About the Founder
The founder, Michele Kennedy, is a pianist and piano teacher who opened her studio in 2019. She moved to Denver from St. Louis, Missouri in 2017. She studied Piano Performance, Music Theory and Pedagogy at Missouri State University. While raising her twin sons, she taught, accompanied theater productions, composed music and performed in a seven-piece band for ten years.
Michele is the author of "Name the Note Workbook", a tool to help students remember where notes are located on the grand staff. By writing in the names of over 7000 notes in random, but sequential order. The workbook has proven to speed up the process of learning to read music.
Michele is a member of the National Music Teachers' Association and the Colorado Music Teachers' Association. She creates much of her students' curriculum and arrangements of music for her students and she is also in the process of developing a program for teaching piano to 4-6 year old students.
The school mascot is her dog Luther, a 2 year old Golden Doodle who greets students and then naps all day. When she isn't teaching, managing the academy or creating lesson plans, Michele most enjoys spending time with her 6 year old granddaughter and her 4 year old and 14 month old grandsons.
Drum Instructor | Rich Carlson
Rich Carlson has been teaching drums since 1993. He is the author of a book for drum students called “Twisted Drums -A Dynamic Approach to Drumming Independence”. He has played in several successful bands over the years, performing 5 nights a week, and he has even opened for acts including Pat Benatar, Blue Oyster Cult, Great White and Bret Michaels of Poison.
Rich’s approach to teaching is non-intimidating and his objective is for each student to have fun while learning and improving their skills. Rich joined Denver Academy of Musical Arts in July 2024.
Guitar/Piano Instructor | Scott Askew
Scott began taking piano lessons at the age of seven. Inspired by his dad, who played the Scottish bagpipes, and his mother, who played oboe in high school. He took up saxophone in 5th grade, drums in 9th. Around that time, he fell in love with the guitar. Fast forward a few years, he began teaching guitar, bass guitar, and drums at Capital City Guitars in Olympia, WA after working as a DJ in radio and a nightclubs. In 1998, he released the CD “So It Happens” on his own label. In 2014, he graduated from St. Martin’s University in Lacey, WA, with a Masters in Teaching.
Piano/Vocal Instructor | Molly Drewry
Molly Drewry is currently an elementary school music teacher here in Denver. Molly has a BA in Music Theory and Composition, as well as a background in classical piano and voice performance. She has been teaching piano and voice lessons since 2021, and emphasizes creative expression in her teaching. Molly believes that music should be accessible to everyone, and loves finding new ways to tailor her lessons to her students' goals and interests. Her favorite thing to teach is songwriting, and she is in the process of creating her own album. When she is not playing or teaching music, Molly loves spending time outdoors with her dog Shadow.
Violin Instructor | Anna Schultz
Anna began taking violin lessons when she was six years old in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After moving to Colorado, she began studying at Denver School of the Arts as an orchestra major. She later earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied with Professor Charles Wetherbee. Anna currently performs with Stratus Chamber Orchestra, and she has also performed with Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and Boulder Symphony Orchestra. Anna is an experienced violin teacher and has completed teacher training for Suzuki Unit 1.
Piano Instructor | Jack Schabert
Jack Schabert is a Twin Cities, MN & Denver, CO based musician, composer, and educator. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from St. Olaf College and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Jazz Composition at the University of Denver. Jack's compositions for Jazz Orchestra have been performed by high school, college, and professional big bands in Minnesota. He is a member of the Twin Cities Jazz Composer’s Workshop, and serves on the board of directors of the MetroNOME Foundation. He arranges youth jazz performances for MetroNOME' Brewery’s Next Generation Jazz Series, and directs their Honors Youth Jazz Orchestra. Jack has performed with international jazz artists Melissa Aldana, Danilo Perez (Wayne Shorter), Kenni Holmen (Prince, Vulfpeck), Doreen Ketchens, and 9 time Grammy Award winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.
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Vanessa Perry| Piano Instructor
Vanessa Perry began her piano training at age 5 when she discovered she has "perfect" or Absolute Pitch. Vanessa studied with Jazz musician Jon Barnes during her teens and entered the Redlands School of Music after high school. Vanessa graduated college with a Bachelor of Music degree and has taught extensively throughout Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. This is her first time teaching music in Colorado and she is very happy to be a part of the Denver Academy of Musical Arts.
Vocal/Piano Instructor | Susan Kullman
Susan Olson Kullman, originally from Chicago, earned her Music Education degree from DePaul University and a Master’s in Choral Conducting and Music Education from the University of Colorado. She has taught vocal music, drama, choir, theater, and general music across Denver-area schools, including Bruce Randolph Middle School, Boulder High School, George Washington High School, and several elementary schools. She also spent a year in Mexico teaching English. In addition to her work in music and education, she holds a real estate license, enjoys hiking and biking in Colorado, and is a wife and mother of two who is excited to serve as music director at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, teach at Our Lady of Fatima, and join the DAMA team!
Content Admin | DaeDae Rocha
DaeDae is a First-Generation graduate from the University of Denver, where she earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Socio-Legal Studies, with minors in Nutrition, International Studies, and Writing Practices. She aspires to become a lawyer for the U.S. Army. On top of a background in woodwinds, DaeDae specializes in education that fosters social, emotional, and leadership development for students across Colorado.