Staff at Central Baptist Arts Academy
Erin Carder
Academy Director
Private Piano
Musikgarten
Erin was born in Huntsville, Alabama and attended middle school and high school in middle Tennessee. As an elementary, middle and high school student, she was able to participate as an accompanist for school plays and lead children’s choirs. She also served as a substitute church pianist and adult choir accompanist for her home church, Whitesburg Baptist Church. She continued her passion for music into college.
Erin is a 2003 graduate of Tennessee Technological University. She holds a Bachelors in Music Performance and Composition and a license and certification in the following sections of the Musikgarten Curriculum: Family Music for Babies, Family Music for Toddlers and Cycle of Seasons, a 3-5 year-old curriculum. While at Tennessee Tech, she studied piano for eight semesters, served as a piano accompanist for various instrumentalists, vocalists and ensemble players and performed as a vocalist in the select University Chorale and Women’s Glee Club. Erin is now is enjoying sharing her knowledge of music with the students in her private piano and Musikgarten studios at Central Baptist Church Arts Academy and is very pleased to direct such a wonderful group of teachers while serving as Central's Arts Academy Director.
Erin and her husband, Jason (a civil engineer for Mattern and Craig Consulting Engineers in Kingsport, TN), reside in Gray, TN and are both active members of Central. Erin serves as a piano accompanist and vocalist for Highest Praise Vocal Ensemble and as an assistant director/accompanist for Central’s 2-3 Grade children’s choir. She also serves as pianist and vocalist for the Bridge Worship Service and as a percussionist in the CBC Orchestra. Her love and passion is for music and furtherence of the art quality arts education in our community.
Dan Bohlander
Private Guitar
Dan Bohlander holds a Bachelor of Music Degree with concentration on performance in classical guitar. He studied under Dr. Mario Abil at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. During his time at UTC, he also studied Music History and Voice and had the opportunity to perform in the University Madrigal Singers.
Dan has 25 years experience teaching various styles of guitar including Classical, Rock, Pop, Country and Christian Contemporary. During lessons his instruction also includes Music Theory; Reading of music; Chord construction and Scales. He has taught all levels of students from beginner to advanced, children to adults. He has performed in formal recitals and in Church settings both as a solo performer and with ensembles. He encourages young students to perform in recitals to help build performance experience. Lessons are taught at a pace suitable to the students experience and capability and geared towards a goal of proficiency in the style of music the student is most interested in.
Laurie Dlugos
Private Piano
Laurie Dlugos is an elementary certified teacher with experience in both “Suzuki style” and traditional private piano instruction. Her passion is to engage all three of her heartbeats: Christ, children and piano. With a background in music study from her youth, as well as piano and voice study at Nyack College, a diploma in Christian education from Moody Bible Institute, and a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Milligan College, she is well-prepared to teach. Establishing a new piano studio at Central Baptists Arts Academy, Laurie has taught for part time several years while home-schooling her three children.
Enrolling your child in lessons with her, you can expect your child to be actively involved in the learning process. She will draw upon their imagination, hands on games, rhythm activities, old-fashioned flash cards games and computer software to build a solid foundation in music theory. Her goal is for each child to have fun learning to play the piano.
Sabrina Hess
Voice
Sabrina Hess has a degree from Milligan College in Music Education where she studied with Becky Hale and John Wakefield. She taught kindergarten through eighth grade at the University School for 3½ years and continued to study voice at ETSU under Dr. Oliver Lo. As one of Dr. Lo’s students, she was chosen to attend an opera workshop at the University of Kentucky and studied under Gail Robinson (soprano prodigy at the Metropolitan Opera) and their music faculty.
Sabrina continues to study voice, is active in the music ministry at Central Baptist and is honored to use her musical gifts throughout the community. Six years ago, Sabrina became a charter instructor of the CBC Arts Academy. Her studio includes students of different ages. She emphasizes good vocal and breathing techniques and often helps her students prepare for auditions. Sabrina encourages her students to sing in their home churches, local community choirs, school choruses, and talent shows. Several have earned positions in All East Chorus, The Barter Theater, and one young soprano was even chosen to sing the national anthem at a college sporting event—a challenging performance for even the most experienced singer! The studio holds two to three recitals each year.
