Our Coaches
“Have you every taken music lessons only to give up out of frustration that you weren’t making any progress? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that, and I want you to know that you are not alone! Here at The Davis Academy of Music, we have classes for students of all ages including Self-Study courses where you can watch videos to learn at your own pace and check in with one of our certified instructors at your own pace!”
- Emily Davis, Co-Founder
DR. CRAIG MICHAEL DAVIS
Owner | Founder | Executive Director
Teaching: Rock Band,Piano/Keyboard, Conducting, Worship Band Training, Composition, Songwriting, Film Scoring, Music Theory, Music Business Master Training
DR. CRAIG MICHAEL DAVIS is a multi-instrumentalist with a Doctorate in music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. As a composer, Craig enjoys writing for film as well as contemporary bands. As a performer, Craig performs a solo show and with The Craig Michael Davis Ensemble in the United States and in Europe.
While not composing, Craig likes to collect retro and vintage arcade units and old cartridge 8 and 16-bit video games. Craig lives with his wife Emily and daughter Alice in Bloomington, Indiana.
EMILY DAVIS
Owner | Founder | Director
Teaching: Voice, Piano, Music Theater Coaching
EMILY DAVIS is a process-driven performer and musician. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from New York University and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Indiana University.
Her passion for teaching started when she was in high school and her piano teacher at the time asked if she’d be willing to teach under her tutelage. She jumped at the chance to have her own students and to help them grow. Her passion for sharing music with others extends to educational theater where she often music directs.
The students in her studio frequently win ISSMA gold, score lead roles in musicals at school & in the community, and excel in many areas of vocal performance. She values teaching students practices of excellent vocal health and technique while utilizing contemporary pedagogy to help them sing in any genre - from classical to pop and music theatre. Her love of sharing music with others extends beyond teaching into her performance career on stage as an actor. Most recently she was The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods at IUST.
EVELYN THEINERT
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Voice & Piano
Born in Munich, German-American harpist Evelyn Theinert fell in love with the harp at the tiny age of three and officially started lessons at eight after first learning piano. By the age of ten, she was already sharing the stage with adults in Bavarian community orchestras! Along with the addition of choir and church worship, music became her life passion. She later moved to the U.S. and pursued her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Harp Performance, alongside a minor in music composition, at the IU Jacobs School of Music.
Besides her extensive experiences as a harpist, she specializes in beginner to advanced piano studies in various genres and in an accessible vocal focus on beginner studies, singing harmony, Celtic song, hymns/worship, and foreign languages.
When not playing music, you can find her dancing and teaching swing dance, cooking, baking, hiking, or lifting weights. Driven by her global experience, Evelyn loves exploring different cultures through her repertoire and inspiring others to connect to the magic of music.
Leah Nykaza
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Voice, Beginning Piano, Beginning Guitar & Songwriting
Leah Nykaza is a vocalist from central Illinois who loves to sing on the stage as much as she loves to sing around the campfire with her family. She recently received her bachelor's degree in voice from the Jacobs School of Music, where she is continuing her education in pursuit of a master’s degree! Growing up singing and playing the piano, Leah loves musical theater, classical, pop and indie music.
When she’s not singing or writing her own music, Leah is on the hunt for new editions to her trinket collection, like smiskis and sonny angels!
TY CONNALLY
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Guitar(s), Bass & Banjo
Ty began his obsession with guitar as a teenager, and now, more than 35 years later, he finds it no less gratifying. His focus on guitar technique, chording, and fretboard theory is foundational to his down-to-earth approach to learning.
Ty learned through his career as a visual artist that fun, enthusiasm, and passion shine through in the final art. Similarly, he feels that learning and playing music should be a fun and rewarding experience, because it not only benefits the music but enriches the individual.
RYO KANEKO
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Piano
Winner of the 2014 Miami Music Festival Piano Competition and the 2015 Jacob Flier International Piano Competition, Japanese pianist Ryo Kaneko is a rising star in the next generation of pianists.
Mr. Kaneko received his undergraduate and Master’s degree from Rice University, where he studied with the internationally acclaimed artist Dr. Robert Roux. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctor of Music at Indiana University under the guidance of Professor Emile Naoumoff.
