VIOLIN CLASSES
MUSIC RESIDENCIES
Music Education
Fine Arts Chamber Players'/Basically Beethoven's Music Residencies bring professional teaching artists into Dallas schools for individual and group lessons in violin, voice, and piano. Music instruction is completely free of charge to all students - and school districts - involved, and is provided for a minimum of one year. During the 2024 - 2025 school year, Basically Beethoven teaching artists led 616 individual or group lessons in 2 Dallas schools - and two satellite schools - for about 38 - 50 students. That’s equivalent to 14 - 16 hours of free music education each week! We would like to do more, but we need your help.
One of our students was featured on NPR's From the Top in March (see story and get link below.)
Basically Beethoven recruits the highest quality teachers for our programs. All teaching artists are local professional musicians with terminal degrees in their discipline.
Basically Beethoven Music Residencies
Currently, Fine Arts Chamber Players / Basically Beethoven has long-term music residencies at the following Dallas public schools:
Uplift Atlas Preparatory
Violin Club
East Dallas
Teaching artists teach an after-school violin program to 26 students in 4th grade at Atlas Preparatory, a charter school in east Dallas. Students receive violin instruction and music theory lessons at no cost. Basically Beethoven provides each student a violin and instructional materials, and also helps to coordinate field trips to symphony performances and arrange master classes by local artists.
David W. Carter High School*
Voice and Piano
South Dallas
Basically Beethoven subsidizes 4 teaching artists in voice and piano to supplement the existing music program at Carter. These teaching artists teach private lessons, coach small groups, and even help conduct and prepare large ensembles for concerts and state competitions, both during school hours and after school.
* The Program at David W. Carter High School is sponsored in part from a generous donation from Virginia & Robert Dupuy
Satellite Schools (Floating)
Piano
South Dallas
Basically Beethoven subsidizes 1 teaching artist in piano to provide private lessons for exceptional students at schools like Madison High School and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
2025 - One of our Basically Beethoven Music Residency students was featured on NPR's "From the Top" in March 2025. “From the Top” is America’s largest national platform celebrating young classically-trained musicians and is broadcast on WRR in Dallas, Saturdays at noon.
Basically Beethoven's Music Residency program entirely subsidizes professional teaching artists in Dallas schools that lack robust music programs. Students take private or group lessons in voice, violin, and piano at no cost to them or to the school district. Everything is paid for by you, our generous donors and grantors.
Tinashe McGowan has been studying with Basically Beethoven Teaching Artist John Tatum for years, including weekly private lessons sponsored by FACP/Basically Beethoven board of directors, patrons and donors, such as Virginia & Robert Dupuy, whose dedicated donation is invaluable to the program’s success.
You can listen to this performance via the "From the Top" website - show 460. His performance of Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) opens the broadcast. He then joins host Peter Dugan for a short Jazz rendition of "The Nearness of You."
How to Help:
Our Music Education Residency program costs about $30,000+ per year. The lion’s share of this pays teaching artists’ fees, with a small amount going to children’s violins, sheet music, and small sundry items. Administration for the program runs an additional $8000.
Several of our present teaching artists were FACP students themselves, and have returned to Dallas to teach after achieving advanced degrees in music, including Crystal Haynes (voice) and Kenoly Kadia (piano) who just joined us.
If you would like to help students like Tinashe and keep professional musicians like Crystal and Kenoly working in Dallas, please support this program either individually or through a corporate or business sponsorship. Executive Director Morgan Vaughan would be grateful to speak with you about this at any time.
"Rising Star" Tinashe McGowan and host Peter Dugan
on NPR's From the Top
2022 - Congratulations are in order for FACP’s Music Education team and the music team at David W. Carter School for winning a $5,000 grant from The Grammy Museum Recording Academy.
David W. Carter School is one of the Dallas schools where FACP has music residencies. Carter Teaching Artists are Arielle Collier (Voice) and John Tatum (Piano). FACP’s education at Carter is largely sponsored and by
Virginia & Robert DuPuy.
Mr. Demetrius Ethley, choir teacher at Carter, said:
“About a year ago, someone from the Hoesterey Family Foundation had taken notice of the work being done at Carter and chose us.”
Ethley said that Grammy Museum Recording Academy provides grants to public school music programs that demonstrate a need and a compelling plan to address that need. This program is presented through the generous support from the Ford Motor Company Fund, the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, and Brian Hoesterey.
FACP is honored to have been part of the success of this program - and applauds the incredible work of Ms. Collier, Mr. Tatum, and Mr. Ethley - including FACP’s Production Manager Jeff Tullis, who coordinates our Music Education program. We also warmly congratulate Virginia DuPuy, who works incredibly hard to keep music education in Dallas schools.
Meet our Teaching Artists
Our Teaching Artists are professional musicians
dedicated to Music Education.
This section is under construction as we begin the new school year
Thank you for your patience.
Kenoly Kadia, piano
Remote piano lessons
Kenoly Kadia is a classically trained concert pianist, accompanist, and piano instructor who holds a Master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been teaching piano since 2018. Born in Cameroon and having lived in Italy for eight years, Kenoly brings a rich cultural perspective to his teaching, allowing him to connect with students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. His experiences living in Europe and his fluency in multiple languages enhance his ability to relate to students on both linguistic and cultural levels.
Currently residing in Texas, USA, Kenoly works with students ranging from five years old to adults over forty. His teaching is influenced by his academic performance and achievements. Academically, he graduated in the top 3% of his high school class and earned six honors upon receiving his Bachelor’s degree in music with a minor in Italian. He graduated “Magna Cum Laude” with his Master’s degree and is a passionate advocate for music education, striving to foster a deep appreciation for piano in his students.
