Merlyn D. Beard II — Music Director/Orchestra Director
Experience
Mr. Beard has been teaching for 37 years in public and private school, as well as providing lessons for numerous private students. He has taught all levels of music from elementary through high school, and is presently the director of the Waterford Kettering High School orchestra program which includes Chamber, Symphony, and Concert orchestras. His Chamber Orchestra has received frequent “Superior” ratings at MSBOA State festivals and performs regularly around the area. Mr. Beard is the Treasurer for the Michigan Homeschool Music Network, as well as MSBOA District 4. In the 2008 school year, Mr. Beard was chosen MSBOA District 4 Orchestra Teacher of the Year, and MSBOA State Orchestra Teacher of the Year in 2020. Mr. Beard directs the OHMI Symphony Orchestra, who performed at YAC State Orchestra Festival and received a Superior rating this year. Mr. Beard directs the Symphony Orchestra.
Education
Mr. Beard graduated from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelors in Music Education. He received his Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Oakland University. He has done post-graduate study in string music education at University of Michigan and orchestral conducting at Illinois State University. Mr. Beard has studied orchestral conducting with Maestro Kurt Musprat, Dr. Glen Block, Dr. David Daniels and Dr. Gregory Cunningham.
Personal
Mr. Beard has lived most of his life in Oakland County and grew up in Clawson, Michigan. He presently lives in Oakland County with his wife. Mr. & Mrs. Beard have homeschooled their children for eighteen years, graduating all 3 who have graduated college and grad school after attending OHMI for all of their homeschool years. Mr. Beard likes to read and go traveling in his RV Serenade in his spare time.
Mrs. Cherub Beard — Program Administrator/Choir Director
Experience
Mrs. Beard has been involved in Choir for over 40 years – elementary, high school, college, community, and church choir. She was a member of the Rochester Oratorio Society in Rochester, NY, did opera performances in college, and has performed with ensembles and done solo work for church productions. She has directed both children’s and adult choirs along with vocal ensembles, and numerous musical theatre productions. Mrs. Beard has been teaching vocal music for 24 years at OHMI.
Mrs. Beard started the Vocal Music program at OHMI, whose students have been chosen for State Honors Choir, All – State Honors Choir, All-State Solo Finalist, and receive consistent Excellent ratings at MSVMA festivals. Advanced Choir (Musica Celestiale) performed at MSVMA State Solo & Ensemble Festival this year, receiving a Division 1 rating, and Concert Choir performed at MSVMA Choral Festival this year, receiving a Division 1 rating. MS Chorus performed at MSVMA Choral Festival, receiving a Division 1 rating. At Youth Arts Coalition State Festival all 3 Choirs received a Superior rating. Mrs. Beard directs MS Chorus, Concert Choir, and Advanced Choir.
Mrs. Beard is a past Co-Manager for MSVMA District 4, currently adjudicates for MSVMA, and teaches voice privately.
Education
Mrs. Beard graduated from Oral Roberts University with 28 credits in Music, and received a Minor in Vocal music along with a nursing major. While at Oral Roberts University she studied voice with Dr. George Stephenson. She adds to her choral experience by taking classes in choral techniques and conducting at music education conferences, and is taking graduate music classes through VanderCook College of Music.
Personal
Mrs. Beard homeschooled her children for 18 years, graduating all 3 and sending them off to college, and grad school. She is the Program Administrator for OHMI which consumes most of her day. In her free time she practices piano and spends time with her two Pekingese princesses. Mrs. Beard enjoys organic gardening, canning, cross-stitch, and is an avid reader.
Mr. Michael Cheng — Guitar Instructor
Mrs. Courtney Jolley — Elementary Music Teacher
Experience – Mrs. Jolley has performed and conducted in a variety of ensembles & musical theater productions. After graduating & having children, Mrs. Jolley taught a young children’s choir at First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, NC. When she and her family moved to Michigan, she became the Music Director at First Presbyterian Church in South Lyon.
Education – Mrs. Jolley graduated high school from Interlochen Arts Academy where she majored in Vocal Performance. She then went on to study Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville,TN. When her focus turned to education, she continued her college education at East Tennessee State University and graduated with a major in Music Education and Business.
Personal – Mrs. Jolley lives with her husband and three homeschooled daughters in Oakland County. In her spare time, she loves to spend time hiking, camping, and adventuring outdoors with her family. She also enjoys a good cup of tea with her knitting or crocheting.
Miss Cassandra O’Brien- Band Director/Clarinet Instructor
Experience:
Miss O’Brien has taught music and participated in a wide variety of ensembles for over 10 years. During her time as a teaching assistant in her Masters and Doctoral degrees, she taught lessons, methods classes, technique classes, and studio classes. Miss O’Brien has participated in band and orchestra programs throughout the entirety of her musical education, often as the principal clarinetist and section leader. She has played in the ensemble for several of MSU’s Conducting Symposiums and has performed at the annual Michigan Music Conference and at several College Band Directors National Association conferences. In addition to teaching band at OHMI Troy, she plays bass clarinet with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, teaches, and freelances as a clarinetist.
Education:
Miss O’Brien earned her Doctoral degree in clarinet performance from Michigan State University. She earned her Masters degree in clarinet performance at the University of Akron in Ohio and her Bachelors degree in clarinet performance at Grand Valley State University.
Personal:
Miss O’Brien is involved in her church’s choir, music program, bus ministry, and junior church program. She also works as a nanny and homeschool teacher. She is a Michigan native, and enjoys spending her free time practicing, reading, and drawing.
