MW Backstage Team
Behind the scenes of your magical music lessons is a team of creative geniuses who work on curriculum, teacher mentorship and customer service. Our carefully crafted Backstage Team thrives in strengths-based leadership!
Meridee Winters
Meridee is the founder and director of the Meridee Winters School of Music, and author of all of the games, creative activities and MW books in your lessons. As a composer and professional musician, Meridee has instructed at all levels; from professional recording artists working on albums to teaching computer music classes in the recording studio; from young beginners taking their first steps on their musical path to intermediate students writing their first songs. Her foremost passion in life has always been empowering creativity. CLICK HERE for more...
Meridee’s Top 10 Strengths:
Strategic, Learner, Intellection, Empathy, Activator,
Positivity, Achiever, Competition, Ideation, Developer
Kate Klim
Kate discovered music at five years old, after inheriting a piano from a neighbor's basement. Recognizing her immediate love for the instrument, her parents signed her up for lessons and Kate’s career as a musician was born. Songwriting quickly became a passion, and led Kate to Berklee College of Music, where she studied songwriting, voice and piano, and graduated magna cum laude. It was while attending college in Boston that Kate worked on her skills as a writer and performer, and became involved with the music community that had produced icons like Bob Dylan years before, and Tracy Chapman and Patty Griffin in the recent past. Kate’s songs have been recognized by most of the nation’s top songwriting contests, and given her the chance appear in festivals alongside acts like Sarah MacLachlan, Steve Earl, the Decembrists, Emmylou Harris, the Indigo Girls and more. She currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, where she continues to nurture her career as a writer and performer. Kate taught piano, voice and songwriting at the MW School from 2007-2009, worked in the MW office from 2008-2009, and has evolved into the school's show manager, communications manager and editor.
Kate’s Top 10 Strengths:
Achiever, Communication, Positivity, Relator, Competition,
Responsibility, Harmony, Developer, Strategic, Includer
Jill Fisher
Jill became familiar with the Mainline, PA area while collecting degrees in psychology and elementary education at Bryn Mawr College and Chestnut Hill College (receiving her Masters Degree in Education from the latter). She was a successful elementary teacher for over six years before turning her teamwork skills to the non-profit organization, Mothers & More. There, she rose quickly through the ranks, revamping and growing the management department of the organization and her successes as Senior Manager earned her a position on the board of directors. She now turns her administrative know-how to MW where she will assist the Office Team with billing, scheduling, signing up new students and many other essential tasks. Jill is a life-long learner and instills the love of education and arts in her two young daughters daily.
Jill’s Top 10 Strengths:
Harmony, Discipline, Learner, Responsibility, Communication
Developer, Input, Achiever, Arranger, Maximizer
Kaitlin Borden
Kaitlin is a dedicated musician, as demonstrated by her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College and her Master’s of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her interest in playing and singing began in her youth, but the decision to pursue it as a career came while performing with the Texas All State Choir in High School. This led her to Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where she studied both voice and piano formally, and received a presidential scholarship. At the Cleveland Institute, she continued her studies, earning the Max Berman prize – the school’s largest award for a vocalist, as well as trying her hand at stage-managing. Kaitlin is no stranger to teaching music; for the completion of her Music Education degree, she taught at New Hope High School and Middle School, teaching students grades 6-12. During this time she worked with a large number of choirs, as well as the middle school cast of Grease, and gave both class and private music instruction to students grades 6-12. Her other teaching experiences include teaching music as a volunteer at the Cleveland School of the Arts, the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility, and at several elementary and middle schools. As a performer, she’s landed some impressive roles, including Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff, Béatrice in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict, Antonia in Les Contes du Hoffmann, and the title role in Handel's Alcina. Kaitlin teaches piano and voice for the school and works in the office as our scheduling coordinator.
Kaitlin’s Top 10 Strengths:
Relator, Adaptability, Arranger, Responsibility, Empathy
Intellection, Connectedness, Input, Command, Deliberative
Sabrina Kim
Long before Sabrina was leading music classrooms or conducting marching bands, she was a 7 year old discovering her love for music and begging her mom for flute lessons. Those lessons would grow into joining school ensembles, learning piano, voice and ukulele, rising to the rank of drum major, and even taking the stage at the Rose Bowl with her school band. When it came time for college, Sabrina realized that the natural pull she felt towards leadership positions and her lifelong love of music could combine into a dream job: music educator. She attended Millersville University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 General Music Education and a Kodaly Pedagogy certificate. Sabrina is also currently pursuing a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Social and Emotional Learning. Before joining our teaching staff, Sabrina was a public school music teacher, where she taught general music, choir, and served as an assistant marching band director. She says one of her greatest joys in teaching is “seeing someone have tremendous growth throughout their musical experience. It is so fascinating to see someone not only comprehend music but really excel.” When not teaching, Sabrina enjoys photography, video games, and hanging out with her two musically-named cats (Benjamin Franklin Sinatra, and Koko Melon – named for legendary video game composer Koji Kondo). Sabrina teaches piano, voice, ukulele and flute for the school.
