Our Faculty
Instructor Kristopher Hale
Kristopher Hale is a passionate musician, performer and teacher, with over 30+ years of playing and 19+ years teaching students of all ages and levels. Mr. Hale has both a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Guitar Performance and a minor in piano performance in 2003 and a Master of Arts in Music Performance/Pedagogy with a concentration in guitar in 2005. Along with his classical training, Kris has studied Advanced Jazz Guitar Improvisation at Berklee College of Music. Hale also teaches Classical, Jazz, Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Country and Oldtime and plays many other plucked/strummed instruments such as Bass Guitar, Banjo, Dulcimer, Mandolin and Ukulele. Kris has taught privately at Barry's Music, Blue Note Music, A Little Knight's Music and Hayden Music and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Music at Radford University and Roanoke College and has also served on the faculty of Virginia's Governors School for the Arts, Emory & Henry College, University of Lynchburg and Virginia Western Community College. Contact us today to start studying with Kris!
Instructor Camellia Delk
Camellia Delk has been playing the violin for 26 years and the viola for 22 years. She received her B.S. in music from Radford University in 2005 and was concert master of the Chamber Orchestra. After graduating she attended a week long class in Washington D.C., Every Child Can, for the Suzuki Violin Book 1. Over the past 12 years Camellia has performed with the Valley Chamber Orchestra and toured/recorded with various rock bands in the states and over seas. Currently she plays violin/viola with Thrasher United Methodists in Vinton and plays weddings and special events. She loves to pass on her knowledge to others.
Instructor Becca Haynes
Becca Haynes is a vocalist from Franklin County, Virginia. Her musical history began at a young age, and consisted of performing folk, bluegrass, and contemporary music with her father. In fifth grade, she began performing in her elementary school choir. From there on choir became her passion. She continued to perform in choral ensembles through her senior year of high school. She has participated in All-District and All-State Virginia ensembles, and is currently in two ensembles at Radford University. After pursuing her Associate’s Degree at Virginia Western Community College, she came to Radford to study Vocal Music Education. She is expected to graduate in December of 2019. The Music Education program at Radford has provided her with extensive knowledge of healthy vocal production and piano techniques.
Instructor Van Hofmann
Van Hofmann has been playing drum set since he was eight years old, and has sat in with a variety of Blues, Folk, and Rock groups in North Carolina’s Greater Triad Area. He served as Drum Major of the Glenvar High School Marching Highlanders and been exposed to quality marching percussion education through that ezperience. He currently studies Music Education at Radford University and is the drummer for the Jazz Combo.
Instructor Lauren Milburn
Lauren Milburn, a Connecticut native, has been performing in ensembles since the age of 10. She graduated from Radford University in 2017 with a bachelor’s in Music Education and is currently pursuing her graduate degree in music with an anticipated graduation in December of 2019.Lauren is an international performer who has had the opportunity to perform in Bermuda, Canada, Italy, and Ireland. In 2014 and 2019, she was the winner of the Radford University Concerto Competition with the honor of playing as a soloist with the Radford University Wind Ensemble. Lauren plays for many churches between Virginia and North Carolina and is a substitute Piccoloist for the Western Piedmont Symphony. In addition to performance, Lauren spends her time focusing on flute pedagogy and music education practices with an emphasis on music literacy, improvisation and composition.
Instructor Stefan Castro
Stefan Castro is a trombonist from Charlottesville, VA. He began playing trombone in 2003, and graduated from Albemarle High School in 2010. He then spent a year at Piedmont Virginia Community College, where he continued to take lessons from Steve Layman, and play in the Charlottesville Municipal Band. He started attending Radford University, taking lessons from Dr. Dayl Burnett. He was section leader and performed in both the top Wind Ensemble and Concert Jazz Ensemble during his time there, and played in various chamber groups. After finishing his Bachelor's degree in Music Education in 2014, Stefan started teaching elementary music and beginning band at Fallon Park Elementary in Roanoke City. After three years, he switched to Roanoke County. He is currently in his fourth year of teaching, working at Fort Lewis and Green Valley Elementary. Stefan plays and performs with many different groups in southwest Virginia, including The Let's Dance Band, Slides Rule, Valley Chamber Brass, and Latin Clave, and has performed at various local churches for other concerts and events.
Instructor Bryan Dowd
Bryan Dowd has been playing saxophone for nine years and is now a member of multiple ensembles at Radford University ranging from the esteemed Wind Ensemble to multiple saxophone chamber groups. Bryan’s music career began in Floyd County where he was involved with the band program for seven years. He held the positions of Saxophone Section Leader and Woodwind Captain in the Floyd County Marching Band. Music became more important to him as his career progressed, leading him to become involved with various honor bands including the Virginia Tech Honor Band. Bryan now studies saxophone under Dr. Sheldon Johnson and Music Education under Dr. Jennifer McDonel at Radford University. He is expected to graduate from the Music Education program at Radford in the Spring of 2021 and plans to begin teaching right away. He is also currently serving as treasurer of the Xi Theta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Bryan has also become involved in music on an international scale, traveling to Nepal to research music education there. He worked closely with Dr. Jennifer McDonel and the MusicArt Society in based out of Kathmandu, Nepal and learned a lot about what teaching looks like in another country. He then later traveled to England and presented the research done in Nepal with Dr. McDonel at the Research in Music Education (RiME) conference in April of 2019. Bryan will continue doing research in Nepal throughout his career.
Instructor Stephen Marion
Stephen Marion is originally from Buchanan, VA and a 2009 graduate of James River High School. He graduated with a BA degree in music education and Summa Cum Laude Latin honors (3.99 GPA) at Radford University in Radford, VA in 2018 where he was principal trombonist of the RU Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz band. He studied conducting with the renowned Dr. Gallops and piano performance with world-class performers Kwan Yi and Sooyun Yun. Stephen has also taught general music, concert, and marching band for Montgomery and Pulaski County Public Schools during his coursework and student teaching. During his time at Radford, Stephen performed close to 50 separate performances spread between professional concerts, pep band performances, and jazz concerts held on campus grounds. Stephen specializes in Trombone, Trombone w/F attachment, Euphonium, and Piano while having a solid working knowledge of all band and some stringed instruments.