Joyful Noise Music Academy exists to encourage and inspire a diverse and inclusive musical community by providing safe space and creative teaching for learning new instruments, improving practice, and performing in groups. We offer affordable music lessons for all ages.
Joyful Noise Music Academy is a diverse and inclusive community creating connections through music. It exists to encourage and inspire a diverse and inclusive musical community by providing safe space, and creative teaching for learning new instruments, improving practice, and performing in groups. We provide affordable music lessons and scholarships to children, youth, and adults in a community that experiences high poverty and cultural diversity.
We have the opportunity to provide affordable music lessons and scholarships to enhance music learning in the schools and create a community for life-long music making. Music is a vehicle for strengthening brain development, providing a creative outlet for self-expression, and bridging diversity to foster inclusion and empathy. We live in a rural county without a music store and very few music teachers outside of the school districts. One-on-one or group lessons and ensembles are inaccessible to most people because of the distance and/or cost of music lessons in other communities. By partnering with school music teachers and community musicians, we can provide access to intentional music development and community building.
Housed in Madras United Methodist Church, this is an extension ministry that shares the church values of inclusivity and community building.
Jill received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Oregon and a Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology. Jill has taught Pre-K through 12th grade music, band, and choir, and currently serves as a deacon in The United Methodist Church making connections in the community through music.
My name is Andres, and I’m 29 years old. I was born in Colombia, along with my two younger sisters, and my family and I moved to the U.S. when I was 8 years old. I was raised in Northern California and spent a lot of time in Napa where I attended high school, as well as my undergraduate program. One of the biggest factors in me wanting to pursue a career as a music teacher would definitely have to be my father, who is also a music teacher and began teaching me piano when I was about 10 years old. Along with piano, I enjoy playing guitar, drums, and have an unhealthy obsession with synthesizers. Whenever I’m not making music, I like building computers and playing video games which, unfortunately, I don’t have the time for anymore.
In 2011 I attended Pacific Union College in Napa, CA where I received a B.S. in Horn Performance. After graduating in 2016, I attended the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR where I received an M.M. in Orchestral Conducting. While studying at PUC, I studied a year abroad in Spain where I also received a B.A. in Spanish, and is definitely one of my favorite places ever.
Emma Benson holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education with a Choral Emphasis from the University of Kansas. She has loved starting her elementary music career in the Jefferson County School District! This is her 4th year teaching. Emma has a passion for singing and making music together with friends. In her spare time she can be found on horseback, trying new food trucks, or relaxing at home.
Johnathan grew up in Gallup, New Mexico, and has been playing music live since he was 12. He completed an AA in Drum Performance at Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena, then moved up to the Pacific Northwest and was recruited by Americorps to teach music in Madras. Johnathan was then hired as a full-time music teacher at Buff Elementary School and completed a BA in Elementary Education through George Fox University. You can catch him gaming, watching movies, or skateboarding when he’s not at work.