Steve and Laura Humphrey
Drama
Beginning Acting
Laura Humphrey is a Johnson City native. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In 1997 Laura interned as a director and actor in the First Light Theatre at Barter Theatre. In 2006 she served as a director for the Kingsport Theatre Guild. She currently is the director and drama team coach for Robinson Middle School in Kingsport.
Steve Humphrey is from Hope Mills, North Carolina. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and multidisciplinary studies from North Carolina State University. He recently received a graduate degree in elementary education from Milligan College. From 1997 to present Steve performed as a dancer and singer for SHOWTIME Productions in Kingsport. From 2001-2004 Steve performed as a singer and dramatic voice for Steve Davis Productions. Steve currently serves as a middle school teacher for Holston Middle School in Kingsport.
The couple will team-teach beginning acting classes capitalizing on each instructor’s strengths. Both hold undergraduate degrees in theatre and master’s degrees in education and have extensive backgrounds in local and regional theater. The Humphrey's are excited about being able to help budding or experienced thespians hone their skills. They want to focus on the craft, not just working on individual pieces.
Aaron Hurley was born and raised in Johnson City, TN. He started band in 6th grade playing euphonium/baritone at Liberty Bell Middle School. He also played tuba during Middle School and High School (Science Hill) where he started in Top Band his freshman year. He went to college at ETSU where he focused his attention on playing his main instrument (Euphonium). He quickly became first chair in their top band. He also gave several recitals and was even asked to play for the International Tuba Euphonium Association where he played for many of the national known Tuba and euphonium teachers, players, and enthusiasts. Aaron graduated with a Music Performance Degree, which also included specializing in teaching all instruments and focusing mainly on Brass instrument instruction. He then became a General Music teacher at two elementary school which also included two after school band programs. After that he went on to Milligan College where, through the Masters of Education Program, he became a licensed teacher for k-12 instrumental music. For several years now he has been assisting band directors across the region helping direct, running sectionals, private instruction, marching band, and helping to enthuse students. He also teaches privately, which he has been doing since undergrad. He still has opportunities to play his instrument in several groups, and is ecstatic to have the opportunity to let music be such a large part of his life.
Amanda Leach
Voice
Beginning Piano
Mrs. Amanda Leach is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She double majored in Vocal/General Music Education and Special Education in college. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education in 1997, and completed a Master of Science degree in Education in 1998. She served as a Special Education teacher with the Johnson City School System from 1998-2006. In 2007, she fulfilled the requirements of her first love, music, at Milligan College, and is now licensed to teach vocal and general music in the public schools. She is actively involved in music programs at Central Baptist Church. She is a member of the Music Teacher’s National Association, and is currently serving as Treasurer of AMTA, the local chapter of MTNA in the Tri-Cities. Mrs. Leach is also a member of the National Federation of Music Clubs and Music Educators National Conference. Amanda has been a private voice and piano teacher since 2002. She lives in Johnson City with her wonderful husband, Brent, and precious son, Holden.
Steven Reis
Percussion
Drums
Steven received a Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from Northwestern University in 2007. His primary teacher at Northwestern was Michael Burritt. Steven also studied orchestral percussion with James Ross, drum set with Joel Spencer, and Latin percussion with Ruben Alvarez.
Steven performed for four years with the Northwestern University Percussion Ensemble and gave two solo recitals, which included an original composition. Along with the percussion ensemble he performed with the university's symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, symphonic band, contemporary music ensemble, and choir. In 2005, Steven served as a percussion instructor for CityBeat, an all-city middle school band in Chicago. He also taught at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and for Blue Lake's International Youth Symphony Orchestra.
If you are interested in teaching on our staff, please download a staff application here and return it to Central Baptist Church Office Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30 pm.