Faculty & Staff

Alli Chastain | Cello

Alli is a professional musician and educator from Fort Smith, AR. She studied cello under David Feldman at Liberty University. Alli performed in Fort Smith Public Schools orchestra from 7th-12th grade, placing in All-Region and All-State multiple times, including the honor of being Principal Cellist at All-Region one year. Alli recently performed in the orchestra pit for the 2024 UAFS Opera production of Cinderella under the direction of Dr. Zacharella.

Despite her classical training and collegiate experience, Alli is perhaps best known for her professional career as a touring artist in a rock band. She was a founding member of The Violet Hour (TVH), which gained her international recognition for her songs and music videos.

Alli currently teaches full time (English and Orchestra) at Future School of Fort Smith while teaching private cello lessons and working as a performing artist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Arkansas Fort Smith, a Master of Arts from Argosy University, and is currently pursuing a degree in Commercial Music from Liberty University.

Erin Bagley | Theatre Director, Voice

Erin Bagley is an Actor/Director based out of Arkansas. Originally from White Oak, Texas, she graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in 2023 with a BFA in Musical Theatre and has since relocated to Little Rock to pursue her theatrical aspirations. Passionate about theatre, she has always prioritized fostering growth in herself and others through the artistic mediums of theatre and music. Erin has contributed as an actor, stage manager, and director in various college and community productions. Some of her past technical credits include Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant Director for "The Servant of Two Masters" (OBU), Director for "The Universal Language" (OBU), Music Director for "Chi Mu Fangirls" (OBU), Stage Manager for "Romeo and Juliet" (Actors Theatre of Little Rock), and Stage Manager for "Tiny Beautiful Things" (Actors Theatre of Little Rock). Her favorite acting roles include Mary Poppins in "Mary Poppins," Scuttle in "The Little Mermaid," Mrs. White in "CLUE," Ensemble/Johanna Understudy in "Sweeney Todd," and Veruca Salt in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Rachel Burgos-Griner | Music Therapist

Ms. Rachel Burgos is a Board-Certified Music Therapist who is passionate about her work. She specializes in treatment of children and adolescents who have developmental and psychiatric needs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Therapy from Indiana Wesleyan University and has a host of work experiences in developmental and psychiatric therapy. Rachel is certified through the Certification Board for Music Therapists. She has worked as a music therapist in clinics at both Oral Roberts University and Indiana Wesleyan University, the Headstart Preschool in Marion, Indiana, and as a Case Management Rehab Specialist at Integrity Pathways in Oklahoma. She has also worked in various orphanages and nursing home facilities. Most recently, Rachel began her own practice called Harmonic Haven Music Therapy.

Beth Duquette | Saxophone

Beth Duquette, a graduate of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith (UAFS) in 2020, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Throughout her academic journey at UAFS, Beth studied the saxophone under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Barrick and Mr. Damian Cheek. During her time at UAFS she actively participated in the UAFS Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, and Saxophone Ensemble.

In 2017, she was chosen to showcase her talents as a member of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Band. In 2018 Beth was featured in a masterclass with Dr. Eric Troiano at the Arkansas Saxophone Symposium. Furthermore, her dedication and hard work led to her selection as the principal saxophonist at the CBDNA Southwestern Division Intercollegiate Honor Band in 2020.

Beyond her personal musical pursuits, Beth enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion for the saxophone to her students. She strives to cultivate a growth mindset in each of her students, empowering them to embrace challenges and unlock their full potential.

Martin Eady | Piano

Martin Eady was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. As a child he showed a passion and curious affinity for music. He began taking lessons under Gini Law. In high school he studied under Dr. Rosilee Russell. As a college student he studied under Dr. Craig Nies, culminating in Eady's winning the 2003 Vanderbilt Concerto Competition. Post College, Martin has continued to serve as a mentor and resource for pre-college students with musical or academic aspirations. Martin is also a great fan of Razorback sports, traveling, and baking festivals.

