Meet Our Co-Directors
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CO-DIRECTOR | PIANO
Pianist Caroline Owen is thrilled to be back in Atlanta after completing her Doctorate of Music degree in piano performance from Florida State University in 2022. She has performed in venues across the U.S. and in Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic. She was the winner of the 2019 Florida MTNA Young Artist Competition, a semifinalist in the 14th International Mozart Competition, and the winner of the 2018 Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta Competition, from which she received a scholarship to study at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Owen has also participated and performed at festivals including PianoFest in the Hamptons, PianoTexas, Atlantic Music Festival, and the Prague Piano Festival, working with distinguished artists and teachers such as Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Richard Goode, Ursula Oppens, and Pascal Rogé, among others. Her background in dance has also fostered multiple multidisciplinary collaborations with Houston-based composer Badie Khaleghian. Passionate about chamber music, she tours seasonally with the Astralis Chamber Ensemble. To learn more, visit carolineowenpiano.com.
Dr. Owen has been teaching piano for the last seven years, working with students from age 5 to adults. As a graduate student, she held teaching positions at Florida State University and the University of Georgia, where she was an instructor of Group Piano and Aural Skills, respectively. In addition to maintaining her own private Decatur-based studio of students, Dr. Owen also serves as an Artist Affiliate at Emory University and a Co-Director of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy.
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CO-DIRECTOR | PIANO & COMPOSITION
Robert Cushing is a composer, pianist, and Decatur native. He holds a Bachelors in Music Composition from Furman University and Master in Piano Performance from the University of Georgia. As a composer, Robert especially enjoys writing music for the voice. His original musical, In the Silence, was performed at Furman University in Fall 2019. He has also written several song cycles, chamber works, and solo piano compositions. The winner of the 2019 South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Competition, Robert is passionate about performing the music of unsung composers. In graduate school, Robert researched and performed the piano works of Mélanie “Mel” Bonis and Hélène de Montgeroult.
At the University of Georgia, Robert studied under Dr. David Fung, Dr. Alan Woo, Dr. Emily Koh, and Dr. Peter Lane. At Furman University, Robert studied under Dr. Amanda Montgomery, Dr. Mark Kilstofte, and Professor Jay Bocook. He credits his love of music with his original piano teacher, Mrs. Mary Brown Hinely.
Robert is a fifth-generation Decatur resident and is thrilled to be a Co-Director of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy.
Meet Our Instructors
Guitar
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GUITAR
Peyman Salimi is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and music producer with Persian and Italian heritage. He blends his Persian roots with a passion for American indie-rock, while also drawing inspiration from the Italian singer-songwriters from the 70s.
Peyman first tinkered with piano keys at age six. However, it was the guitar that changed the course of his life, leading him to become a professional musician. He pursued his music studies with guitarist Alfonso Borghese at the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini and the Fiesole Music School in Florence, Italy. He later earned a Master’s in Contemporary Composition & Music Technology, graduating with top marks.
Following his debut album The Curtain, Peyman kickstarted the indie-rock band The Allophones in Florence, snagging attention in Tuscany by winning the T-Rumors contest in 2011. They dropped their first EP, “Stalemate,” in 2013, with a hand from Antonio Aiazzi of the legendary New-Wave band Litfiba. Their debut album, “Muscle Memory,” followed in 2017, co-produced by Tiziano Borghi and Eduardo de la Paz. After nine years with The Allophones, Peyman flipped back to his solo career, releasing his second self-produced album, “Won Now,” in 2019, which included some of his Persian tunes for the first time.
In 2020, Peyman established Justaudio Studio in Brussels where he collaborated with various artists as a producer and mixing engineer. After hopping over to New York City in 2023, he released his third solo album, “The Psychology of Letting Go,” a concept album that challenges the idealized portrayal of love perpetuated since childhood by books and media. This album features collaborations with Zoe Guigueno, Sara Naeini, and his former bandmates from The Allophones.
Recently picked for a full fellowship at Georgia Tech’s MA/PhD program in Music Technology, Peyman has been working at CCML lab, exploring how people actually hear and feel lyrics, what sticks, what flips, what gets lost in translation, while also working on 3D audio, while also creating Ambisonics compositions you can almost walk around in.