Sabrina’s Top 10 Strengths:
Discipline, Achiever, Consistency, Responsibility, Developer,
Learner, Empathy, Futuristic, Relator, Analytical
Lauren Cassidy
Lauren is a dynamic musician and board-certified music therapist whose diverse background spans classical music, punk rock, and creative art collaborations. Her first instruments were guitar and viola, and by high school she was fully immersed in music. This passion led her to earn a degree in Music Therapy from Queens University of Charlotte, where her studies included voice, piano, and percussion, alongside continued training in viola and guitar. In recognition of her achievements, Lauren was awarded the university’s Outstanding Student Award in Music, graduated Summa Cum Laude, and was inducted into the school’s Noble Fellowship (a lifelong academic fellowship associated with the university). During her clinical training, Lauren worked with children with autism, ADHD, behavioral disorders, and developmental disabilities, and she continues to stay updated through continuing education for her MT-BC certification. Lauren has shared her gifts of music and compassion with people of all ages, spending several years working as a music therapist in hospice care. Her creative achievements go beyond therapy and teaching—she has performed with her punk band at South by Southwest and at venues across the east coast. Lauren is also a visual artist and composer whose combined works have been featured in numerous galleries and museums, including participation in multiple exhibitions with the Smithsonian. Lauren brings her diverse people experience and love of music to the Backstage Team working with families and faculty. She also teaches piano, voice, guitar and viola for the school.
Lauren’s Top 10 Strengths:
Achiever, Ideation, Developer, Positivity, Futuristic,
Focus, Arranger, Includer, Woo, Individualization
Sam Rauch
Sam’s love affair with music started as a young child, begging for piano lessons from the time they were old enough to sit on the piano bench and listen to their mother and grandmother play. From there, Sam explored all corners of the musical world and discovered a love for theater and opera, which eventually led them to undergraduate studies in Music Education and Vocal Performance at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and graduate studies at the intensive Bard College Vocal Arts Program. Making musical performances accessible and fun is a particular passion of Sam’s. They spent multiple years as a teaching artist for the outreach group Reimagining Opera for Kids, have coordinated multiple community recitals and concerts through organizations such as Music in Red Hook, and have worked with local Philadelphia groups like Aurora Classical to bring accessible performances to the Philly area. Locally, Sam also can be heard lending their voice to choruses of renowned musical institutions such as the Philadelphia Orchestra and Opera Philadelphia, as well as in homes around the Mainline teaching everything from Beethoven sonatas to Taylor Swift. Sam’s organization, eye for detail, and creative musical knowledge make them an excellent addition the Backstage Team. Sam also teaches piano, voice, and guitar for the school.
Sam’s Top 10 Strengths:
Intellection, Empathy, Learner, Discipline, Achiever,
Consistency, Relator, Harmony, Developer, Responsibility
Carolann Gosweiler
Carolann is no stranger to strings – whether guitar strings, ukulele strings, violin strings, piano strings, cello strings or even double bass strings (and actually, do vocal cords count too?). Carolann’s first instrument was the guitar, which she received as a gift in elementary school, but it wasn’t long before she was also participating in the school choir, taking voice lessons, studying viola, and playing in the school orchestra and jazz band. She attended Susquehanna University and majored in Music with a Music Technology minor. She received her Masters of Multicultural Education degree from Eastern University, was trained in The New Teacher Project's (TNTP) Teaching Fellows Program, and has taught in various school programs. She has hosted several professional developments for teacher on topics including violin techniques, classroom management, and the use of various teaching technologies. Carolann brings her musical and educational knowledge to the Meridee Winters School of Music both as our Faculty Coordinator and as a teacher on violin, guitar, viola, piano and ukulele.
Carolann’s Top 10 Strengths:
Strategic, Achiever, Ideation, Woo, Communication,
Relator, Learner, Arranger, Futuristic, Self-Assurance