Bruce Garnett Fowler | Percussion

Bruce Garnett Fowler was born and raised in Los Angeles California, where he received the bulk of his real world music education. He has been a full time musician for the past seventeen years in Fort Smith, Arkansas and the surrounding areas. Born with a passion for music, this love was cultivated at an early age before he started playing drums. He grew up in a household where you would hear anything from 60s soul to opera. As a result, he began to take private drum lessons at age 13. He possessed an intuitive understanding of music and music arrangements in modern genres. By age 16, Bruce was performing professionally in genres ranging from rock, soul, jazz, to classical in the greater Los Angeles area. By age 20, Bruce had formed and led his own band which recorded an album in 1976. Bruce was inspired to play drums by accomplished drummer, musician, composer, arranger, Grammy award winner, Andre Fischer whom Bruce knew personally. Fischer mentored Bruce for 5 years, gaining first-hand knowledge and experience in studio recording, live performance, and the understanding of business and professionalism as a musician and drummer. Notably, at age 20, Bruce had the opportunity to perform for and be personally critiqued by Marvin Gaye. Bruce's passion for music and drumming is obvious when watching and listening to him perform, and is equaled by his passion for teaching.

Randy Graham | Trumpet

Randy Graham is a recent retiree from the Van Buren school district having been a band director/instrumental instructor and general music teacher since 2003. Mr. Graham has also pursued an active playing career in the Fort Smith area being a member of the Fort Smith Symphony trumpet section since the early 1990s.

Beside being involved in orchestral playing, Mr Graham has also performed as a freelance trumpeter in many area churches, performing for many weddings, and also performing for traveling groups such as “The Temptations” and the Christmas performances of “Mannheim Steamroller” at the Arkansas Best Performing Art Center. Randy is a graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where he performed in the North Arkansas Symphony among other University ensembles and freelance playing in the NWA area while he studied with former professor of trumpet Mr. Robert Bright earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Instrumental Music Education in 1986. As a private trumpet teacher, Mr. Graham has taught students at all levels of development during his professional teaching years and also in a number of Northwest Arkansas schools during his time as a college student.

David Holland | Guitar, Ukulele, Electric Guitar

Guitarist David Holland hails from Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he works as a performer, teacher, and composer. He holds a B.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith; and a M.M. in Guitar Performance from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he studied jazz guitar with Dr. James Greeson and Mr. Ben Harris. He has also studied classical guitar with maestros Juan Mercadal and Rene Gonzalez at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. David teaches jazz and classical guitar as adjunct instructor at The University of Arkansas Fort Smith and at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK. David performs regionally with his jazz trio The Unit, The Tabitha Graves Quartet, and his bluegrass band The Crumbs. David debuted as a classical composer in 2016 with a performance of his setting of Ruth Krauss’s children’s book, The Carrot Seed, for string quartet and narrator, presented by the Fort Smith Symphony’s Story Book Strings. In April 2018, The Crumbs appeared as guest artists with the Fort Smith Symphony, performing a score David orchestrated especially for Fort Smith’s bicentennial concert. He lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas with his wife Kara (a sculptor and painter) and daughter Kalliope (a Muse).

Christopher Jones | Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba

Christopher Jones is an active musician and music educator in the River Valley. Born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Mr. Jones has been active in the music community for a number of years and in a number of areas, including vocal, instrumental, and jazz music. A choir director in Van Buren for four years, Mr. Jones has spent time as an instructor in multiple areas, specializing in low brass and vocal music. As a member of the University of Arkansas- Fort Smith music program, Mr. Jones performed in vocal ensembles such as the UAFS Chorale and the UAFS Jazz Catz as a featured soloist, and also performed in instrumental ensembles including the UAFS Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band with featured artists such as Eddie Daniels and Harry Watters. Mr. Jones has been a member of the faculty at the Community School of the Arts since 2019. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music Education- Instrumental Music from the University of Arkansas- Fort Smith in May of 2018. His background also includes multiple successful auditions and placements in the Arkansas All-State mixed chorus, concert band, and jazz band. Mr. Jones currently resides in Fort Smith with his wife Aleyah, his daughter Alyvia, and his two canine boys, Pepper and Chili. In his free time, Mr. Jones enjoys gaming, relaxing with his family, and calling the Hogs.

