Lauren Whittaker ~Piano and Music Together

Lauren Whittaker studied piano with Ina Pihlman of Chatham, New Jersey, and Rachel Goodwin, Music Director of the Ashmont Hill Chamber Players in Boston, Massachusetts. She has also studied the Suzuki Talent Education Program for Piano with Kiki Barley and Sue Vasquez of the Pittsburgh Music Academy.

In addition to piano teaching, Ms. Whittaker has directed both children’s and youth choirs as well as English hand bell choirs for teens and adults at the Church of Christ, Congregational in Millis, Massachusetts. She also acted as substitute (adult) choir director and organist there.

Holding a degree in Music Education (cum laude) from Boston University, Ms. Whittaker taught general music in elementary and junior high school in addition to recorder ensembles and string classes in the Wellesley (Mass) Public Schools. There she also directed elementary choruses in productions including The Music Man, The Mikado, and The Velveteen Rabbit. Ms Whittaker has been certified in Orff-Schulwerk from Carnegie Mellon University and is a registered Music Together teacher.

David Deckard ~Guitar

Rachel Myers~Voice

Rachel Myers has studied voice with Marybeth Sederburg, Lisa Layman-Weber, and Louisa Jonason. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree cum laude from Mercyhurst College. In addition to performing at Mercyhurst College, Ms. Myers has performed at the After Dinner Opera Company in New York, the Undercroft Opera, and at the Greensburg Civic Theater.

Her many roles include Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Lover in The Husband, Wife & the Lover, Nanetta in Falstaff, the Stepsister in The Real Story of Cinderella, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Jenny in Roman Fever, Josephina in License to Marry, and Polly Peachum in The Beggar's Opera.

Ms. Myers has coached children's productions at the Greasepaint Players and has been a board member of the Greensburg Civic Theater.

Janet Hackett~Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Piano

Janet Hackett received her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Duquesne University. She received her Masters Degree in Music in 1989. She has played String Bass with the Westmoreland Symphony, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and the American Youth Symphony and Chorus. Bass Guitar with the Continental Singers (traveling all over the world), and frequently plays for musicals and church programs at the Christian Fellowship Center of Jeannette and throughout the area.

She started her career teaching String music and Elementary general music in the Gateway School District. She is currently teaching Strings in the Norwin School District. In Norwin, Mrs. Hackett has taught string instruments from grades three to twelve. She has also taught high school Orchestra, guitar classes and has co-directed the high school musicals, directing the Pit Orchestra. She has taken the Norwin High School Orchestra to New York, Nashville, and Hawaii.

At The Music Room, Mrs. Hackett teaches all string instruments; violin, viola, cello, and bass in Suzuki as well as traditional methods. She is Suzuki Certified in violin through book 3 as well as in a combination of traditional, jazz, rock, and fiddle styles. She also is Suzuki certified through book 1 in Piano. Mrs. Hackett started piano lessons when she was 4  yrs. old, violin in the 4th Grade and string bass in 11th grade, majoring on it in college.

Dwight Hackett~Piano, Jazz (Applied & Theory)

With a Masters Degree from Duquesne University in Music Performance and Composition, and a Bachelors Degree in Music Education, Dwight Hackett has played French horn with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Westmoreland Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Woodwind Quintet. He has taught choral groups and general music in the Norwin School District and East Allegheny Schools in addition to producing musicals.

Mr. Hackett founded the SyntheSound Recording Studio and is well-known as an arranger, keyboard player, producer for gospel albums, jingle and commercial writer and recorder. He is well-versed in studio design.

Currently Mr. Hackett is Music Minister and Choir Director at the Christian Fellowship Center in Jeannette.

At The Music Room, Mr. Hackett teaches traditional piano lessons incorporating theory and technique, with music from the Baroque period through Contemporary. He also teaches Jazz, Rock, Blues, Southern Gospel Piano lessons and Jazz Theory. Mr. Hackett will also teach the French Horn (major instrument) and brass instruments.

Candice Wansor~Music Together

Candice is a veteran Music Together Mom turned Registered Music Together Teacher. She has been with the Music Room since 2010 and looks forward to many years of teaching and sharing the joy of family music making with her classes. Candice enjoys making music at home with her husband and two pre-schoolers.

Tom Murphy~Percussion

Tom is a teacher in the Ligoner School District. He plays with a band throughout the Pittsburgh-Greensburg Area.

Roy Sonne~Violin

Dawn Lorince~ Piano, Voice & Guitar