Our Faculty

Dr. Marta Blalock - Violin Ms. Marta began her musical studies in the Czech Republic at the age of 5. She has been teaching violin privately for 15 years and has lead group classes for children and adults for almost 10 years. During her graduate studies, she was the director of University of Georgia Community Music School, where she established a comprehensive learning environment for children and adults. Ms. Marta is now happy to continue her teaching expertise with Villa Musica. Her teaching philosophy combines traditional European instruction with popular instructional methods such as Suzuki. She is an active performer in solo, chamber and orchestral music, spanning through various genres and has performed throughout Europe and the United States. Her research focuses on Eastern European compositions as well as women in music.

Dr. Fiona Chatwin - Voice Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Fiona Chatwin recently completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts specializing in Contemporary Classical Vocal Performance from UCSD with a view to a joint career as both teacher and performer. With thirteen years experience as a teacher of voice both here in San Diego and in Melbourne Australia (where she is from), Dr. Chatwin has worked with students of all ages, a number of whom have won competitions for their work - some even going on to successful careers in the areas of popular, jazz, music theatre and classical vocal performance.

Dr. Justin DeHart - Drum Set/Percussion From Sacramento, California, Justin DeHart has contributed greatly to the teaching and performing of various percussive instruments and ensembles. A firm proponent of community involvement in music, he founded the Sacramento non-profit "Joe's Style Shop"; an organization dedicated to teaching jazz, world music, and popular music production to disadvantaged youths in the central city. He has taught percussion to high school students for two years at the California State Summer School of the Arts in Valencia, CA, as well as teaching hand drum classes at Waldorf schools, and bucket drumming in central LA continuation schools. He has also taught tabla at the Pandit Jasraj Music Foundation in Tampa, Florida, as well as being an assistant teacher at California Institute of the Arts and UCSD.

Caitlin Fahey - Cello Caitlin Fahey began her cello career at age six after seeing a child-size violin and asking her parents for music lessons. She has studied with Anne Cole, Dr. David Schepps, Vivian Barton, and most recently, Yao Zhao. Caitlin holds a B.U.S. in Pre-Med Studies with a German minor from the University of New Mexico, a M.Ed. from Loyola University and a Primary Diploma from the Association Montessori Internationale.  Her primary passion is string pedagogy with particular respect to the Suzuki Method, which she studies under the guidance of Dr. Tanya Carey. She is currently certified in Books 1-3, with plans to someday get to Book 10! Caitlin maintains a private cello studio in La Jolla, teaches cello for the Carlsbad Strings Education Association, coaches the cellists at the San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts and is now very excited to be a member of the Villa Musica faculty. In her spare time, she plays with her quartet and Notre Temps String Ensemble and is a member of the La Jolla Symphony. She also enjoys surfing, practicing yoga and learning the two-step.

Noelle Marie Kerr – Voice (Music Theatre) Noelle Marie Kerr has been performing on stage since the age of two and has been directing productions since sixteen. Her favorite complex roles portrayed include Eponine (Les Miserables), Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors) and the daring Harper (Angels inAmerica). Noelle has founded several musical theatre programs in honor of her mother who instilled the love and performance of arts. She enjoys producing, directing, and performing at every age level and has directed ages two to adults in shows in community theatres, CYT, schools, camps, churches and Universities as well as teaching unconventional voice lessons specializing in young singers.  Noelle has been grateful for the opportunities to perform in seven countries - her next destination is Africa. Noelle has a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts: Music and Theatre: Arts and Education from California State University, San Marcos where she developed the Take Stage Ensemble after being the only female of her class in the highly competitive Directing program at Cal State Fullerton.

Rachel Kim - Piano Rachel Jung-Hoo Kim, originally from Seoul, Korea, began her formal piano studies with Helen Smith Tarchalski at the age of 11, where she has been a standout performer winning top prizes in numerous competitions and festivals and was a recipient of the Distinguished Music Achievement Award by the Maryland State Music Teachers Association.  She is a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C, where she completed her degree in piano performance under the direction of Marilyn Neeley and Jose Ramos Santana.  She previously attended George Mason University as one of four recipients of the Jean Carrington Cook Piano Scholarship.  Ms. Kim has maintained a private teaching studio for several years and was on the faculty at Musical Expressions in Bethesda, Maryland, from 2008 to 2010.  In 2007 she was a faculty member at Talent and Education Art and Mentoring Program in Washington D.C, a non-profit organization that offered free summer music camp programs for low-income students.  Her future plans include an advanced degree in the field of International Relations.  In her spare time, Ms. Kim loves reading, trail running, and living life to its fullest.

