Derek Street - Academy Director
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Derek Street is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and has always loved music. He started playing and taking piano lessons at the age of 5. He also fell in love with singing, as he would sing along with his mother during the car rides to piano lessons. Derek earned a BS in Music Education with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Western Carolina University. He has taught music in SC public schools for the past 13 years (8 years in high school/middle school and 5 years in elementary school). While directing at the high school level, he helped the school's chorus program win the SC state high school choral competition 6 times in a row and 3 times in a row at the middle school level. He is head of music ministries, as music director, at Point Hope United Methodist Church in Park West and has directed church choirs for 9 years. Derek co-founded and directs a male a cappella group in Mt. Pleasant called the Palmetto Vocal Project (NSC district champions and 2-time NSC International Representative of the BHS). His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME, formerly MENC) and the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Derek has performed as a soloist in the genres of opera, oratorio, musical theatre, pop music, and in many vocal ensembles. He teaches voice, piano, guitar, and ukulele. Derek Street lives with his beautiful wife and 3 boys in Awendaw, SC. |
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Mike Garand - Recording Producer
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Mike Garand is a Canadian-born musician with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Filmmaking and a progressive background in music and recording arts. Between his own projects, Mike has been honing his craft by overseeing myriads of different production departments on the sets of award winning short films, series, music videos, and features as a Script/Continuity Supervisor and Director.
Mike has had a love for music since he was a young boy, and started taking lessons at an early age. He is proficient in many instruments including guitar, piano, and harmonica. His singing abilities have been prominent from an early age as well. He has been featured onstage as the lead of live bands and musical theater productions including Into The Woods, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, How To Succeed In Businness Without Really Trying, RENT, Tick, Tick...BOOM! and many others. Mike has been singing and competing in professional choral and a capella groups since he was 7 years old. He was a leading competetor in the International Championship of High School A Capella at Lincoln Center, and is currently a board member of Charleston’s All-Men’s Barbershop a cappella group, the Palmetto Vocal Project. He is deeply involved in the field of Recording Arts and Editing. He has composed music for films and television projects in the US and Canada, and has both produced and been featured in studio albums. Mike is also the Creator/Director of BTMA's Black Tie Bands, a non-profit film project dedicated to creating an online outlet for local Charleston musicians to showcase their talents. He currently lives in West Ashley with his lovely wife. |
Eric Vaughn
Eric fell in love with music at an early age, receiving his first drum set at age 3. In high school, he performed nationally and internationally with both choral and band ensembles; performing at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and Giants Stadium to name a few. In his summers, he toured 3 years with the DCI (Drum Corps International) Circuit, serving as a drum major for Carolina Crown and winning the World Championship with the Cadets in 2000. He received a Bachelor's in Music Education from USC where he specialized in trumpet and instrumental music. Eric has worked extensively as both an instructor and consultant to high school marching bands such as Irmo, Sumter, and Gilbert. Over the last 12 years, he has worked as a performing drummer, guitarist, and trumpet player. He has 13 years of private teaching experience and can play every instrument. Eric is also a SC state-certified music educator.
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Tyler-Gail Wood
Tyler Gail Wood is a recent graduate from Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL where she received a Bachelor of the Arts in Music. She grew up singing the classic hymns at church and the National Anthem at small town events, but learned to love opera and oratorio in college while pursuing a degree in voice. Choral music is her passion, be it renaissance madrigals, a church anthem, a giant masterwork, or an a capella rendition of Let it Go.
Tyler Gail grew up on a tobacco farm in rural North Carolina, but has always dreamed of lowcountry living! After toughing out the Chicago winters, she moved straight here to pursue a career in music. She will be marrying her college choir sweetheart this summer and is thrilled to be settling into full fledged Charleston life.
Audra-Claire McCall
Audra Claire McCall, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, began giving public violin performances at age 5. She attended the Aspen Music Festival and School for eight years where she played several performances of the Young Artist Concert Series. Excelling in her studies, McCall became the co-concertmaster of the Youth Orchestra of the Lowcountry and was a featured soloist with symphonies around the state including the Civic Metropolitan Orchestra, the Southcoast Symphony, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and the Hilton Head Symphony.
As performing has been very important in her musical endeavors, McCall was featured in multiple concerts with the College of Charleston Concert Series, the Drayton Hall Plantation Candlelight Concert Series, the Friday Night with the Classics Series, the Emily Remington Concert Series, the Millennium Music Spotlight Concert Series, the Hilton Head Symphony Musicale, and the Charleston First Night Concert Series. In addition, McCall has enjoyed opportunities of competing at advanced levels and in 2008, she won the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League Concerto Competition. That same year, she was honored to solo with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for the opening of the Spoleto Festival International. This rich concerting experience is something she is excited to share with her students.
McCall concurrently studied violin with Paul Kantor of Rice University for eight years and Amos Laurence, the former assistant concertmaster of the Charleston Symphony, for eleven years. She graduated from Bob Jones University in 2012 with a degree in Humanities.
As performing has been very important in her musical endeavors, McCall was featured in multiple concerts with the College of Charleston Concert Series, the Drayton Hall Plantation Candlelight Concert Series, the Friday Night with the Classics Series, the Emily Remington Concert Series, the Millennium Music Spotlight Concert Series, the Hilton Head Symphony Musicale, and the Charleston First Night Concert Series. In addition, McCall has enjoyed opportunities of competing at advanced levels and in 2008, she won the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League Concerto Competition. That same year, she was honored to solo with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for the opening of the Spoleto Festival International. This rich concerting experience is something she is excited to share with her students.
