Who We Are

Jeff founded Ensemble Music Schools in 2019 as a passion project that promised to combine his hobby as an amateur musician with his professional background in investing. Starting with just one school in Louisville, CO, Jeff’s vision was to build a best-in-class administrative platform that would equip local community music schools to thrive in the digital age and better serve their students and teaching faculty. Motivated by some early successes and the blessing of “doing what you love,” Jeff left his day job to focus full-time on Ensemble in early 2020 and hasn’t looked back! Jeff’s prior employers include institutional investment firms Bain Capital, Reservoir Capital, and Independence Capital Asset Partners. Jeff graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in Economics.

Favorite song: “An Ocean in Between the Waves” – The War On Drugs

Jake is a professional drummer, semi-professional cellist, and former music-industry business manager whose time at the helm of several small commercial media businesses led to coming onboard with Ensemble in 2020. As Chief Operating Officer, Jake is involved in all areas of the company, but especially those related to Shared Services, Ensemble’s comprehensive suite of back-of-house functions. Jake graduated with honors from Vassar College and also holds a Master of Music from New York University.

Favorite artists: Meshell Ndegeocello, Prefab Sprout.

Misty founded her dance studio, Misty’s Dance Unlimited, LLC, in 1999 out of a passion for teaching and inspiring the next generation of dancers. She extended her vision to include helping studio owners develop best management practices by building More Than Just Great Dancing!® in 2012 and the Youth Protection Association for Dance in 2022. As President, Schools, Misty oversees professional development initiatives and standards across our music and studios. Misty graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a Master’s of Education-Professional Development and is currently working on her dissertation for a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University in Chicago. Misty is a mom to five amazing children and has served with the International Association of Child Development Programs.  

Favorite Dance Companies: Alvin Ailey (NYC)

Dana’s multifaceted career has been marked by singing in top venues, founding and teaching in her own private music school, Dana V Music, as well as consulting, and advising to further develop music education. As the teaching advisor for Ensemble Music Schools, she oversees the positive recruitment, retention and development of the many talented and nurturing teachers that are at the heart of our organization as well as oversees the pedagogical growth in each of our schools.  A graduate of The Juilliard School and Carnegie Mellon University, she has been a featured soloist in Carnegie Hall, and Alice Tully Hall, as well as a touring artist and soloist with major orchestras around the US. Dana is a mother to three incredible children and also currently teaches voice at Dana V Music, the original Ensemble Music School.

Favorite songs:  I get into music that my students and children suggest! But the song I play the most is “Somewhere Only We Know” By Keane

Mandy Yip is a leader in dance education and curriculum development, currently serving as a senior executive at Ensemble Performing Arts, where she oversees multiple business units, including Acrobatic Arts, Prodigy, The Dance Team Convention, and Accelerate Acro Convention. As the founder of Acrobatic Arts, Mandy revolutionized acro training worldwide, growing the program to include certified teachers in over 70 countries, with over 500,000 dancers participating in Acrobatic Arts classes every week. With a strong background in business growth, curriculum innovation, and teacher training, Mandy plays a pivotal role in guiding B2B businesses within Ensemble, expanding access to high-quality training, developing industry-leading resources, and supporting studio owners and educators globally. Mandy also serves on the board of the National Dance Coaches Association (NDCA) and is actively involved in the Bridge Dance Project, advocating for progressive dance education. She lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and two sons.

Favourite artist: Mandy is so proud of her dance student turned pop star Tate McRae

Teri Mangiaratti serves as the North East Regional Manager for all Dance Studios at Ensemble Schools. At Ensemble, Teri is the Liaison to Legacy Dance Studios and helps dance studio owners transition out of ownership, putting systems and coaching in place to preserve that studio’s legacy for the future.

Teri is the owner and creator of In Sync Action Plans, a passion project that offers preschool plug and play lesson plans, skill progress tools and studio management systems to help dance studio owners find the success they are looking for.

Teri is also the artistic director of In Sync Center of the Arts in Quincy, Massachusetts. In Sync teaches over 1,500 students weekly in various dance, toddler,and music programs. At In Sync, Teri continues to teach the elite jazz company classes and work closely with the teaching and administrative team she has worked with for 30 years.

Teri’s unique combination of business knowledge, management and success along with her ability to roll up her sleeves and get the real work done, make her a favorite coach and presenter at Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo, DanceLife Teacher Conference and Energize Conference.

As mother of two college age sons, Teri works hard at maintaining the balance of family life and business life. If she’s not coaching studio managers, you can find her on Lake Winnesquam where she spends every possible free moment. Teri believes that working hard is great as long as you leave enough time to enjoy it!

