FP MUSIC ACADEMY® - Key Persons
Cameron Welke teaches out of Welke Guitar & Lute Studio in Iowa City, Iowa. Cameron brings his unique style and skills to . He specializes in classical and fingerstyle guitar and lute performance. He began his musical life as a classical violinist and a rock and jazz guitarist, and currently performs actively as a lute player. He teaches students of all ages, and brings his love of guitar and deep understanding of technique and musicality into every lesson.
Carl Richey teaches voice, clarinet, and music theory at fp Music Academy. A recent resident of Solon, Iowa, Carl is passionate about musical theater and is pursuing a degree in music. He started playing the clarinet in the 3 rd grade and got involved in musical theater in high school. His interest in music started early in life.
"My mother took me to see the Music Man when I was three years old, and she said that when it was over, I asked, ‘Is there any more?'" says Carl. "There was never any question that I was going to be involved in music in some way."
When he was young, Carl and his family lived in Ferrisburg, Vermont, about an hour from Stowe, Vermont, which is where his father worked as director of marketing for the Trapp Family Lodge, founded by the von Trapp family of the Sound of Music. Carl says he grew up watching musicals with his family, including multiple viewings of the Sound of Music, of course.
When the family moved to Iowa in 2014, Carl got involved in as many music and musical theater groups as possible. He played clarinet and trumpet in the Solon High School marching band and participated in the Jazz band, winter drumline, and mariachi band. Along the way, he picked up the timpani and cymbals.
"In high school, I learned the technical side of music, and once I got that down, my teachers introduced me to new instruments and types of music," says Carl. "I loved the marching band and the different formations. I wasn't aware of marching bands before coming to Iowa, and before we moved here, my parents showed me videos of the University of Iowa marching band, and I thought it was amazing."
Carl also has great memories of the many musical theater productions he participated in at Solon High School, including Mary Poppins, in which he played the role of Mr. Banks. Carl has traveled to New York City several times (with his family and his high school) to watch Broadway productions, and moved there in 2021. A performance of The Phantom of the Opera will forever stick with him.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Iowa City Community String Orchestra
The violin has been called the Voice of the Orchestra. With Maria, you can learn how to play this versatile instrument. Maria teaches violin with and wants to work with you. Don't delay - Start your musical adventure at our locally-owned professional school of music!
Maria Valentine was six years old when she decided she wanted to play the violin. It all started when a group of children demonstrated the Suzuki method of violin instruction at her elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
That day she came home from school and asked her parents to take an old violin down from the top of the china hutch and let her play it. Maria can't say why her parents had the violin or who it belonged to (no one in the family played the violin), but she's glad it instigated a life-long interest in the instrument.
Maria grew up in a musical household. Her father is a pianist, and he played the organ for many years. Her mother played the piano, her brother played the cello, and her sister also played the violin. During the winter holiday season, the family visited nursing homes in the Milwaukee area to perform Christmas songs.
"I just never knew what it was like to not have music in my house," says Maria, who lives in South Amana with her husband and four children.
Her father was a music teacher in Milwaukee for many years, and he directed high school students in choirs and musicals. He also worked at a Lutheran church where he conducted all the choirs, the handbell choir, and performed on the organ for services and special religious celebrations and events.
In college, Maria studied art and psychology and eventually obtained a master's in counseling. During her studies, she continued playing the violin and improving her technique. When she moved to Iowa from Wisconsin with her husband in 2006, she started teaching locally, eventually building up her client base with students from all over the Corridor.
"I love teaching children, but I also teach adults," says Maria. "Teaching is enriching, and I believe music heals the soul. Music has certainly had a healing effect on my life."
Maria's teaching philosophy is encouraging and supportive. She asks students to use a notebook to keep track of songs and techniques to practice between lessons, and she recommends that parents attend classes. She believes that her experience parenting her children, who also play musical instruments, makes it easier for her to work with younger players.
