Voice & Piano Instructors
Seth holds a bachelors in vocal performance from Ball State University and is currently working on his masters in vocal performance at the Hartt School. Seth is an avid lover of all things music. When not singing Seth composes film scores, arranges, or plays percussion, bass, and piano in non-classical settings. Seth has performed almost all styles of music and is comfortable teaching anything from hard rock to classical voice.
Seth’s philosophy is to teach a foundational technique and adapt that technique to fit the style that you’re singing or playing. Learning to sing or play this way makes you a very versatile singer and musician because you understand your instrument and how to manipulate it to your needs. Seth would love to have you in his studio and help you grow your instrument, whatever instrument that may be!
Mark Sumner is a musician currently based out of Middletown, CT. He attended Western Connecticut State University where he majored in Musical Theatre. At WCSU, Mark starred in several productions, most notably as Ché in Evita. He was the recipient of the Richard Maltby Jr. Musical Theatre Award for Region 1 of the Kennedy Center College Theatre Festival and went on to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Although Mark is passionate about musical theatre, he has a strong background in pop/rock and specifically classic rock. Since the pandemic, Mark has started teaching voice, working on some small musical projects with friends, and playing with local bands. Mark hopes to provide a strong basis of vocal technique and a fun, positive environment of support and growth.
Sierra McElroy is a senior at Eastern Connecticut State University this year. She is a music major with a concentration in classical Voice and Piano Performance and has been involved in many of Eastern’s ensembles and performances, such as performing as a forest spirit in last semester’s Hansel and Gretel, the messenger in Dido and Aeneas, several Opera Workshop scenes, and in the university’s concert chorale and auditioned ensemble, chamber choir. She joined the chamber choir this semester on their tour to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Just this past summer, she participated in a three-week summer intensive in Verona, Italy, called Opera Viva, where she studied with several professionals in the field, and performed both opera scenes, and musical theater scenes in some of Verona’s oldest locations. She has also recently won third place in the National Association for Teachers of Singing competition in the Musical Theater category
A full-time certified music educator, graduated summa cum laude from the The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and received a bachelor of music education with a vocal concentration. Tara, a mezzo-soprano, grew up in New York just a train ride away from NYC and Broadway. She has always had an appreciation for musical theater and spent several years directing a summer performing arts camp for children.
In 2019, she was the winner of Hudson Valley’s New York’s Got Talent competition and had the opportunity to perform some her original songs at the finale show in New York City, where she took second place. During her college years, Tara studied voice with Cherie Caluda, was a member of several choirs, and tutored piano to other undergrad students. Tara frequently performed with her college acapella group while serving as assistant music director, and was also the music director of her college music fraternity.
In addition to singing and playing piano, Tara plays the flute and ukulele. When in the classroom, Tara loves working with her students and watching them develop an appreciation for music. She looks forward to bringing that same enthusiasm with her to share with her students at Summit Music Center.
Lauded as a “musical polymath” by the New London Day, Terrence B. Fay has been a professional trombonist in Connecticut for over 20 years. He is currently principal trombonist of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater of Connecticut, and assistant principal trombonist of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Ridgefield, Waterbury, Wallingford, Norwalk, and Greater Bridgeport Symphonies, among others. 
Stephanie is a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase. She finished her college education with a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Music with an Outside Field. The outside field consisted of business, psychology and education classes. Although piano became her main focus in college, she was also an active violinist from the ages of 9 through 18.
At the age of 7, Stephanie was inspired by a close family member and decided to start taking piano lessons. Music has always been a big part of her life, through private lessons, ensembles, music classes, and recitals. Since 2012, Stephanie has helped many young students with performances in school ensembles. It was through these experiences that she decided to become a teacher. Stephanie has had experience teaching students of all ages the music they feel passionate about.
After pursuing teaching as a full-time job, Stephanie has had the pleasure of meeting a wide variety of students who come from different backgrounds. Every student has their own goal when stepping into the music world, and she believes it is important to help each student discover and reach that goal. She has prepared students for music festivals, judging, competitions, and recitals. She believes that ensuring the students’ joy and love for music is the most important aspect of teaching. If the student is happy then their musicality and dedication to their instruments will fall into place by themselves.
Michelle Li is a dynamic flutist and educator based in Hartford. Connecticut. As a performer,
Michelle made her orchestral debut in 2016 with the Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra asa winner of the annual concerto competition. Michelle is especially interested in contemporary music, and has premiered several new works by award-winning composers. She has presented extended technique workshops at the 2019 International Flute Symposium at West Virginia University and was a featured performer for “Flutes on Fire,” a contemporary program in the 2020 Flute Society of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention. Most recently, Michelle performed for the 2022 SCI Online National Conference with pianist Dr. Michael McAndrew as founding members
of the chamber group DuoMotive.
As an educator, Michelle is enthusiastic, encouraging, and adaptable. She has served as a Hartford school clinician, teaching flute to beginner band students. Michelle has also been an adjudicator for the Florida Flute Association and the West Virginia Music Educators Association. At the Hartt School, Michelle served as Co-Director of the Stratosphere Flute Choir, the university’s premier flute choir. In addition to flute, Michelle teaches beginner piano.
Michelle recently completed an Artist Diploma in Flute Performance at the Hartt School, graduating summa cum laude. She received a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from West Virginia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Binghamton University with Highest Honors. Michelle also received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing from Binghamton University. Past instructors include Janet Arms, Nina Assimakopoulos, Angela McBrearty, and Georgetta Maiolo.
Kelly English is a singer/songwriter from Bolton, Connecticut, and a Summit alumnus! A finalist in the 2015 NewSong Songwriting Contest, North America’s premier performance and songwriting competition, Kelly traveled to Asheville to compete at the Lake Eden Arts Festival. She also took home 1st place at the Eventide Songwriting Contest, of which Meghan Trainor is a past winner.
Kelly graduated from Berklee College of Music where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Music Business and Songwriting.
As a performer, Kelly has been playing solo acoustic music across New England. She has opened for acts including Among the Acres, NewSong Contest winner Rachael Kilgour, Grammy-award winning member of “In Living Colour” Corey Glover, and many others.
Kelly is a brand new instructor, with more than 10 years of songwriting experience and a lifelong love of writing lyrics.
Her debut album “City Limits” came out on October 6, 2017, mixed and produced by Gar Ragland (Newsong Recordings, Citizen Vinyl). Kelly’s sophomore EP, “The Savannah Theory”, comes out in 2020.