Music Instructor: Piano

Pronouns: she/her

Experience & Education: “I’ve been playing piano for 53 years and I still love to play! I have a Master’s in music composition and look forward to composing again when I retire as an Occupational Therapist. I’ve been accompanying vocalists, choirs, and worship since since the 5th grade. I’ve worked with children’s theatre, directed choirs, taught at Voyageurs and BSU, worked for the Arts Council, and much more.”

Hobbies & Interests: “My primary interests include the outdoors: walking the dog, running, biking, paddle boarding, skiing. But I also love creating things: cooking, knitting, quilting, baking. I also love a good book.”

Teaching Philosophy: “Music is essential to humanity and woven into the daily fabric of our lives. I hope to teach my students how to participate in this great human activity through training and inspiration, tailoring my teaching to their needs but keeping the whole of music as the background for learning.”

Music Instructor: Guitar

Pronouns: he/ him

Experience & Education “I’ve been teaching at Headwaters since 2005. I have a BS in Biology and a BA in Philosophy. Life and music, in my opinion, are two words describing a singular process. My music is the byproduct of a lifelong quest for creative self-expression wedded to a particular discipline – in this context, guitar, bass guitar, and chess.”

Hobbies & Interests: “Philosophy, Science, Music, Art, Meditating, Nature, Reading, Writing, Chess, Yoga, Positive Psychology, exercising, playing with adorable animals.”

Teaching Philosophy “Music should be fun… period! My goal is to make this instrument so enjoyable that it requires no effort to invest the necessary time to gain mastery – you should play because you “want” to, not because you “have” to. I’ve studied jazz, blues, rock, funk, country, folk, metal, ragtime, pop, lap, reggae, punk, polka, classical and more. Whatever direction you want to take, I will do my best to get you there – this is your journey… I’m merely a guide.”

Music Instructor: Piano

Pronouns: she/her

Experience & Education: “I am in my third year of pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Bemidji State University and am involved in both the piano and vocal studios there.”

Hobbies & Interests: I enjoy reading books, community theater and music, outdoors activities (especially in the summer), lap swimming, and spending time with my family and friends.

Teaching Philosophy: Music is something that everyone creates. It allows us to connect with one another, so helping students understand the technical and expressive aspects of music and giving them a language to describe what they are playing or hearing can lead to greater enjoyment and confidence with the art form. Mostly, though, it’s about having fun!

Music Instructor: Voice

Pronouns: she/her

Experience & Education: Vocal performance major at BSU

Hobbies & Interests: Coloring, Legos, performing in operas, musicals and plays.

Teaching Philosophy: I teach my students vocal health to make sure they can sing well, and I teach how to use the Alexander technique.

Music Instructor: Guitar, Ukulele

Pronouns: he/him

Experience & Education: Self-taught guitarist of 21 years. Aspiring multi-instrumentalist.

Hobbies & Interests: Video production & photography, Song writing, Painting, Exploring new places, Telling jokes.

Teaching Philosophy: Everyone is creative and learns in their own way. It’s never too late. “Just do it” often works. The process is the product.

Music Instructor: Percussion

Pronouns: he/him

Experience & Education: “My musical interests continued at Bemidji State University as I was earning my degree in Science Education. I play with various groups in the Bemidji area.”

Hobbies & Interests: "Hunting, camping, wood working, Stanley Kubrick, learning new things.”

Teaching Philosophy: “Practice makes improvement.”

Music Instructor: Guitar, Ukulele, Banjo

Pronouns: he/him

Experience & Education “I’ve taught music for 10 years at home and at Headwaters Music & Arts. I have sung in choirs and have taken piano and guitar lessons in the past, but am mainly self-taught.”

Hobbies & Interests: "Camping, canoeing, biking, hiking, painting with acrylic paints, playing music at home and in church.”

Teaching Philosophy: “Music is good for your mind and soul, exciting and comforting. Learning should be an enjoyable discipline, so I always blend music theory with playing or singing.”

