Meet the CMS Private Lessons Staff

Conor Smyth-Small

Graduate Intern, Associate for Arts Engagement 
smythsmall.1@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Areas of Expertise

• 20th Century and Contemporary Piano
• Extended Technique
• Group Piano Teaching

Education

• MM in Piano Performance, Arizona State University
• Graduate Diploma in Music Performance, Royal Irish Academy of Music
• BM in Music Performance, King's College–London

Conor Smyth-Small is a doctoral student at The Ohio State University, working with Professor Caroline Hong. Originally from County Down, Northern Ireland, Conor’s classical repertory interests lie in the late-romantic, twentieth-century and contemporary eras. During the summer of 2023, Conor attended Cortona Sessions for New Music where he worked closely with faculty, performers and composers in the Tuscan town of Cortona, Italy. For his master’s degree recital, Conor commissioned a work for piano and electronics by fellow queer musician and composer Deanna Rusnock.

As a pedagogue, Conor has ample teaching experience, most recently having worked as a teaching assistant at Arizona State University for four semesters. Here, he taught class piano as the sole instructor to music majors and non-music majors of all levels. When previously living in Ireland, Conor taught at the Ulster College of Music as a piano and theory instructor for several years before relocating to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies. During this time, Conor also worked as an accompanist and repetiteur at Queen’s University Belfast and taught elementary group piano classes at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Outside of performance, Conor also has a keen interest in ethnomusicology, specifically in music and gender studies, and recently undertook research exploring gender disparity in the popular music genre, K-pop.

Lucinda Dunne

Graduate Associate and CMS Instructor 
dunne.70@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Areas of Expertise

• Saxophone
• Arrangements
• Woodwind Doubling

Education

• BM, Royal College of Music, London

Lucinda Dunne is an educator, saxophonist and woodwind doubler from Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. She is a graduate of the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, where she studied both saxophone and clarinet under professors Kyle Horch and Janet Hilton. She previously studied at Chetham's School of Music with Andrew Wilson. In 2012, Lucinda reached the woodwind category final of BBC Young Musician of the Year.

Lucinda has taught saxophone and clarinet lessons for over 10 years to students from the age of 8 to adults, with the philosophy that all students are capable of becoming well-rounded musicians with confidence and clear performance and personal goals. Lucinda's students have enjoyed success in many fields, including being accepted for prestigious instrumental courses with notable UK saxophone professors. She established the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band at her previous school (Notting Hill and Ealing High School, London), creating performance opportunities for students that formerly did not have experience in either field. 

Lucinda has gained orchestral experience playing with groups such as the National Youth Orchestra, Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Vitae, performing at notable UK venues including The Sage Gateshead, St. John's Smith Square and the Royal Festival Hall. She debuted as a soloist with the RCM Film Orchestra and later performed Benson's "Aeolian Song" with the RCM Wind Ensemble. She has performed both of Weber's clarinet concertos as a soloist with the Portobello Orchestra.

Lucinda also enjoys instrumental doubling (playing saxophones, clarinets and flutes) and playing in pit orchestras for musical theatre. She is experienced as a Musical Director, having directed multiple musicals at Notting Hill and Ealing High School. Some shows she has recently performed include The Addams Family, Singin' In The Rain, Sweet Charity, Anyone Can Whistle and Guys and Dolls. She is also a keen chamber musician, playing in a number of ensembles including several saxophone quartets and jazz combos, but most recently as the bass clarinet chair holder in The Sages of Future Soul. 

Lucinda Dunne is currently pursuing a master's degree in saxophone performance at The Ohio State University, and is delighted to be assisting the School of Music as a graduate associate while continuing her music education.

Meagan Gaskill

Graduate Associate and CMS Instructor 
gaskill.39@buckeyemail.osu.edu 

Areas of Expertise

• Flute
• Voice
• Music Theory

Education

• DMA, Flute Performance, The Ohio State University (expected 2025)
• MA, Music Theory, The Ohio State University (2023)
• MM, Flute Performance, The Ohio State University (2022)
• BM, Flute Performance, Pacific Lutheran University (2019)
• BS, Mathematics, Pacific Lutheran University (2019)

Meagan Gaskill (she/her) is a flute and voice teacher with almost a decade of experience working with students of all ages. She is a passionate teacher who meets students where they are and supports their musical goals and aspirations. Meagan has worked with musicians of all levels, including those who are just playing or singing their first notes to college-level musicians. She helps students foster their enthusiasm and passion for music while helping them become independent learners and develop strong practice techniques.

Meagan is an active performer as a flutist and singer and performs with orchestras and operas around central Ohio. Her primary flute teachers include Katherine Borst Jones, Jill Felber, and Jennifer Rhyne. Her primary voice teachers include Lara Brooks and Holly Boaz.

