calla whipp, owner & teacher, Piano & clarinet

Calla first fell in love with teaching in 2007. She believes that music has a different role in everyone’s life and that everyone should have the opportunity to learn to music.

She works to create an environment where students can have fun and be challenged. Her students often have varied interests (like their teacher!), and she takes a genuine interest in each student’s life, from music to the many other things that interest them.

After more than 10 years of growing her studio, Calla decided to form Sounding Sharp studio. Her goal of providing quality, convenient, student-centered music education to students throughout central Iowa has helped hundreds of children (and children at heart!) get their musical start. 

When Calla isn’t teaching, she can be found working on her house, walking her dogs, riding her bike or playing tennis, among other things.

Adam, piano

Adam has been a part of Sounding Sharp since the studio’s beginning: He started as a 6-year-old student. Since 2020, Adam has been part of the teaching team, and he immediately found a love for teaching. Adam graduated from Waukee High School and DMACC, and is now a student at Drake University majoring in piano performance with additional studies in voice, trombone and jazz.

As a young student, Adam first struggled to understand the concepts of music, but once things clicked for him he never looked back.  He adores his students and wants them all to develop and share his deep love for piano. Since Adam started his piano journey with difficulty, he feels he can be extremely understanding and supportive to everyone’s unique path. Every student is different and deserves to be understood as a person and a musician and given the most individualized help. Adam believes that a conceptual understanding of music is just as important as playing. He focuses on teaching his students in their brains, their ears, and their fingers, with the goal of instilling a permanent love for the craft of playing. 

When Adam is not teaching, you can find him practicing music, learning, traveling, or studying, all while having a good time. Adam is so excited to be teaching here this year!

Ajia, Beginning band & piano, brass

Born in Southwest Iowa, Ajia completed her BS in music education in 2012 from Northwest Missouri State University. She has been a fifth through twelfth grade music teacher for ten years teaching middle school and high school jazz band, elementary through high school concert band, beginning to advanced instrumental music lessons, and marching band. 

Ajia’s goal when teaching her learners is to provide an education through differentiation. She knows that every student learns in their own unique way. After being in education for a decade, Ajia has refined her skills to work with multiple kinds of learners.

Primarily a trumpet player, Ajia is excited to grow her brass studio and help students at all levels become the best musician they can be.

When not at work, you will most likely find Ajia with her dogs, cats, birds, or horse! She loves to spend time with friends, her animals, working on different forms of art, and house projects.

Angela, Piano, Clarinet & Voice

Angela’s passion for music has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Ames, Iowa, she took a variety of lessons including voice, piano, clarinet, and saxophone. This passion led her to pursue degrees in music history and clarinet performance at the University of Northern Iowa. As a researcher, she is interested in the intersection of gender, race, music, and advocacy. Throughout her master’s degrees in ethnomusicology and women and gender studies at Bowling Green State University, she studied anti-gender-based violence advocacy and healing through hip hop.

Angela believes that music and building relationships helps empower us to see our own intrinsic self-worth and value. Not only does learning music teach skills such as discipline, attention to detail, and goal setting, but it also teaches us that we can create something beautiful—something to take pride in and to be able to share with others. Angela believes that building a strong relationship with her students is the first step to helping them have a positive and lasting relationship with music.

Outside of teaching, Angela can be found hanging out with her two dogs Theo and Willow, cooking, listening to music, and taking care of her plant babies.

Alysa, piano

Originally from Bettendorf, IA, Alysa is currently studying music education at Drake University. Since starting piano at the age of eight, she has fallen in love with music and tried to take part in all musical endeavors she can including choir, band, and theatre. Other than piano, Alysa enjoys spending time with her friends, singing, writing, exercising, and volunteering. 

Alysa strives to create a fun and engaging experience that can foster a love and appreciation for music early on. She hopes her students can develop their technical skill, musical knowledge, and sense of expression. 

Dana, piano

A native of Peoria, IL, Dana now lives and teaches in Des Moines. With a Bachelor's of Music in Clarinet Performance from Drake University and a Masters of Music in Clarinet Performance from Arizona State University, Dana is a wealth of knowledge. As such, she aims to introduce and develop strong fundamentals, including a healthy hand position, fluent reading, and smart practicing habits, in all of her students. She also hopes to keep things enjoyable.

"I want to create students who are independent, life-long learners and who continue to be fascinated by and curious about music."

When she isn't practicing or teaching, you'll find her watching movies, going on walks, playing her her dogs Fred and Kylie or reading.

Elizabeth, piano (virtual Only)

Elizabeth was born and raised in Des Moines: a city she is proud to be a part of. She is working towards not only a BA in piano but an environmental sustainability and resilience major. When she’s not busy with work, Elizabeth spends most of her time outdoors. Winter or summer, she will find an activity outdoors for herself and her friends to enjoy such as camping, hiking, or playing with her dog.