Ms. Holben— Young Strings Teacher and Orchestra Teacher
Experience:
Ms. Holben has taught music at various places for the last 24 years. She has taught piano & voice lessons, Elementary choir, MS choir, Elementary music classes, directed music for theatre groups, African Drumming, Handbells, and student taught orchestra with Mr. Beard. While at Oakland University, Mrs. Holben has performed with the Oakland University Chorus, Symphonic Orchestra, OU Jazz Singers, & African Ensemble. She was Vice-President of CMENC at OU as well. Most recently, she was soprano section leader of the Detroit Edison Singers. Mrs. Holben plays many instruments: piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, violin, viola, cello, recorder, and a few traditional African Instruments. In addition to singing with the church choir, she also currently plays with the OHMI Symphonic Orchestra.
Education:
Ms. Holben has a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Music Education from Oakland University, with a minor in Piano Pedagogy. She studied piano with Joyce Adelson and Flavio Varani, voice with John Paul White and Janice Albretch, and African Instruments with Mark Stone.
Personal:
Ms. Holben is very involved at her church and she is currently enrolled at Kodesh School of Ministry. She currently has 4 children, 2 of which are still homeschooled. Ms. Holben spends her free time homeschooling, coaching adults to get financial licenses, reading, painting, crafting, and practicing her various instruments. She currently lives in Clarkston with her 2 younger children and 2 cats.
Blair Mellow – Voice Instructor
Experience:
Mr. Mellow has been acting and singing professionally since the age of 8. He has been an
active part of the performing arts community in metro-Detroit for 35 years. His background
includes performances in live theater, musicals, operas, and voice-over narration. He has
worked as a stage director, a vocal coach, a music director, and teacher in dozens of
productions. He has sung most recently with Detroit Opera chorus, the Boston Lyric
Opera, the Boston Conservatory Opera, and Odyssey Opera. Mr. Mellow has been teaching
private voice lessons for fifteen years. He is currently a Professor of Musical Theater at
Rochester Christian University.
Education:
Mr. Mellow earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Performance and his Bachelor’s of Music
in Vocal Performance from Oakland University, where he studied with John-Paul White and
Dr. Edith Diggory. He received his Master’s of Music in Opera Performance from the Boston
Conservatory at Berklee, where he studied with Dr. Rebecca Folsom.
Personal:
In addition to teaching at OHMI, Mr. Mellow also teaches at Rochester Christian University,
and at his private studio in Waterford. He lives in Waterford with his wife, his son, and his
poodle. He comes from a family of professional musicians. His mother was a professional
opera singer and a voice teacher at Oakland University for 35 years, and his father just
retired after spending 45 years playing the viola in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Mrs. Justine Santoro- Piano Instructor
Experience:
Mrs. Santoro has taught private piano lessons for over 30 years and done much accompanying of vocal and instrumental soloists as well as church choirs. She has been the piano accompanist at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit for 24 years, and is currently working there as both pianist and coordinator of liturgical music. At this time, she is also employed as a children’s choir accompanist at a local parochial school. In addition, she teaches actively at her home piano studio and at OHMI. As one of the Founding Piano Teachers of the Music Development Program in the State of Michigan, Mrs. Santoro continues to utilize the renowned piano pedagogy of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Under this methodology, many of her students take advantage of the opportunity to prepare for Royal Conservatory of Music Piano and Theory Examinations with adjudicators from the University of Toronto. Over the years, several of her students have achieved examination results of “First Class Honors With Distinction” and “First Class Honors” in their piano and theory exams. Also, for four years, Mrs. Santoro had the pleasure of teaching middle-school English and Theology at a private school in Detroit. While in this teaching position, she often accompanied children’s music ministries at school liturgies.
Education:
Mrs. Santoro studied piano under the Royal Conservatory of Music. Following these studies, she earned an Honors Bachelors Degree in Music and English from the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Also, from the University of Windsor, she earned a Bachelor of Education Degree specializing in teaching high-school and middle-school English. Upon residing in Michigan, Mrs. Santoro obtained Middle School and High School Teacher Certification.
Personal:
For the past seventeen years, Mrs. Santoro has homeschooled all of her children, some through high school and others until late middle-school or early high school. She considers the homeschooling years a short, but precious season of life in which music has greatly enriched the journey with much family bonding and fond memories. All of her children are continuing to enjoy their music by performing, teaching, studying and writing their own compositions. As a proud citizen of both the United States and Canada, Mrs. Santoro currently resides at her home in Oakland County with her husband and children. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, walking, reading, cooking and sharing time with family and friends.
David Conners – Guitar Instructor
Experience
Mr. Connors has been teaching private, group, and ensemble music lessons for almost 25 years in Ohio, North Carolina, and now Michigan.
Mr. Connors is a working musician who performs and records locally and regionally in a wide variety of music ensembles and genres on most weekends and throughout the summer.
Education
Mr. Connors Graduated from Kent State University in Business, Marketing, and Human Resources with elective studies in Classical Guitar and Piano Performance. He continued postgraduate studies in Recording Arts and Technologies at Cuyahoga Community College.
Guitar is the first instrument Mr. Connors chose to study in middle school through College, and to this day. He continues to study and share music through a wide variety of instruments.
Personal
Mr. Connors was born and raised in NorthEast Ohio. He lived in Raleigh, NC for nearly a decade where he met a native Michigander from Oakland County who would become his wife and partner.
Mr. & Mrs. Connors moved to Michigan in 2019 to raise their daughter (born in 2017) closer to family.
In addition to music and family, Mr. Connors enjoys travelling, reading, cooking, and athletic sports. He does root for The Detroit Lions & Red Wings as well as The Cleveland Guardians, Cavaliers, Browns, & the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. He also wishes the Detroit Tigers and Pistons to do well and stay competitive with his favorite teams.