FAYM Teachers

Amy Shirk

Director, Band, Orchestra, AP Theory, Music Theory 6+

Amy graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. degree in Music Education. She taught at the Mohawk Valley School of Music in Utica, NY for four years before moving to Spotsylvania, VA. She has 30 years experience teaching both privately and in various schools in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford, including Holy Cross Academy and Lafayette Upper Elementary School. Currently, Amy runs a large private studio in Spotsylvania, teaching piano, organ, saxophone, flute, clarinet, and has many years training in the Suzuki method. She recently completed the Literary Braille Transcribing course offered through the Library of Congress to become a certified Braille Transcriber, and also has experience with the Music Braille code. Amy also serves as the organist at The Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg. Her two sons, Brendan (26) and Aaron (24) were homeschooled from birth through high school, and are FAYM alumni.

Bonita Keene

Chorus: Sound Harmony, Concert Choir, Men's Chorus

Mrs. Bonita Keene recently retired from nearly 30 years of teaching. She taught chorus for 21 years in Stafford County. Mrs. Keene has a degree in Music Education from Emory & Henry College, where she studied under Dr. Charles “Chick” Davis. She has taught music at all grade levels, from elementary to collegiate.She has taught private piano and voice lessons, been a choral festival adjudicator, and appeared as a guest lecturer on topics concerning music education. She has also served as a Guest Conductor with the Stafford Regional Choral Society, taught music classes at The Nicaragua Baptist Institute in Nicaragua, and has enjoyed conducting several All-County and District events. She is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Mary Washington, teaching private lessons as well as Class Voice 1 and 2.

In addition to her involvement with choral programs, Mrs. Keene has also been very committed to theater arts in the county, either directing or performing in many crowd-favorite local shows. She has played in the pit orchestra for performances at UMW, NSHS, BPHS and MVHS. She was the musical director for many shows at MVHS during her tenure there, and has also been the Music Director for several shows with CYT (Christian Youth Theater). She is also the Administrative Coordinator for Stafford Opera Troupe, a community opera company founded by two of her former students. Through their local summer program, SOT offers opportunities for young musicians to experience the beautiful world of opera.

Mrs. Keene is a lifelong resident of Stafford County, where she resides with her husband, Greg. She has two adult children, Corinn Fulton, married to Sam Fulton, and Evan Keene. All are currently teachers in Stafford County.

Matthew Smith

Guitar, Music Theory

Matthew Maury Smith began his teaching career in 1995 at the Florence Fine Arts Academy in South Carolina. In 1998, he graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Music, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Music as well as a Performance Certificate in classical guitar. By this time, Matthew was already teaching lessons full time at local music stores and academies, and was performing regularly as a classical musician and as lead singer and guitarist in his rock and roll band.

In 2006, Matthew joined the music faculty at Newberry College and became the adjunct instructor of Guitar and Bass Guitar; teaching lessons, group classes, and ensembles. In 2007, he opened the first independent location of Matthew Smith's Guitar Studio in Columbia, SC.

In addition to teaching, Matthew has decades of experience playing classical guitar for weddings, solo concerts, and as a featured soloist in chamber and orchestra concerts. Matthew has also played electric guitar with numerous rock, country, blues, and jazz groups. His original songs and compositions have been featured on albums and independent movie soundtracks.

Over the years, Matthew's unique blend of experience and enthusiasm have made him one of the most popular music teachers in his area.

Luke Gray

Strings Assistant, Music Theory

Luke Gray, a FAYM alumni, is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in violin, bass, and Chapman Stick. He has many years of teaching experience, having taught at such places as Creative Music Academy, Roberson’s Music, Forte Music Studios and Potomac Arts Academy, as well as various Spotsylvania and Stafford public schools. He is fluent in many styles of music including jazz, classical, country, and Celtic. He performs regularly as a Freelance Musician as well as occasionally with orchestras and bands, including Mary Washington Philharmonic, the former Rappahannock POPS Orchestra, Riverside Dinner Theatre, Moch Pryderi, Fredericksburg Jazz Collective, and Christian Youth Theatre. His debut album, “Solid Yet Free” received a feature on Stick.com. Luke hopes to expand the musical horizons of his students with all things that are able to be achieved through music.

Tony Moran

Band Assistant, Music Theory

Tony received a B.M. in clarinet performance from James Madison University and has been active in the Fredericksburg and NOVA area ever since. He performs regularly with groups such as the Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra, University of Mary Washington Philharmonic and the former Rappahannock POPS Orchestra. In addition to studying clarinet, he is an active doubler on all woodwinds and is heavily involved in musical theater pit orchestras, having performed in productions of close to 50 musicals over the past decade. He also played Renaissance and Baroque recorders in James Madison University's historical ensemble, Collegium Musicum, and is currently a member of the American Recorder Society. Tony was homeschooled and has been with FAYM since the very beginning (before it was even called FAYM)!

Toby Fairchild

Percussion

Fredericksburg, VA based musician Toby Fairchild performs locally, regionally, nationally and abroad. Teaching drums and percussion is a major part of his activities. Toby has been very fortunate to meet and perform with many wonderful musicians such as Keller Williams, Victor Wooten, Bob Weir (The Greatful Dead), Eric Marienthal, James Moody, J.J. Grey, Jake Cinninger, Nicki Bluhm, Jon Carroll, Zach Deputy, Gary Grainger, Ron Holloway and many, many others.

Toby has recorded on over 40 albums and countless tracks for other musicians so far as well as arranging, composing, producing, recording, and engineering. Toby received his formal music training at Virginia Commonwealth University where he studied classical percussion. Toby’s lessons cover orchestral percussion (concert snare drum, marimba, and accessory percussion), marching percussion, hand drumming (conga drums), and all styles of Drumset.
www.tobyfairchild.com

Judy Hinson

Keyboards, Music Theory, Chorus: Rising Notes, Cantata

Judy Hinson graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Music with a concentration in theory/composition from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She was a Frederick M. Supper Honors Program graduate and received the 1996 Outstanding Graduate Award for the Music Department. Although she enjoys composing and arranging, she also loves working with kids. She has been teaching private piano lessons (with the occasional voice student) for over 25 years and has been involved in group music classes in various settings, between church, private schools, and homeschool co-ops. Although born in Virginia, she spent half of her childhood in Venezuela, where her parents were missionaries. Her husband’s military career first brought them to the Fredericksburg area in 2002 and they were happy to settle here permanently once he retired. Their four daughters all participated in FAYM classes for many years.

Michael Huffman

Brass Specialist, Band Assistant

Michael Huffman is the trumpet professor at The University of Mary Washington and a freelance musician in the Fredericksburg area. He has played music professionally for over a decade and has performed in many styles ranging from baroque to jazz. Throughout his career he has performed in multiple national competitions, two international tours, and numerous concerts with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Allen Vizzutti, Steve Turre, Gary Bartz, Terrell Stafford, David Childs, and Richard Sebring to name a few. He completed his undergraduate studies at James Madison University and obtained a Master’s degree from SUNY Purchase under the tutelage of Jon Faddis. He was a featured soloist at the 2015 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and has performed at some of the premier jazz clubs in NYC. Alongside an active performance schedule he is very passionate about spreading love and reverence for all genres of music through education.