Meet The Teachers & Staff
-Owner, Founder, and CEO-
Julie Chambers is a multifaceted musician, educator, entrepreneur, and devoted mother who has dedicated her life to fostering creativity and a love for music in her community. As the founder and owner of Chambers Music Studio, Julie has expanded her vision to encompass three thriving locations in Bexley, Columbus, and Worthington. The Main Street studio is particularly special, as it features Swonderful Times Café, a welcoming space for students and their families to connect, relax, and be inspired.
A proud graduate of Capital University, Julie holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in music education. Her extensive training includes a Music Pedagogy diploma from Hungary, Kodály certification, and experience with Estill Voice Training. Julie’s teaching journey began in 2008 and includes a rich history of public school and preschool, and individualized private instruction in general music, choir, piano, and voice lessons. Her passion for teaching and her expertise have shaped countless students, helping them achieve their musical and personal goals.
Julie is also the curriculum developer for Mommy and Me Music Time and the studio’s summer camps, Tropical Adventures and World Drumming, programs that inspire creativity and exploration in young learners.
Beyond her role as an educator, Julie is a committed performer. She regularly shares her talents as a choir director, organist, accompanist, and vocalist at Grove City United Methodist Church. Her musical contributions extend beyond the classroom and stage; she is also a published author, with an article featured in Bexley Magazine, and the host of the podcast show Musical Life, where she explores the many ways music enriches our lives.
Julie balances her professional accomplishments with her role as the mother of three young children and the wife of a dedicated firefighter. Her ability to nurture, inspire, and lead—whether in her family, her studio, or her community—is a testament to her dedication and passion for music and education. Julie’s work continues to enrich the lives of her students and the broader musical community, making her a true pillar of inspiration and creativity.
Throughout her career, Aaliyah has developed a diverse skill set. As an Assistant Social Media Manager at Good Cafe, she honed her digital marketing skills, creating engaging content and managing promotional campaigns. In her role at Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, she enhanced operational efficiency and contributed to client satisfaction through effective organization and project management. Additionally, Aaliyah is passionate about mentoring, having served as a dance instructor for teen girls, where she fostered creativity and teamwork.
Recognized for her academic excellence, Aaliyah has consistently made the Dean’s and Provost’s Lists at Capital University and received a Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2024 for her contributions to a local documentary.
–Cello, Piano & Voice Instructor-
Max Kramer (he/him) is a current student at Capital University studying Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. He graduated from Kettering Fairmont High School where he participated in multiple choirs, a cappella groups, and theatre. In high school, Max was awarded the Most Valuable Singer of the 2021-22 school year as well as Outstanding Section Member 3 times in 3 different sections.
Now at Capital, Max sings in the prestigious Chapel Choir, where he serves as bass section leader apprentice and choral administrative assistant. He also sings with the chamber ensemble, Philomel, and actively participates in the Opera/Musical Theatre department. Max was awarded the Agnes Fowler Award for Outstanding Freshman Music Performance at the 2023 Capital University Conservatory Annual Scholarship Competition. Most recently, he was named a finalist in both the 2024 Capital University Conservatory Annual Scholarship Competition and the 2024 Red School of Music National Art Song Competition. Max also serves as a Chorister Section Leader at Christ Lutheran Church and as the Music and Assistant Directing Intern for the Singing Buckeyes Barbershop Chorus.
Outside of music, Max loves to spend time with his friends, family, roommates, and brother, Paul. He loves attending shows around Columbus and working out. After graduating, Max hopes to go into a career in performance and continue to teach private voice.
– Piano Instructor-
Pufan Wang is a pianist and music teacher who holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Ohio State University with Prof. Steven Glaser. Pufan has extensive performance experience in both solo and chamber music settings, having performed in concerts in China and the United States. In addition to performing, Pufan is also an experienced piano teacher, having taught students of all ages, from young children to adults. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes creating a positive and enriching learning experience for her students, and she strives to help her students develop a love an appreciation for music in their studies.
-Director of Education and Piano Instructor-
Ejiela has been teaching piano lessons since 2013 to students of varying ages in the Columbus area. Her primary area is classical piano, but she has had experience with other genres and encourages her students to explore other genres as well. She graduated from Capital University in 2015 with a degree in Piano Performance. Her performance experience includes masterclasses with Dr. Nelita True and Gale Berenson as well as solo playing, accompanying, ensemble playing, and competitions in the Indianapolis and Columbus areas. Contact us now to get scheduled for piano lessons with Ejiela!
