Learn more about opportunities open to join our Education & Engagement team as an instructor here! 

My name is Cindy Allard. I am originally from New York but have lived in Eagle County for almost forty years. I have been the counselor at Gypsum Elementary School for twenty years.  I started playing the violin in fourth grade and have found a great deal of joy playing in various settings through different stages of my life. As a college student I played in a bluegrass band, later as an adult I played in a wedding quartet, taught violin lessons and played with Glenwood Symphony. I also supported three of my children through Suzuki violin classes. In the early years of my career as a counselor, I started an afterschool violin program at Gypsum Elementary, which eventually has lead me to BRAVO! I appreciate the support of these wonderful likeminded musicians. Although I am an avid outdoor recreator, like most of us in this valley, I feel a dedication to enriching the lives of our local students by sharing the joy of creating music!

Celesta Falconi Cairns is the current 3^rd-6^th Grade music teacher at Lake County Intermediate School.  She has been a music educator for over 20 years, teaching in urban, rural and international schools and has Pre-School through 12^th Grade experience.  Her expertise is in vocal music, but she has taught various bands for over 12 years, General music for more than 15 years, studied piano since the age of 8, and she has personal dance and theater experience as well as she is the musical director of the Lake County schools annual musical.  She has a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Regis University and a youth composition certificate from the New York Philharmonic and Colorado Symphony Orchestra educational partnership called the Young Composer’s Program (YCP).   Currently, she is working on her National Board Certification with an Early and Middle Childhood Music Emphasis.  Philosophically, she believes that all people have a love of some kind of music and she is lucky to be able to have a career that brings joy to students and families as well as creates pride and confidence in ourselves and our community.  

Scott Carroll is a proud educator and stage director working in opera and musical theatre. He currently serves as the Artistic Director for the Lyric Theatre of Leadville as well as the Director of Music & Theatre Activities at Lake County High School in Leadville, Colorado.

As a director or assistant director, Mr. Carroll has worked throughout the United States. Some notable companies include Eugene Opera, Mill City Summer Opera, Cascadia Concert Opera, Opera Bend, University of Oregon Opera Ensemble, Lake County Civic Center Association, and the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation. Credits include Giulio Cesare, Acis y Galetea, El Gato con Botas, La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, The Old Maid and the Thief, Trouble in Tahiti, La Fanciulla del West, Seussical, La Fille du Regiment, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lend Me a Tenor, Annie, Into the Woods, and The Fantasticks.

Mr. Carroll has also collaborated with many artists as a curator for special concert events. Some notable performers include Jill and Jake Gardner, Michele McConnell, Emily Pulley, Dr. Karen Esquivel, Duane McDevitt, Richard Carsey, Andrew Bisantz, and Dr. Gustavo Castro. Scott continues to collaborate with Donna Schaefer, Carl Schaefer and Celesta Cairns on concert events at The Old Church in Leadville.

A native of Oregon, Mr. Carroll holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Lauren Emerson is a pianist and music educator in the Eagle County School District. Originally from California, she began piano lessons at age 4 when her parents discovered she had perfect pitch. She started accompanying live musical theater at age eight, and has performed with a variety of choirs, ensembles, soloists and churches throughout California. Lauren graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in music, piano emphasis. She started teaching private piano lessons at age 17 and acquired a studio of 42 students per week in Santa Barbara upon college graduation. In 2021 she accepted a position teaching class piano at a high school, during which time she obtained a full teaching credential. She currently teaches classes for Bravo! Vail in addition to private piano lessons and general music at Brush Creek Elementary School and Red Sandstone Elementary.

Lindsay Erickson joined Bravo!Vail after moving to Colorado in 2015 with her family.  Born and raised in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, she began playing the violin at the age of four.  As an active chamber and orchestral musician, Ms. Erickson has played with a variety of ensembles ranging from the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Milwaukee Symphony, Milwaukee Ballet Company, the Cleveland Pops to many notable touring artists such as Peter Gabriel, Barry Manilow, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rod Stewart, Josh Groban, and Jewel to name a few.  

