Instructors
SCSM has three Instructor Levels in order to provide lessons at affordable prices while meeting the needs of each individual student.
LEVEL 1 INSTRUCTORS are select university music students, teaching under indirect supervision of Harding University music faculty. These young people bring a high level of energy and fun to your lessons and are qualified to teach all beginning students.
LEVEL 2 INSTRUCTORS are adults with several years of teaching and/or performing experience, qualified to teach beginning and intermediate-level students, including adult students. Their experience is beneficial to more dedicated students, adults, and those needing additional expertise. Click on an image below to read about our Level 2 instructors.
Julia Carrell Branton
Voice and Piano
Julia Carrell Branton
BioJulia Carrell Branton is a native of Searcy, where she studied piano and percussion for a number of years with SCSM and Harding University faculty, Lis Jones and Dr. Wesley Parker. Graduating summa cum laude with a B.A. in Music from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she performed with their Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women's Choir, Nightshift, Steel Drum Band, and Percussion Ensemble. As an accomplished choral singer and soloist, she sings at Trinity Episcopal Church and Christ Episcopal Church and has been a member of the Arkansas Chamber Singers for several years. Julia has taught piano for Searcy Community School of Music since 2023, adding voice students to her studio in 2025.
William Baker
Piano
William Baker
BioWilliam Baker earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Harding university, including Piano Pedagogy and Supervised Studio Teaching classes. During college, he won the Virginia Queen Piano Scholarship (two consecutive years), and during high school, he was chosen as pianist for Arkansas Youth Symphony Orchestra. He also won “Best in Class” in the SCSM solo festival in 2021. William has taught for SCSM for over five years and currently serves as pianist for First Baptist Church in Cabot and choir director for HOPE co-op in North Little Rock as well.
Shelby Breedlove
Percussion
Shelby Breedlove
BioShelby Breedlove earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Harding University, where he studied with Dr. Wesley Parker and performed in Harding's Concert Band, Thundering Herd Marching Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble. Shelby has a number of years' experience teaching school bands, teaching percussion lessons, and working with high-school drumlines across Arkansas. He also has spent time learning the music of different cultures, ranging from playing with Harding's African Society to playing multiple concerts in countries across Europe. Shelby began teaching percussion for SCSM in 2025.
MeKency Dardar
Violin, Piano, and Voice
MeKency Dardar
BioMeKency Dardar is a native of Little Rock, where she performed as a violist with the Arkansas Symphony Youth Orchestra Ensembles for eight years. Graduating summa cum laude from Williams Baptist University, she earned a Bachelor of Music and Vocal Performance, singing and performing violin with the Williams Singers and the chapel worship team. Since college, MeKency taught private violin and piano lessons at the Baptist Prep After the Bell music program, and for the past three years, has traveled and performed as a violinist and vocalist for the worship ministry Broken Vessels. She began teaching for the Searcy Community School of Music in 2025.
Emily Eads
Voice and Piano
Emily Eads
BioEmily Eads teaches voice and piano for SCSM. She holds a B.M.E. in Vocal Music Education from Harding University and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Mississippi. During graduate school, Emily served as the OperaTheatre graduate assistant and worked with the Youth Musical Theatre workshop. Emily then taught Pre-K through 5th grade general music and choir in the Houston area for four years. During that time, she regularly sang with the Houston Symphony Chorus. Emily taught with SCSM during her undergraduate years, and has enjoyed returning to the Searcy community.
Myles Kreh
Guitar
Myles Kreh
BioMyles Kreh, a lifelong student of music, has sung and played guitar, bass guitar, and ukulele in multiple musical ensembles, including Harding Academy's Chorus and Band programs, Arkansas All-State Music Conference, HU Chorus, HU Chamber Singers, HU Belles and Beaux, and HU Jazz Band. Myles graduated from Harding in 2023 with a Bachelor of Bible and Ministry degree and currently lives in Beebe with his wife and daughter. He has been a guitar instructor with SCSM since 2021.
Collin McCook
Guitar
Collin McCook
BioCollin McCook is a guitarist and fretted string expert from Edmond, Oklahoma. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Harding University in 2025 with a concentration in guitar and a minor in education. During high school, he performed in orchestra on violin and bass and was selected as a member of the Oklahoma All-State Orchestra, performing on violin and harp. At Harding, he also performed in String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Belles & Beaux, and Concert Choir, playing guitars, violin, bass, and vocals. Collin has also shared the stage with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, jazz pianist Dan Tepfer, choral composer Jake Runestad, Memphis rock band Short in the Sleeve, and many others. With his wide-ranging performance experience, he aims to enable students to explore the guitar in styles ranging from Bluegrass, Classical, and Pop to Heavy Metal. Collin has been teaching guitar and other fretted strings for SCSM since 2021.