Ariana Lamon-Anderson – Clarinet/Saxophone From Seattle, to the Baltimore/Washington DC metropolitan, and now San Diego, Ariana Lamon-Anderson has been teaching woodwinds for nearly 10 years to a wide variety of ages and ability levels. Ms. Lamon-Anderson holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Performance from the Peabody Institute of the John's Hopkins University. She began her musical career on alto saxophone in her elementary school beginning band, and quickly added flute and clarinet to her practice. As a performer she is experienced in classical, jazz, and theater, appearing at numerous venues and festivals around the US and in Europe.  Along with performing, Ms. Lamon-Anderson is truly passionate about teaching and sharing music.  The encouraging, nurturing technique of her former teachers strongly influences her approach to pedagogy.

Mark Polesky – Piano, Accompanying Mark Polesky has been a professional pianist for over 15 years. Mr. Polesky has received music performance degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Georgia. He has taught piano privately for eight years; and he performs with ensembles and accompanies classical instrumentalists and vocalists. Mr. Polesky specializes in premiering, performing, and recording works of post avant-garde and contemporary classical composers.

Jill Reis - Voice Jill Reis, an operatic soprano, choir director, music instructor, and piano accompanist, began studying music at age 8. She has continuously sung in choirs of all genres, and studied classical voice privately for 10 years. Jill understands that a strong foundation in classical technique not only makes singing in any genre possible, but also ensures healthy singing habits for life! Her expertise is in classical art songs and arias, in which she has significant experience singing in Italian, German, and French, as well as 20th Century works. She recently received a B.M. in Vocal Performance from SDSU, and has performed lead roles in several operas, including Belinda in Dido & Aeneas and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado. She is currently Choir Director at High Tech High Chula Vista, as well as at Summit Fellowship in Santee. Jill also enjoys being a member as well as Event Coordinator for SACRA/PROFANA, an exciting new professional chamber choir here in San Diego, under the direction of Krishan Oberoi, Founder and Artistic Director. She plans to achieve a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy in the near future.

Rosalind Richards - Flute Rosalind Richards is a flutist with a B.A., with Honors in Performance, from UCSD and an M.A. from SDSU. Ms. Richards plays Principle Flute with the La Jolla Civic Orchestra. With over 20 years experience teaching flute, she is presently a flute teacher at Rhoades School and coach at Del Mar Hills Academy of Arts and Science. Ms. Richards has taught mixed ensembles and flute ensembles at Miracosta and Miramar Community Colleges.

Sally Shallenberg - Piano Sally has been a lover of music in her entire life.  She graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and did graduate work at the State University of Iowa in Iowa City where she was accepted into the touring concert ensemble which played in 13 European countries.  She has taught privately in San Diego since 1980.   A number of her students have been accepted at various schools of music around the country.  Sally loves teaching.  Her style, both positive and very enthusiastic, puts students of all ages at ease, helping them to progress comfortably and joyfully into the magical world of music making, an art form that she deeply understands and believes belongs to all of us.  She is especially encouraging to adults, both beginners and those who wish to return to the piano.  Students who choose to study with Sally also benefit from her expertise in the use of the body at the piano.  She has been a Certified teacher of the Alexander Technique since 1995, a marvelous tool for finding poise, freedom and comfort while playing.   Sally carefully watches her students move while playing so that she can help them find beautiful, tension-free balance in their bodies which contributes both to the sound of the music and to the pleasure in playing an instrument.

Cami Smith – Music Therapy/Violin/Early Childhood Music Cami Smith is a board certified music therapist (MT-BC) with advanced level training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) through the Center for Biomedical Research in Music at Colorado State University.  She is also a trained Suzuki violin teacher and a piano teacher.  She began her musical studies at the age of 3 1/2 in Buffalo, NY and continued her training in Toledo, OH.  She graduated from the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH in 2000 with a degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Music Therapy.  Cami has been a Neurologic Music Therapist for 10 years, teaching violin privately for 22 years, and piano privately for 3 years.  Before moving to San Diego, CA, she worked in Phoenix, AZ in the largest Neurologic Music Therapy clinic in the country and maintained a management position for 4 years.  After moving to San Diego,  Cami began her own music therapy and teaching company in 2008 to provide more opportunities for people to receive music therapy services, private violin and piano lessons, and adaptive music lessons.  Cami has extensive training in classical, Suzuki, and fiddle music and additional behavioral and sensory integration training.  Cami is thrilled to continue her professional work with Villa Musica as a music therapist, early childhood music instructor, and violin teacher.  She continues as an active performer in a local Irish band.

Dr. Jude Weirmeir - Guitar Dr. Jude Weirmeir, a guitarist, conductor, educator and composer, received his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego. As an educator, Dr. Weirmeir has taught in a broad and diverse collection of musical traditions ranging from music of Africa and Asia, popular culture and film, music theory and musicianship and guitar performance. As a composer, Dr. Weirmeir has won many international honors and awards and critics have described his music as beguiling, delicate, rich, and colorful, with a wonderful mastery of orchestral color. Dr. Weirmeir has taught private guitar lessons in San Diego for the past 10 years and has enjoyed directing the Villa Musica Guitar Ensemble since its inception.