during which she held key leadership roles as Choir President and Soprano Section Leader, while contributing as a flutist in both the Symphonic Band and the Hounds of Sound Pep Band. Her connection to the Community Music Academy began during her undergraduate studies, when she served as an assistant for the CMA Choir Camp in the summer of 2023.

Currently the music and choir teacher at Schertz Elementary, Ms. Bermuda has directed numerous successful school concerts and choir performances since early 2024. Ms. Bermuda discovered her own passion for choral singing as a fourth grader and understands firsthand the transformative and lifelong impact early music education can have in one’s life.

As a proud first-generation graduate, she is deeply committed to encouraging her students, helping them develop their musical skills, and inspiring them to reach their full potential through the joy of singing.