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 a part of SetApart Music offering instruction on:
Violin/Viola and Music Theory both privately and in our Introductory Class setting.
Rosalie Morrow and Her Method
Rosalie Morrow, a NYC native, began piano lessons at age 6 and flute at age 12. She holds a BA from the City University of NY. She has lived in NC since 2018. Her husband Charles is a clarinetist who retired from the Army Band in D.C.
In addition to her vast teaching experience, Rosalie is a piano accompanist - she was a hired accompanist for the Solo/Ensemble Festival in N.Va and is currently available for school recitals. She is also the principal flutist with the Brevard Philharmonic since 2016.
Rosalie is happy to be teaching at Set Apart Music offering instruction on:
Flute and Piano.
Amy Blackwell and Her Method
Amy Blackwell obtained her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has taught piano privately at various times throughout the last two decades alongside her teaching duties in both public and private school settings. She has taught music as well as Spanish across all grade levels and is currently teaching elementary music and Spanish at Harvest Academy.
A pianist and vocalist from a very early age, music isn’t just something she does, it is who she is! She is passionate about the role and influence of music in her own life and gets so much pleasure out of stirring that same joy and passion in her students. In addition to her classroom experience, she is also a composer. She has one public studio album with more in the works.
Ms. Blackwell is mother to a son and a daughter, both teenagers. In her free time, you will most likely find her at the piano (playing or writing) or relaxing with her latest cross stitch project.
Amy joins SetApart Music offering instruction on Piano.
Jeremy Nelson and His Method
Jeremy Nelson is a husband, drummer, teacher, stand-up comedian and former Pro Wrestler from Idaho. He got his start drumming as a youngster at Camp Treble based in McCall, Idaho with Pam Link and Harriett Dean. Even then he knew drums and percussion where special.
During Middle and High School he honed his skills in Marching Band (Drumline), Concert Band and Jazz Band.
Now a days; you can find Jeremy in his home studio creating beats to showcase alongside his bandmate Neil Hoover for their Rock Duo; Cosmic Panda, a Live Musical Improv Experience. He also split his time between writing and performing comedy.
His teaching method brings with it a combination of the creative art of being "in the moment" when planning, preparing, and performing to share his talent and skill.
Jeremy currently offers instruction on : Auxiliary Percussion, Drums and Kit.
He is excited to be joining the team at SetApart Music and looks forward to helping students find their passion for rhythm.
Kayla Cieslak and Her Method
Kayla Cieslak is a flutist and teacher based in Greenville, South Carolina. Originally from Macomb, Michigan, Kayla received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Flute Performance from Eastern Michigan University and her Master of Music Degree in Flute Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. While studying at UNCSA, she was the Flute Studio Teaching Assistant to Dr. Tadeu Coelho and the Academic and Artistic Services Graduate Assistant.
During Kayla’s bachelor’s degree, she won both the William Stewart Concerto Competition and the Concerto/Aria Competition. She also won the Barry Manilow Scholarship Competition, which she has been recognized for on a national level through the Manilow Music Project.
Kayla served as Principal Flute/Piccolo in both the EMU Wind Symphony and Orchestra for three years. During her master’s degree, Kayla had the privilege to perform Principal Flute on UNCSA’s production of The Nutcracker in 2021 and 2022. Kayla was also a member of ArtistCorps, a community engagement program at UNCSA that serves the Winston-Salem community through the arts. Through this program, she taught Pre-k students phonics and middle school through high school flute students. Kayla also performed regularly as a substitute with the Piedmont Wind Symphony. Recently, Kayla was featured on the album titled “Dinah Bianchi: First Impressions” playing Illumine Divergence.
Nationally, Kayla won the opportunity to perform in the United States Premier Air Force Band Collegiate Symposium as one of two flutists selected and performed in the National Flute Association Collegiate Flute Choir in 2018.
She has also participated in the Renova Chamber Orchestra Music Festival. Kayla’s primary teachers include Dr. Tadeu Coelho, Dr. Julie Stone, Jeffery Zook, and Jacqueline Fornari.
Kayla currently holds an in person private studio based in Greenville, South Carolina as well as an online studio through SetApart Music.
Lee Richey and His Method