REW Music is actively seeking qualified oboe & English horn instructors

EMILY BOSCHEN - Flute

Emily's Video Coming Soon!

Emily Boschen is currently a master's student at the UMKC Conservatory. She recently graduated from West Texas A&M University with her Bachelor of Music in Performance and Education. During her career, Emily has participated in multiple ensembles such as band, orchestra, marching band, woodwind quintets, and other various chamber ensembles. She has been a finalist in multiple concerto competitions and most recently won First Prize in the St. Louis Flute Society Young Artist Competition.

Emily has taught privately for over seven years to students ranging from beginners all the way up to college level. She believes the turning point in her flute playing was when she started taking lessons in the 7th grade. Learning a musical instrument is beneficial for anyone at any age and Emily believes in teaching her students strong fundamentals while also having fun with their craft.

KAYLA LIETZ - Flute

Kayla Lietz has been playing the flute for over 13 years, and graduated from Emporia State University with her Bachelor's in Flute Performance in 2020. She has experience performing with the pit orchestra for musicals, being a part of the community band and orchestra in Emporia, as well as going through many auditions, some of which required the memorization of difficult pieces. Kayla took private lessons herself in high school and college, so she is able to understand the value and importance of this one-on-one education. She has learned many tips and tricks from these private instructors that she can pass on to any student striving to reach a higher goal. She is looking to share her love and passion for music and the flute with others in the hopes that it will ignite joy for music in everyone!

Hi, I'm Rachel Keirn! I teach clarinet and saxophone at REW, and I am currently pursuing my doctorate in clarinet performance at UMKC. The most exciting part of teaching for me is when everyone gets what they want out of a lesson: students get to improve, learn, and have fun; parents get to watch their child progress, and I get to share my joy and knowledge of music with others. My goals as an educator are to maintain open communication with both the student and parent, and to build a strong technical foundation in music. Once this foundation is built, students are able to express their own creativity and personality through the outlet of music. My students appreciate the empathy, enthusiasm, and undivided attention I bring to lessons.

Hi, I’m Kaitlin McFadden and I’ve been playing the clarinet for the past 15 years and the saxophone for 9. To say that music changed my life sounds dramatic, but it’s true! Being a musician for most of my life has helped me to form friendships and bonds that I know will last a lifetime. I graduated from Friends University of Wichita, KS in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and am returning to school for my Masters of Music Therapy from the University of Kansas. My whole life I’ve felt called to help those around me, and given my passion for music, I wanted to find a way to combine those two things. I am so excited to be teaching private lessons with REW music and look forward to sharing the joys of music with my students.

TIM TIMMONS is a professor emeritus at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance where he served as professor of saxophone, Division Chair, Associate Dean and an Olson Professor. He has performed many times with the Kansas City Symphony (including their Grammy Award winning recording of Benjamin Britten), Lyric Opera, and Kansas City Ballet. He has performed throughout Europe and the United States as a soloist and clinician. He has premiered and recorded works written especially for him by major composers. His students hold positions at universities and in top military service bands. I try to get to know the goals of each student and the family. I strive to give each student the embouchure and technical skills needed to meet goals and perform the music that is interesting to them. I find it important to challenge each student with goals that they will be able to obtain and create confidence and a feeling of accomplishment.

Music is fun! When I started playing the saxophone at the age of 10, my instructor inspired me to learn many different styles of music and to learn in many different ways. 37 years later, I still have the passion that was instilled into me from my musical experiences. It is my ultimate goal to teach all of my students to love music and be as successful as they can be.

Emren Akdamar is a first year Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in trombone performance at the University of Kansas, where he studies under Dr. Michael Davidson and works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the KU School of Music. He has been playing trombone for 13 years. Originally from Arkansas, Emren holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Henderson State University, where he studied trombone with Dr. Jamie Lipton. He is also a McNair Scholar alumnus. Recently, Emren earned his Master of Arts degree in trombone performance from Washington State University, having studied under Dr. Sarah Miller. Emren has performed with numerous ensembles and had the unique distinction of being named to intercollegiate honors groups for both band and choir. In recent summers, Emren has worked as a counselor and unit director at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. Emren aims to create an environment that makes learning fun and rewarding for his students in lessons.

When not playing the trombone or in class, he enjoys science fiction, video games, Lego, and 3D printing.

My name is Brady Gell, and I am a young trombonist born and raised in the Kansas City Metro Area. I am soon to graduate from the University of Kansas and will be starting Graduate school this next fall. In my time at KU I have Consistently been involved in the University’s top ensembles, and was even the Principal trombonist in the KU Symphony Orchestra, and even won the 2022 Elizabeth Green award for student excellence. In my training as a musician I have played in all varieties of ensembles available to trombone players ranging from wind band, orchestra, jazz ensembles, and various chamber ensembles.

When it comes to teaching I believe that the student always comes first, and I believe that private instrument instruction provides benefits in a child's development far beyond musical growth. I believe in creating a positive interactive environment where the student feels empowered to learn and ask questions, and be driven to always be improving. I am hugely passionate about music and the trombone and will teach methods of trombone playing used by most if not all major professional players in the nation, and will teach the student to love and have a passion for the trombone as much as I do. Learning music can be one of the most critical experiences a student can have growing up, and I believe that whether they are doing band as a hobby, or have aspirations of becoming a professional musician, I will give them the best possible skills and experience that I can give them.

Polina is a dedicated musician, who is finishing her Bachelors in Music Education at UMKC. She has been a member of Kansas All-State Orchestra and State Solo & Ensemble Festivals, so she feels like it is her duty to give back to the local musical community that treated her so well in her formative years as a violinist. She actively participates in community music, Lenexa Community orchestra being her favorite summer gig. She has been teaching privately since 2017 and her main goal is to take each student's ability and to guide them to new horizons in terms of technique and knowledge about the vast world of music that's available to them. Her favorite pastimes are translation and photography.

BRANDON LAY - Violin & Beginning Viola (virtual lessons only)

Brandon picked up violin at a small fiddle shop at the age of nine and has been loving playing ever since. While attending grad school, he achieved his childhood dream of playing with his teachers in the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Each of his teachers and professors has been deeply impactful, both personally and professionally, and Brandon wants to be able to give back the same way to his students. At the end of the day, music can be challenging, but is fun and rockable, hence why he has Shostakovich and Lizzo on the same playlist.

I'm a student at the UMKC Conservatory of Music working towards my Bachelor's degree in Music Education. I started playing Cello when I was 10 years old and I feel that it has been a really big part of my life. Music is a really important subject. I found all of my close friends through music; I found an amazing community of people who were all so different but who all had one thing in common which I have always thought was amazing. Through music, I found something that I want to do for the rest of my life. I am currently part of the Overland Park Community Orchestra. I love it. I really enjoy playing in a group setting. As an instructor, my goal is, not only, to help kids learn how to play the cello, but to help create an environment that makes them able to enjoy playing as much as I do.