Our Team
Erica Ogden
Erica Ogden is a 2007 graduate of Pensacola Christian College holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a Concentration in Piano Pedagogy. With over seventeen years of experience teaching music at the world premier Pensacola Christian Academy and her own private studio, she has taught piano, choir, and music theory. Upon moving to Avon, she built her own private piano studio. She is active in her community and is also a CDL licensed bus driver for Brownsburg Community School Corporation and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
Erica is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and President of the Indiana Music Teachers Association (IMTA).
Cindy Porzio
Cindy Porzio graduated with a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the D’Angelo School of Music at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. She has over thirteen years experience teaching private voice lessons, as well as substantial performance experience.
Working with vocalists to expand their musical knowledge and help them develop their own unique voice is Cindy’s main goal during lessons.
When she is not singing or listening to music, she enjoys gardening, reading, and meeting new people. She is a member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing as well as a singer in the Threshold Choir of Hendricks County.
Lisa DeHart
Lisa DeHart is an accomplished musician and performer who has been engaged with music from an early age. Her musical journey began in third grade with piano lessons and culminated in more than thirty years studying and using music in a variety of environments, including piano accompaniment and vocal performance, church worship, nursing home service, ensemble and solo performances. Lisa’s most recent musical exploration and study includes learning to play the guitar, ukulele and Reverie harp.
Lisa’s teaching experience includes providing individual and group piano lessons to children and adults, as well as teaching young children music in lively Music Funtime classes. She is an Indiana University graduate with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a bachelor of science degree in Music Therapy. As a board-certified Music Therapist, Lisa provides home-based therapeutic services that assist children and adults in attaining non-musical goals through the use of music-based interventions.
Lisa is passionate about helping others pursue their musical goals and aspirations—and works hard to facilitate learning opportunities that inspire joy, creativity, skillfulness, and passion.
Emily Gasper
Born and raised in the Northern California Valley, Emily’s love of music began early, inspired by listening to her dad play guitar. She started violin as a teenager and went on to earn dual Bachelor of Music degrees in Violin and Viola Performance from the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music.
Now based in Indianapolis, Emily is the violist of the Evergreen String Quartet and, in 2024, was awarded the position of Principal Viola of the Hendricks Symphony Orchestra. She also performs regularly with orchestras throughout Indiana and Illinois.
As a teacher, Emily’s passion is helping students build the skills and confidence to express themselves through music, while discovering the joy of the universal language it speaks. Whether it’s helping a student master their orchestra music and ace the playing quiz, or building confidence through solo repertoire, Emily is passionate about fostering a love for music in everyone she meets.
Tyler Stoner
Tyler is a pianist-composer from Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Music Composition and a minor in Drama. There he studied music composition under Nancy Galbraith. In high school, he studied piano performance with Luz Manriquez and Rodrigo Owed at CMU’s preparatory school. While at CMU, he wrote and premiered works for a variety of chamber groups, including performances by contemporary music group NAT 28 and the CMU Philharmonic. After graduating, he played keys around Pittsburgh with the band Little Gunpowder and recorded two albums with them.
He loves classical music, jazz, and rock and roll. Some of his favorite artists are Beethoven, The Beatles, and Jacob Collier. He hopes to instill in his students a love for making music while also giving them a strong sense of the fundamentals of piano playing.
Rachel Pierce
Rachel Pierce earned her Bachelors of Music Education from Indiana State University in 2006. She has been a teacher in the North Putnam School Corporation since 2008. While there, Rachel has been the Assistant Band Director, Band Director, Woodwind Tech, Private Lesson Instructor, and now teaches General Music at both elementary schools within the district. She has experience teaching students at the preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, and adult levels.
While she is primarily a clarinet player, she has taught all woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. In addition to teaching, Rachel is also the music director of the West Indy Winds community band and a performer with the Hendricks Symphony Orchestra.
Jill Shepard
Jill is our office coordinator here at Westside Music Academy. As a graduate of Indiana State University, Jill holds a degree in Mathematics and has a background in middle school education. She gained valuable experience working with children in a classroom setting. She brings her organizational skills and her passion for education to her role at WMA.
Jill also has a love for music. She played the oboe in concert band and pep band all through school. Jill is dedicated to helping our staff and students thrive in a positive atmosphere. She believes that a supportive atmosphere is key to helping everyone thrive!
Cordale Hankins
Cordale Hankins is a recent graduate from the University of Indianapolis with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. While studying at UIndy, Cordale served as the president of the university’s chapter of the Collegiate National Association for Music Education (NAfME) in 2022. In 2023, he was awarded the Lamberson Memorial Award for Achievement in Keyboard Studies. Cordale has numerous years of performance experience throughout Indiana, and strives to provide quality music education to aspiring musicians.
Jordan Larsen
Jordan has been playing guitar for over 18 years. He studied classical guitar and music theory at Jacob’s pre-college program at Indiana University and studied music composition at Columbia College. He has played in many bands and composes, records and performs his own music.
For over four years, he has been teaching acoustic and electric guitar, bass and ukulele. He teaches both children and adults in all styles of music from classical guitar to folk, country, pop and rock.
As a teacher, Jordan focuses on helping students gain well-rounded fundamentals that include music theory, proper technique and effective practice habits. But he also wants students to have fun and develop a passion for music, so he develops individualized lesson plans that meet the abilities, goals and musical tastes of each student.
Jacob Henson
Jacob Henson began their musical path in Indiana, developing a passion for the blues under the mentorship of Duke Tumatoe from ages 8 to 18. By twelve, Jacob was performing with local blues bands. As a teen, they formed their own group, wrote and recorded an EP at Static Shack Studios, and toured the region with the Jake Henson Band, playing both original works and classic jazz, blues, and rock.
While at Ben Davis High School, Jacob played guitar in the jazz band, percussion in the concert band, and contributed to musicals and show choir ensembles, gaining experience in ensemble and stage performance.
After high school, Jacob joined Backroad 39 as lead guitarist, touring the Midwest and opening for national acts. Their teaching career began at R&R Music in 2018, and they’ve since continued private instruction, helping students of all ages discover their musical voice. Jacob combines technical skill, creativity, and a genuine passion for music to guide each student in realizing their potential.