My name is Ashley Flaherty, I was born and raised in Oskaloosa. My passions are my family, my children, and my music. I have been very blessed throughout the course of my life to be surrounded by musicians and passionate people. I know everything from the Beatles to Beyonce. Being a well-rounded listener of lots of genres of music and using my gifts has made me want to chase my dreams of opening a music store and create a destination to inspire others to follow their passions, goals, and gifts.  I teach exploratory lessons, ukulele, baritone ukulele, piano, guitar, and percussion lessons! I am also an events coordinator for all your music needs.

Hey, I’m Brittany Bedford (Sword) a guitar Instructor at the

Muse. I’ve been playing instruments since 2002.  

Music has always been a constant in my life, I can’t stay away

from it!  As a solo artist under the name Brittany Sword, I write

and record my own music and play live throughout Iowa and

neighboring states.  Throughout my teens and adult life, I’ve

had experience fronting rock & folk bands as a vocalist,

guitarist and keyboardist.  My favorite instruments are Guitar

and Vocals!  I teach Beginner through Intermediate Advanced

Guitar.  I create my own lesson plans as well as teaching from

books (for young beginners), Guitar Tablature (beginner

through advanced) and Sheet music (by request/young

beginners).I love sharing the gift of music and I cannot wait to

help you become the guitarist of your dreams!​

Contact Brittany at contact@brittanysword.com

Ciao everybody! My name is Giovanni, but you can call me Gio. I was about 10 when I fell in love with music, a guitar was available at home, my father knew how to play few songs. Later on my sister took few guitar lessons, but somehow that guitar ended in my hands, and the love story that has changed my life begun.

Gio has a music degree in contemporary guitar obtained from the Musician’s Institute of Hollywood and is currently getting his master’s in Jazz Guitar at the Padua Conservatory of Music (Italy) 

Gio’s services cover a broad array: performing, teaching, composing, track productions and more. With more than two decades of experience he now has joined the Muse to teach Jazz, Pop-Rock and R&B guitar! We are excited to collaborate abroad and offer on-line lessons with Gio! 

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Contact Gio at giomusic2006@gmail.com

My name is Suzy DeJong and I am a life-long resident of Oskaloosa.  Music has been a part of my life starting with piano lessons at the age of 6.  I attended Eddyville High School where I took part in anything and everything musical!  From there I studied music in college concentrating on piano and the bass guitar.  I have worked at my church for 15 years and recently began participating in their Praise Team on bass and keyboard.  My husband, Scott, and I have three children who are blessed with the gift of music and a bonus son who enjoys listening to us in all of our craziness.  My passions include my love of music, my family, and my church.  I am excited to begin teaching the bass guitar and discovering what paths that leads me on!

My musical career began at the age of nine with a rented instrument and group lessons at Reifsnyder’s Music Shop in Ottumwa, Iowa. This shop had been in existence for quite some time and was the incubator for many local musicians. My interest continued and led me to private lessons. This included studying with Ottumwa’s very own, Tony Blew. With Tony I learned the blues and rock-n-roll.

My performances have been aired over the Colorado Public Radio and Television Networks.

Hi! My name is Adam LeFevre. I have been playing trombone for about 15 years, and I have a degree in trombone performance from the University of Michigan. I have performed alongside some of the best in the business in concert bands, orchestras, jazz bands, large and small brass ensembles, and pit orchestras for musicals and operas. Recently, while stuck indoors for the past few years, I have become proficient in all brass instruments, and have been writing and recording brass quintet and brass choir music.

I have been teaching lessons for all brass instruments on and off for the past 8 years, as well as coaching various small ensembles. I have also worked as the brass instructor for the South Lyon East High School Marching Band in Michigan. I strive to promote a positive and friendly learning environment for all my students. Whether you’ve never touched a mouthpiece before, or you’ve been playing for years, I have studied with some of the best brass instructors in the world, and I can use all of that experience to help you take your musicianship to the next level.

My name is Ashley Flaherty, I was born and raised in Oskaloosa. My passions are my family, my children, and my music. I have been very blessed throughout the course of my life to be surrounded by musicians and passionate people. I know everything from the Beatles to Beyonce. Being a well-rounded listener of lots of genres of music and using my gifts has made me want to chase my dreams of opening a music store and create a destination to inspire others to follow their passions, goals, and gifts.  I teach exploratory lessons, ukulele, baritone ukulele, piano, guitar, and percussion lessons! I am also an events coordinator for all your music needs.

Hello! My name is Marina Flores and I have been teaching lessons at the Muse for about a year now. I have been singing ever since I can remember and have been teaching voice lessons for over two years. I recently started teaching beginner lessons in ukulele, piano, and flute! I also lead the choir at the Muse called The Muses. We are always looking for more voices to join our choir!

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Now a little bit of background on me:

I have been in choirs since I was five years old and have taken private voice lessons throughout the years.  I was in Chamber Choir when I was in high school and had the great opportunity of singing in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.  Later, I attended Graceland University and Majored in Communication and minored in Music, with a focus in Vocal Performance.  I am currently the lead singer in a band based here in Oskaloosa called 9:53.  I have also recently joined the Central Reformed Church as one of their vocalists!

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Contact Marina at marflor37@gmail.com

Hey! I’m Camryn Schultz. I was born and raised around musicians and music of all genres. I have found a passion for playing the ukulele! I have been to concerts seeing my favorite artists like Zach Flaherty, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift. Being a music lover and watching my family communicate through music and share stories has been a major influence. I have been able to use my experiences, gifts and hard work ethic to have goals to work hard, teach others and learn every day working at Muse music store! I am excited to teach beginner piano and ukulele lessons.  I look forward to being a positive influence in our community by sharing my passion for helping others and being the best version of me every day.

Hello! My name is Cammela Sword, but I also go by Cam or Cami. I grew up in Ottumwa, Iowa, and have recently started teaching piano lessons at the Muse. I grew up in a household filled with music, so it has always been a very important part of my life. I’ve been playing for about 17 years. I started taking piano lessons when I was 5 and I’ve been in love ever since! Some of my passions include music, painting, and teaching. My favorite classical pianists would have to be Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, and Franz Liszt, because I love a good challenge. I teach beginner to intermediate piano. I am very excited to share my knowledge of music, and can’t wait to bring out the musician in you! 

Justin Von Ahsen is currently the 5th-8th grade band and high school jazz band director at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont. He received his BA in Instrumental Music Education from Central College in 2011, and completed a considerable amount of work towards a Master's Degree in Music Theory and Trumpet Performance from Truman State University. Justin has been teaching band in public schools for 10 years and has experience teaching all the band instruments. Programs under his direction have grown in size and have done well at various contests. He has extensive performance experience ranging from orchestral to wind band, big band jazz, small jazz combos, and commercial. His private students have been accepted into the Iowa All-State Band and have done well at solo contests.