piano

Shar Boerema has been teaching at MusicEveryday! since 2016.  She works with several vocal students who have earned leading roles in area musicals both in the high school and community youth theatres. She is also the Director of the MusicEveryday! Homeschool Choir. Shar grew up in Holland, where she began singing publicly at age three, and started piano lessons at seven. She enjoyed wonderful years of music education and touring experiences, receiving years of private lessons in voice, piano, and organ with great teachers, including Hope & Calvin College faculty.  She brings great classical training to the studio, but uses many types of music genre with her students.

Shar recorded two cds, writing and playing her own arrangements of sacred music, from her church traditions and more contemporary worship as well as her own original works. Shar is married to Ed Boerema, and they have five grown children, one son-in-law (a public safety officer in Grand Haven), and 2 grandchildren. She loves writing and has recently published a book about life with their oldest son, entitled "Silent Aspirations, A Nonverbal Son, His Art, His Mother’s Faith and Family’s Bond".

Holland Kerker is a recording artist and performer. She began training at age 9, and completed her Masters in Operatic Studies at SUNY Purchase, NY. After school she began performing as an opera singer, but soon discovered a new passion for songwriting and modern singing. She’s recorded 4 studio albums, and sung across the US and Europe as singer-songwriter, and as the front woman for the band “Nightjacket.” She specializes in Pop, Rock, Musical Theater and other modern genres. 

Equal to her passion for performing is her love of teaching. Holland is dedicated to helping vocalists achieve success through the power of healthy singing. She uses a unique combination- classical technique mixed with modern vocal styling- to produce singers who can belt with power, access their full range (low to high), and be successful in live performance.

Melody began playing piano and singing at age 4. She was playing for bands and leading neighborhood students in choirs at age 9. She went on to receive a 3 year diploma from Moody Bible Institute in Piano Performance. She received her BA in Music Theory from Northeastern Illinois University. During college she toured for 3 years with “Adoration” and began writing original music and arranging for the band, choirs, piano and instrumentalists. She toured with 60 students throughout Canada, WA, FL, GA, and MI in musicals for 14 years. She has prepared students for music careers for the last 16 years in West Michigan and currently leads a band called DEEP WATERS. Her passion is musical, cultural and ethnic diversity which is represented in DEEP WATERS recent performance at the 50th Federal of the Arts. She was the first director of the Pathfinder Diversity Youth Choir for Unity and collaborated with Gospel artists Debra Perry and Vanessa Allen in youth workshops. She has trained vocally with Contralto Gwenneth Bean and collaborated with members of the GR Symphony, West Shore Symphony and organized African-American, Jazz, Classical, Broadway, Sacred, and Christmas concerts for community centers. She was a member of the Musicians Union Local 56, and continues being part of promoting musicians of all genres to highlight the rich talent in West Michigan.

 Mary Pryer has been the Lead Guitar Instructor at MusicEveryday! since 2016 and also offers lessons in Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, French Horn, Clarinet & Bassoon. She received her Bachelors of Music from Grace Bible College and is an experienced woodwind/brass musician. While in college she worked for Grace Bible College as the Music Theory Assistant and is currently working with several students from area middle and high school marching bands. Mary is presently singing and playing for the duo Pryer Times and also writes original material for them. She plays and teaches a variety of styles including Folk, Gospel, Bluegrass, Country, and more. Mary is passionate about helping her students at MusicEveryday! reach their goals in music by working with each student’s learning style. 

  Justin Merriman has been teaching guitar, ukulele & banjo at MusicEveryday! since 2015.  He will be a graduate of Hope College as of May 5, 2019, where he has was awarded both a viola and banjo performance scholarship and minored in music. Justin is an experienced and versatile musician who has been playing since he was in the 4th grade, and has been a member of Gotak, a fiddle/Celtic performance group from Grand Haven, as well as a member of the Mona Shores Fiddlers. He has been playing gigs and performing for audiences since he was in 6th grade, where he first played in the Holland Street Performer Series. He also was the principle violist for Grand Haven High School’s top orchestra, and has been a member of several different string quartets. With those quartets he has been very successful and has earned straight 1’s at both district and state festival for every year of his middle/high school career. At Hope, Justin was a member of several bluegrass bands and was able to further pursue his musical interests, specifically with banjo and guitar. He is a private accounting and business double major who loves to share his passion for music with his students in his free time. 

