Kathleen Jasinskas, Owner
Skylark Music School was founded by Kathleen Jasinskas (she/her) in 2014. Kathleen is a lifelong musician and graduate of The Juilliard School. She is a passionate music educator, and has been fortunate to nurture many young musicians.
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In the past decade, Skylark Music School has become a fixture in the Chapel Hill musical community, and was recently recognized with a "Best of Chapel Hill" award from Chapel Hill Magazine. We strive to create a loving, supportive environment for musical study, where our students are free to express themselves, while gaining musical literacy skills that will serve them for years to come.
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We encourage you to learn about our excellent teaching staff below, all of whom have advanced degrees in their chosen musical field and unique teaching styles and musical perspectives. We truly believe there is a great teacher for every type of student here, and hope you will enjoy being a part of this musical community.
Annie Roncolato
Piano & Voice
Annie Roncolato (she/they) is a classically trained pianist and vocalist from Emmaus, Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Penn State University in 2019 and taught elementary school music and private piano and voice lessons in Colorado for two years before moving to the Triangle. She draws from her skills as a multi-instrumentalist (accordion, electronics, and trombone to name a few) to help students pave their own musical path. Above all, she loves to see her students thrive when they are given the support and encouragement they need to succeed.
Azzie Marino
Piano & Voice
Azrielle “Azzie” Marino (she/her) is a recent alumna of Meredith College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music, with a concentration in vocal performance. She is an experienced musician with a passion for sharing music with others, and is an ardent believer in the importance of reading music. She has worked with the North Carolina Opera and White Iris Opera, and has twice performed in ensembles at Carnegie Hall. She has taught voice and piano for two years, and encourages students to communicate the message of the song, apply the theory they’ve learned, and have fun!
Caleb Henry
Piano, Violin + Viola
Caleb Henry (he/him) hails from St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his Masters in Music from The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and Bachelors in Music from DePaul University. While the bulk of his career has been spent as a classical music performer, he also works extensively as a freelance producer and composer of original music. In his instruction, he pulls from his multi-disciplined background to deliver a well rounded approach to musical artistry and technique. His most rewarding moments as a teacher come when he can help his students self-actualize through dedication to the creative process.
Colleen Walsh
First Steps in Music
Colleen Walsh (she/her) is a Wisconsin native, who moved to North Carolina in 1990 where she worked in museums and historic sites for many years. She graduated with her music education degree from UNCG in 2002 and joined the Alamance-Burlington School System, where she taught general K-5 music for 17 years. In addition to teaching, Colleen has participated in the music ministry at her church throughout the years and has also been involved in local musical theater productions. Now that she is retired, she focuses on volunteer work to alleviate hunger in her community, and arranges, and records songs from the First Steps in Music curriculum for music teachers and families.
Gillian Fields
Piano & Voice
Gillian Fields (she/her) earned her BM in Vocal Performance from Meredith College, and went on to complete a MM from the Hartt School of Music at UCONN. In addition to a robust singing career, she also has extensive experience as a classical pianist and accompanist. Gillian guides her students to have a solid technical foundation, but more importantly, she develops her students ability to find meaning behind their music.
Jesse Farmer
Piano & Voice
Jesse Farmer (he/they) is a dedicated musical theatre performer and passionate educator with a longstanding commitment to the arts. From an early age, Jesse had a deep love for singing. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from William Peace University and has extensive experience in community theatre throughout the Triangle area. Jesse's musical interests span various genres, including R&B, pop, and rock.
Following graduation, Jesse devoted three years to developing a high school theatre arts program, where he found fulfillment in guiding aspiring performers as they explored their vocal capabilities. His dedication to music education is driven by a desire to foster an environment where artists can take creative risks and find joy in their craft.
Kathleen Jasinskas
Piano & Voice
Kathleen Jasinskas (she/her) is an active classical and musical theatre performer, graduate of The Juilliard School, and the owner of Skylark Music School. Her teaching philosophy revolves around creating individual lesson plans to suit each student's needs and interests. She is especially gifted with young children, and has been honored to teach several students who have gone on to become prodigious high-school and college musicians.
Molly Barnes
Piano & Violin
Molly Barnes (she/her) is a violinist and musicologist from Davidson, North Carolina. She moved to the Triangle in 2010 where earned her master's and Ph.D. in musicology from UNC-Chapel Hill. After working at UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro for several years, Molly moved to the UK where she taught music history at Durham University from 2019-2022. In addition to teaching university classes, Molly enjoys choral singing and playing the viola da gamba and baroque violin. She has taught private music lessons for over 15 years, and loves to watch students achieve musical goals they first thought unattainable.
Nico Todd
Piano
Nico Todd (he/him) is a North Carolina native, born and raised in Wilmington. Nico began learning piano at the age of five, and began classical training when he entered his preteen years. His grandfather played in a jazz band, in which Nico occasionally filled in. During highschool, Nico also played piano and guitar for his church's worship band. He's taught music to family members and friends, and has recently been teaching young students in Cary, North Carolina.
Nico finds fulfillment in seeing young students excell in their lessons with the hope that generations after him continue to express themselves and find sanctuary through music. He enjoys many different music genres including, but not limited to: classical, jazz, punk rock, and indie.
Peter Constantinou
Piano
Peter Constantinou (he/him) is a classically trained pianist who began studying music when he was 8 years old. He grew up on the coast of North Carolina, and earned a BA in Photography and Media Arts and a minor in music at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. Peter enjoys arranging music for the piano as well as creating improvisational pieces in the classical style. He believes that music lessons should be about fostering self confidence, and learning to use the piano as a creative tool for self expression.
Sarah Poythress
Piano & Voice
Sarah Poythress (she/her) is a classically trained vocalist and pianist from Dallas, Texas. She grew up playing piano since age 5 and has been singing ever since she can remember. For many years Sarah participated in youth choirs and theatre programs, which fostered an early love for classical and musical theater singing. This led her to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance as well a minor in Piano Pedagogy from Elon University. Along with solo piano and voice, Sarah has experience as a piano accompanist, choral director, and handbell performer. As a teacher she believes that every student has the ability to learn and create beautiful music. Sarah strives to provide a nurturing and safe environment for all of her students to succeed.
Sarah Town
Piano & Voice
Sarah Town (she/ella) is a musician, dancer, educator, and scholar with a passion for fostering self-expression and community building through music. She is a classically trained pianist and vocalist whose repertoire and interests range from Bach and art song through jazz, Latin, folk, and popular music. She holds a PhD in Musicology from Princeton University and the title of Instrutora within the Grupo Senzala de Capoeira. As an educator, she works with students to develop discipline and attention to detail alongside playfulness and creativity.
Savanna Strange
Piano & Voice
Savanna Strange (she/they) is a classical soprano who attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she earned a BM in Vocal Performance. She also attended Mitchell Community College in Statesville, NC where she earned an AMus and Music Education. Music has always been dear to her heart. Growing up, she was a member of the Winston-Salem Youth Chorus where her love for singing and music grew even more. She started playing guitar and ukulele when she was 15 years old, and piano shortly after. She is also a certified yoga teacher and believes that great singing comes from great breath support and being comfortable in your body.
Shaun Moore
Guitar
Shaun Moore (he/him) is a guitarist and songwriter from Raleigh, North Carolina who began studying music at age 5 and started playing guitar at age 12. An Appalachian State University graduate with a B.A. in English, he has written, recorded, and produced two solo albums, and he has 17 years of studio recording, songwriting, music arrangement, and live performance experience. Shaun’s teaching philosophy is centered around individualized lesson plans and cultivating a sense of joy and creativity while playing guitar
