About
Our Story
EMC strives to not only teach students musical, artistic, and theatrical skills, but most importantly we teach students about themselves.
Erin, the owner and founder of EMC, believes in a holistic approach to teaching. These lessons are not just about learning to perform, but they are about gaining confidence, self-respect, and the ability to express emotions clearly and honestly.
It is a wonderful environment for young students to learn to engage on a personal and emotional level, which is fundamental for interpersonal skills and character development.
Our mission is to encourage people to discover more about themselves and build the confidence to be expressive. We do that by fostering a caring environment and offering a holistic approach to the arts.
Erin Calev
Owner, founder, and lead piano/vocal instructor
“Art, music and drama offer students the ability to express themselves in new ways; it’s a constructive way to release emotions and express ideas. It gives kids the opportunity to be creative and learn things like empathy. We need more of that in this world.”
Love of music has been a central part of Erin’s life beginning with her first piano lessons at 8 years old. With the support of her music teachers, she first began performing at weddings, singing at funerals, and other events at the age of 17. Recognizing her musical gifts, Erin was picked up by the Shirley Grant talent agency for commercials and modeling. Wanting to build on her natural talents, she studied with renowned artist and composer, Richard Hundley, as well as Anneliese Von Goerken and Marie Niland Fitzgerald.
As a professional singer/musician, Erin has been performing throughout the tri state area for many years and brings her vast experience into the fine arts realm. Erin has been involved in her community as choral conductor, soloist, accompanist and musical director in local churches and public schools. Erin also understands the joy of performance through her participation as pianist and musical director for Godspell, on stage as "Nancy" in Oliver!, and "Sister Robert Anne", Erin's signature role in Nunsense.
For over 25 years, Erin has shared her love of music with students as diverse as small children to aspiring professional musicians who have gone on to success sharing the stage with Broadway luminaries such as Patti Lupone, Bonnie Milligan, and Kristen Chenoweth.
Erin recognizes the importance of continuing education and being a well-rounded person, which is why she earned her BA degree from Penn State in psychology and is currently a Masters Candidate for a Vocal Pedagogy at Rider/Westminster University. Erin is recognized as a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing in New Jersey (NATS), Music Educators Association of New Jersey, and National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Erin completed the Amanda Flynn Vocal Pedagogy Foundation Course and has attended workshops/webinars on The Lovetri Method/Jeanie Lovetri Somatic Voicework with plans to attend the Institute July 2025.
Community involvement is important to Erin as evidenced by her participation as a softball and cheerleading coach, and a Girl Scout leader. With all her experience, she has developed a philosophy about teaching where she doesn't believe in "cookie cutter" lessons and doesn't dwell on requiring a student to perform for an audience. She values the personal growth and success of each individual student through her holistic approach to teaching music, theater, and art. The EMC community enthusiastically embraces students with special needs.
Erin brings a level of professionalism and understanding to each student whether they are young children, working professionals in the entertainment industry, and anyone with a love of music.
Erin as Robert Anne in Nunsense
Meet Our Team
Claudio
Artist in Residence
Claudio Cecchetti (b. 1976, Florence, Italy) is an artist based in New York City. He previously taught art classes at the Italian Consulate School in Istanbul and design classes at Yeditepe University, giving him the skills to teach to all ages from children to adults. With his bachelor's degree from the Academy of Fine Art of Florence and MFA from the New York Academy of Art, Cecchetti has won the Prize of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was part of the Venice Biennale. His latest exhibitions were and exhibited at Miami Art Basel in 2023 and 2024.
Growing up in Florence, a city renowned for its artistic heritage, Cecchetti was deeply influenced by the rich cultural environment surrounding him. His early exposure to Renaissance art and the works of classical masters played a significant role in shaping his artistic vision. However, his style evolved as he began to experiment with abstraction and a more personal, contemporary interpretation of the world around him.
You can come by and see some of Claudio's artwork and maybe even see him in studio working on his next piece!
Griffin
Art
Griffin DeAngelis is a New Jersey born artist and animator.
A graduate from the School of Visual Arts in 2021 with a BFA in animation, Griffin has a penchant for character and creature design.
He loves animals and has worked as a keeper at his local zoo.
JOHN
Theater/Music
John is the Director of Music Ministries at the Church of St. Monica on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As a music director/conductor John has worked regionally on many shows. Some of his favorites are The Fantasticks, Pirates of Penzance, Evita, She Loves Me, Into The Woods, Company and Follies. Opera performance roles include Rodolfo - La Boheme: The Duke - Rigoletto: Don Jose - Carmen: Edgardo - Lucia di Lammermoor. John has worked extensively with the private high schools in upper Bergen County and conducted many shows including Miss Saigon, 42nd Street, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Into The Woods. All Shook Up, The Wedding Singer, Sister Act and Footloose. He received a Papermill Rising Star nomination for best music direction for West Side Story. John is a private voice/coaching instructor, piano teacher throughout the metropolitan area. He currently teaches and coaches singers at his private studio in Manhattan.
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MARIEKE
Voice/Piano/Theatre/
Early Childhood Music
Marieke de Koker is a multi-genre singer and performing artist with experience teaching and performing pop, rock, musical theatre, opera and early childhood music. She graduated from Mannes School of Music with a Master's in Vocal Performance and Impact Entrepreneurship. She has taught at Eugene Lang College, Tunaweza Kimuziki and Musikids. Her interdisciplinary teaching philosophy is centered around the mind-body connection, fostering community, and emphasizing the importance of mental health, self-confidence and self-expression. Her approach provides a robust technical foundation while developing interpretational, performance and communication skills. A proud advocate for diversity, Marieke is a founding board member of Opéra Queens and volunteers as Publishing Team Lead of the Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation for Pan-African Art Music. Originally from South Africa, Marieke's musical journey has been shaped by a love for African music and African opera.
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TARYN
Producing Artistic Director
A multifaceted theatre artist, Taryn graduated from Elon University with a B.F.A. in Music Theatre. Post college, she's worked as an actress regionally—some favorite credits include Cinderella in Into the Woods at Northern Stage, and Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain at the New London Barn Playhouse. She has performed around the world in cities like Capetown, Singapore, Sydney, and Dubai on the Queen Mary 2 as lead production singer. Taryn has taught, directed, and produced theatre at Stevens Institute of Technology, St. Joseph Regional High School, Immaculate Heart Academy, Helen Hayes Youth Theatre, and through her company: Hello Creatives. Based in Manhattan, she is on music staff at the Church of Saint Monica on the Upper East Side. In her spare time, she likes to walk through Riverside Park with her puppy, Willow Jane!
RACHEL
Little Me at EMC Folk Song Classes
Rachel McDonough is excited to share the joys of early childhood music and all things strings at EMC! She has a B.A. in History with a minor in Music from Rutgers University and is a music historian and folk song collector. She is also a soprano trained in classical voice under Dr. Melanie Mitrano. In the summer and early fall, you can see her as a singer/mandolinist at the New York Renaissance Faire. As a teacher and musician, she has worked with students of all ages- from toddler to teen, focusing on individual student interests and goals for music learning and skill development.