MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Rob Miller is a composer, musician, theatre advocate, and music educator who taught music in the public school system for 29 years and now enjoys teaching guitar and ukulele at DaySpring A&E. He holds both a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music degree in Music Composition from Webster University, St. Louis.  He was honored in 1999 to be among the first inductees to the St. Louis Community College at Meramec’s Alumni Walk of Fame as a founding member of the Oldies band, Sh-Boom.  Rob currently serves on the board of directors for First Run Theatre and performs regularly with Butch Wax and the Hollywoods.

Lydia grew up as a Missionary Kid in Papua New Guinea. She began playing piano at the age of 8 and clarinet when she was 10 as part of a band program at a mission based international school. She continued playing and singing in an active music program there until she finished high school and taught piano her last two years of high school before moving back to the United States to attend college. She graduated from Taylor University in Indiana with a B.M. in Music Performance in Clarinet, studying under Dr. Christopher Bade, and a Piano minor under the direction of Kathy Grile. In 2008 she was awarded the Presser Scholarship in recognition of music and academic excellence. Lydia has been teaching piano and clarinet privately in the St. Louis area for over 15 years. She enjoys playing with community bands and ensembles in church and around St. Louis. She has a great love and interest in music from around the world, and enjoys incorporating that diversity wherever possible.

Journee Carter received her MM from Shenandoah Conservatory and her BM from Webster University both in vocal performance. Since completing her Master’s program she has been actively participating in the St. Louis, MO music scene working both on and off stage.  

Journee has been teaching music lessons for over 10 years and began teaching at Dayspring in 2022 and she is passionate about building musicianship skills alongside learning music.

David Gregory is a creative and artist at heart. His creativity exists not only in his art but also in his leadership and tools for private instruction. Gregory’s journey in music began through composition, which remains his favorite artistic outlet. In exploring composition, he was catapulted into the greater world of music through private lessons and worship leading. Gregory went on to pursue a bachelor's in music from Missouri Baptist University. Collegiately, Gregory studied with Dr. Sharla Bender, Dr. Jeffery Heyl, and Dr. Jason Mallory, to name a few. Highlights of his educational career include soloing for MBU’s Opera Theatre, Gospel Choir, and Chamber Singers, participating in the conferences MMEA and Write About Jesus, and starting a thriving club for songwriters, artists, and music producers. Since graduation, Gregory has taught private lessons and musical theatre classes at several local STL performing arts organizations while pursuing his artistic endeavors. To date, he has worked with New Moon Studios, Gateway Center For the Performing Arts, Stages STL, and DaySpring Arts and Education. As Gregory has worked to refine his pedagogy, he has begin deep diving into the world of performance psychology, and as peers and mentors that he works with weekly to provide the safest and most personalized approach for his students bodies and minds.

Dr. Crystal Chu is a dedicated educator with a strong passion for teaching. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Percussion Performance with a secondary emphasis in Wind Conducting from the University of Oregon. Crystal earned her Master of Music (M.M.) from New York University and her Bachelor of Music (B.M.) from the National University of Singapore, and she also participated in an exchange program at the Peabody Institute. Her doctoral research explores cross-disciplinary art and creative performance practices, emphasizing their pedagogical value.  

Dr. Chu specializes in performing contemporary music by living composers, as well as solo marimba and percussion chamber music. Her teaching style is goal-oriented and adaptable for students of all ages, and she is committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment. After relocating to Kirkwood in 2019 with her daughter, Dr. Chu established her private teaching studio, and she is grateful for the opportunity to expand her teaching practice at DaySpring in 2024. She has been teaching percussion at DaySpring since 2020 and is actively involved in the outreach program. Dr. Chu has led various workshops, including "Upcycled Percussion" and "Singing as a Parenting Tool," throughout St. Louis and plans to continue sharing her crossdisciplinary workshops in the near future.

Rachel teaches flute and piano lessons at Dayspring. She graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2015 with a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Rachel has taught music lessons for over 10 years. She has also been a member of the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra since 2019, playing flute and piccolo.

Ann Ahrens earned a Master of Arts in Music from Webster University in 2001, and a PhD in Christian Worship from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. Ann taught music and worship arts at the graduate and undergraduate levels or 25 years. In addition to her service at the college level, Ann has taught private and group piano at The Community Music School of Webster University (2002-2006) and serves as an adjunct piano professor of piano at Missouri Baptist University. Ann has studied piano with Daniel Schene, Cathy Benton, and Ruth Price. In addition to teaching piano, theory, and history, Ann’s areas of interest include the function of music in the corporate church worship service.

Gary Lee is a private cello teacher and freelance musician. He earned his MM in Cello Performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and his BM in Cello Performance (cum laude) from Illinois Wesleyan University. His teachers include Gordon Robson, Robert Luke, and Yuan Tung. His education includes training in chamber music, orchestral repertoire, contemporary music ensemble, and early music ensemble. Other instruments studied include piano and bass viola da gamba. He was a member of Missouri All-State Orchestra in the first three years of its existence, seated principal cello his senior year. Gary teaches cello through Community Music School of Webster University, Dayspring School of the Arts, and his private studio. He also teaches beginning bass viola da gamba through his private studio. In 2016 he was honored with the Outstanding Studio Educator 2016 Award from the American String Teachers Association, Missouri Chapter. Active as a freelance musician in both Missouri and Illinois, Gary is principal cellist and librarian of the Alton Symphony Orchestra. He is core cellist for the Landolfi String Quartet and cellist and librarian of Gateway Festival Orchestra. He has played as a member or extra for various Illinois and Missouri orchestras. He has played in ensembles for touring musicians, most recently Johnny Mathis, Classic Albums Live!, Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Il Divo, and Amy Grant with Michael W. Smith. He is a former principal cellist of Town & Country Symphony, former associate principal cellist of University City Symphony, and former member of St. Louis Philharmonic, Webster Symphony, and Bloomington-Normal (IL) Symphony. He was involved in work for music publishers for over two decades, including one company formerly concerned with music therapy and problems of performing musicians. Gary is a member of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197), Suzuki Association of the Americas, American String Teachers Association, and Viola da Gamba Society of America.

Doris has taught private piano lessons at DaySpring for 10+ years.