The Music Academy's staff consists of highly qualified music educators from Baltimore, York, Washington DC and Virginia. All are excited to be a part of EMC’s Music Academy and to contribute to the artistic development of the children in our community.

Chalet Harris
Chalet is a classically trained soprano with roots in York County. With over 18 years of experience, Chalet has performed throughout Europe and in Russia. She has trained with Margaret Moul Carli, Barbara Stenger, Rickey Payton and Nina Brown. Her study has included Operatic Aria, Italian Art Song, German Lieder, American Art Song, Broadway inspired pieces and others. She has been a part of many choral programs including The Baltimore Choral Arts Society (conducted by Tom Hall and performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and BSO Pops), the West Virginia All-State Collegiate Choir (conducted by Dale Warland), York Oratorio Society, Masterworks Choral (performed with the Millbrook Orchestra), and the Frederick Choral Arts Society. Chalet traveled with the Pennsylvania Ambassadors of Music on the European Tour in 1994. She also had an extensive involvement with Peace Child International and it's York Chapter. She traveled with Peace Child to Russia as a part of an eighteen member American cast to write, learn and perform an original play. She was a featured vocal soloist, oboe player, choreographer, actor and dancer. She also performed inside the United Nations for the World Summit for Children in 1990. Chalet also plays a variety of musical instruments. She was a member of the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps where she played the soprano and alto bugles. Chalet has extensive teaching experience in the marching band area. She is the Director of Renaissance Foundation for the Performing Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the marching music genre. Renaissance currently supports Renaissance Indoor Percussion, an independent competitive indoor marching percussion program. Chalet is working on the completion of her B.S. degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration with a Music Minor at York College. She lives in Railroad with her husband Brian and their children Nathan and Nicholas.

David Frieman
David is a versatile bassist, classically trained. He has performed in a wide variety of groups, currently The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra and several jazz, bluegrass and rock groups. David received his formal training from Towson University where he earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Music Education. His lessons will focus on building technique and principles vital to playing all styles of music.

James Gummer
James Gummer began playing drums in 1987 and is proud to be part of the original MTV generation. He has played everything from Metal to Jazz to Traditional Irish music. James has studied with drummers such as Dr Bill Watson, Wes Crawford, and N. Scott Robinson, and is now a teacher himself. He teaches privately and is the drum and percussion instructor at The Saint James Academy in Monkton, Maryland and EMC in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. He has performed with many bands throughout the Baltimore - Washington area and beyond including the Corrupted, The Doug Mattingly Band, Krytonik, Tradewindz, and with Celtic Music legend Maggie Sansone. He has played various productions such as the original Ballets, Excalibur and Celtic Christmas Suites with the Ballet Theater of Maryland, Twistin' to the 60's at King's Dominion in Doswell Virginia, and the American premier of Six Dead Queens and an Inflatable Henry. James has also been the resident drummer at the Maryland Renaissance Festival since 1997 and is currently playing hand drums and percussion as an accompanist for The Community College of Baltimore County's dance department. James is also a trained Remo Health Rhythms Drum Circle Facilitator. Contact him directly for more information or bookings. Private and group lessons are available as well as rhythm circles for wellness, healing, and fun!

W. Nick Zurowski
W. Nicholas Zurowski is a piano student at Towson University, Towson, Maryland. He has studied with many extraordinary teachers and performers. Mr. Zurowski currently studies with Reynaldo Reyes, a world renowned pianist, piano teacher, and judicator of international piano competitions.
Previously, Mr. Zurowski studied with two exceptional Peabody Conservatory graduates, Sonya Lifshitz and Hufei Yang. Ms. Lifschitz was an award-winning-concert pianist, who herself was a student of the world-renowned pianist, Leon Fleisher. From Ms. Lifshitz, Mr. Zurowski learned how to communicate the beautiful harmonic structure and melodic lines to the audience. The concept of sound was one of the many objectives that she and Mr. Zurowski developed by the end of their time together. Mr. Zurowski educates his students, no matter the age, to this aspect of music, the essence of sound. Hufei Yang focused on the technical aspect of communicating to the audience the melody and harmonic background. The separation of the hands first followed by the independence of fingers will be taught during Mr. Zurowski’s lessons.
Mr. Zurowski performs at any opportunity. He plays at various services at St. John the Evangelist Church. He has also performed with the Harford Community College musical performance, “Once Upon A Mattress” (2008) and “Assassins” (2007) with the Havre Grace Opera Theatre. Mr. Zurowski also considers Douglas Byerly, the musical director at St. Johns and the Head of the Music Department at Anne Arundel Community College, as a mentor. Mr. Zurowski has learned many techniques and ways of interpreting music from Dr. Byerly and is proud to be called his “protégé”.
During a typical lesson, Mr. Zurowski incorporates theory, note names, simple rhythms, using coordination between hands and fingers, as well as reinforcing proper discipline to learn a piece, which can be related to how the student disciplines himself/herself to achieve his/her goal of any size.