-Studio Manager and Percussion Instructor-
Erin Rybinski is a dedicated, classically trained musician with a strong background in logistics and administrative coordination to support smooth, effective operations. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from The Ohio State University, where she studied a wide range of percussion instruments and techniques. Erin also studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, performing at several notable venues, including the historic Mozarthaus. During her time at Ohio State, she founded and served as President of the Percussion Club, an inclusive organization aimed at engaging students from all backgrounds in the world of percussion. She has extensive experience teaching marching drumlines, including working with the Ohio State School for the Blind’s marching band. Known for her patience, positivity, and inclusive approach, Erin goes out of her way to ensure every student feels both welcomed and challenged in their musical journey.
Abby Stadler is a student-centered educator with five years of high school teaching experience. As a dedicated teacher, she is passionate about fostering creativity, collaboration, and exploration. Growing up in a musical family, Abby studied piano and voice from a young age, and has held principal roles in musical productions like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and West Side Story.
In her free time, Abby enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and spending quality time with family and friends. She loves connecting with others and embracing new experiences. She is excited to combine her teaching skills and music background within the Chambers Music Studio community.
–Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Percussion, & Piano Instructor-
Saffron has been passionate about music since 2011 and brings a diverse skill set to their teaching, with expertise in guitar, bass-guitar, trumpet, and ukulele, and percussion. Known for their warm, welcoming teaching style, Saffron creates a comfortable and encouraging environment for students of all levels. In addition to their teaching, Saffron has been performing live with the band Cat Couch since 2023 and Fish President 2014, further enhancing their understanding of the music industry and performance dynamics.
Outside of music, Saffron has a wide range of interests that reflect their creative and adventurous spirit. They enjoy painting and bike riding, often exploring new places for inspiration. A lifelong fan of Pokémon, Saffron also enjoys playing the games in their spare time.
When it comes to food, Saffron is a big fan of the classic BLT sandwich and chicken wings from Buffalo Wings and Rings in Lewis Center being among their favorites. They also love spending time around town, with the local library and Littleroot Card Shop being two of their go-to spots for relaxation and inspiration. In their downtime, you can often find them antiquing and thrifting, always on the hunt for unique treasures.
Saffron’s combination of musical talent, artistic hobbies, and love of community make them a well-rounded and engaging instructor, always eager to share their passions with others.
Lily graduated from Ohio University in the spring of 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater. Having loved music and theater since childhood, Lily spent most of their high school career performing with different theater companies from the Sandusky and Cleveland areas. They have been recognized through awards and honors in various national and international competitions including the National Performing Arts Festival in Orlando, the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, and the Musical Theater Competitions of America in Los Angeles.
At Ohio University, Lily helped build a new Acapella group—Dynamics Acapella—serving as the group’s president and music director. Under their guidance, Dynamics was able to perform at the International Competition for Collegiate Acapella for two years in a row and continues to successfully compete today.
Lily has also been playing trombone for eight years. They participated in their high school’s marching, concert, pep, and jazz bands alongside their school’s best musicians. During their junior year, they also picked up the Euphonium so they could participate in Akron University’s annual Tuba Christmas event. At Ohio University, Lily continued to play trombone in the University Concert Band and take private lessons.
As a hobby, Lily has picked up skills in piano, ukulele, and percussion. Lily studied various forms of media and art in college, including theater, creative writing, screenwriting, film, and audio production. Outside of teaching, Lily enjoys writing, cooking, skating, and hanging out with their friends.
Gavin Newton has his Master’s of Music in Trumpet Performance from The Ohio State University and Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Education from Muskingum University. He is a performer and trumpet instructor around central and south-eastern Ohio; where he can be found performing with a variety of ensembles. As a music educator, Gavin has been a trumpet instructor both privately and for schools across Ohio. Providing insights from his performing experiences, life experiences, and vast music education. Being versatile in many genres such as jazz, classical, latin, classic rock, and musical theater, Gavin uses that experience to better instruct his students in one on one lessons. He performs regularly with the Dave Schubach Big Band, the Muskingum Valley Symphonic Winds, Zanesville’s Memorial Concert Band, and also plays in pit orchestras for musicals. He has performed in the pit for more than 30 different musicals, two of which being world premieres; Sella for OSU’s 2021 Homecoming and Surviving the Moonlight at the Short North Stage in 2022.