As General Counsel, Alan is a trusted advisor providing practical legal solutions across Ensemble’s operations. Having been shaped deeply by years of music lessons, Alan was thrilled to join Ensemble in 2022 and empower its network of community music schools to develop the next generation of music students.
Prior to joining Ensemble, Alan was a partner at Kleinbard, and he began his legal career at Dechert. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and is a graduate of the College of William and Mary.

Favorite Song: “Dean Town” – Vulfpeck

Matt grew up in a musical household and has always had a passion for music. As the Marketing Advisor for Ensemble Music Schools, he oversees a comprehensive and integrated approach to marketing to assist schools with growing their student populations and supporting their local community efforts. Before joining Ensemble, Matt worked on Madison Avenue, ran a political media team, and founded a leading healthcare technology company.

Favorite artist: His childhood friend Machine Gun Kelly.

Nick is Ensemble Music Schools’ Social Media Guru and resident drum nerd. When he’s not on tour or in the studio, Nick works with our Ensemble team, guiding them on all things social media and school branding. With Ensemble Schools, Nick is able to combine his passions for music and connecting the world to our fantastic, growing community of music schools across the country. Nick is a published composer and earned his B.M. & M.M. in Percussion Performance from the University of Kentucky and the University of North Texas, respectively.
Favorite Drummers: Steve Gadd, Glenn Kotche, Nate Smith

Luisa’s journey with Ensemble Music Schools began first as a voice teacher at Dana V Music, the very first Ensemble school. After three years at Dana V, Luisa enthusiastically moved into teacher recruitment while continuing with her voice studio. Her favorite part of the recruitment role is showing how Ensemble cares deeply about its teachers, staff, and students.
Holding degrees in Music from the University of Colorado-Boulder and Lee University, Luisa is an active performer, a dynamic teacher, a conductor, and a passionate vocal pedagogue. When not actively recruiting or teaching, she is often making music with her partner, Brad, who is also an Ensemble piano teacher. Their recent collaborations include recitals on the music of Latin American composers, on the music of Edvard Grieg, and in partnering with friends to produce and perform in a local production of Dido and Aeneas. Luisa loves hanging out with her two tween-ager bonus children, trivia, karaoke, salsa dancing, and organizing fun gatherings and outings for the other Ensemble staff.

Musical Interests: Debating Stravinsky vs. Prokofiev, Elton John vs. David Bowie, and figuring out how all of these might relate to each other.

Christine is a vocalist and clarinetist who is passionate about supporting music teachers. As Finance and Payroll Coordinator at Ensemble Music Schools, she oversees payroll functions for our growing community of teachers and staff. She is also involved in finance, human resources, and operations functions. Before joining Ensemble, she was a public school music educator and music school administrator. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Favorite Artists: The Decemberists, Future Islands, The National

Christine grew up in a musical household and is passionate about connecting and collaborating with others.  Her passion for human connection and compassion is what drew her to study and become an opera singer. Christine is able to apply her performance and behavioral skills to her recruiting position with Ensemble Schools by setting up a comfortable environment to make candidates feel at ease and perform their best.  When she is not performing or recruiting, Christine likes to bring people together by planning and hosting 5-course dinners and making charcuterie and cheese boards.

Layne Mauldin is a percussionist and music educator based in Athens, GA. She currently serves as the Payroll & Compliance Coordinator for Ensemble Music Schools, working in finance and human resources operations. Prior to joining Ensemble, she was a full-time music educator, teaching at Clemson University and Erskine College, in addition to working as an administrator at a local music studio and performing locally. Layne has an M.M. in performance from the Ohio State University and a B.A. in performing arts from Clemson University. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching college football, and reading.

Favorite artists: Fleetwood Mac, the Chicks, and John Butler Trio.

Stephanie Henry is a classically trained pianist and composer from Minneapolis, MN. She has performed with classical and theatrical ensembles, as well as with rock bands. She composed original works for film, musical theater, orchestras, quartets, and solo piano. Her music has been applauded for its originality and charismatic charm. She studied music at St. Olaf College and received her Master’s from Hamline University. In 2020, Stephanie was selected to compose a piece for White Snake Projects’ Sing Out Strong: Decolonized Voices. Most recently she was commissioned to write an opera short for the Minnesota Opera’s MNiatures. Outside of composing and performing Stephanie has maintained a piano studio where she teaches music to people of all ages. She currently lives in Princeton, MN with her husband John and their two cats, Garfield, and Simon.