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GUITAR
Adam Shavin began playing the guitar at age seven. Over the following decade, he learned additional instruments, including bass, piano and drums. After his high school years, Adam began teaching guitar lessons for the first time. He then earned a Bachelor's degree from The Hartt School in Connecticut in 2016, focusing on music theory and history.
After his undergraduate education, Adam began taking commissioned composition projects and showing work in visual art exhibitions. Now, Adam’s career revolves around the guitar - whether it’s gigging as a soloist/improviser around Atlanta, self-producing original music, or teaching those excited to be earlier in their musical journeys.
Adam aims to help his students explore their own personal relationship with the guitar - as well as develop their ear, which he believes is the skill that will take them the farthest as musicians.
Percussion
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PERCUSSION
Christopher Bowers is a percussionist, educator, and public musicologist. Growing up as an Atlanta native, he studied percussion in private settings for thirteen years with many instructors in Georgia. Christopher completed his Bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance at Kennesaw State University and most recently completed his Master’s degree in Percussion Performance with a certificate in Public Musicology from Columbus State University. During this time, he worked with undergraduate students in both music theory and percussion pedagogy.
In addition to his solo percussion work, Christopher served as the percussion intern with the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2018 to 2020, as well as with the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus as a substitute intern in 2023.
Christopher has performed with the Georgia Brass Band as percussionist and timpanist in the 2018 and 2019 international NABBA competitions. He has also played with the Symphony Orchestras, Wind Ensembles, and Choral Unions at Kennesaw State University and Columbus State University. Growing up, he performed in many Youth Orchestras within the greater Atlanta area, including the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, the Westminster Summer Concert Band, and the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Outside of music, Christopher enjoys poetry, meditation, and yoga; he likes to implement the lessons learned in those areas when listening to his students.
Piano
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PIANO
Charles Daniel Baldwin serves as artistic director and Symphony Orchestra conductor of the Carolina Youth Symphony (Greenville, SC), artist affiliate conductor of the Emory University Chamber Orchestra (Atlanta, GA), and assistant conductor of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra (Decatur, GA).
Baldwin earned a bachelor of music (piano) degree from Furman University (Greenville, SC) and master of music and doctor of musical arts (orchestral conducting) degrees from the University of North Texas (Denton), where he served as graduate conductor of the university orchestras and opera program, teaching fellow of Fundamentals of Conducting (MUAG 3800), and orchestra librarian. Baldwin also served as music director and conductor of the Orchestra of the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (Denton) and assistant conductor of the Lewisville Lake Symphony (Lewisville, TX). Baldwin has considerable experience conducting opera and musical theater and maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor.
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CO-DIRECTOR | PIANO & COMPOSITION
Robert Cushing is a composer, pianist, and Decatur native. He holds a Bachelors in Music Composition from Furman University and Master in Piano Performance from the University of Georgia. As a composer, Robert especially enjoys writing music for the voice. His original musical, In the Silence, was performed at Furman University in Fall 2019. He has also written several song cycles, chamber works, and solo piano compositions. The winner of the 2019 South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Competition, Robert is passionate about performing the music of unsung composers. In graduate school, Robert researched and performed the piano works of Mélanie “Mel” Bonis and Hélène de Montgeroult.
At the University of Georgia, Robert studied under Dr. David Fung, Dr. Alan Woo, Dr. Emily Koh, and Dr. Peter Lane. At Furman University, Robert studied under Dr. Amanda Montgomery, Dr. Mark Kilstofte, and Professor Jay Bocook. He credits his love of music with his original piano teacher, Mrs. Mary Brown Hinely.
Robert is a fifth-generation Decatur resident and is thrilled to be a Co-Director of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy.