"I relate well to children, and I work hard to make practice and lessons fun for them, not frustrating," says Maria. "The violin is difficult to learn, no doubt, but once you learn to play the violin, you can learn to play any instrument."
When she's not teaching the violin, Maria works as a caner, repairing chairs with cane seats, which she learned from her grandmother. She also helps out at a local chiropractic practice owned and operated by some close friends and sings in the choir of the church she attends.
Maria is a proud member of the Iowa City Community String Orchestra, a group of non-professional string players who gather to perform in the Spring and the Fall of every year.
Maria Valentine teaches violin from Valentine Violin Studio in South Amana, Iowa. She brings a lifelong experience in violin education and performance to . She has a deep understanding of how to make music with the violin, and encourages her students with her enthusiasm for her chosen instrument.
Mike Nemeth teaches out of Fairfax Piano, his studio in Fairfax, Iowa. While he is the President of , he also teaches many active and engaged students. Mike is passionate about running a business that is locally-owned and operated and supporting other local businesses. He brings to our staff a wealth of musical experience and knowledge.
Miles Damaso is a percussionist based out of Bloomington, Indiana. His versatility as a musician allows him to play in a large variety of settings as a drum set player, jazz vibraphonist, classical percussionist, and marching percussionist. He currently is the drummer for Moonshine Mary, The Joe McCadden Band, and also performs with the multiple music groups at Indiana University, including the top jazz band. He's had the chance to perform alongside great players including Dick Oatts, Bret Zvacek, Damani Phillips, Charlie Ballantine, Jesse Wittman, Nick Tucker, Joel Tucker, Steven Jones, Sean Imboden, Dan Johnson, Dennis "Daddy-O" McMurrin, and Steve Shanley. He has also had the privilege of receiving the award for outstanding instrumentalist at Kirkwood Community College, the Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, being a 2 time All State musician, and being a featured performer at the Czech Village Blues Festival. A graduate from Kennedy High School and Kirkwood Commuity College, Miles is now pursing a bachelors degree in music from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. His teachers include Steve Houghton, Sean Dobbins, Sherrie Maricle, Cody Collings, Joe Perea, and Ben Yancey. When Miles is not playing music he enjoys eating food and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers. Connect with him on Instagram and YouTube @milesdamaso or on Facebook!
Reagan Bieber started playing the piano at the age of 12, not long after his mother passed away. His father thought music would help the boy to overcome his grief, and he was right: Reagan threw himself into music and excelled at the piano, learning to play both Classical and show tunes by ear.
Although she died when he was young, Reagan still has memories of his mother singing Pop songs. She also taught him about melody and harmony, and the two enjoyed singing together. "I can remember singing Shania Twain's ‘Man, I feel like a woman' at the top of our lungs while driving in the car," Reagan says.
Reagan was homeschooled and graduated from the Marion Homeschool Assistance Program in 2012. After that, he studied human resources management at Kirkwood Community College. He has held several different jobs in human resource management and bookkeeping, but recently, Reagan decided to pursue a full-time career in music performance and education.
"Once I made that decision, I felt liberated," says Reagan, who hopes to someday pursue a degree in piano pedagogy. "I found a passion for teaching and passing on knowledge to the next generation."
Reagan strives to provide students with a well-rounded music education, and to help them understand the endless possibilities of music. He believes in improvisation and experimentation and allowing students to bring their own personal style to their music.
"Being able to engage the students in music that they are interested in learning to play is the first key to developing their skills as a musician," says Reagan, who lives in Hiawatha with his husband, Schuyler Bieber.
Aside from his work at fp Music Academy, Reagan also coordinates music for the Echo Hill Presbyterian Church and plays piano for the Calvin Sinclair Presbyterian Church for its Sunday service. He is the pianist for Center Point-Urbana Community School District's K-8 th grade and high school show choir groups.
"Music is my bread and butter, and I wouldn't have it any other way," says Reagan.