Sherry Jones | Visual Art

Sherry Roe Jones, a native of Harrison, Arkansas has been drawing since she can remember. Her architect father always kept his children entertained at his office with mounds of scrap blueprints and his large carousel of Prismacolors in every color imaginable! At the age of fifteen, Sherry began oil-painting under the guidance of Gene Brantley of The Gallery in Harrison. From the start, oils were an easy and enjoyable medium for her. Taking a more practical route, Sherry majored in nutrition and is a registered dietitian but she continued her art studies during college and beyond, taking art classes at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as well as drawing classes at the Arkansas Arts Center. She has won recognition in regional art competitions and recently had a gallery showing at the Center for Art and Education in Van Buren. Sherry’s specialty is portraiture and she works in oil, charcoal, graphite and pastel. Sherry is a member of the Greenwood Art Guild and she resides in Dayton, Arkansas with her husband, Kevin Jones, and daughters Karly and Katy Grace.

Sheila Mann | Voice

Sheila McKinney Mann has been in music education for over thirty-five years. A native of North Carolina, she earned the Bachelor of Music in vocal music education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Her love of sacred music led her to attain the Master of Church Music in vocal pedagogy from Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Her first school position was as adjunct vocal instructor at Gardner-Webb College in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, where she taught private voice, music appreciation, and music education for elementary teachers. Following that, she was music and choir teacher at Whitefield Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. She served as the Greenwood High School choir director for 27 years before retiring in 2012. Mrs. Mann was the music director for many musicals during her tenure at GHS, including The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Annie Get Your Gun, Footloose, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Aladdin Jr., and Annie Jr. She most recently served as the music teacher at St. Boniface Catholic School, directing two musicals each year in addition to her other duties. Mrs. Mann has served as Director of Music in several churches including Fallston Baptist Church in North Carolina, Fern Creek Methodist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and Greenwood United Methodist Church in Greenwood, Arkansas. Currently she is the Director of Music at Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, where she has served since 1988. Her responsibilities include the direction of the Chancel Choir and Chancel Handbells. Sheila has been with the Community School of the Arts since the beginning and at the UAFS Academy of the Arts since 2012, teaching private voice and children’s choirs, as well as serving as music director for musical theatre productions for 3rd-12th graders. She met her husband, George, while they were both in graduate school in Louisville and they have been married since 1979.

Paula Jaramillo Sanjuan | Violin

Violinist Paula Jaramillo Sanjuán holds a Master’s degree from The University of Oklahoma, where she studied with Dr. Gregory Lee, and where she is currently a candidate for the Doctoral program in violin performance. Her musical activities have taken her across Latin America and North America, becoming part of remarkable projects in performance, pedagogy and research. Such experiences have introduced her to a wide variety of venues, students and contexts, enriching her knowledge and tools in the professional and personal field. A devoted and passionate pedagogue, Paula has taught from private lessons to large ensembles, both in English and Spanish, and seeks to provide musical education of high quality and share it with diverse populations throughout the globe. As an experienced orchestral musician, Paula has performed with the Norman Philharmonic Orchestra, The Symphonic National Orchestra of Colombia, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá, and was selected to be part of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Colombia and the Juvenile Philharmonic

Orchestra of Bogotá.