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CO-DIRECTOR | PIANO
Pianist Caroline Owen is thrilled to be back in Atlanta after completing her Doctorate of Music degree in piano performance from Florida State University in 2022. She has performed in venues across the U.S. and in Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic. She was the winner of the 2019 Florida MTNA Young Artist Competition, a semifinalist in the 14th International Mozart Competition, and the winner of the 2018 Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta Competition, from which she received a scholarship to study at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Owen has also participated and performed at festivals including PianoFest in the Hamptons, PianoTexas, Atlantic Music Festival, and the Prague Piano Festival, working with distinguished artists and teachers such as Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Richard Goode, Ursula Oppens, and Pascal Rogé, among others. Her background in dance has also fostered multiple multidisciplinary collaborations with Houston-based composer Badie Khaleghian. Passionate about chamber music, she tours seasonally with the Astralis Chamber Ensemble. To learn more, visit carolineowenpiano.com.
Dr. Owen has been teaching piano for the last seven years, working with students from age 5 to adults. As a graduate student, she held teaching positions at Florida State University and the University of Georgia, where she was an instructor of Group Piano and Aural Skills, respectively. In addition to maintaining her own private Decatur-based studio of students, Dr. Owen also serves as an Artist Affiliate at Emory University and a Co-Director of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy.
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PIANO
Farris Goodrum began playing the piano at age seven. He was born and raised in the Congo, Africa, where his parents were missionaries. Music was an important aspect in the life of the school where he began his piano studies, and where he became the chapel pianist at the age of twelve. He received a bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the University of West Georgia, and a master's degree in Piano Pedagogy from Georgia State University. He was granted an assistantship at both universities as an accompanist, and has taught piano at all levels, from beginning to advanced, for many years in both Brazil and the United States. Farris was sent to Brazil by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and spent 35 years in that country as a music teacher. His responsibilities included teaching private piano lessons, directing choirs and bell choirs, and teaching courses such as music theory, composition, form and analysis, pedagogy, and conducting. During his years in Brazil, he founded and directed a music department in a seminary to train music students for professional possibilities after graduation. Encouraging musical expression among students, and observing their progress as musicians, are among the great joys of his teaching experience.
Strings
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Originally from Atlanta, GA, Julie Saxton recently finished her Artist Diploma in Violin Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she also completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance. She is an active and versatile freelancer, performing with regional orchestras in Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, and South Carolina. She has also recorded and performed with pop artists, such as Kishi Bashi, Faye Webster, and Baby Rose. She has been teaching private violin lessons for over eight years. Julie is thrilled to be part of the inaugural faculty of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy. She is also currently on faculty with the Atlanta Music Project as a Violin Teaching Artist.
Julie completed a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. Her primary teachers include Dr. Michael Heald and Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel of the Jupiter String Quartet. She has also participated in chamber, orchestra, and opera studies and performances at the Montecito International Music Festival, the Hot Springs Music Festival, the Miami Classical Music Festival, and the Bay View Music Festival. When she’s not practicing or performing, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog (Ginger) and cats (Aura and Angelkitty).
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Violist Dr. Kathryn Steely is an enthusiastic mentor for students and is excited to be joining the Atlanta area arts community. Now Professor of Viola Emeritus, Baylor University School of Music, she received the Outstanding Professor Award for Teaching in 2007. Her students have been regularly accepted into the country’s leading conservatories and summer music festivals and are active in a variety of music professions. She has been a featured presenter at national conventions for the American String Teachers Association, the American Viola Society, and the College Music Society and she has presented master classes across the country. She has been honored to serve on several occasions as a jury member for the Primrose International Viola Competition and regularly served as an adjudicator for competitions across Texas.
Dr. Steely is an avid chamber musician and enjoys collaborating with colleagues in performances exploring new repertoire. A founding faculty member of the Credo Chamber Music summer festival in Oberlin, Ohio, Dr. Steely is also an experienced orchestral violist and has performed with the Fort Worth Symphony, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet, and as a former core member of Florida’s Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. She is committed to ongoing exploration of early music, and performs regularly with Philharmonie Austin, a period instrument ensemble.
Dr. Steely has served as president of the American Viola Society and as editor of the Journal of the American Viola Society. She holds performance degrees from Bethel College, Bachelor of Arts – Music Performance; the Cleveland Institute of Music, Master of Music – Viola Performance; and Northwestern University, Doctor of Music – Viola Performance; having studied with primary mentors Peter Slowik, Heidi Castleman, Don McInnes and Lynne Ramsey.
