Hill City Music offers music lessons for a variety of instruments and for all skill levels. Lessons are offered at our studios in Lynchburg, and all of our instructors are degreed professional teachers. Lessons are offered weekly in half-hour ($24) or full-hour ($42) increments. Read about our teachers below, or click "Get Started" to request that a teacher contact you.
Flute
MEDLEY LOVELACE
FLUTE- Medley Lovelace has earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Flute Performance & Master’s of Arts in Music Education. During her time at Liberty she studied with Alycia Hugo, won the concerto competition in 2013, performed on flute and piccolo in the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, various chamber ensembles, theater and opera productions, and had original musical compositions premiered. She enjoys playing in Lynchburg and has performed with the Lynchburg Symphony, in recital with Forte Chamber Music, and other ensembles in many musical and church settings. Her pedagogical interests include ear training, music theory, music history, improvisation, and musical collaboration.
Classical Guitar/ Ukulele
JOSI EMERY
CLASSICAL GUITAR/UKULELE
Josi Emery began playing electric guitar when she was 11 years old. She studied classical guitar at the collegiate level and fell in love with it. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Liberty University in May of 2015. Josi enjoys playing and teaching fingerstyle jazz and classical guitar. Josi also performs in local venues and for special events in the Lynchburg area.
Clarinet/Saxophone
JACOB ELDER
CLARINET & SAXOPHONE -Jacob Elder earned his Instrumental Music Education Degree from Lynchburg College in 2018 and received his Masters in Music Education from Liberty University in 2021.Throughout his time at Lynchburg College Jacob played in several different ensembles including the LC Jazz Band, Handbell Choir, Clarinet Choir, Cibo Saxophone Quartet, Pit Orchestra,Concert Choir, and served as principle clarinet for LC’s Wind Symphony for his junior and senior years. Jake now serves as the band director for Staunton River Middle/High School.
Voice
Voice
I am a Florida native that has been singing and performing from a young age. I have been blessed with the opportunity to sing in several music theater shows, and placed in both classical and Broadway competitions. I received a vocal degree from liberty university and am now the choral and theater teacher at Linkhorne Middle school. My style of teaching is geared to grow not only vocal talent but also technical skill and confidence to perform!
Mckayla Hill
Percussion
Benjamin Hill
PERCUSSION-
I started playing drums when I was 12 years old. I have taken private lessons growing up and at the collegiate level. I have studied a variety of styles from Afro-Cuban drumming to classical. I have toured with the liberty university wind ensemble and marching band performing at Disney and other places along the east coast. I graduated from Liberty University in 2018 with a degree in Music. I have taught High school drumline in Appomattox, Harrisonburg and Bedford. I currently am a teacher at Robert s. Payne Elementary school and I love sharing the joy that comes with playing the drums.
F Horn
LERAY WINGO
F HORN
Leray S. Wingo is a recent graduate of the University of Lynchburg (Lynchburg College) where she earned highest honors in instrumental music education.
Leray specializes in high brass, and currently teaches music for Amherst County Public Schools.
Guitar/Ukulele
Brass/Beginning Band Instruments
Piano
WALKER PENNOCK
BRASS/ BEGINNING BAND INSTRUMENTS
Born in Philadelphia, Walker graduated from West Chester State College with a B.S. in Music Ed. After teaching for a number of years in the New Jersey and P.A. area Walker moved to Central Virginia. He has taught music levels from K-College and has performed as an instrumentalist and vocalist throughout Central VA.
Percussion
Tianjing Sun
Guitar
Having graduated from Liberty University with a B.M. in Commercial Music, TJ is now pursuing her M.A. in Music Education to realize her passion for playing and teaching the guitar. She is classically trained but enjoys and welcomes all genres of music! In her lessons, she focuses on sight-reading, proper technique, and musical expression. While not teaching guitar or doing schoolwork, TJ loves singing and performing in LYH's quaint little venues downtown.
Bobby Smith
Percussion
As a Liberty University Commercial Music (Jazz Studies) Major, he began playing drums at an early age starting with a classical background. Then, following other styles such as Steel Pan, Afro-Cuban, Bebop, Funk, and Latin Percussion later throughout his high school and collegiate level studies. He finds that the more versatile you are a musician the more valuable you are to music. His settings of playing he enjoys are playing in Pit Musicals, Orchestras, Combos, and Big Bands. HIs passion for music is another way of connecting with others no matter the boundary.
Deborah Nava
Piano
Originally from Woodburn, Oregon but now I currently reside in Lynchburg Virginia. I attend Liberty University where I pursue a double major in Piano and Vocal Performance. So far, my college experience with Liberty is simple: studying music from a Godly perspective has made a world of difference in the way that I learn, teach, and experience music in my life. I love teaching the piano, but something peculiar I have come to realize is that I, the teacher, learn just as much with the student every lesson. I have a lot to say about music but a little bit about myself—my hobbies include cooking, radio drama production, and design. Another fun fact is I used to play professional table tennis up until freshman year of college!