Lindsay finished her double Master’s of Music summa cum laude in violin performance and Suzuki pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music, under the tutelage of Linda Cerone and David Russel and Kimberly Meier-Sims, respectively.  Prior to graduate school, Ms. Erickson completed her undergraduate work at St. Olaf College, pursuing a double Bachelor’s of Music degree in violin performance and choral education.  As concertmaster of the St. Olaf Orchestra, Ms. Erickson performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto as a tour soloist and the Tchaikovsky violin concerto as a Senior Soloist Competition winner.  Music festivals include Aspen Music Festival, Kent/Blossom Music Festival and Chatauqua Music School in NY.

In her free time, Ms. Erickson enjoys spending time with her husband, son and triplets skiing, hiking, cooking, and traveling.

Jeff Herring is a guitarist, composer, and teacher living in Vail, CO, since 2022. Jeff grew up in Montgomery, AL, where he began his musical studies at the age of 11. Jeff completed a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance at the Florida State University, where he also began teaching privately and in small groups. At the University of Denver, where Jeff earned his Master of Music in Guitar and Composition, he was awarded a Teaching Assistantship for Guitar, and a separate assistantship for Music Theory. 

Sue Reid is a vocalist, pianist, voice, and piano instructor and is in her second year of teaching music at Gypsum Elementary School. She is from the midwest (Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan) and has lived in Colorado for over three years. Sue played piano by ear at a very young age and started formal studies at 11. Sue accompanied choirs, soloists, competitions, and musical productions throughout middle and high school. In addition, she began teaching piano lessons. Her studies took her to Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she continued to study voice and piano, accompanying musicians on piano and singing in various vocal groups. Since college, Sue has taught piano and voice and performed with vocal groups and bands. She also traveled as a solo artist, which took her to Nashville to record at the Fireside Studio. In addition, Sue worked for many years as a Music Director for churches in Michigan and Colorado. She is married to David, and together we have four grown children.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a musical family, and we performed from an early age. Music was to be shared among all ages and all people.

I started piano when I was five and have played ever since. I studied at Edinburgh University and went on to teach music in Elementary Schools both in the UK and in Colorado. I have worked as a teacher, accompanist , soloist and band member over the years and enjoy all aspects of music.

I have been teaching with Bravo! Vail since 2015, and love teaching the group lessons. I believe that all children should have access to quality music lessons in an instrument of their choice. I strive to make my lessons fun, active and engaging.

Amara Sperber - As a violinist and educator, Amara Sperber works to cultivate creativity in others. Amara currently lives in Eagle, Colorado, where she works as the Education and Engagement Programs Coordinator at Bravo! Vail Music Festival. There, she helps direct after-school piano and violin classes for over 200 students in addition to teaching violin classes and private lessons.

Hannah Terrell, also known as Belle, grew up in Boulder and started singing and playing the piano, guitar and cello in elementary school. Music completely stole Hannah's heart, and throughout middle school and high school, she participated in theater, choirs and orchestras. In May of 2021, Hannah graduated with a music major from Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon and a certificate of fine arts from the Marchutz School of Vision in Aix-en-Provence, France. During her time at Linfield, she studied cello and vocal performance, music education, as well as music theory & composition. In mid-August, Hannah moved to Gypsum, Colorado to live with family and pursue her dream of teaching music, one that she has had since she was little. Now, Hannah loves teaching private lessons and piano classes with Bravo! and is excited to continue to grow as a teacher. In her lessons, she encourages confidence and focuses strongly on music theory and improvisation. She hopes to pass on the love and passion for music that was given to her by music teachers growing up. Hannah started teaching with Bravo! in September of 2021 and feels grateful to be a part of such a genuine, wonderful program. In her freetime, she loves to write music for all sorts of instruments and go to open mic nights in the area to perform. 

Emily Waldman is a violinist with a passion for teaching and community. Emily began her violin studies at age three and began teaching private violin lessons that implemented the Suzuki method when she was just sixteen. Since then, she has maintained a successful private studio and received her Suzuki certifications at the University of Denver with Kathleen Spring. During her time at the University of Denver, Emily also held the position of Orchestra Director at Fox Hollow Elementary School where she taught young students of all levels how to play their instruments. In addition, Emily has worked on the administrative side of the arts, spending a summer interning at Opera Steamboat where she learned the ins and outs of how a summer music festival functions. A Denver native, Emily enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time outside with her dog, Finn, and her partner, Reyn. Making the move from the city to the beautiful mountain town of Vail has been an incredible experience for Emily!

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. She has performed internationally across Europe including in Italy, France, and Spain, and has spent time studying abroad at the Malmö Academy of Music in Malmö, Sweden.