Kevin Hagans began his violin studies at the age of nine and studied violin at Capital University. He embarked on his violin teaching career in 2016 and in 2018 he earned his Suzuki Unit 1 Teaching Certification from The Suzuki Association of the Americas. The Suzuki Method is a popular and successful method of teaching which incorporates ear training and natural learning styles based on the way children learn their native language. While Suzuki is an excellent teaching style, Kevin recognizes what teaching styles work for each individual student and tailors the lessons appropriately. Kevin enjoys working with both beginner and intermediate violinists, beginner cellists, and beginner ukulele students looking to grow their understanding of music and the instrument. In addition to classical studies, he also teaches improv, bluegrass, rock, jazz & music theory.
Kevin believes that music is supposed to be fun, and he emphasizes this attitude into his teaching style with both children and adults. In addition to teaching, Kevin is an active performer and improviser across Columbus.
Kevin is a well-versed multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. He has performed all of his life, and his experience ranges from rock bands to orchestras, jazz combos to musical theater, and even as a stage and screen actor. He has been featured on public and national television and toured nationally. He holds performance degrees in classical trumpet and voice, and currently serves in the 249th Army Band where he plays bass, guitar, trumpet, and sings for various ensembles. As a teacher, he has taught private lessons for over 15 years. He comes from a family of artists and educators, and has a passion for teaching anyone who wants to learn. At Chambers, he’ll be offering guitar, voice, electric and upright bass, trumpet, beginner piano, ukulele and banjo. His students will not only learn their chosen instrument, but also the fundamentals of theory, developing their ear, performance concepts, and specific things the student wants to learn. He strongly believes in an individualized approach to education, and will meet every student where they are at and work to teach them in the way that they learn best.
– Piano, Drums & Percussion, Beginner Guitar Instructor and Finance and Facilities Manager-
Cole has been a teacher since 2005. He has taught a variety of instruments and subjects, from beginner piano lessons to undergraduate courses in music literature. He draws inspiration from the many wonderful teachers he has studied under, and hopes to provide his students with the same patience and kindness that he received. His takes a multi-modal approach to teaching, which lessons are designed to meet the student’s individual needs in service of their goals, rather than to push them through a predetermined system of assessment. He admires luminary music educators such as Fred Rogers, Barry Harris, and Leonard Bernstein for their dedication to demystifying music for wide audiences.
–Percussion, Piano, & Ukulele Instructor-
Ryan is a Columbus based drummer, composer and educator, with a M.M. in Jazz Studies from The University of North Texas, as well as a B.M. in Jazz Studies from Capital University.
Throughout his 15+ year career, Ryan has played across the US and Canada, including New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington DC, Dallas, an Toronto.
Ryan is currently the touring drummer for Emmy and Grammy nominated comedian Randy Rainbow. He is also a proud endorser of InEarz audio.
Brig Sliker is a first year music education major at Capital University, with her primary instrument being classical piano. Brig grew up in a family of music lovers. Her dad has been to over 600 concerts, some notable ones are Woodstock ‘94 and ‘99 and plenty of Ozzfests, Sonic Temples and Lollapaloozas. Brig has been to over 100 concerts herself; her first was Fifth Dimension when she was 4 months old.
Brig always cultivated her love of music through playing piano, bass guitar and various woodwinds in show choir and jazz combos, musical pits, worship teams, big band, marching band, choir, a cappella groups and concert band throughout high school. She currently plays baritone saxophone in Capital’s wind symphony directed by Dr. Ishbah Cox, keys in Birdland Jazz Ensemble with Professor Roger Hines, and takes weekly piano lessons under Dr. Tianshu Wang and Professor Bondardi. She is a member of OCMEA, OEA and Capital Jazz Outreach Society.
Brig has performed in various solo recitals and ensemble concerts ranging from classical to jazz and played numerous Christian worship services and shows around Ohio. Brig’s goal is to teach music in a high school setting while performing professionally as a pianist and woodwind player in musicals, churches and jazz combos while teaching private lessons.
Craig is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and independent artist.
Starting with guitar at the age of ten, Craig spent a number of years teaching himself how to write songs, eventually starting a band with his friends in high school. Craig continued to write, record, and perform original music throughout college and into adulthood. Now as a solo artist, performing under the moniker “Great Gaia,” Craig teaches with an emphasis on creativity. Being self-taught, Craig believes passion is just as important as skill, understanding that there are a multitude of ways to approach not just learning how to play an instrument, but also how to create music and express oneself. With an easygoing demeanor, Craig provides an encouraging and entertaining atmosphere for students, knowing that when starting out, learning can sometimes be discouraging, which is why he strives to make lessons fun and exciting. Believing we all have an artist within us, Craig’s goal with teaching is to inspire others to start their own lifelong journey of music and creativity.
