Romana is a graduate of Cornell University where she double majored in English and Biology. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Microbiology and her medical degree from UofL. After a brief time working as a resident, she decided to pursue her true passions in life- writing and music. A lifelong creative, Romana started playing guitar at the age of twelve and quickly expanded to woodwinds in high school and college. She has played an array of instruments in ensembles ranging from classical to surf rock to metal. Romana plays guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, horns as well as an array of instruments less common to the Western ear. She is currently the front person of the rock project Bandshee based in Louisville, Ky. Romana has over six years of teaching experience in music, ranging from group lessons to private instruction in guitar, piano, voice, woodwinds, clarinet, saxophone, beginner bass and drums.
Randy Carmichael, a Southern Indiana native and US Army Veteran who has traveled the country extensively over the past several years, is back home again! Randy is the Operations Manager at Maxwell’s House of Music in addition to being a bass teacher and On-Stage Program coach. He’s also a working musician (bass), and you can catch him playing gigs around town. Busy man!
Randy’s presence brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and ability to Maxwell’s House of Music. He studied Music Performance/Education (trombone and bass guitar) at Indiana State University. In addition, he has extensive touring experience throughout the Midwest and Texas with several rock, country, and blues bands. Call Randy about joining a band, regardless of your age or genre interests. He is always looking at unique ways to put groups together in order to make more music in our community!
Eric is an electric and double bass player based in Louisville, KY. He received his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Louisville in 2025 with an emphasis in orchestral string education. In addition to teaching, Eric can be found playing bass in rock bands around the city. He also has expertise in orchestral, classical solo, and musical theater performance. He is an experienced educator in both group and individual settings and enjoys working with students of all ages.
Rick Eisman has been playing guitar for over forty years. He has two decades of teaching experience, sixteen of which have been spent teaching at Maxwell's House of Music. Rick’s love of music and the guitar began at the young age of eleven years old he and played his first professional gig at the age of 14. He has played with many bands since then, including Dynamo Hum, The Grind, Starvin' Dogs, and Travelin' Mojos. Rick teaches all ages, from beginners to advanced players. He specializes in teaching a variety of styles including blues, rock, classic rock, and country. His teaching expertise is focused in lead improvisations, finger picking, and various rhythm guitar techniques.
Wes Ernest believes that he is the sole survivor of the planet Krypton. We here at Maxwell’s House of Music have not fully vetted that particular story, however, we absolutely consider him a Super Hero! Wes is a talented music teacher who teaches all levels of students who are interested in learning guitar and bass. Additionally, Wes is the “Night Guy” character in our social media series. Check him out!
Meanwhile…you can read his bio and decide its veracity for yourself!
When Wes was an infant, he was launched via a star craft toward Earth just before Krypton exploded. Max and Virginia Ernest found the infant inside the vessel and brought him to their farm in Seymour, Indiana. Since he appeared entirely human, the Ernests assumed that the baby was a victim of a cruel experiment. At this time the baby had no superpowers. The Ernests named the infant Wes and raised him as their own son.
As Wes grew older, his Kryptonian body began developing superhuman abilities. Wes resolved to use his powers from then on only for the good of mankind. After revealing his secret to his childhood friend, Lana Lang, Wes left Seymour to teach music and play guitar utilizing his superpowers to do so at Maxwell’s House of Music in Jeffersonville, IN.
Jacob Head is a local multi-instrumentalist, performer, teacher, worship leader, and board-certified music therapist. His abilities in music stem from a young age when he was gifted a set of drums for Christmas. Jacob began learning the violin at the age of 9 and continued to pursue music through the keyboard, guitar, mandolin, and various other stringed instruments. He began leading worship at LifeBridge Christian Church in 2009 while forming the Compass Quartet later that same year. He has taught a variety of instruments at Maxwell’s House of Music since 2016 and has released three albums since 2019. Jacob currently stays busy with over 20 students, a couple of music therapy clients, and a busy home life with wife Kara, son Christopher, and baby brother on the way.