Rilla Stone | Piano

Rilla Stone earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano from Oklahoma State University in 2017. While at Oklahoma State, she studied piano with Dr. Thomas Lanners and piano pedagogy with Professor Heather Lanners. During this time, she actively performed as a soloist and collaborated with many vocalists. Rilla furthered her education at Wichita State University, where she graduated with a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy in 2019. While at Wichita State, she studied piano with Dr. Julie Bees and piano pedagogy with Dr. Justine Sasanfar. She was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship where she taught class piano for music majors and private lessons for elective college students. Rilla had many opportunities to perform as a soloist in recitals and masterclasses. She also accompanied the Wichita State University A Cappella Choir and Women’s Glee Club. During this time, she also served as a church musician. Rilla is passionate about teaching piano. She strives to inspire a love of music in her students through creative expression and holistic musicianship.

Victoria Archer | Dance

Victoria began her dance training at age four with Western Arkansas Ballet’s Academy. She joined Western Arkansas Ballet’s pre-professional company in 2010, and has performed notable roles including Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty, as well as Clara, Mirliton, Arabian in The Nutcracker. Victoria has spent summers at multiple intensives across the country, including two consecutive summers at Portland Festival Ballet studying under John Magnus on merit scholarship. She has also been a recipient of the Amanda Dooley Choreography Scholarship, which she used to study under Leslie Pessemier at the Glenda Brown Choreography project. In 2016, she became an Emerging Choreographer through Regional Dance America with her contemporary piece, “Frission.”

While studying history and creative writing at UAFS, Victoria continued her dance career and has been included in several local productions, runway shows, music videos for national acts, and both choreographed and danced in promotional brand videos. Furthering her career as a dance educator, Victoria has completed two levels of pedagogical training in the Vaganova ballet method through the Bolshoi Ballet School of Moscow, passing final exams with commendation. She is currently in her third season as a coach and choreographer for the competitive program at Chance 2 Dance Studio.

Sarah Lamar | Vocal

Sarah is a Kansas City native with over 20 years of experience in the professional theater world. She holds a Bachelor's degree in vocal performance and theater education, a MLA with an emphasis in theatre and an MA in Theater. Sarah Mae started her career as a performer singing on professional stages across the MidWest. Her Kansas City credits include The New Theater, Starlight, Quality Hill Playhouse, The Chestnut Fine Arts Center, Theater in the Park, Musical Theater Heritage and more. She started her career in education in 2007 at Wyandotte high school as the Director of theatre, and never looked back.

Sarah loves the artistic outlet of teaching through directing by inspiring and challenging students to find their voice on and off stage, through the art of theater. She has taught and directed theater for all ages/levels from young students through collegiate and young professionals. Sarah comes to Fort Smith, from Olathe Kansas, where she spent the last nine years building and growing a middle school theater program from 15 young actors to over 300 excited/inspired actors. In her time at Frontier Trial, she worked on her second masters in theater, where she focused on directing, theatrical design, course design, human behavior, student relations, dramaturgy, acting, voice and movement pedagogy, and program management and development. She is thrilled for this new adventure and challenge to put her Masters' study into practice writing course curriculum and working with students who are eager to learn the craft of acting and voice on a deeper level.

Nick Perry | Dance

Mr. Perry is excited to join the Institute for the Creative Arts faculty for their first school year, this year! He brings over 20 years experience as a teacher, director, choreographer, music director and performer for various theatre and dance companies in the Kansas City area including; KC Starlight Theatre, KC Lyric Opera, KC Ballet, Storling Dance Theatre, Music Theatre Heritage, The Coterie Theatre, New Dinner Theatre, KC Rep, The Culture House, CYT, and Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park.

Through his pursuit and study in the fine arts he has trained and taught in various dance styles including; Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, Modern, Musical Theatre and Ballroom. He helped pilot a Boys Athletic dance program at The Culture House, and was a guest artist for Storling Dance Theatre. He has choreographed numerous shows for Regional, Community, Schools and After School Educational programs. In addition to his dance background he has experience in private vocal lessons, vocal directing musicals, conducting orchestral scores, leading competitive show choirs and coordinating summer fine arts camps. He is excited to bring his experience and expertise to the Institute for the Creative Arts community!

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