INSTRUCTORS
Marie Blackmar
Marie Blackmar graduated from Reinhardt University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. She is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association and maintains a private piano studio in Waleska, GA.
Marie is the choir accompanist and offers private piano lessons.
Jayden Driskill
Jayden Driskill has studied music at Sounds of Praise for the last eight years. He enjoy learning new guitar techniques and sharing his knowledge with students. Although the guitar is his favorite instrument, he aspires to master the banjo and keyboard as well. He is a senior at ISA and dual-enrolled at Chattahoochee Tech with 35 credit hours. When he isn’t playing the guitar, you can find him at North Georgia Martial Arts training for competition and his 4th degree black belt!
Jayden teaches our guitar classes.
Mary Elliott
Mary Elliott was a former student at Sounds of Praise where she played flute and sang in the choir. She went to GA All State District Band in 2010 and has been invited to play in ensembles, community bands, and churches. She has received professional vocal training and has sung in several churches, including her current church, New Life Church in Canton. She is attending Liberty University Online where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music Degree in Worship Studies.
Mary teaches our 5-6 year old clases.
McKenzi Fenn
McKenzi Fenn graduated Cum Laude with Honors in Education from Anderson University in Indiana. She has a Masters of Music Education degree and more than twenty years of teaching experience. Additionally, she has been homeschooling her own children since 2013. She resides in Jasper with her husband and six children. She wants all of her students to truly experience music - and love it!
McKenzi teaches our choir classes.
Jackie Gray
Jackie Gray graduated from West Georgia College with a degree in Piano Performance/Pedagogy and is certified in First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege. She has been involved in church music since high school, and has been the pianist and praise team leader in several churches. She homeschooled her four children.
Mrs. Gray has taught recorder at Sounds of Praise began in 2007. She is the Executive Director for SOP and also teaches and accompanies various classes.
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Anna McCoy
Anna McCoy teaches group strings classes and private cello lessons with kindness, patience, and humor while driving students toward a high standard of excellence. Drawing from her experience instructing student music groups in both professional and ministry settings, Anna develops students who are skilled, passionate, and ready to serve the Lord with their music. She teaches a foundation of good playing technique, music reading skills, aural development, and musical exposure. This foundation prepares students to play in worship music settings, connect with their communities in music groups, and be creative as they emulate their Creator. She has 4 years of experience teaching homeschool strings classes and 15 years of experience teaching students in church music classes.
Anna teachers our beginner, intermediate, and advanced strings classes.