Meet our Music Therapists and Music Teachers
Elizabeth Fawcett Smith, Owner, MT-BC, CCLS
Elizabeth F. Smith, Board-Certified Music Therapist and Certified Child Life Specialist, has been passionate about music ever since her first solo at age 5 in her Kindergarten program. She continued to pursue music theatre and vocal performance throughout high school and college. She received her Bachelors of Music Therapy with a concentration in vocal performance from East Carolina University in 2002 and completed a music therapy internship before passing her Board Certification Exam in 2004. Elizabeth has over 19 years of professional musical experience and has been providing research based music therapy services and music lessons in the Triangle area since 2006.
Elizabeth is an active member of the American Music Therapy Association, The Music Therapy Association of North Carolina, and The Child Life Council. Elizabeth has presented nationally on numerous topics related to music therapy, including music therapy and copyright issues, the use of music therapy in assisted livings, the effects music therapy on geriatric psychiatry units, the benefits of music on early childhood development, and the effects of music on the human brain.
Rachel Pazur, Music Teacher
Rachel Pazur is an accomplished Opera Singer in her undergraduate career, having sustained four mainstage roles, despite being an education student. She has enthusiastically sought out more than what the Choral Music Education degree had to offer, taking extra courses in Brass, Woodwinds, and Strings Methods, as well as taking up a psychology minor for her own interests in developmental psychology. In addition to her freelance performing record for numerous churches in or around the Guilford County area, she has also worked as a counselor for UNCG's Summer Music Camp, and served as Treasurer for her local chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota; an International Music Fraternity.
Rachel teaches piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, and flute.
Eliya Watson, Music Teacher
Eliya Watson, mezzo-soprano and flutist, is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music under Dr. Nancy Walker, Dr. Jim Bumgardner, and Dr. Robert Wells. At UNCG, Eliya performed both on stage and backstage regularly with Greensboro Opera, UNCG Theatre, UNCG Opera, and with local community theatres around the triangle and triad areas. Eliya intends to pursue a master of Music in the near future. Favorite roles include Juenefille in King of Hearts, Penny in The Back Seat, and Rusty in Footloose. Eliya joins us teaching voice, flute, ukulele, and beginner piano.
Erik Mikkelsen, Music Teacher
Erik Mikkelsen grew up in the Raleigh area in a family of musicians. His music-teacher mother started him on violin at a very early age. From there he took up piano, which would become his main instrument from then on. He studied classical piano in the private studio of a respected local professor of piano and music pedagogy throughout his high school years. During that time he also played and sang with school and community choirs, as well as joining several rock, jazz, and folk bands on keyboards, drums and guitars. In college, Erik explored the western US. He continued to study music and to perform with choirs and bands, though his main academic focus turned towards psychology. He led music classes for young children at the request of a church group in Portland, OR, and offered private music lessons to a few students over a wide age range. Eventually his love of music won out over his interest in psychology, and he came back to focus entirely on music in his old stomping grounds.
Erik teaches piano, guitar, percussion, and beginner ukulele.
Isabella "Bella" Vanderhoof, Music Teacher
Bella has been singing since she was a child. When she was 12, she started training to be an opera singer, and got her bachelors and masters of music from Loyola University in New Orleans. She has sung with the New Orleans Opera, around the US, and internationally. She has been a vocal coach and diction tutor for the past few years. She loves all genres of music and has experience in opera, musical theater, jazz, sacred, and choral music. Bella believes learning healthy vocal technique and good vocal hygiene is the foundation for singing in any genre of music. She also believes that having a strong foundation of music theory is very important for any musician. Whether you want to sing classical or popular music, she would love to help you learn the healthiest ways to use your instrument, so you can achieve your singing goals! Bella teaches piano and voice.