The beginning of the school year always brings introductions to new classmates and unexplored adventures. This year, we’re excited to welcome several new teaching artists to our faculty to share this year’s journey. Each new instructor brings a wealth of experience, unique perspectives, and a deep passion for music, reflecting Merit School of Music’s commitment to the highest quality music education.
Here are just a few of the fresh faces you’ll see at Merit West Loop, Merit Near North, and in our community sites this year.
Viola Instructor, Merit West Loop
We are thrilled to have one of the world’s most acclaimed artist-teachers of viola, Peter Slowik, join our faculty at Merit. Mr. Slowik is a longtime friend of our school who has worked with viola students in the Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory for the past several years as an Artist in Residence. Slowik is in high demand, currently a professor of viola and artistic director for the chamber music program at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and he has been a featured performer and teacher at six International Viola Congresses. An active chamber musician, Slowik has performed with Anner Bylsma, and Leonard Rose; the Mirecourt Trio, the Jasper, Saint Petersburg, and Vermeer Quartets; the Smithsonian Chamber Players; and members of the Cleveland, Chester, Orford, and Smithson Quartets. Past orchestral associations include service as principal violist of the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra, Concertante di Chicago, and the American Sinfonietta. Master-class appearances have taken him to Australia, New Zealand, China, Europe, Canada, and major conservatories across the U.S.
Past teaching posts include Northwestern University, Indiana University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Eastman School of Music.
"It's all about learning how to amplify who you are as a person and then to fit that into harmonious action with the people around you. Music teaches you so much. It benefits every part of your life, not just your musical life; it has benefits for your social life, your intellectual life, and your emotional life that can't be taught any other way."
Jazz Piano Instructor, Merit West Loop
Dr. Adrian Ruiz is a seasoned music educator, with particular expertise in jazz instruction. He is active as a freelance trumpeter, having performed regularly throughout the states of Texas and Iowa. In February 2021, he received a Grammy nomination in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category for Live at the Paramount with the Ruthie Foster Big Band. In June 2021, Dr. Ruiz authored a series of Claudio Roditi transcriptions, which are available through qPress Music Publishing. In addition to his performance schedule, Dr. Ruiz has presented clinics and performances at the Jazz Education Network Conference, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention. He has served as an adjudicator at band contests, jazz festivals, and has presented masterclasses at various school districts throughout San Antonio and Austin.
Piano Instructor, Merit Near North
Cynthia K. Papierniak holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education for piano and French horn, as well as a Master of Science in Biology. She is certified in the Suzuki Method Books 1-7. She has taught piano at the Suzuki Music School of Lincoln Park (now Merit Near North), DePaul University, and a private home studio. She is the immediate past president of the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association. She also served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant junior grade. When not teaching, she is also a composer; she won the American College of Musicians Teacher Composition Prize in 2008.
“Music education is important because it gives one the tools to create, perform, and share the beauty of music. And when we share or create music we are reaching our inner soul. Merit's gift to the budding musician is that there are so many different ways to start climbing the musical ladder.”
Wind Symphony Director, Merit West Loop
Scott J. Casagrande served as director of bands at John Hersey High School for over two decades. Ensembles under Mr. Casagrande’s direction have performed as a featured ensemble in the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. His ensembles have performed at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jazz ensembles under Mr. Casagrande’s direction were Grand Champions at the Purdue Jazz Festival and the Jazz in the Meadows Festival.
Mr. Casagrande has received 22 Citation of Excellence Awards from the National Band Association and has been recognized for excellence by former President Barack Obama, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Illinois Senate. In 2021, he was presented with the Chicagoland John Paynter Lifetime Achievement Award by Quinlan and Fabish Music, voted upon by Chicagoland band directors.
Mr. Casagrande is also committed to ensuring access to quality music education for bands in underrepresented communities through his involvement in the Dr. William P. Foster Project.
Violin Instructor, Merit West Loop & Comunidad de Alegre
Dan Galat is a Chicago-based classically trained violinist and violist comfortable across a wide range of styles and techniques. Working primarily with living composers, Dan performs with new music ensembles such as Fulcrum Point New Music and Chicago Composers Orchestra (concertmaster). He is the founding member of Missing Piece with cellist Kelly Quesada, which commissions new musical works and works from other artistic disciplines on themes that inspire others to connect with their community, care for our environment, listen deeply to ourselves and others, and speak out against injustice. He works as a recording musician, recently working with Manuel Cinema in their short film Future Feeling. Dan was the violinist, violist, and backup vocalist for the Chicago premiere of Illinoise, the adaptation of Sufjan Stevens album into a musical now on Broadway. He has freelanced with many orchestras including Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Columbus Indiana Philharmonic (concertmaster). Dan received his BM and MM at Indiana University, studying with Kevork Mardirossian, Desiree Ruhstrat, and Joseph Swensen. Dan has taught violin and viola for twenty years, most recently as orchestra director at Urban Prairie Waldorf School.
Piano Instructor, Merit Near North
Mikayla Jang is a passionate pianist, violinist and educator who was born in South Korea. She studied piano, violin, and composition in her hometown, and studied both piano and violin on a full scholarship at Northeastern Illinois University where she received her Bachelors in Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Piano Pedagogy. A sought-after performer, she was a winner of the Elyse J. Mach Awards Concerto Competition and the assistant concertmaster of the NEIU orchestra. She also performed solo, collaborative, and chamber music recitals regularly at Northeastern Illinois University. Passionate about teaching, Mikayla finished her teacher training in Suzuki Method Piano Book 1 and 2 and completed her teacher’s certification in Irina Gorin’s Tales of Musical Journey teaching method for young pianists. She also works as a program coordinator for the Chicago Chamber Music Festival.
"When children learn music, it’s not just to learn how to play an instrument, but they also learn responsibility, understanding student/teacher relationships, and realizing achievements. I believe these things are all fundamental to their growth overall. Even being able to use their own musical skills as a source of relaxation would be a successful education."
Piano Instructor, Merit Near North
Diego Tapia is a passionate musician and educator from Argentina with over a decade of experience teaching piano and Indian percussion to students of all levels. After studying Indian classical music and performing in Hindu temples across the Americas, Diego moved to the United States in 2013, where he founded the Vamsi School of Music and expanded his performance career by collaborating with diverse musicians. He currently teaches piano at Merit School of Music and through the Community Music Program at Northeastern Illinois University. Diego previously taught group piano for the City Colleges of Chicago’s Continuing Education program. He holds an MA in Piano Pedagogy and has presented his research on Argentine music at prestigious conferences. He is dedicated to inspiring his students and continuing his own musical journey toward new horizons.
Start Music Classes Today!
Sign up today to begin your journey with Merit’s dedicated team of music teachers.