  Teresa Bellamy received a Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance from the University of Akron and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from Bowling Green State University. Passionate about contemporary music and working directly with today’s composers, she has performed regularly with the VIVE! Ensemble, a Bowling Green based ensemble which focuses on contemporary music, and the Bowling Green State University New Music Ensemble. Her love of chamber music has led to her involvement in many small ensembles with varying instrumentation. In her ten years of teaching experience, she has taught private lessons to violin and viola students of all ages and experience levels. She has also coached chamber ensembles as well as directed workshops for school string programs.  Teresa is very excited to be back in her home state of Michigan to teach and to play with the Holland Symphony Orchestra and West Michigan Symphony . 

Tommy Pancy is a native of Grand Haven, MI, and studied jazz saxophone for 4 years with Diego Rivera at Michigan State University. Tommy has been playing saxophone since the age of 10 and picked up the flute and clarinet in college to diversify his repertoire. He has been teaching private lessons to students of all ages and backgrounds since 2014. He began touring with the Bebop Spartans on their jazz education outreach program in 2016, reaching thousands of students across Michigan. His travels also included a two week tour spreading jazz education across Japan. After living in Lansing for several years, Tommy is excited to return to West Michigan to give back to the musical community where he grew up!  

  Mary Pryer has been the Lead Guitar Instructor at MusicEveryday! since 2016 and also offers lessons in Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, French Horn, Clarinet & Bassoon. She received her Bachelors of Music from Grace Bible College and is an experienced woodwind/brass musician. While in college she worked for Grace Bible College as the Music Theory Assistant and is currently working with several students from area middle and high school marching bands. Mary is presently singing and playing for the duo Pryer Times and also writes original material for them. She plays and teaches a variety of styles including Folk, Gospel, Bluegrass, Country, and more. Mary is passionate about helping her students at MusicEveryday! reach their goals in music by working with each student’s learning style.  

Rebecca Kilgore is in her 17th year at East Rockford Middle School and in her 23 rd year of

teaching. In years past, the bands at East Rockford have received high honors at District and

State Band Festivals. The East Rockford Symphonic Band was selected to perform at the

Michigan Music Conference in 2013 and 2016. She also presented a session on Beginning Band

at the 2018 MMC. Ms. Kilgore has brought many new opportunities to the East Rockford

students, such as 6th Grade Solo Festival, end of year 6th grade band concert, a 7th grade band

“live” Broadway theater trip and the annual 8th grade band trip to Chicago. Prior to East

Rockford Middle School, she taught in the Kelloggsville and Kalamazoo Public Schools. While

at Kelloggsville Public Schools, Ms. Kilgore developed the music program from 19 students in

the high school band to over 65 students in just five years. She received her Bachelors of Music

from Western Michigan University and her Masters in Music Education from VanderCook

College of Music.

Ms. Kilgore conducted the MSBOA District 11 Honors Band in November 2018 and the

MSBOA District 4 Middle School Honors Band in April 2017. Ms. Kilgore was selected as

MSBOA District X Band Teacher of the Year for 2015. She also conducted the District X 2016

7th Grade Honors Band. She was nominated for the Who’s Who Among American Teachers

award two times and was nominated for the Strathmore’s Who’s Who Award. Ms. Kilgore is an

active adjudicator for MSBOA Solo and Ensemble District/State Festivals and MSBOA District

Band Festival. She currently serves as MSBOA District X Adjudicator Chair and has also served

as Secretary and Medals/Plaques Chairperson.

Ms. Kilgore has directed the Camp Bernstein Band at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and one of the

Middle School Bands at Knollcrest Music Camp for the past seven summers.

Ms. Kilgore lives in Rockford with her two daughters Madison (14) and Elizabeth (10).

Holland Kerker Bio & Pics