Jimmy Pinzón
Clarinet, Piano, Theory, Composition
Jimmy Pinzón
BioJimmy holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Harding University, where he also studied composition with Dr. Jay Walls. In addition, he has received mentorship from renowned composers Frank Ticheli and Matthew Maslanka during his collegiate years. Jimmy's compositions have been performed nationally and internationally, and he’s deeply embedded in the contemporary music community as a member of the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers. His faith serves as the foundation for all his creative work, and he brings that same sense of purpose and care into every lesson he teaches. Having taught private lessons for nearly eight years, he has worked with students and schools across the country, spreading his passion for music wherever he goes. Jimmy teaches clarinet, piano, music theory, and composition for SCSM.
Kaycee (Hatley) Pinzón
Violin
Kaycee (Hatley) Pinzón
BioOriginally from West Plains, Missouri, Kaycee Pinzón is a proud alumna of Harding University, where she has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in violin performance and pedagogy. She studied privately for over a decade with Ms. Danyal Sallee, and then with Ms. Leigh Wing during college. She has also performed in a number of masterclasses conducted by distinguished artists such as Dr. David Hays, concertmaster of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (Missouri), and Dr. Larry Dissmore of Evangel University. Kaycee feels blessed to have performed with a number of ensembles, including the Southern Ozarks Youth Orchestra, SOYO chamber ensembles, and several Harding University ensembles, as well as in collaborations with the Springfield and Arkansas Symphony Orchestras. Passionate about helping others discover the joy of music, Kaycee began teaching private lessons in high school, joining SCSM faculty in 2023. She is grateful for the opportunity to help her students grow as both musicians and individuals.
Alaynna Rains
Voice and Piano
Alaynna Rains
BioAlaynna holds a Bachelor's of Music Education degree from Harding University, teaching for SCSM during her student years. She has now returned to Searcy and teaches general music and choir at Crosspointe Preparatory School in Searcy in addition to teaching voice and piano for SCSM.
Richard Schneider
Piano
Richard Schneider
BioRichard Schneider has played piano for over 25 years, specializing in jazz, musical theater, and the American songbook. He plays regularly at events in the Searcy area and is the editor of freedjazz.org, a website dedicated to the cataloging and free publication of public domain jazz standards. Having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in computer science and Bible, he also earned a Master of Science degree in Information Systems, both at Harding. Now pursuing a music degree, he is a long-time piano student of Dr. Scott Carrell, a member of HU’s Jazz Band, and plays banjo and harmonica for fun. Richard works with keyboards of all types as he is also employed in Harding's IT department and as an adjunct professor for the MSIS program. He strongly believes in bringing the student's own musical interests into the learning process. He has taught a wide range of ages, from kindergarteners to adults.
Ellen Stoddard-Boling
Piano
Ellen Stoddard-Boling
BioEllen Stoddard-Boling has taught piano for over 30 years in Arkansas and Missouri and recently retired from teaching in Newport, Arkansas after 15 years. She brings to SCSM a wide range of teaching experience in grades K-6, including Literacy, STEAM, GT, and the general elementary classroom.
LEVEL 3 INSTRUCTORS are adults with advanced degrees in music and extensive teaching experience, many of whom are Harding Department of Music faculty, qualified to teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level students, including adult students. Their advanced training and experience make them invaluable to more serious students, adults, and those needing additional expertise. Click on an image below to read about our Level 3 instructors.
Dr. Cynthia Carrell
Trumpet, Horn, Piano
Dr. Cynthia Carrell
BioDr. Cynthia Thompson Carrell taught trumpet, horn, piano, music theory, and music education courses at Harding University for over 25 years before retiring from full-time teaching in 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education at the University of North Texas (1986), and both a Master in Music Education and Doctorate of Musical Arts in Trumpet Performance from the University of Illinois (1997). She served as Principal Trumpet in the Pine Bluff Symphony from 1999 through 2016, and was a band director and free-lance trumpeter in the Dallas area for a number of years. Carrell is also a published author with a Music Appreciation textbook (in its 4th edition) and a Music Theory fundamentals textbook. She continues to serve as the Affiliate Chapters Coordinator for the International Trumpet Guild, a position she has held since 2009. Having been a member of the SCSM Board of Directors since its formation in 2004, she became the Director of SCSM in 2019.
