Rachel Donahue
Director & Piano Coach
My love for music has been present my whole life. My passion for teaching began in 4th grade. After taking a year of lessons I made it my goal to become a piano teacher some day. I studied at University of Indianapolis and got my first experiences as being a piano teacher. I went on to Butler University and completed a Master's degree in Piano Pedagogy. My passion for music and specifically teaching continued to grow as I began my own studio. It wasn't long before my schedule was full and I had a waiting list. My solution to this problem was to create MAJN. Since then I've delighted in my role as not only teacher, but mentor to our teachers on staff. Though my goal is very different from my 4th grade vision I know I'm doing exactly what I was meant to do! In addition to all things music I love spending time with my husband and 3 children adventuring (camping, hiking, exploring, climbing, traveling).
Meghan Bartsch
Piano Coach
Meghan started taking piano lessons at age 7, and began her piano teaching career during her junior year of high school. A couple music degrees later, including a master of music degree in piano performance from Butler University, teaching remains an important part of her musical life. In addition to teaching at Make a Joyful Noise Studio, Meghan is an adjunct instructor and staff pianist at Butler University, the music director at Franklin Central Christian Church, and a co-founder of Outside the Box, a piano duo committed to performing American classical music. When she's not playing the piano, Meghan enjoys exploring new places with her husband, Mike. Her bucket list of adventures includes a month long road trip across the western US and a visit to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Matthew Marshall
Piano Coach
Matthew has been teaching piano for over eleven years. He has also performed concerts, recorded three albums, composed music, judged piano, and served as programs chair with the Indiana Piano Teachers Guild. He graduated from Cedarville University in 2001 with a bachelors in English, and took music theory and studied piano with Phyllis Warner, clinician, lecturer, pianist and organist.
At a young age, he began playing the piano by ear with a musical talent, but struggled to grasp sight-reading and theory. Through many years of study and work, he began to grasp it. He understands the student who faces difficulty understanding the concepts of music, but may develop a musical ability and interest.
Jake Dugan
Guitar & Ukulele Coach
Jake first started to learn to play music when he was 12 years old through guitar lessons at a handful of local Indianapolis instrument stores. He was naturally drawn to and generally entranced by music so the electric guitar seemed a natural extension. As with most guitarists, his musical education wasn't traditional in the classical sense and more focus was put on learning to play songs he liked and learning to play by ear. This allowed him to continue to love music! Jake attended IUPUI in pursuit of a B.S. in Music Technology and studied jazz guitar, music theory, and also piano pedagogy. During his time at IUPUI Jake played in the jazz small combos, jazz big bands, classical guitar ensemble and choir while also performing in a regional rock/jam band. Post graduation Jake has primarily spent time teaching and performing live around Indianapolis in various acoustic & electric formats.
Christianna
Lopez-Drook
Piano Coach
I grew up with a fascination of music and enjoyed singing in choirs and taking voice lessons throughout middle and high school. I entered college undecided about where I wanted to take my life but quickly realized that music was where my true passion was. I studied voice and piano at the University of Indianapolis where I received a Bachelors of Science in Music with a concentration in Recording and Technology in 2019. During my time there I expanded my understanding of music theory, tried out new styles of singing in the jazz choir, and fell in love with the study of music history. For my senior internship I worked as assistant manager of the university’s performance hall and developed a passion for live music production. I also wrote and recorded my own music as a part of my tech and recording concentration and fell in love with the process of creating music out of nothing. I began teaching with Make A Joyful Noise in the fall of 2019. Outside of teaching I enjoy exploring local parks, discovering the newest coffee shop, and trying new dinner recipes with my husband!
Becoming music literate changed the way I created, appreciated, and interacted across multiple genres of music. Because reading music and understanding theory seemed intimidating for such a large amount of my life I am dedicated to making music more accessible to students of all ages.
Luke Kite
Guitar & Piano Coach
Music has always been a big part of my life ever
since I started singing as a child. I started my
first music lessons through Rachel Donahue playing piano in second grade. I began playing the bass in middle school but later transitioned to guitar at age 14. After developing some guitar skills, I was able
to accompany myself singing. In high school, I developed a strong passion for songwriting. I began recording my original songs and playing at venues and events around Zionsville. In college, I continued my love for writing songs, and released a four song, professionally recorded EP. I sing and play country, blues, folk, and rock. As a Recording Industry Studies major, I did two Internships at Aire Born Studios. Studying guitar, voice, and bass increased my playing abilities and musical knowledge. After graduating from Butler University, I’ve been continuing to record, and plan on releasing more original music
in the near future, as well as playing more shows.
I enjoy teaching for Make A Joyful Noise and spreading my love for music to others.
Luke Sherar
Piano Coach
Luke grew up in a small town loving music and began playing piano at age 10 and then trumpet at age 13. Being from a small town, he had very minimal opportunities for musical exploration, however he made the best of it, taking every musical opportunity he could throughout high school, playing in jazz, concert, and marching band, and also picking up playing various percussion instruments for indoor percussion ensembles. Luke later entered university studying music therapy at the University of Indianapolis with piano as his primary instrument focus. At UIndy, Luke behaved much like a kid in a candy store, exposing himself to as many musical experiences as he could. He played piano and trumpet with large ensembles and small chamber groups in addition to singing in choir. He took lessons for voice, trumpet, classical and jazz piano, and music composition, and spent as much time as he could having musical experiences with fellow musicians at the University and in the Indianapolis community.
Luke currently practices as a music therapist in Plainfield, Indiana and enjoys sharing and cultivating love for music in those with whom he interacts. He hasn’t slowed down his musical journey, and continues to explore new ways to experience music and new ways to share it with others.
Ella Roh
Piano Coach
Ella is a professional performing classical pianist who majored in piano performance at University of Seoul in South Korea. Also, she has more than 20 years of teaching experience with a range of students from little kids to adults at all different levels. She teaches students to understand ‘how music works’ with kindness and patience.
Ella has a successful teaching history with some students who won recognitions and competitions. She focuses on fundamental basic skills, including sight-reading, theory learning, and rhythm reading. She also emphasizes musical comprehension and interpretation for advanced students. She gives genuine praise and encouragement for the growth and improvement of her students.