McCall concurrently studied violin with Paul Kantor of Rice University for eight years and Amos Laurence, the former assistant concertmaster of the Charleston Symphony, for eleven years. She graduated from Bob Jones University in 2012 with a degree in Humanities.
Adam Barley
Adam Barley, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, started his musical journey 20 years ago beginning with the guitar. His love of music expanded in high school as he discovered the beauty and fun of singing choral music. He received a BM in Music Education with a concentration in Voice from Carson Newman College. Adam then earned a double MM concentration in Vocal Pedagogy and Vocal Performance from Belmont University, Vocal Pedagogy curriculum partnering with the Vanderbilt Voice Center.
Adam’s vocal performance career has included solo and choral performances in Memmingham, Germany, Knoxville Symphony, Sullivan County Community Choir NY, Carson Newman Oratorio Chorus, Carson Newman A Cappella Choir. He has been privileged to have teachers and coachings with active instructors from the Vienna State Opera House, New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera NYC, Shirley Ritenour, and Thomas Blaylock – founder of Northwest Institute of Voice in Portland, Oregon. Adam has been teaching for 8 years. He has also co-directed the Sullivan County Community Choir in New York, and participated in teaching assistantships and master classes at the collegiate level for voice.
Adam’s vocal performance career has included solo and choral performances in Memmingham, Germany, Knoxville Symphony, Sullivan County Community Choir NY, Carson Newman Oratorio Chorus, Carson Newman A Cappella Choir. He has been privileged to have teachers and coachings with active instructors from the Vienna State Opera House, New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera NYC, Shirley Ritenour, and Thomas Blaylock – founder of Northwest Institute of Voice in Portland, Oregon. Adam has been teaching for 8 years. He has also co-directed the Sullivan County Community Choir in New York, and participated in teaching assistantships and master classes at the collegiate level for voice.
Mike Kaufman
Mike Kaufman is the oldest of three musicians and teachers born into a family of musicians. His mother was a classically trained pianist and his father was a jazz musician. He received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Montclair State University and Master’s in Education Leadership from Thomas Edison State College. He worked his way through college teaching guitar lessons, and has been attached to music and teaching ever since.
As a performer he specializes in fingerstyle guitar, usually in the Americana/folk genre. His influences, however, range from classical and jazz to pop and blues from the Delta and the Piedmont. He has recorded three CDs, all available on iTunes and Amazon.com: Bluebird’s Wing, Hymns from the Living Room, and his latest, Carolina Life.
“I love to play music, especially with other musicians,” he says. “Music is a social art, and is not really complete unless it’s shared with other musicians and/or listeners. As much as I love to play, though, I’ve discovered my real calling is to teach. I really get great joy from the accomplishments of my students.”
A recent transplant to the Low Country, Mike lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Suzanne and son, Dustin.
As a performer he specializes in fingerstyle guitar, usually in the Americana/folk genre. His influences, however, range from classical and jazz to pop and blues from the Delta and the Piedmont. He has recorded three CDs, all available on iTunes and Amazon.com: Bluebird’s Wing, Hymns from the Living Room, and his latest, Carolina Life.
“I love to play music, especially with other musicians,” he says. “Music is a social art, and is not really complete unless it’s shared with other musicians and/or listeners. As much as I love to play, though, I’ve discovered my real calling is to teach. I really get great joy from the accomplishments of my students.”
A recent transplant to the Low Country, Mike lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Suzanne and son, Dustin.
Andrea Krider
Andrea Krider is in Indiana native, but has called Charleston home for 4 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from DePauw University. She began performing at the age of 4, and has never stopped. As a child she was a rising star at the Fort Wayne Youtheatre with leading roles in Winnie the Pooh, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She was a 3 year member of her high schools' show choir, and spent the summers during and years after college performing in musicals at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, in which her portrayal of Kate (the Housewife), from Stud Terkle's Working earned her an Anthony Award for Outstanding Supporting Female Performance in a Musical.
At DePauw, Andrea studied under internationally-acclaimed soprano, Pamela Coburn, and was directed by former King's Singer member, Gabriel Crouch. She made her choreographer debut with a piece for DePauw's Percussion Plus Ensemble to the theme of "Aztec Gods and Goddesses," and went on to choreograph and perform in the DePauw Theatre's production of The Who's Tommy.
Since living in Charleston, Andrea has been in Chicago (June), Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp (Yasmine), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), will be in Mary Poppins in the spring, and was the Director/Musical Director/Choreographer of Legally Blonde, Jr at South of Broadway last fall. She is currently a member of The King's Counterpoint and The Charleston Caroling Company, and a Board Member for the
North Charleston POPS!
At DePauw, Andrea studied under internationally-acclaimed soprano, Pamela Coburn, and was directed by former King's Singer member, Gabriel Crouch. She made her choreographer debut with a piece for DePauw's Percussion Plus Ensemble to the theme of "Aztec Gods and Goddesses," and went on to choreograph and perform in the DePauw Theatre's production of The Who's Tommy.
Since living in Charleston, Andrea has been in Chicago (June), Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp (Yasmine), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), will be in Mary Poppins in the spring, and was the Director/Musical Director/Choreographer of Legally Blonde, Jr at South of Broadway last fall. She is currently a member of The King's Counterpoint and The Charleston Caroling Company, and a Board Member for the
North Charleston POPS!
Sam Cooper
Sam is a graduate from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. He as an extremely diverse musician offering lessons covering a wide range of styles including pop, rock, country, jazz, classical and world; Sam’s got you covered!
Sam teaches guitar, bass, ukelele and piano. Be sure to ask him about the piece he composed for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra!
Sam teaches guitar, bass, ukelele and piano. Be sure to ask him about the piece he composed for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra!