Award Winning Faculty & Students
Over 25 instructors teaching piano, voice, guitar, percussion, woodwinds, brass, and more.
Performance Opportunities
We regularly hold open houses and recitals.
15 Private Studios
Sound reinforced, glass doors, waiting area for parents, and located in the heart of historic downtown.
Recording Studio
Pro Tools equipped. Record college audition pieces, professional demos, and songs for friends & family.
Lessons
Instruments:
Daniela Popa
Daniela Popa came to Colorado from Bucharest, Romania, in 2021. She graduated from the National University of Music in Bucharest in 2005 with a degree in Musicology, Composition and Music Pedagogy. For the last 17 years she has been teaching violin and piano at one of the best music schools in Bucharest, achieving the highest teaching certification for a Romanian teacher; during this time, she also taught private lessons. As her main instrument, she focused on violin in the school and piano for private lessons.
Her students regularly performed and excelled in nation and international festivals, contests, and concerts, including the "Merci Maestro" piano contest in Brussels, Belgium.
She is an experienced, passionate, and results-oriented music teacher, willing to bring the best of her knowledge, technique, method, and energy to students in Castle Rock. Music education in Europe has differences with the United States. Daniela believes this will be an enriching experience for students as well as for her, since she is always willing to broaden her horizons and searching for new challenges and achievements.
Daniela is also a choir professional. For 20+ years she was a member of one of the best mixed ensembles in Romania. They won several prizes in contests and festivals in Romania and across Europe.
Daniela is happy to become a part of the Castle Rock School of Music. She's looking forward to meeting and teaching you, and discovering together the amazing language of music, here in this nice Colorado town.
- Favorite genres
- Classical
- Jazz
- Pop rock
- New country
- Musical inspiration
- Ceaicovski
- Favorite places in Colorados
- Vail
- Castle Rock
- Favorite non-music activitys
- Gym
- Traveling
- Teaching
- 19 years
- Bachelor's Degree
- Music Pedagogy
- Favorite genre
- Classical
Emma Spears
Emma was given the opportunity to play the violin at ten years old. She soon added the viola, cello, piano, and voice, and began composing classical music at eleven years old. She has been studying music theory and composition with Dr. Treibitz at the collegiate level since age twelve. Emma has been teaching music for almost a decade and loves to teach all subjects in a fun, uncomplicated format.
Students can expect critiques and positive affirmation with each aspect of their playing and singing. Propper technique is a musician's bread and butter. Encouraging students to look into the background and history of each piece they are playing is essential to understanding what type of technique to use and how to use it properly. Additionally, Emma believes a solid understanding of music theory is essential to strengthening one's musicianship.
Emma studied violin and viola with Basil Vendrys, Lydia Sviatslovskaya, and Dr Emily Ondracek-Peterson, voice with Laura Nolen, Rochelle Gallup-Walter, and Ginger Allen, cello with Olga Orgranovitch, and music theory and composition with Dr Howard Treibitz and Thomas Blomster.
- Favorite genres
- Jazz
- Indie
- Musical inspirations
- Itzhak Perlman
- Charlotte Cardin
- Ella Fitzgerald
- John Williams
- Favorite places in Colorados
- Red Rocks
- Evergreen
- Favorite non-music activitys
- Hiking
- Language Learning
- Teaching
- 10 years
- Favorite genre
- Jazz
- Favorite places in Colorado
- Red Rocks
Alex Young
Alex received her Bachelor's degree in Music Performance in 2019. She is a Colorado native, born and raised in Fort Collins, and has been involved in music her entire life. Alex received multiple music scholarships and originally studied music theory and composition during her time at CSU. She has taught over one hundred students around Colorado focusing primarily on voice, strings, and piano. Students describe her as caring, patient, and encouraging.
Alex sang and played with the CSU concert/chamber choirs and orchestras. She reads and sings in Italian, German, French, Latin, Spanish, and English. She has sang or played in well over fifty recitals, musicals, operas, band gigs, and more all around Colorado. Her approach to teaching is fun, positive, and organized. She understands and is open to how every student learns differently and has varying musical goals. Her primary reason for teaching is to help spread the love and knowledge of music throughout the community.
Alex loves spending time outside, traveling, hiking, or walking her cat. Alex is an ally to all art forms and enjoys attending visual art shows, participating in culinary art challenges with her boyfriend, or dancing at a live music performance.
- Favorite genres
- Pop
- Rock
- Soundtracks
- Musical Theater
- Instrumental
- Opera
- Art Song
- Folk
- Alternative
- Hip Hop
- Bluegrass
- Electronic
- Musical inspirations
- Julie Andrews
- Renée Fleming
- Celine Dion
- Hilary Hahn
- Beyoncé
- Sarah Brightman
- Yuga Wang
- John Williams
- Camille Saint-Saëns
- W. A. Mozart
- Queen
- Beverly Gensemer
- Favorite places in Colorados
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- The Buell Theater
- Estas Park
- Casa Bonita
- Horsetooth Reservoir
- Garden of the Gods
- Favorite non-music activitys
- Crafts
- Cooking
- Puzzles
- Hiking
- Traveling
- Exercising
- Time with friends
- Teaching
- 7 years
- Bachelor's Degree
- Music Performance
- Favorite genre
- Pop