About
Us
Brian Kapp
Brian is the owner and operator of Encore Music Studios, and an instructor of Voice, Piano, and Organ. He is a native of central and southern Illinois, holding a Bachelor of Music degree in Keyboard Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Master of Arts degree in Liturgical Music with an emphasis in Voice Performance from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN. As a musician, Brian has served in many capacities across Southern Illinois and throughout Minnesota. He is Organist and Pianist at The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, accompanist of the dementia-friendly community choir, The Victory Chorus, sings in the Twin Ports Choral Project and serves as Dean of the Arrowhead Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Courtney Ellian
Courtney, an instructor of piano at Encore, is a pianist, singer, educator, and arranger/composer, hailing from the Twin Ports. She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and English from the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she was a Weber Scholar and a Reed English Scholar, graduating with honors in 2014. Courtney is currently working towards graduate degrees in Education and Music at the College of Saint Scholastica and the University of Minnesota, respectively. In her professional experience of over a decade, Courtney has performed, directed, and taught in ensembles and institutions in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She is also a current choral artist with the Twin Ports Choral Project.
Carrie Kouma
Carrie Kouma is an instructor of voice at Encore Music Studio. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. With over a decade of experience teaching voice and piano lessons, Carrie is passionate about instilling a love of music in her students. She believes in helping students to build on their own natural and unique voice as a tool for expressing themselves fully. A versatile singing artist, Carrie has performed in the United States and abroad in opera, musical theatre, new music, jazz, and choral ensembles. In addition to teaching at Encore, Carrie currently teaches voice at University of Minnesota Duluth and sings locally with Twin Ports Choral Project, Borealis, and Lyric Opera of the North. She is proud to have served in the United States Peace Corps, teaching English in Azerbaijan.
Jessica Schroeder
Jessica Schroeder has been teaching piano lessons for over 20 years. She is dedicated to developing her students into well-rounded, expressive, confident musicians who enjoy playing. Her teaching philosophy includes personalized lessons with technique, theory, performance/listening skills, ear-training and sight-reading. She values her relationship with students and teaches anyone who has a genuine interest in and commitment to learning piano, regardless of age or ability.
Dr. Schroeder is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Arts and Letters at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN where she teaches piano lessons, class piano, music theory, and leads the college's string orchestra. In addition to her work at CSS, Jessica is the organist and pianist at Pilgrim Congregational Church, and the pianist for the choirs at Lake Superior College. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Western Washington University, a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Music Degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Oregon, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Collaborative Piano and Coaching from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Before joining the faculty at CSS, Jessica taught at Denfeld High School in Duluth, MN and at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN.
An active performer, she has worked with various local ensembles, including the CSS Band and String Orchestra, UMD Theatre Department, and the Lyric Opera of the North.
Jessica is a member of the Music Teachers National Association, and the Arrowhead Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Dr. Thomas Hamilton
Dr. Thomas Hamilton serves as Minister of Music at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Duluth, a position he has held since 2013. He is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where he was a student of Ruth Berge and sang in the Concordia Choir under Paul Christiansen. He studied with Paul Westermeyer and John Ferguson at Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, earning a Master of Sacred Music degree in 1994. Most recently, he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Iowa in the studio of the late Delbert Disselhorst. Hamilton has served churches in Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. He was also previously on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He serves as sub-dean of the Arrowhead Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and as organist/continuo for the Borealis Chamber Artists.