Caroline Stahl comes to TMA with more than a decade of arts administration experience ranging from fundraising and donor relations to marketing and public relations. During her career at Carnegie Hall in NYC from 2013-2018, Caroline helped raise $32 million annually toward artistic and educational programming by securing corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and private donations. In her role as Senior Manager of the Patron Program, Caroline stewarded nearly 950 donor households and planned large-scale private events for patrons and trustees.

A native of South Carolina, Caroline is a classically trained soprano and graduated from Clemson University in 2009 with a B.A. in Production Studies in Performing Arts (music concentration). In 2021, Caroline returned to Clemson as the Director of Public Relations of the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, overseeing digital marketing for the mainstage concert series and leading publicity efforts for student activities in the Department of Performing Arts.

Since moving to State College in August 2023, Caroline has enjoyed plugging into the flourishing local arts community, and now sings with the State College Choral Society and serves on the Board of the Nittany Performing Arts Centre. She and her husband Michael enjoy exploring the beautiful parks in the area with their fun-loving, 2-year-old daughter Annie (a Musikgarten student at TMA!) and their family dog, Minnie.

Read a note from Caroline to TMA Families here.

Betha Christopher is a fully licensed Musikgarten teacher, was a National Musikgarten Teacher Trainer and a Level I Certified ECMMA member. She earned a Bachelor of Music from DePauw University in Indiana, and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Boston University.  "Because I can see the wonderful benefits of music in my own children, I am delighted to offer Musikgarten & Music Together programs to families at The Music Academy!  I bring over 20 years of experience with young children, as a children's choir director, nanny, nursery director, preschool music teacher, and mother.  I hope that your family will join me soon to sing, dance and experience music together."

Nicole Felker (Violin and Viola) is a graduate of Butler University with a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance under the tutelage of Richard Auldon Clark, and The Hartt School with a Masters in Viola Performance under the tutelage of Rita Porfiris. She is currently pursuing a Performance Practice Certificate at Penn State University under the study of Tim Deighton.

During her time at Butler, Ms. Felker was part of the Butler Symphony Orchestra and the Butler Ballet Orchestra, preparing major symphonic works, concertos and ballets. She was violist in her Butler based quartet, performing works by Mozart, Sibelius, Shostakovich, and more. While in Indianapolis, she worked with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra as an alumni and violin/viola instructor for beginning students.

At The Hartt School, she acted as a rotating principal violist within the Hartt Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she has premiered several commissioned works for solo and group settings and regularly performed with her piano quintet. She has performed in several solo masterclasses for Kayla Williams, Amber Archibald, Ann Rogan, Masumi Per Rostad, Amadi Azikiwe, Nicole Dival, and Tim Deighton. Ms. Felker has also performed in chamber masterclasses for The Aizuri Quartet, The Cassatt Quartet, Bang on a Can, and The Juilliard Quartet.

Ms. Felker was trained in violin/viola Suzuki pedagogy through Book 4 at the Hartt School under Teri Einfeldt. From this extensive training and her own experience as a teacher at Summit Studios, Ms. Felker has developed a teaching style that caters to the individual, exploring the methods that work best for the student. She also encourages learning a variety of styles, from traditional to folk, as well as exploring music outside of the general curriculum.