Meet the Teachers

SARAH MCCAFFREY RITCHIE, OWNER

MUSIC PLAY • MUSIC MOVES FOR PIANO • FLUTE • UKULELE

Sarah is a native Minnesotan, musician, educator and mother. She has her M.M in Music Education from University of Buffalo (NY), her B.M in flute performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester (NY) as well as her GIML Early Childhood Certification (Level 1) and Elementary General Music Certification (Level 1). She has her K-12 music certification from Brooklyn College and she recently received a certificate for World Music Pedagogy from the Smithsonian Folkways Museum and University of St. Thomas. She also holds the Kodaly certification in Level I from New York University. She has attended and presented at Music Learning Theory workshops and conferences around the world and continues to work tirelessly in her own research and development as a music educator.

Sarah is also a songwriter/composer, flutist, guitarist, and pianist. She has performed competitively and leisurely through the United States and enjoys finding any time to play music possible. She has three children: Cleo, age 9, and Francis and Stephen, age 7. Despite writing and making music her entire life, these three human beings have been her best trio ever composed.

JESSICA DAWN

MUSIC PLAY • KEYBOARD GAMES • UKULELE • GUITAR •office coordinator

Jessica Dawn brings a broad range of musical experiences to her role as a Music Play instructor including performing singer/songwriter, flutist, guitarist, private lesson instructor, preschool music specialist, Music Together instructor, and former Minneapolis Public School music teacher. She thoroughly enjoys being a part of the musical exploration process of young children, and is continually inspired by the joyful expressions in voice and movement that happen in class!

After teaching for several years as an elementary music teacher (Barton Open, Lucy Laney) she returned to early childhood music, where the soul of her teaching has always thrived. Jessica believes that smaller classes and incorporation of the whole family makes the music part more fun and the learning part more impactful! She also has extensive knowledge about Music Learning Theory, Keyboard Games, improvisation, varying modes and meters and composition, which she will brings to both her Music Play and Music Moves for Piano classes!

She also teaches guitar, ukulele and songwriting and brings a vast wealth of knowledge to her students through her brilliant ability to gently nudge a student’s own creative development through her own experience.

Jessica is mama to a brilliant, athletic, and musical 9-year-old son named Nathan and a cheerful, chattering and climbing 4-year-old daughter named Nolan. They are her greatest inspiration and most cherished accomplishment.

CALLI OLSON

KEYBOARD GAMES • MUSIC MOVES FOR PIANO

Calli Olson has been playing piano since she was 10 years old, mostly by ear. She fell in love with making music after teaching herself a few songs for her dad. Her formal instruction allowed her to make lifelong connections through music. She is grateful to have found such a fulfilling music career after receiving her Bachelor of Music from Victoria University in Australia. She has completed a comprehensive course in Keyboard Games and Music Moves for Piano and is passionate about the Music Learning Theory method. She wants to give back by giving children the beautiful experience of music education to carry with them through life.

Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Calli enjoys going to local music gigs, seeking out new coffee shops, and rock climbing. On the weekends, she can often be found taking her eighteen year old cat, Eggo, out on adventures around the city. Her favorite type of activity is thrill seeking. After ziplining in the forests of Victoria and leaping off of towers in Auckland and Las Vegas, she hopes to cross skydiving off of her bucket list next!

VANESSA TU

Keyboard games • music moves for piano • individual piano

Local musician and comedian, Vanessa Tu has provided accompaniment for improv comedy in the Twin Cities since 2017. She has performed at a variety of venues including HUGE Improv Theater, Strike Theater, Brave New Workshop, and Bryant Lake Bowl. She has also traveled around greater Minnesota and to schools across the country with The Theater of Public Policy. After completing the Keyboard Games course and discovering a passion for Music Moves for Piano, Vanessa traveled to Boston to attend the GIML Professional Development Course in Piano 1.

Vanessa started piano around the age of nine, but developed her love for it after discovering online arrangements of Final Fantasy music in high school. While continuing her piano education at St. Cloud State University, Vanessa studied viola, communication studies, and performance. She enjoys finding new ways to incorporate music in live theater.

Vanessa has taught in several areas of performing arts and also does coffee training! No matter the subject, she is determined to work with students in building confidence, deepening their understanding, and finding their inner creative. In her free time, Vanessa likes to boulder, try new food, go on walks, and invest in friendships.

LUKE DARGER

Keyboard games • music moves for piano • individual piano

Luke Darger is a Minneapolis born pop and jazz pianist, composer/producer and teacher. He has performance experience across a variety of genres and contexts, including international tours and major festivals such as Roskilde (Denmark), Primavera (Barcelona) and Coachella. He has his B.A. in Music Business from the University of St. Thomas with minors in Recording Arts and English.

Luke has been teaching a diverse roster of students, ages, and styles for the past four years with a special emphasis on audiation, improvisation, and collaborative play. He has completed the Keyboard Games course and has studied Music Moves for Piano extensively since joining us!

DIMITRA KITSOU

individual Piano

Dimitra Kitsou is a multi-talented musician and educator from Greece with a strong passion for music. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Integrated Master’s degree in “Music Studies” from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, along with a Harmony Degree.

Dimitra’s interest in working with children and her desire to explore innovative teaching methods brought her to the Orff Approach. She honed her skills in this approach by completing the “Further Educational Course in Orff-Schulwerk Studies on Three Levels” at Moraitis School in Athens, Greece.

Since 2019, Dimitra has been actively involved in teaching and conducting various seminars. These include pedagogy, music-dance-speech integration, improvisation, and physical theatre. Additionally, she also plays the guitar and ukulele, and writes songs for children.