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Barbara was born in Concepción, Chile and has been playing the violin since the age of 9. As a child, Barbara won the Jóvenes Talentos competition multiple times, allowing her to perform as a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción. In high school, she worked as a musical mentor with the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Curanilahue, a youth orchestra program focused on empowering empower children from a marginalized region of Chile.
Barbara received her Bachelor of Music in Performance from the Schwob School of Music. She began her graduate at Butler University in Indianapolis and received her Master of Music in Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music.
Ms. Careaga’s private violin students have performed in the All-State Orchestra and All-State Honors Orchestra in Georgia and have won local competitions in Macon, GA. She has also worked as a teaching artist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (GA) in the Orchestra Up Close School and Making Music Matters programs during several years.
As a performer, she has played with ensembles including the Georgia Symphony, Columbus Symphony, The Atlanta Opera, The Atlanta Ballet, Alabama Symphony, Greenville Symphony (SC), Charleston Symphony, and Shanghai Baroque Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she has performed with the Atlanta Boy Choir in local concerts and international tours in Alaska, St. Petersburg (Russia), Poland, Czech Republic, Los Angeles, Hawaii, British Columbia and Nova Scotia.
Outside of music, Barbara is an independent writer, self-taught artist, and artistic iPhone photographer! She recently finished a compilation of poems, riddles, and narratives called “Side Effects of a Pandemic,” a reflection of her personal journey of self-discovery, social analysis, and contemplation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Native Philadelphian, cellist Sarah Kapps has an active and diverse musical background that has taken her across the globe as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral member, and rock star.
She has enjoyed sharing the stage with such legends as The Eagles, Smokey Robinson, ELO, Andrea Bocelli, Rick Ross, CeeLo Green, YoYo Ma, Nathalie Stutzmann, Donald Runnicles, Robert Spano, Kurt Masur, and countless others.
As an independent performer based in Atlanta, Sarah is a sought after and respected chamber musician, speaker, and leader, and substitute with major performing organizations, including Atlanta Symphony, Opera, and Ballet orchestras. As soloist, she has performed Eric Whitacre’s sacred veil with the composer, delivered a self-conducted concerto performance from the solo seat, and annually premieres new compositions through the LEAD program at Wintergreen Music.
In the summers, she has been a long-time member of the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra, Chamber Players, Academy faculty, and LEAD cooperative. She was a founding member of the Red River and Denali String Quartets, and later came to serve on the faculty at The University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley and Georgia State University.
Aside from various positions as cello instructor, Professor Kapps has taught string methods, music appreciation, and applied strings; as well as broader arts classes, composition consulting, eurythmics, improvisation, lectures, interactive projects, and school visits. Arts advocacy and outreach being a lifelong mission, she developed an interactive education course that calls on participants to produce their own opera scenes. With this educational model, she directly impacted literally thousands of young people who gained a new appreciation for orchestral and vocal music.
Sarah Kapps holds degrees from The Manhattan School of Music and The Mannes College of Music, and has studied with Paul Tobias and Peter Wiley of the Guarneri Quartet. When not at the cello, she is an avid taichi practitioner and cat enthusiast.
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Christopher Jeffer arrived in Atlanta, Georgia upon finishing his Bachelor of Music – Double Bass Performance from Bowling Green State University, hailing originally from Pécs, Hungary.
As an accomplished symphonic musician, he has performed with regional orchestras in Michigan, Ohio, Alabama, and Georgia. Additionally, Christopher is no stranger to pushing the bounds of his instrument - serving as the resident double bassist for the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective, championing new solo repertoire (as can be seen in his 2021 album release, Cat’s Cradle, For Solo Double Bass), and even lending his unique voice to several modern rock records.
Christopher is also a prolific audio engineer with half a decade of experience in live music production. He’s experienced in venue and touring work, with over 1,000 shows across the US and internationally.
He has studied with Robert Rohwer and Linda McKnight and has also participated various clinics and masterclasses with those such as Tim Cobb, Micah Howard, Max Dimoff, and Joel Braun.
