About Us

Inspiring a love of music

Our goal is to pass on musicianship in an engaging way, using a variety of methods and materials. We teach from a classical approach. This doesn’t mean we teach only classical music, but we place a high emphasis on technique, music theory, and literacy of music notation. We aim to create independent learners. Regardless of how long a student studies with us, it is our hope that he or she will be equipped with the knowledge and curiosity to teach themselves pieces at or below their current level.

We strive to make our lessons fun and engaging. Learning is its own reward, yes, but sometimes an extra incentive is helpful for our young learners. We use an assortment of prizes and small competitions throughout the year. Participation is optional – but the principle is simply that we want to inspire each student to do his or her best work.

Meet our staff

Elizabeth Hasbrouk
Piano & Group Piano

Elizabeth (Noonan) Hasbrouck holds a M.M. in piano performance from the University of Southern Maine, where she studied with Laura Kargul. Elizabeth also earned a B.Mus. degree in piano performance with pedagogy emphasis from USM, studying piano with Laura Kargul and Annie Antonacos, and piano pedagogy with Christine Kissack. Prior to USM, she studied for two years at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, majoring in sacred music with a piano emphasis. Elizabeth has over eighteen years of teaching experience, fourteen of which have been in Cumberland.

Elizabeth is also on faculty at the University of Southern Maine as artist faculty, teaching class piano to music majors. She is a member of the Maine Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association, completing the requirements for NCTM certification in piano teaching through the MTNA in 2013. She has accompanied numerous recitals, vocal competitions (NATs), and served as accompanist for church services.

Elizabeth was a winner of the Anne Gannett Scholarship from the Maine Federation of Music Clubs (2005), was the recipient of the A. H. Chatfield, Jr. Piano Prize through Bay Chamber Concerts (2006), and was awarded a prize in the Rossini Club’s Wright scholarship competition (2006). In 2008, she received the MTNA StAR Studio Teacher Fellowship Award and was inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Elizabeth resides in Cumberland Center with her husband and their three children and a menagerie of animals. Her side passion is working with the elderly, particularly those with dementia, and she has worked in the medical field as a CNA and CRMA. She can often be heard singing to and with residents, finding that often when the memory fails to remember words, melodies remain. 

Lois Hasbrouk
Piano

Lois Hasbrouck holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from Cairn University in Langhorne, PA. She began piano lessons at the age of six and continued them into high school, as well as some of her college years. After graduation, she began teaching piano lessons and music classes in Portland and Gorham.

Marriage took Lois to southern New Hampshire for 15 years, then the family moved to Maine in 2001. She has taught piano for about 30 of these years, while also raising and homeschooling her now-grown children. She misses the days of singing and playing together, but is happy that each one of her five children maintains a love for music.

Lois’ musical involvement has included choral singing and conducting, accompanying choirs, vocalists, and instrumentalists, some composing and arranging, and being a church director of music and worship. She resides in Gorham with her husband, and enjoys bird-watching and growing flowers.

Julie
Piano & Group Piano
Julie Love Sherman received her Bachelor’s degree in music education from Northland International University located in a small town in Northern Wisconsin. With piano as her primary instrument, she studied under Dr. Jon Ensminger and Dr. Dana Everson. Her teaching background includes general elementary music classes, chorus, band, handchime ensemble, theater, and public speaking; she’s also taught private instruction in piano, voice, and beginning violin. Her varied teaching experience has given her the chance to work with students of all ages, backgrounds, interests, and abilities – with the goal of introducing students to a life-long relationship with music.

With a desire to be a lifelong learning herself, Julie has continued her own personal musical training through singing in community choirs and ensembles, studying violin and voice with local instructors, working toward completing her Master’s degree in music education, and even attempting to learn new instruments (currently the ukulele and the kalimba). In the fall of 2023, she will also be teaching music at Sebago Elementary School, and she has also taught in Hawaii, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Michigan prior to moving to Maine.

Carmen Buckley
Flute & Piano

Carmen Buckley received a BA in flute performance from the University of Maine at Orono in 1992. She has attended masterclasses with Paula Robison, Robert Dick, Kay Gardner, Chris Norman and Paige Dashner Long.

Carmen has taught flute, recorder and music theory in Waldorf schools, local studios, and freelanced throughout New England for the past thirty years. In New Hampshire she has performed with the Keene Chamber Orchestra, Monadnock Flutes and the Keene State College Flute Ensemble.

In addition to teaching and performing, she continues to study and practice the low flutes of the flute family, the alto and bass, traditional wooden flute and bansuri.

Brynn Lewallen
Piano & Voice
Brynn Lewallen is a performer and teaching artist based in Portland. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from Denison University, and a Master of Music in Music Performance from Arizona State University. In addition to teaching piano and voice for over fifteen years, Brynn has also served as a collaborative pianist, church pianist, music director and arranger. Brynn credits Robin McNeil, her middle- and high school piano teacher, with fostering her love of piano music and music theory/music history.

As a pianist and singer, Brynn has performed across the country in regional theaters and on national tour; her most recent favorite performance contract was in Alaska, where she sang and played piano near Denali National Park. Brynn has received top awards from organizations including the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Classical Singer Competition.

In addition to music, Brynn is active as a theater teacher with STAGES Youth Theater (Portland) and The Theater Project (Brunswick). When she’s not teaching or performing, you can usually find Brynn in the outdoors– favorite activities include hiking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, and practicing her earsplitting whistle!

Piano & Voice

Khaya Cohen has spent the past decade of her life exploring different avenues in music as an educator, writer, producer, and performer. Originally hailing from NYC, her journey began when she was 14, joining her first high school band and gigging around the city. When she was 16, she successfully auditioned for Fox’s 3rd season of the US X Factor, and qualified as a top ten vocalist. It was this experience that inspired Khaya to pursue a career in music.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Her course of study included performance, songwriting, production, engineering, and music business. After college, Khaya got her first publishing deal with One-In-Song, writing with artists such as Joji, Ruth B, Ingrid Michaelson, Lil Yachty and more. She also wrote, performed, released music and toured with her band Moon Kissed, from 2019 to 2023. After this project came to a close, she desired a change of scenery from the bustling stress of city life. Khaya relocated to midcoast Maine, where she lives off-grid with her boyfriend. Together they write, tour and perform in their band, Telescope Club.

Khaya has taught songwriting and production at the music summer camps NVAK and SOCAPA, as well in after-school music programs focusing on rock bands and production for songwriters at Beacon High School in NYC. She served as a mentor for seniors working on their capstone projects at the Clive Davis Institute. Khaya has a wide array of skills and a knowledge base that ranges from vocals, songwriting, guitar, bass, piano, production, engineering, booking tours, and other aspects of music business. Here in Maine, she teaches private lessons and runs ensembles at the Midcoast Music Academy and the Breakwater school. She received her Music Together certification upon moving to Maine in 2022 and getting to play music with little ones has been enhancing her love of music, reminding her why it is so special and vital to our society.

Jennifer Eaton
Admin/Billing
Jennifer Eaton raised her family in Maine and now lives in Virginia, where she works as a standardized patient, runs an Airbnb and leads a ministry for 20 Somethings+. Reach out to her any time you have questions or concerns about billing, at billing@stonecoastmusic.com.

Our daughter has improved so much since she has been working with Liz, the owner of Hasbrouck Piano studio. She shows interest in playing and has gained confidence which for a 13 year old is a good thing. Thank you Liz!

– Vicky F.

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