Her lessons are characterized by their creativity and individualized approach. Her ultimate goal is not only to impart musical knowledge and skills but also to foster a deep and lasting love for music in her students. By recognizing and nurturing each student’s unique talents and abilities, Dimitra strives to make a meaningful impact on their musical journeys.

STEPHANIE EHRLICH

Voice

Stephanie Ehrlich is a vocalist, music educator, and arts administrator based in Minneapolis, MN. She has worn many hats throughout her professional career, such as gigging musician, studio recording artist, member of a collegiate vocal ensemble, and choral manager, and finds that nothing is as rewarding as teaching a fellow vocalist about the intricacies of their instrument. Stephanie works closely with her students to create a list of goals and an accompanying practice plan for flexible, yet consistent musical development. Above all else, she promotes a positive space for vocal discovery, centered around the joy in making music as a team. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Jazz Voice from the University of North Texas.

HANNAH KENNEDY

Violin

Hannah Kennedy is a committed collaborator and recitalist known for creative and thoughtful performances. She enjoys creating programs with works from differing eras, styles, and composers and loves exploring how music has and has not changed over time. She is also active in the Early Music community and is a supporter of historically-informed performances. Hannah was awarded first prize in the 2020 Bruce Ekstrand Competition and presented J.S. Bach’s Chaccone as an Ekstrand semi-finalist in 2019. Currently, she performs with Pro Musica Colorado, the South Dakota Symphony, and Lyra Baroque Orchestra. She also served as a member of the Altius Quartet for the 2020-2021 season. She is an assistant faculty at Stringwood Chamber Music Festival in Lanesboro, MN, and teaches sponsored lessons for Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony’s Harmony Program. Recently, she participated as a virtual performer fellow in the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Music Academy and performed with Compass Resonance Ensemble at the Boulder Bach Festival’s 2022 festival week. Festival appearances include Madeline Island Chamber Music (’11. Fellow ’19), Stringwood Chamber Music Festival, and Twin Cities Baroque Instrumental Program. While at Madeline Island, Hannah worked with members of the Arianna, American, Dover, and St. Lawrence String Quartets. She has also performed in masterclasses with members of the Tákacs, Enso, Pacifica, Arianna, Juilliard, Brentano, Jupiter, and Pro Arte String Quartets, and the Smetana Trio. Hannah obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she attended as an Eileen Phillips Cohen string quartet fellow. She went on to receive a Master’s degree at CU Boulder, studying with Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre of the Takács Quartet. She continued her studies with Ms. Rhodes and Mr. Dusinberre, completing an Artist Diploma in solo violin and serving as teaching assistant to Dr. Robert Hill. Hannah lives in Chaska, MN with her husband, Nick, and their dog, Lacy.

DEVIN KELLY

Music Play • ukulele • violin

Devin Kelly is a singer, violinist, and ukulele player with over a decade of teaching experience. She attended Berklee College of Music with a major in Voice Performance and has performed with many groups and organizations in styles including classical, jazz, rock and roll, folk, and musical theatre. She is a recent transplant from California and she looks forward to engaging in as much Twin Cities music and theatre as she can. Her favorite performance experience was as a member of the first San Francisco regional production of Once The Musical. Devin first joined the Songs With Sarah family attending Music Play classes with her daughter Rowan and she’s thrilled to be continuing the adventure as a teacher.

MIKE LIMBYBLIW

PERCUSSION • Guitar

Michael LimBybliw became a board-certified music therapist in 2010 after receiving a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota. Michael has served a wide variety of populations since becoming a music therapist and because of his experience as a professional drummer, most of his work focuses on rhythm as a transformational tool.

Since 2012, Michael has been a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national conferences on multicultural percussion, guitar, and clinical groove concepts. In 2016, Michael was certified as a POUND® Pro and has been teaching as a Group Fitness Instructor through the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities since 2018. Michael is a Supervising Music Therapist with Twin Cities Music Therapy Services where he serves clients in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Metropolitan area. In 2020, Michael joined the POUND®️Fitness Tour Crew as a Global Brand Ambassador. During this same year, Michael began teaching 3-4 virtual POUND®️ fitness classes per week. He was also certified in Generation POUND®️, a program for youth ages 6-12 years old that he has been also been teaching virtually.

STEPHANIE HUBBARD

Music Play

Stephanie Hubbard has a Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy from Augsburg University, and a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from St. Mary-of-the-Woods college.

Stephanie began providing early childhood music classes and music lessons to children in 2008, and has been a board-certified music therapist since 2010. During that time, she has cultivated a deep personal mission to provide collaborative and integrative music-based services for children, youth, and their families. Stephanie believes all children need and deserve high quality music experiences. She enjoys collaborating with community and school-based musicians, educators, and clinicians to support young people as they explore and expand their relationships with music. She is interested in the importance of family on music development and overall wellness, and completed her master's thesis on collaboration in wellness programming for children with young families.

Stephanie traveled to Jamaica to learn Afro-Caribbean drum techniques and explore Jamaican music culture in 2010. She has also completed specialized training in Guided Imagery in Music (level 1), and improvisational music therapy. Stephanie studies vocal improvisation, scat singing, and circle singing with local Jazz singer and educator Sarah M. Greer.

In 2018, Stephanie welcomed her first child and attended her first Music Play class. She’s been hooked ever since! She continues to dive into learning opportunities that enrich her practice. She highly enjoys attending music play classes with her husband Will, and both of her daughters, Thea (4) and Quinn (1).