When he is not performing or mixing concerts… you might find Chris rock climbing or hanging out with his two cats, June Bug and Cricket.
Voice
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VOICE
AnnaLauren Kelly, soprano, is an emerging young artist in the Atlanta area. Originally from East Tennessee, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Carson-Newman University and her Master of Music degree from Georgia State University. She is currently furthering her education to earn an Artist Diploma from GSU and was featured as the titular character in the Fall 2023 production of Suor Angelica.
AnnaLauren has recently been seen as Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro in Urbania, Italy with FIO Italia, an international opera festival, as well as Catherine in Offenbach’s Le mariage aux lanternes, The Visitor in Milton Granger’s Benedicta, and Célie in Pasatieri’s Signor Deluso. In her free time, she enjoys crafting of almost any kind and spending time with her loved ones.
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VOICE & PIANO | ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Casey Margerum (she/her/hers) is a soprano, voice teacher, and arts administrator based out of Atlanta, GA.
Casey's past roles include Alice (Falstaff), Madame Lidoine (Dialoghi delle Carmelitane), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Catherine (Le Mariage aux Lanternes), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Don Ettore (La Canterina), and Julie (Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein).
In concert, Casey has performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony in their concert opera production of Robert Kapilow's Green Eggs and Ham and has been a featured soloist in the Messiah Sing-Along at Davidson College. Additionally, Casey is the Director of Social Media and Advertising for the young artist program FIO MONDO, and she is a regular guest clinician with the Decatur Avondale Children’s Choir.
Casey is an Adjunct Professor of Voice at the Schwob School of Music and a voice and piano teacher with the Decatur Fine Arts Academy. She also works as a regular clinician with the Decatur Avondale Children’s Choir, and she is the Director of Social Media & Advertising for the artist training program FIO MONDO.
Casey received her BA in Music and English from Davidson College, where she studied with Ilana Lubitsch. She completed her Master of Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance at Georgia State University under the tutelage of Kathryn Hartgrove.
When she’s not singing, Casey enjoys horseback riding, rock climbing, reading, and spending time with her tuxedo cat, Scout.
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VOICE
With over 20 years of vocal instruction experience, Justin Dilley brings a rich and varied background to the Decatur Fine Arts Academy. His teaching spans private voice lessons, choral direction, summer camps, workshops, and music programs in both school and church settings.
Justin holds an M.A. in Theatre from Emerson College, where he focused on musical theatre. A seasoned performer, choreographer, director, and music director, he has worked on over 50 productions across Ohio, Boston, New York, and Atlanta.
In addition to his theatrical work, Justin has served as a pianist, organist, and music director for multiple churches, and spent more than five years teaching music and performing arts in the Boston and New York City public school systems.
At DFAA, Justin combines his professional performance experience and educational background to help students discover, strengthen, and celebrate their unique and authentic voices.
Winds
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Julien Berger is a saxophonist, teacher, and composer based in the metro Atlanta area. His music on both the saxophone and on paper is emotional and programmatic, providing the audience a unique glimpse into his artistic vision. Julien plays and writes regularly for many different groups in Athens and metro Atlanta, ranging from classical contemporary music to hip hop, jazz fusion, and R&B music. He also regularly plays in pit orchestras on saxophone and clarinet and maintains an active session musician career. He is the alto chair of touring saxophone quartet Mixed Media, first prize winners at The Fischoff and Coltman national chamber music competitions in 2022. Julien’s written music covers similar stylistic boundaries in different ensemble types, focusing on trios and quartets and expanding to choir and full orchestra. Julien has also maintained a private studio of saxophone and composition students since his high school career in the DC area, with the goal of promoting personal artistry with his students. During his studies at the University of Georgia, Julien earned two Bachelor’s of Music in both Saxophone Performance and Music Composition and put on numerous recitals, concerts, and premieres of his works. Previous teachers include Dr. Connie Frigo, Dr. Brandon Quarles, Edward Fraedrich (saxophone), Dr. Adrian Childs, Dr. Peter van Zandt Lane, and Dr. Emily Koh (composition).