NIKI SIMERLY
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Voice & Piano
Niki is a composer and educator with a background in songwriting. She encourages students to play, write, and explore without fear of imperfection, because it’s never too late to learn to play an instrument.
She is an Associate Instructor in Music Scoring for New Media at Indiana University, where she is a Masters student and a Singing Hoosier.
When she’s not teaching, Niki enjoys reading memoirs and fantasy, taking nature walks, and trying teas.
CRISTIAN PAZ AGUILAR
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Voice, Piano, Violin, Viola, & Conducting
Originally from Lafayette, Indiana, Cristian loves making music just as much as he loves teaching. As a member of the Jacobs School, he is pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education in Voice with a Minor in Conducting. He aims at curating fun, engaging lessons, where students can express themselves and have fun in the process. He’s just as comfortable teaching classical music as he is teaching pop, jazz, and musical theatre.
Outside the studio, he is a member of the IU Singing Hoosiers and serves as the director of its student run ensemble, SH a cappella. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
FORD SMITH
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: DRUM SET
Ford Smith is a drummer and percussionist with an all-encompassing background, from Louisville, Kentucky. He holds a master’s degree in music from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
As a drummer, he has played in numerous groups and venues throughout the Midwest and South, covering many genres including Jazz, Pop, Rock, Funk, Musical Theatre, and Fusion. He appears as a drummer on the big band CD ‘Elvis is Still in the Building’ and has recorded for numerous independent artists for streamed music and film soundtracks.
Aside from music, Ford enjoys nature, animals, and travelling, and frequently makes stops traveling for work to explore the scenery and eat locally. His favorite animal is the Capybara, which he once drove six hours to see.
ELISABETH PALMER
Brand Ambassador | Coach
Teaching: Piano & Organ
Meet Elisabeth Palmer, the musician who turns everyday moments into unforgettable sonic experiences. Blending rich classic training with a modern, soulful vibe, she brings a warm and magnetic energy every time she hits the stage.
Elisabeth has a bachelor's degree in Organ Performance and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. She loves teaching piano and watching her students fall in love with music.
Elisabeth is from Eugene, Oregon. When not teaching, she loves running, camping, and reading.
A Little Bit About…
The Founders:
The Davis Academy of Music was founded in 2016 by Craig and Emily Davis in Bloomington, Indiana. West Coast natives, Craig and Emily fell in love in New York City while they were studying music at New York University. Moving to Bloomington, Indiana to pursue a Doctorate from the Jacobs School of Music, Craig is now on faculty teaching musicology, music theory, composition and music history. Emily holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Indiana University’s Department of Theatre and Drama.
The Davis Academy of Music:
Combining their love for music, Craig and Emily founded The Davis Academy of Music in 2016 in Bloomington, Indiana. Emily focus on teaching voice, beginning piano, and music theatre, while Craig complements her role by focusing on intermediate and advanced piano, guitar, theory, composition, conducting, drums, strings, and beginning woodwinds.
Together Craig and Emily work to equip the next generation of musicians by challenging students to think critically and express themselves through the arts. The Davis Academy of Music often collaborates with painters, dancers, videographers and other artists to create memorable works that help students grow create new art in a challenging environment.
About our Curriculum:
Here at The Davis Academy of Music, we partner with the Royal Conservatory of Music in London for our piano curriculum, wherein we use RCM materials to tailor a specific program for each student, assessing their skills, and placing them on a level (P through 10). This level system has proved to be very valuable as it provides a structure for students and parents to observe growth. Each student is given a set of books including: sight reading, theory, repertoire, and others, to work from to accomplish weekly goals that culminate at the end of each semester with a studio wide recital (one in December, and one in May). At the end of the academic year, students are eligible to take the RCM test to receive a level certification, then pass on to the next level for the new year. Our program follows the academic year in that students generally spend 1 full year on each "level," before becoming certified.
When Craig and Emily are not teaching or performing, they enjoy spending their time serving at Embassy Church.
Davis Keyboard Orchestration Charts
Never forget the range or transposition of any instrument ever again!