Kaleigh M. McGee

Graduate Associate and CMS Instructor 
mcgee.388@buckeyemail.osu.edu 

Areas of Expertise

• Clarinet
• Piano
• Saxophone
• Flute
• Oboe

Education

• BM, Performance, Auburn University
• MM, The Ohio State University

Kaleigh McGee is an expert woodwind doubler and pianist. She has experience teaching clarinet, piano, flute, and saxophone. Kaleigh holds bachelor's and master's degrees in clarinet performance and currently serves as a Graduate Teaching Associate in the clarinet studio at The Ohio State University. In this position, Kaleigh has taught many of the clarinet majors and minors, in both private and classroom settings, for the last three years. At the university level, Kaleigh has rehearsed clarinet choir and coached several chamber ensembles. Kaleigh has also taught masterclasses to local high school students and has an ever-growing private studio. As a pedagogue, Kaleigh provides her students with a strong understanding of all facets of music including the fundamentals of the chosen instrument, maintenance of the instrument, general music history and theory, and other topics such as aural training to create a strong musical foundation. Kaleigh’s skills on piano assist in her teaching as well as she accompanies many of her students on their solo pieces. She has accompanied students for both juries and recitals. Kaleigh works as the clarinet repair technician at Buckeye Brass and Winds and often incorporates maintenance and repair knowledge into her lessons.

Katie Sharp

Graduate Associate and CMS Instructor 
sharp.452@buckeyemail.osu.edu 

Areas of Expertise

• Flute
• Music Theory

Education

• DMA, Flute Performance, The Ohio State University (expected 2027)
• MM, Flute Performance, The Ohio State University (2024)
• BM, Flute Performance and French, Baldwin Wallace University (2022)

Katie Sharp (she/her) is a DMA candidate at The Ohio State University studying with Katherine Borst Jones. She currently serves as a Graduate Teaching Associate in Flute and previously taught in Music Theory, Aural Skills, and Musicology. With over five years teaching experience, Katie maintains an active studio and works with local schools as a clinician. She has worked with students of all ages, meeting them where they’re at to grow a lifelong passion for music. Katie’s other primary flute teachers include George Pope, Randy Hester, and Dr. Nicole Charles.

Aside from teaching, Katie serves as the Exhibit Coordinator for the Central Ohio Flute Association. She is an active performer in Columbus, performing the Nielsen Flute Concerto as a winner of the 2022 Ohio State Concerto Competition. In 2021, she was a co-winner of the PANdemonium4 Virtual Flute Competition in the collegiate division. A member of the OSU Graduate Wind Quintet, Katie can be found performing across the State of Ohio.

Sam Sherer

Graduate Associate and CMS Instructor 
sherer.102@buckeyemail.osu.edu 

Areas of Expertise

• Percussion

Education

• Graduate Performer’s Certificate, University of South Carolina
• MM, Percussion Performance, University of South Carolina
• BM, Percussion Performance, Furman University

Sam Sherer is a current Doctoral Candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant at The Ohio State University. In his role at Ohio State, he teaches applied percussion lessons, coaches the percussion ensemble, and teaches the Percussion Techniques course for Music Education majors. As an educator, he has worked with students aged 7-70, focusing on all areas of percussion including concert percussion, marching percussion, and drum set. An active performer, Sam performs regularly with orchestras around Columbus including the Worthington Chamber Orchestra, Westerville Symphony, and Central Ohio Symphony. He also performs in the Sẽd Duo, a saxophone and percussion duo committed to the commissioning and programing of new programmatic works for the duo. Prior to his work at Ohio State, Sam earned his Master of Music with a Performer’s Certificate from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Music degree from Furman University.

Lily Wang

Graduate Associate and CMS Instructor 
wang.16068@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Areas of Expertise

• Piano

Education

• DMA, Piano Performance and Pedagogy, The Ohio State University (expected 2026)
• MA, Music Teacher Education, Hunter College
• MM, Classical Performance, Queens College
• BA, Music Performance, Shandong Normal University

Lily Wang is a versatile educator and musician with a diverse range of experiences. From nurturing preschool students at The Ohio State University Childcare Program to coaching and accompanying bachelor’s students at Hunter College of the City University of New York, Ms. Lily has honed her teaching skills across various stages of learning. Her journey also includes serving as a music student teacher in public schools in New York City, highlighting her commitment to enriching communities through education and the arts. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in her Kodaly and Dalcroze training, with a focus on cultivating sustained interest in music and creating an environment where students genuinely enjoy learning and making music. With advanced degrees in Music Education and Performance, including a Doctor of Musical Arts, Ms. Lily continues to inspire students to discover the joy of learning music.