Music Instructor: Early Childhood

Pronouns: she/her

Education & Experience: Bachelor's of Music in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education from the University of North Dakota. Playing the piano for 27 years, 21 years accompanying, 13 years of teaching  piano lessons. Several years of early childhood and elementary aged group music instruction.

Hobbies & Interests: Cooking, baking, running

Teaching philosophy: Music is for everyone. We can use music to help create beautiful people.

Music Instructor: Piano, Trombone, Tuba

Pronouns: she/her

Education/Experience: I am a current student at Bemidji State studying instrumental music education. I started playing trombone in 2016 and tuba in 2021. I began teaching privately in 2021. I have taught low brass, high brass, flute, clarinet, all saxophones, and percussion at the beginner level. I have also taught low brass and high brass at the intermediate level. 

Hobbies and Interests: When I am not teaching or creating music I enjoy crocheting. In 2025 I started my own crochet business selling primarily stuffed animals and patterns for other crocheters. I also enjoy the outdoors: camping and hiking mostly. 

Teaching Philosophy: Everybody deserves the opportunity to create music in a way that is meaningful to them. Talent makes a good musician; practice and dedication makes a great musician. 

Music Instructor: Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Sarah Hamrin (she/her) joins Headwaters Music & Arts with a BM in viola performance from Baylor University and a rich background in ensemble and solo performance across piano, violin, and viola. A repeat guest soloist with the Bemidji Symphony and finalist in the American Viola Society Collegiate Solo Competition, Sarah brings both artistry and warmth to her teaching. 

She has worked with students ages 5 to 80+, and her approach blends Suzuki-inspired philosophy with a wide range of musical literature. When not teaching, she enjoys painting, hiking, and discovering new sheet music.

“I believe there are many ways to enjoy and access music, and I hope to impart that joy to students.”

Music Instructor: Piano

Pronouns: he/him

Experience & Education: “I’ve had four years of high school music education and piano lessons, and now college level education. I am currently enrolled at BSU for a degree in piano pedagogy.”

Hobbies & Interests: "I enjoy trading card games. I’ve been Into MTG since I was about 13, and I used to play chess frequently when we had a club. The only other thing that has stuck around is my love for theatrical performance. My high school put on a number of plays and now I’m participating in the opera at BSU.”

Teaching Philosophy “Over my time at college I’ve been exposed to many different teaching styles and philosophies, which have their merits. What works for one student does not always work for another. I’d say the main focus is to remain flexible and draw from whatever resources you can as long as the students is responding well and progressing.”

Music Instructor: Cello

Pronouns: she/her

Experience & Education: “I started playing cello when I was 10, taking lessons from Francis VanDorn in Bemidji, MN. I played throughout school in small ensembles, orchestras and completed in state competitions. I did not continue playing in college, but have continued to study on my own. I’ve had a lot of experience teaching children as a former girl scout leader, youth and family director, para professional and now a social worker. ”

Hobbies & Interests: “I enjoy playing cello, singing, gardening, and I love to explore different methods of creating such as using wood burning, stone carving, yarn work and making jewelry. I love learning new techniques and skills.”

Teaching Philosophy: “My teaching philosophy is to meet my students where they are. I like connecting with my students through their personal interests and curiosity to refine and enrich their knowledge while learning and exploring their instrument."

Music Instructor: Voice

Pronouns: she/her

Instructor: Voice

Experience and Education: I am currently a Freshman Vocal Music Education student at Bemidji State University. As an award-winning vocalist, I recently earned second place in my category at the Minnesota NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) competition. My stage experience includes starring as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family Musical and playing Liesl von Trapp in The Sound of Music. I continue to perform actively today with the Bemidji Choir and the Bel Canto choir.

Hobbies and Interests: Beyond my vocal performance, I am a multi-instrumentalist, with experience playing piano, guitar, violin, clarinet, and ukulele. My musical journey was sparked by a childhood love for performance and films like Frozen, which led me from school talent shows to competitive stages. In my free time, I enjoy running, performing, and creating mixed-media art.