Dr. Scott Carrell
Piano
Dr. Scott Carrell
BioPianist Scott Carrell has presented numerous performances as a soloist, chamber musician and concerto soloist in France, Germany, Italy, China, and the United States. Earning degrees from Southwestern University, the University of Illinois, and the University of North Texas, he is the recipient of several awards and prizes, including the Dutilleux prize at the 1996 French Piano Institute Festival in Paris, France. His four compact discs of classical masterpieces, ragtime favorites, and works of Noël Gallon have been well received. As a composer, he has premiered works for solo piano and various chamber ensembles. Carrell is a professor at Harding University, where he teaches music theory, piano, and related courses.
Dr. Andrew Cook
Saxophone and clarinet
Dr. Andrew Cook
BioDr. Andrew Cook teaches saxophone and clarinet for SCSM as well as serving in Harding's Department of Music as Woodwind Instructor, Director of Jazz Bands, and as an instructor of Music History, World Music, and Music Education classes. He has a Bachelor of Music - Music History degree from College of Wooster, a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance degree from The Boston Conservatory, and a Doctor of Music Arts in Music Education from Boston University.
Jenny Henderson
Piano
Jenny Henderson
BioJenny Henderson is experienced in teaching piano for individuals and groups, teaching early childhood music, and she has directed student choirs and orchestras in the past. She is certified in K-12 General and Vocal Music, Orff-Shulwerk, Kodaly, Music Learning Theory, Kindermusik, and Musikgarten. A native of Searcy, Ms. Henderson has a long history of teaching music in the community. She most recently served as the elementary music teacher at Sidney Deener Elementary, and at one time was the music director at First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Henderson holds two degrees in education and has pursued doctoral studies in music education. Henderson is a member of the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association and the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (GIML.org).
Dr. Alyssa Koay
Piano
Dr. Alyssa Koay
BioSCSM piano instructor, Dr. Alyssa Koay teaches Piano, Elementary Education, and World Music courses in addition to accompanying vocal students at Harding University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harding University, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Stacey Neely
Voice
Stacey Neely
BioStacey Neely is an Instructor of vocal performance and vocal music education at Harding University. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree in voice from Harding and a Master of Arts in Music in Vocal Pedagogy from Texas Woman’s University. Mrs. Neely has been teaching voice and choral music for over 25 years and has experience with vocalists of all ages and skill levels.
Kathy Robison
Preschool Music
Kathy Robison
BioKathy Robison is a National Board Certified, PreK-12 Music Educator and has a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Harding University. She is also certified in several music education methods, including Orff-Schulwerk, First Steps in Music, and Conversational Solfege. Having taught at Newport Elementary School for 42 years, she was named Teacher of the Year for the Newport School District three times and was a semifinalist for Arkansas Teachers of the Year. Kathy has also served as president of the Central Arkansas Orff chapter and as secretary of the Arkansas Music Educators Association.
Alexander Seman
Strings
Alexander Seman
BioAlexander Seman earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance, a Graduate Certificate in Music Performance, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from UCA and has done musicological studies at Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France. As a cellist and violinist, he has performed with many prominent arts institutions and performing artists, including the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, The Rep, the Phantom of the Opera National Tour, Stevie Wonder, and the Vienna Light Orchestra. Seman’s teaching has been in a variety of settings, including Pulaski County Public Schools, the Arkansas Youth Symphony, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, the Wildwood Academy for Music and the Arts, as an adjunct teacher at Harding, and now for SCSM. He currently serves as a collaborative pianist at UCA and as music director at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Maumelle and First Presbyterian Church in Searcy as well. He also enjoys playing fiddle as a hobby!
Alicia Walls
Strings, Flute, Piano
Alicia Walls
BioAlicia Walls has taught with SCSM since 2014. She also teaches Applied Viola, String Pedagogy, Class Strings, and String Quartet at Harding University as well as teaching string classes (1st-12th grades) in Bald Knob. Before coming to Searcy she taught public school orchestra for ten years in Texas, where her orchestras were regular sweepstakes winners. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music with Teacher Certification, double majoring in viola and flute, at Abilene Christian University and her Master’s Degree in Music Education at the University of North Texas.