Jeff was drawn to music and theatre at an early age. He has a bachelor's degree in Music Composition (with a minor in piano) from Roosevelt University in Chicago and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He has had diverse musical opportunities throughout the years from singing and dancing on a harbor cruise ship – The Spirit of Norfolk, singing with the Oklahoma Singing Churchmen, playing horn with various bands and orchestras, to leading worship in churches in Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma, Southern Indiana, and Louisville. His dream job was accompanying vocal students and choirs, teaching piano and music theory, and leading the chapel orchestra at Southern Seminary and Boyce College which he did for five years. Jeff loves many different styles of music as his diverse career illustrates. He also loves the joy music gives to those that make it and experience it. And he enjoys seeing students of all ages learn the skills and theory of music and then use their gifts to better their lives, families, and communities. Currently Jeff enjoys playing for singers and instrumentalists, playing horn in the Louisville Philharmonic Orchestra, and leading the music and choir at Bethany Baptist Church on Taylorsville Road, in Louisville. He has been married for 28 years and has four boys and a daughter in law.
Steve Kennedy is a highly accomplished keyboardist and vocalist with over 30 years of professional experience. His extensive live career features national and international touring, session recording at premier studios, and opening for national recording artists across various genres.
Alongside his performance work, Steve holds deep industry experience in professional artist relations, having worked directly with legendary acts and management. He built his strong musical foundation through studies at both the Berklee College of Music and the Indiana University School of Music.
Andy has been playing guitar since March of 2000 when he was 13 years old. Andy has enjoyed learning many different genres of guitar, including classical,rock, blues, and his most favorite-percussive finger style. Over the course of his 21 years as a musician, Andy has had the privilege of teaching guitar for over 15 years and has taught students from many walks of life, from ages 6-88. Andy has worked with students who have had a wide range of abilities and challenges, and he views these challenges as opportunities to connect with students in the areas they are interested in and use those interests to relate to music and playing the guitar. He loves to see students enjoy what they are learning and enjoy the challenge of learning to play the guitar.
Shanna Ledbetter retired from teaching in 2014 after teaching for 41 years! For the last 23 years of her career, she served as the band director at Henryville Jr./Sr. High School. Shanna earned her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Middle Tennessee State University with a focus on piano. She has also done graduate work at Tennessee Technical University, Purdue University, and Illinois State University. Shanna can teach your child to play piano or any band instrument. She is also capable of preparing your child for the Indiana State School Music Competition Solo and Ensemble Competitions. Shanna resides in Jeffersonville and has one daughter, three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Jason Leech has been playing piano for 22 years. Jason graduated from California University of PA with a Bachelors in Music Technology. Jason has been playing piano music for places around his hometown like restaurants, resorts, and nursing homes. He has been teaching at Fawley's Music in West Virginia and URock Music Center in Pennsylvania. He has also been playing keyboards in a funky jam band called "The Manor & Friends" for the past 3 years.
Jason also make performance videos where he plays piano and synth to electronic beats he's produced. These performances combine Jason's love of playing keyboards, making videos, and producing EDM beats. This past year he debuted his live EDM keyboard set in Los Angeles, and continues to work on his solo career. You can see all of his videos on his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jasonleechmusic and his website: www.jasonleechmusic.com.
Jason is excited about his move to Louisville and also to start teaching at Maxwell's House of Music. Jason loves that piano allows him to perform in classy resorts, rock and roll bands, and EDM-themed internet videos-- and he hopes to show his students that they can do all those things and more.
Nick Martin is a saxophonist from Campbellsville, Kentucky, with over 13 years of experience performing jazz, classical, and contemporary music. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville and has recorded with a variety of local Kentucky artists. In addition to saxophone, Nick plays guitar and sings with the bluegrass group Redwire Bluegrass. He currently serves as Music Director at First United Methodist Church of Campbellsville, where he remains active as a performer, collaborator, and educator. Nick is incredibly excited to be working with Maxwell's and cannot wait to share the love of music with our community!