In the field of music, Kenoly has won numerous piano competitions. His achievements include 1st place in both the classical and jazz categories at the Act-So Music Competition, 2nd place at the Debose National Piano Competition, and winning the local, regional, and national levels of the Omega Psi Phi Talent Hunt. He also earned the Outstanding Soloist medal for three consecutive years at the Texas UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest in piano. Additionally, he won 2nd place for two consecutive years at the University of Texas at Austin Nilsson Piano Competition, 3rd place at the National Association of Negro Musicians Piano Competition, and 3rd place at the Tuesday Musical Club Piano Competition, among others.
Beyond his performances and teaching roles, Kenoly has also served as a judge for piano competitions, including the ADMTA Piano Festival, where he evaluated performances in the Romantic and Contemporary categories. He is dedicated to inspiring a love for piano in his students, encouraging them to reach their highest potential through their passion for music.
John Tatum, piano
Satellite Schools:
Madison High School
Booker T. Washington High School
John Mark Tatum is in his 13th year teaching piano through Fine Arts Chamber Players / Basically Beethoven at several schools in south Dallas.
John is Founder and Artistic Director of the One Accord Men’s Chorus (an arts-based group of African -American Choristers); a Teaching Artist for Basically Beethoven where he provides private and group piano lessons to Dallas Independent School District, primarily at D.W. Carter and Madison High Schools; a pianist for Trekorda, a collaborative musician’s network based in Dallas. After serving as Minister of Music for churches for 40 plus years in Nebraska and Texas, he was recently named Minister of Music at the Life Church-DFW. He maintains private piano studios in Dallas and Collin counties.
As a collaborative pianist, music director, piano soloist and choral conductor, he has performed/shared stages with opera singers, gospel singers, professional entertainers and instrumentalists, collegiate and high school choirs, church choirs and ensembles not only in the United States, but also in major cities throughout the world (on five continents). Most proud of his work as a piano instructor, his students have consistently won major piano competitions locally, regionally and nationally and have earned scholarships to major music conservatories ( such as Oberlin, Peabody, Eastman, Butler, University of Southern California-Thornton, Meadows at SMU as well as others) throughout the United States. His choirs have toured in many parts of the world and have collaborated with most major arts groups in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.
He holds memberships in the American Choral Director’s Association, Texas Choral Director’s Association, Dallas Metroplex Musician’s Association of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, the Gospel Music Workshop of America, the Black Academy of Arts and Letters where he served as a conductor/pianist for the Emmy winning Annual Black Music in the Civil Rights Concert for 33 years.
Crystal Haynes, voice
David W. Carter High School
Crystal Haynes is a dynamic and versatile vocalist and instructor with a strong foundation in classical and contemporary vocal performance. With a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music from Lamar University, she brings both technical expertise and passionate artistry to every stage and studio she enters.
As a performer, Crystal has portrayed a wide range of operatic and musical theatre roles, including the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Rose in Mark Campbell’s, Later the Same Evening, and Fatime in Gluck’s Der Betrogene Kadi. Her musical theatre credits include Effie in Dreamgirls, showcasing her vocal range and emotional depth. Some of her concert work includes works from Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, and Handel’s Messiah.
Currently based in Dallas, TX, Crystal serves as a voice instructor with the Basically Beethoven, where she mentors students of all ages in vocal technique, performance preparation, and artistic expression. Her teaching philosophy centers on vocal health, confidence-building, and expressive authenticity, drawing from years of performance experience and pedagogical study. With a warm, supportive teaching style and a commitment to artistic excellence, Crystal continues to inspire students to discover and refine their unique voices.
Monya Logan, piano
David W. Carter High School
Bio - Coming soon!
Karen Gerardo, violin
Uplift Atlas Preparatory
Karen's musical journey began at the age of 6 with the Suzuki Violin curriculum, which instilled in her a love for music. She then started her formal musical education with the Dallas Symphony Young Strings Program where she further honed in on her violin skills and developed a solid foundation in classical music. These formative experiences were instrumental in shaping her diverse musical career, encompassing both classical and mariachi genres.
For over a decade, Mrs. Gerardo has been a dedicated violin instructor, teaching both privately and in classroom settings. As an alumna and mariachi consultant at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she has been instrumental in the success of the school’s mariachi program. Under her mentorship, the mariachi group has achieved "Superior" ratings in regional UIL competitions and "Excellent" ratings at the state level.
In addition to her teaching role, Mrs. Gerardo has been an active performer in the mariachi scene for over 18 years. She has also held her position as Principal Master of the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving for the past 10 years.
Her passion for music, coupled with her extensive experience as a performer and educator, highlights her dedication to fostering musical talent and inspiring a love for music in her students.
Paul Tullis, violin
Uplift Atlas Preparatory
Karen's musical journey began at the age of 6 with the Suzuki Violin curriculum, which instilled in her a love for music. She then started her formal musical education with the Dallas Symphony Young Strings Program where she further honed in on her violin skills and developed a solid foundation in classical music. These formative experiences were instrumental in shaping her diverse musical career, encompassing both classical and mariachi genres.
For over a decade, Mrs. Gerardo has been a dedicated violin instructor, teaching both privately and in classroom settings. As an alumna and mariachi consultant at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she has been instrumental in the success of the school’s mariachi program. Under her mentorship, the mariachi group has achieved "Superior" ratings in regional UIL competitions and "Excellent" ratings at the state level.
In addition to her teaching role, Mrs. Gerardo has been an active performer in the mariachi scene for over 18 years. She has also held her position as Principal Master of the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving for the past 10 years.
Her passion for music, coupled with her extensive experience as a performer and educator, highlights her dedication to fostering musical talent and inspiring a love for music in her students.