Lyndsey is the oldest of five kids that were raised by very unmusical parents in a small town in Michigan. They made it a point to surround their family with music whenever possible and because of this, Lyndsey has always had a love for singing, learning new instruments, and creating spaces for people to explore music for themselves. She started working with Cappella Music Academy in Tacoma, Washington in 2018, which allowed her new avenues to explore the music industry while continuing to cultivate her love for the arts.
After recently getting married, Lyndsey moved back to  Michigan and began working behind the scenes with Ensemble’s Operations Team. Her experience growing up with music and managing a music academy gave her the knowledge and understanding needed to help many new schools around the country in her new role. Lyndsey thrives on creating organization out of chaos and couldn’t be happier to work with such an amazing team at Ensemble Music Schools!

John Boggs is a pianist, composer and vocalist based currently in Thornton, Colorado. He holds a DMA in Composition from the University of Colorado Boulder, a M.M. in Composition from the University of Michigan and a B.F.A. from Bard College. He’s had composition premiers by such groups as the American Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Children’s Chorale, Ars Nova, and the Da Capo Chamber Players. John is in his ninth year of teaching at Dana V Music, instructing piano, voice, music theory and songwriting. When not teaching, he is an active accompanist, music director, and performer. He is also passionate about sharing the power of music to students with developmental disabilities. Outside of music, John enjoys skiing, hiking, tennis, and cooking.

Favorite Songs: 2 + 2 = 5 by Radiohead, Right in Two by Tool, Tehillim by Steve Reich, When Sunny Gets Blue by Marvin Fisher, You Are All I See by Active Child

Dave Simon owned and operated a music school for 17 years in St. Louis. He sold his business to spend more time with his family and focus on licensing his group music curricula for younger children.
Dave is also the host of the podcast Music Lessons and Marketing which teaches music school owners how to market, manage and scale their business. As the Business Development Manager for Ensemble Music Schools, Dave helps guide music school owners through the selling process of their business.

Favorite Artists: Elvis Costello, Prince, and The Beatles

Anna Ahrens is a conductor and music teacher currently living in Boulder, CO. In addition to having a full studio of piano and voice students for Dana V Music, she also serves as artistic director for Summit Choral Society, a choral group based in the Rocky Mountains along side of the nations largest ski resorts. Her love for music stems from her desire to be a lifelong learner herself, as well as her belief in its ability to have positive impacts on individuals and communities. She joined the Ensemble Music Schools team in December 2022 and loves sharing ideas and gaining knowledge through the large network of teachers Ensemble has brought together. When not working in the music field, Anna enjoys weight lifting, gymnastics, hiking, her espresso machine, and her dog Ravi and cats River and Theo.

Hannah was raised by a family of musicians and performers in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Her love of music was nurtured by going to concerts, singing in the school choir, and listening to her dad’s mixtapes. Her passion grew while working at Cappella Music Academy, where she saw firsthand the positive impact that music lessons can have on students of every age. Hannah’s favorite part of working at Cappella was seeing students develop confidence and pride during lessons with their amazing teachers. She began working with Ensemble’s Operations team after relocating to southern California in 2023. Hannah loves thinking outside the box and finding creative solutions that enable schools to focus on the success of their teachers and students. In her downtime, she enjoys cooking, crocheting, and watching scary movies.

Favorite Artists: Everything But The Girl, Jungle, Frank Ocean, and Roby

Rachael has been performing almost her entire life with a background in dance, music, and theatre. Some of her training consists of a strong classical influence from her favorite voice teacher, Joyce Fizzolio, who was a professor and Pepperdine Universtiy and on the Board for the Certificate of Merit Program, which Rachael competed in and completed for voice and piano. Teaching Classical style with a specialty in early childhood development has always been her main passion because she believes in creating a meaningful introduction to the arts that can be maintained for a lifetime. Jazz is another genre that Rachael is passionate about. After studying Saxophone privately for 7 years and and participating in multiple Bands, she feels it really changed the way she perceives music and in the best way imaginable! Rachael has been teaching piano, saxophone, and voice lessons at Green Brooms Music Academy in Santa Monica, Ca for about three years and joined Ensemble’s Teacher Development Team in October 2023. Being part of a team that works hard to support teachers and the future of children’s education is what she finds most rewarding.

Musical Influences: Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Muse, Justice

Meghan Galloway teaches K-8 general music on the west side of Cleveland. She received her Bachelor of Music in music theory from Ithaca College. Meghan attended Eastern Illinois University to study music education and received her certification through Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. She received her Orff-Schulwerk Level I and Level II certification through Baldwin Wallace University. Meghan is active in the region as vocalist and vocal soloist, accompanist, and trumpet player. She has experience in many diverse styles of music, such as classical, jazz, pop, and non-Western. She enjoys working at Lakewood Music Academy where she teaches voice, piano, guitar, and brass.