Teaching Philosophy: With a deep commitment to music education, my goal is to use my passion for song to make a positive impact on people's lives. I strive to create an environment where every student feels understood, supported, and valued. By leading with patience and compassion, I aim to build safe and encouraging spaces where my students feel inspired to explore their own creative voices and give back through music.

Music Instructor: Percussion

Pronouns: they/them/theirs

Primary Instrument: My primary instrument is percussion, which is actually a family of many instruments. A few of these instruments include snare drum, which is used in marching and concert band, drum set, used in Rock, Jazz, Country, and Pop music, mallet percussion like the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone, Latin percussion such as congas and timbales, and all kinds of auxiliary percussion like tambourine, cowbells, and whistles!

Education and Teaching experience:  I started teaching music privately when I was 15 years old in my hometown of Grand Rapids, MN. This was right after I got done playing snare drum in River City Rhythm, a drumline based in the Twin Cities region. Now I am studying music performance at Bemidji State University, which mainly focuses on classical and mallet percussion, but I make sure to play many other styles of music and disciplines of percussion as well.

Family: Most of my family is engaged with music in one way or another. Some of them are Luthiers, some of them just really love to listen to music, but most of them are musicians. A lot of them play bluegrass music, but some are classically trained- like my Mom for example, who studied piano and percussion at BSU. 

Hobbies & Interests: For fun, I like to listen to records, build drums and restore vintage percussion instruments.

Teaching Philosophy: Music is something that is innate about being human- no matter what your background, identity, or experiences are, everybody can enjoy music. My ultimate goal when playing, studying, or teaching is to serve the music.

Voice Instructor

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Betsy has been using her voice in a myriad of different ways for as long as she’s been alive. From singing to public speaking and performing poetry, she’s done it all. With a background in technical singing, she knows the ins and outs to how to use her voice for whatever she needs. She has done a little of a lot in the music world, but focuses mostly on voice, piano, and dabbles in guitar and ukulele. Ask her about the kalimba she got in Capetown, South Africa or her penny whistle from Dublin, Ireland.

Experience & Education: Singing in choirs since 2001; 2 years of a Vocal Music Education major (which included private singing and piano lessons) at St Cloud State University. 3 years of coaching individual and group public speaking lessons in Speech and Debate (always favoring music and singing analogies for how to make progress on using the voice). She has also taught casual singing lessons off and on since 2017. 

Hobbies & Interests: At heart, I’m a storyteller. I have loved creating and telling stories with my friends in various settings since 2010! But, if I’m not telling stories or listening to music, you can probably find me trying (and failing) to cuddle with my cat, Capo. Or filtering through hobbies every 2-6 weeks.

Teaching Philosophy: At the end of the day, I am here to help you do something better than what you’ve been doing on your own. I want to meet you where you’re at, establish goals to where you want to be or go, and figure out a game plan to get there. I blend technique into fun and analogy-based “does that make sense” lessons. Always student-focused, building up skills and technique to create a foundation; or further build those up to break through new barriers. Finally, what drives me forward in teaching is helping foster love and passion for what has been a cornerstone in my life, and hoping to inspire someone else to pass that forward.

Instrument:
Guitar

Pronouns:
He/Him

Experience and Education:
Tiago is a PSEO student at Oak Hills Christian College with eight years of guitar experience. Throughout his musical journey, he has built a strong foundation in technique, music theory, and performance. His dedication to the instrument has inspired a passion for teaching and helping others grow into confident, capable musicians.

Hobbies and Interests:
Beyond teaching, Tiago enjoys listening to music, exploring new guitar styles, and spending time outdoors. He’s always eager to find fresh sources of creativity and inspiration.

Teaching Philosophy:
Tiago believes that with patience, proper guidance, and a love for music, anyone can learn to play guitar. His lessons emphasize strong fundamentals, creativity, and enjoyment, fostering musical growth and confidence in every student.