Cheryl has been teaching piano for over 30 years and is the head piano teacher and owner of Brenham Music Academy. She began playing at age two and started taking lessons when she was five years old from Sue Lancaster in Bryan, Texas. Cheryl grew up playing in Guild, accompanied choirs, played for church, started a band when she was fourteen years old, and was very active in the community with her gifts, as she still is today. She is President of the Brenham Area Music Teachers Association (BAMTA), Ensemble Coordinator for the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA), and a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. Cheryl was a guest speaker at the 2010 and 2011 TMTA Annual Conventions in Arlington.

Cheryl was commissioned to publish her first piano arrangement "Your Love Flows Like A River" in June 2010, for the National Presbyterian Assembly in Minneapolis. Her arrangement is suitable for advanced pianists. Her compositions and arrangements are now being published by Alpha Major Publishing, and her music is sold at Dowling Music in Houston and Manhattan. Her latest piece is "Bluebonnet HIghway", an ensemble piece composed especially for BAMTA ensemble students to perform for the 2014 TMTA "One Hundredth Anniversary" Annual Convention.

Cheryl has a unique ability to sight read and improvise her own compositions and arrangements. When Cheryl plays, people are touched and speak of the healing and encouragement they receive. Cheryl's vision for Brenham Music Academy is "To raise up well-rounded and skilled musicians that are gifted by God to play as soloists as well as with other musicians worshipping God with creativity and spontaneity." She has also released two solo piano CD's, one that is a collection of original songs presented in an instrumental format ("Alabaster Box") and one that is her arrangement of some of her favorite worship songs ("Refuge"). They are both available at Brenham Music Academy, Daystar Christian Bookstore, and online you can purchase or download the albums or individual songs at www.cdbaby.com and iTunes.

Cheryl has been an accompanist at Blinn College since 2001, accompanying individual students for juries and recitals, the music theater ensemble, and various choirs. She also takes engagements as a private accompanist. If you need accompaniment for practice, audition, or performance, for more information go to www.yourpersonalaccompanist.com

In addition to her teaching and performing schedule, Cheryl maintains an active itenerant worship ministry. If you are in need of a worship leader, church guest musician, women's retreat leader, or just need help setting up a worship team for your church, large or small, please contact her using the Quick Contact form below.

At BMA, Cheryl teaches piano at all levels to all ages, beginner violin, voice coaching, songwriting and arranging, and group lessons. In addition, Cheryl serves as Artistic Director, overseeing teacher training and musical direction for the Academy.