Christian Mullins is a versatile musician who has years of live performance experience and has traveled the nation playing country, blues, funk, jazz, rock, pop, R&B, and electronic music. During his work with multiple artists, he has performed alongside national acts like Joe Nichols, Alabama, Craig Morgan, Diamond Rio, Zach Top, Ricky Skaggs, and more. A graduate of the UOFL jazz performance program under the tutelage of Professor Chris Fitzgerald. During his studies, he has performed at major local jazz events like the Tyler Park Jazz Festival and The Fusion.
Mike is very excited to share his love for singing and music, in general, with aspiring vocalists and musicians! He has been performing on stage since he was 6, and over the years, has had the chance to explore a variety of musical styles - from folk and gospel to metal and rock. Mike spent a decade as a worship leader and has enjoyed gigging at local venues since he was 17. He even toured as a metal vocalist for a bit and has been writing songs in various genres for over 15 years.
Mike started playing guitar when he was 13 and holds a degree in audio production, giving him a solid understanding of both studio work and live music. He also studied vocal performance in college for four years before shifting his focus to audio engineering. Mike is really looking forward to helping students find their own voices and navigate their musical journeys!
Tim Pitts has over 35 years teaching experience. He teaches all aspects of music theory including reading, improvisation, composition, style, complex rhythms, melodic concepts and technique. He has authored two instructional books: Learning Guitar Book 1 and All About Chords. Styles covered include rock, blues, metal, shred, jazz fusion, neoclassical, acoustic, and altered tunings. His teaching strengths include enabling students to open up to improvising leads, understand what scales to use, read timing, and utilize advanced creative melodic concepts. Supplemental instructional CDs and tab booklets from Tim’s Master Classes are also available on a number of subjects. A strong effort is made to gear lesson material towards the student’s goals and interests. Helping students maintain interest and providing them with inspiration is job number one. Tim’s music education includes five years of private lessons with instructor Mark Smith, one year with Jeff Sherman, three years with Alan Phelps, and one year with GIT graduate Pat Lentz. He is best known locally for performances with his bands SandPit and The Gary Sanders Band. Tim has written and recorded six internationally acclaimed CDs and is always working on a new one. His sense of humor and vast knowledge ensure a fun lesson every time.
At a very young age, Ronnie Scharrer knew he had music in his veins. While others his age were drawn to rock and roll, Ronnie developed a taste for classical and popular music that has stayed with him for a lifetime. Born and raised in Indiana, Ronnie is an established musician, songwriter, and composer and artist. His musical abilities span multiple instruments and genres. Ronnie has been performing professionally for nearly forty years and has used his talents to inspire others by teaching music for the past fifteen years! In 2019, Ronnie released his latest studio album, “The Eight Seasons of Life,” a sprawling epic of instrumental guitar prowess. Ronnie teaches beginner to advanced students of all ages and skill levels.
Phenex Schwarz-Ward is a professional gigging musician who specializes in teaching saxophone, piano, voice, and theory. She has played with a variety of artists from all different backgrounds including Ben Sollee, Doom Gong, Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, and many other local Jazz aficionados. Her biggest inspirations include figures like Bob Marley, Wayne Shorter, and Nubya Garcia. She is passionate about all things music and is excited to share her love with students of all ages from all different walks of life. She offers lessons in both English and Spanish!
Jordan Williamson started playing drums at the age of 10 and took off since then. He has performed in numerous bands and continuously records and tracks for artists locally and regionally. Jordan has established a popular online presence on YouTube and Facebook playing various styles of music. Jordan has studied at The Berklee College Of Music for their percussion weekend and Jamie Aebersold’s Jazz camp at UofL for 2 years in a row and also went to Memphis to study Music Business. Jordan has been playing for his church for 8 years alongside amazing musicians in the church band. Jordan can teach anything from rock, blues, funk, jazz, country and many more styles! He hope’s to encourage and inspire his students to be eager to practice and get the most out of drumming!