Elizabeth works hard to incorporate the feelings and imagery she gets when she is in nature into playing the piano and hopes to share this feeling with her students. Her goal is to give students the knowledge they require to play and– whether they choose to pursue music further in their life or not–to use those skills learned to express the emotion of some of their other favorite activities, people, places, etc. Making connections between music and kids’ interests can not only create memories but get students interested in music on a different level, hopefully, a level that inspires them to continue playing!

Havyn, Piano

Born in Bettendorf, IA, Havyn is a current student at Drake University where she is double majoring in Music and Environmental Science. She loves going to concerts, hiking and spending time with friends and family.

Havyn aims to help her students discover what THEY love about music. She believes that everyone has different musical interests and learns in different ways. With that in mind, she is always open to trying new things and exploring new music with her students. She works with each student to help them gain confidence and comfort at the piano in hopes that they’ll discover their own musical passion.

Lydia, piano

Passion has always been the priority for Des Moines native Lydia Samek. She firmly believes in the importance of personal expression, the fundamentals of technique, and a deep-rooted enjoyment of music. She aims to instill these ideals in her students by creating lessons which are inviting and fun, and developing a teacher-student bond unique to each individual. 

Lydia was rigorously trained in competition-level Classical, Romantic, and Modern piano and has also been educated within jazz groups. Having been on the stages of Sheslow, the Civic Center, Hancher Auditorium, and even the street corners of downtown Des Moines, Lydia values the development of performance skills and confidence, and strives to always provide a comfortable and self-esteem building environment in her lessons. As a competitor, Lydia was successful in various events, and even found herself the champion of the Iowa Music Teacher Association district and state competition. She hopes she can use her years of experience to assist her students in forming dedication to their musical craft. 

While teaching and her own musical pursuits often fill her schedule, when she has free time she enjoys listening to music with friends and playing with her two adorable pet rabbits.    

Marisa, cello, beginning violin, viola, bass & piano

Originally from West Chicago, Illinois, Marisa made her way to Drake University where she received her degree in Music Education. While at Drake, she studied both cello and saxophone. Marisa wishes to develop healthy posture and instill good practicing habits in her students early on. She will encourage them to relate their personal experiences to the music.

Marisa hopes her students will incorporate what they learn into other aspects of their lives. Her goal is that all of her students will have a deep appreciation of music. She understands that not all students will go on to have a career in music, and strives to create students who are lifelong lovers and learners of music.

When she isn’t playing her many instruments, you can find Marisa going on hikes, cooking, watching documentaries, and playing with her dog, Loki.

Petya, piano

Petya was born in the heart of Sofia, Bulgaria. A few years ago, her family moved to Illinois, and she currently calls the Drake dorm “home.” A student at Drake University, Petya recently graduated Addison Trail High School and will graduate from Bulgarian High School this May.

Petya loves music! She’s performed in Bulgaria and in America. She was the youngest member of the Bulgarian Culture Center and is one of the only Bulgarian teenagers to be published in America. As a teacher, Petya strives to inspire. She believes that teaching music is a great responsibility, and she hopes to make it fun and enjoyable for her students. Teaching is about wonder and passion, and she always tries to inspire and motivate her students! Petya wants to help students find their voice and learn to express themselves more freely in the most beautiful way…with music!

Petya is involved in many types of arts, including martial arts, drawing, dancing, singing and performing the piano. Petya’s dream has always been to be able to teach people how to express themselves, and she loves art of all types because it allows individuals an outlet to do just that.

Sarah, Piano & Voice

A greater West Des Moines area native, Sarah began piano lessons in second grade. In high school, she accompanied singers at church and competed in the IMTA and Guild auditions. An all-around good student, Sarah earned a business degree from the University of Iowa and spent some time working in Chicago as a project manager in financial services before she realized that music wasn’t just a passion but a calling. 

Returning to the University of Iowa to earn a Bachelors in Vocal Performance and to become a licensed K-12 music educator, Sarah taught voice and piano lessons while going to school. In the classroom setting, Sarah continued to teach keyboard to students as well as guitar, hand drums, and vocal technique/choir.

Sarah’s music teaching philosophy is that musical learning is a great aggregator - of science, problem solving, movement of the body, expression of emotion, the discipline of practice, and navigating what it means to perform. Viewed this way, piano lessons will yield benefits regardless of how long the child continues to sit on a piano bench. Sarah’s students should expect to have fun, act a little silly, and be encouraged to experiment and play both during and between lessons. 

When she’s not teaching, you can find Sarah playing tennis, spending time with family, playing and singing for church, or trying not to let her miniature schnauzer Snickers outwalk her on the trail. She loves to travel, she’s ridden RAGBRAI a few times, and loves to see live music.

Zac, Piano

Zac hails from Bentonville, Arkansas, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree at Drake University. He has played piano for more than a decade and is very excited to share his passion for music with beginners.

Zac wants his students to enjoy learning about music. His experience has taught him that every student has different goals, and he aims to help them achieve those goals while also gaining fundamental knowledge and instilling a love for music.

A musician to the core, Zac loves to play piano and is involved in a variety of choirs. He also composes choral music and will soon be a published composer!