What is SetApart Music?
Scott Johnson & His Method
SetApart Music seeks to help encourage our students to find what makes their music special, then seeks to guide them to an avenue that displays that talent.
With a B.A. in Music from Gardner-Webb University, Scott Johnson offers instruction on various musical instruments including:
Voice, Piano, All Forms Guitar, All Brass instruments, Clarinet, Drums
Beginning Banjo, Violin, and Harmonica.
He is known locally for his work with Modern Worship Bands, All-County Band auditions, and SongWriting Workshops. He has two public studio albums and has been performing in the Triad for the past 12 years.
Under Scott’s mentorships, his students have moved into leading worship at their churches, writing and recording albums now on YouTube, and enjoying small group bands and playing opportunities in various communities.
Meet Our Team of Other Teachers
Cydney Williams and Her Method
Cydney Williams is an American musician who started playing the viola when she was eleven years old. Throughout the years, Cydney performed in many settings around the community such as school orchestras, chamber ensembles, competitions, school district orchestras, regional orchestras, music workshops, summer music camps, clinics, recitals, festivals, churches, and has recently volunteered her performing and teaching skills inside community youth orchestras as an undergraduate.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music in the spring semester of 2019, Cydney Williams performed in the Fayetteville Chamber Orchestra. In winter of 2020, Cydney was accepted into graduate program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. She received her Master’s Degree in Viola Performance in the Spring of 2022.
Cydney is excited to be apart of SetApart Music offering instruction on:
Violin/Viola and Music Theory both privately and in our Introductory Class setting.
Natalie Barela and Her Method
Natalie Barela was born in Anaheim Hills, California and raised in Sweetwater, Texas. When introduced to softball, she quickly realized that she had a stronger pull to the arts and stuck with her music studies, and soon began competing in solo piano competitions.
Homeschooled from the age of five until high school graduation, she then graduated from Hardin-Simmons University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Natalie was a recipient of three awards while a student at Hardin-Simmons: the Clara Freshour Nelson Music Scholarship, Ruth Skiles Memorial Scholarship, and the Kelly Nichole Scholarship.
As of Spring 2023, she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with her Master of Music in Collaborative Piano. Natalie will be attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts to obtain her Professional Artist Certificate in Fall 2023. Her teachers have included Noreen Carson, Mark Puckett and Allison Gagnon. A guiding light on her collaborative path has been Abigail Payne, herself an alum (2009) of the UNCSA collaborative piano program.
Natalie was active in the Abilene Chapter of the Texas Music Teachers Association from 2017 until moving to North Carolina, and she is currently a member of the Greensboro Chapter of the North Carolina Music Teachers Association. Natalie is an active member of the Charlotte Alumnae chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. Through Sigma Alpha Iota, she was awarded the Sword of Honor after demonstrating strong leadership within the chapter and fulfilling all duties of Vice President Ritual in an outstanding manner.
At UNCSA, she has been active in chamber music and opera scenes projects. Natalie has collaborated in musical theatre, voice and instrument recitals, choirs, both concert and jazz band, and the operetta "The Merry Widow" by Franz Lehár.
Ms. Natalie offers instruction on Piano and Voice.
Scott Shamka and His Method
Scott is local to Archdale/Trintiy and grew up around instruments of all kinds. He loves playing bass guitar in performing bands around the Triad and has recently found his love for teaching.
Scott offers instruction on Acoustic, Electric and Bass Guitar Forms.