When Craig isn’t shredding, he spends most of his free time working on various musical and art projects. He enjoys making surrealistic digital art, drinking coffee, and hanging out with his elderly cat, Mya.
–Voice, Viola, Cello, Piano, Guitar, & Ukulele Instructor-
AJ Strang is a performer and educator with a passion for empowering young musicians to embrace their personal creativity and unique identity through music.
AJ obtained a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Bowling Green State University in 2023 and has been a performer and music educator ever since. In addition to their degree, AJ’s musical history includes singing alongside the Conspirare Contemporary music group, attending the Quince Ensemble Music Institute for New Music, and performing at Renaissance Festivals around the state and country.
AJ is an experienced musician with proficiency in ukulele, guitar, piano, cello, violin, viola, ocarina, recorder. They also have both musical theater and classical training as a vocalist.
As a teacher, AJ focuses on what inspires their students–searching for a spark with music that can be linked between technique, skill, and performance. Outside of music, AJ enjoys discovering new coffee flavors and shops, visiting friends across the States, playing board games and video games, and spending time in nature.
Omar Chakrowf is a student at Columbus State Community College studying Music Education. He has wanted to be a teacher for as long as he can remember. He plays viola mainly but also violin, cello, bass and piano. He has participated in many musical activities such as orchestras, solo contests, and playing in the pit orchestras for the Spongebob and Into The Woods musicals. He is excited to share his passion for music with others at Chambers!
Kelly Eden, MT-BC, LPMT graduated from Ohio University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Therapy and a minor in Psychology. She grew up playing trumpet, and was a trumpet emphasis throughout college. However, during her stay at Ohio University, Kelly got the opportunity to develop her skills in guitar, piano, ukulele, and voice through lessons and music classes. Through this, she developed a love of guitar and ukulele, and began teaching guitar and ukulele lessons at a community music school. Post-grad she interned at Cincinnati Children’s Behavioral Health hospital, developing a love for interacting and assisting children with mental health needs through musical interventions. When she is not teaching lessons, she is leading music therapy sessions to people of various populations as a board certified music therapist.
Kelly also likes to relax with her family and friends in her spare time, as well as play board games, take walks, and read books.
Nathan is a dedicated and passionate jazz pianist who began playing piano at the age of 7. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2025 in which he earned two degrees – a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in jazz piano, as well as Bachelor of Science in Data Analytics. During his time at Ohio State, Nathan played piano in the university’s premier jazz combo all 5 years he was there and played in the premier jazz ensemble for 4 years.
Outside of Ohio State, Nathan has been getting involved in Columbus’s thriving jazz scene, playing gigs with some of the city’s most talented musicians at some of its most exciting locations to perform, such as the Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge. He both enjoys playing solo jazz piano and also loves playing with his friends, believing that having a community of hardworking and passionate musicians inspires him to continue his love and dedication to music.
When he’s not playing music, Nathan enjoys working out at the gym, watching baseball, and hanging out with family and friends. As a teacher, Nathan hopes to inspire students to pursue their musical dreams. He hopes they can dedicate themselves towards music, especially music they love, and truly put their heart into the music they create.
Louis Dhoore (he/they) is a Mexican-American composer, performer, and educator currently based in Columbus, Ohio. Louis holds degrees in music composition from DePaul University (M.M., 2025) and St. Olaf College (B.M., 2023). A violinist, violist, gambist, and bass-baritone, Louis is proficient in a wide breadth of Western classical music and is extremely passionate about helping others find what they enjoy in this tradition.
As a composer, Louis has had works premiered by a number of internationally-acclaimed ensembles and performers, including the Mivos Quartet, Hub New Music, and members of Ensemble Dal Niente. Their background in composition leads Louis to a theory and aural skills-based approach in early pedagogy, as they consider it to be important that a student has the language to communicate their musical ideas in an ensemble context regardless of instrument or genre.
Louis was the founding violist of the nationally-recognized Høyde String Quartet, which provided the opportunity to work with several chamber musicians of the highest caliber, including the Catalyst, St. Lawrence, Jasper, and Artaria String Quartets. While in the ensemble, Louis was a prizewinner in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition, and a finalist in the Seattle-based Frances Walton Competition. During this time, they were the principal violist of the St. Olaf Orchestra – this allowed them to tour and collaborate with musicians like ex-concertmaster of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra Terje Tønnesen.
In their free time, Louis can be found refining lore for their D&D setting and cooking overly elaborate meals from scratch!
