Meet the North Carolina Team

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Milton Fernández Peña began his musical journey at an early age in his home country. He earned a BM in Piano Performance, summa cum laude, from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, followed by an M.M. and Performance Artist Certificate from Stephen F. Austin State University, an M.M. in Arts Administration, and a D.M.A. in Piano Performance from the University of Oregon. Milton is an active performer on both national and international stages, having appeared as a soloist with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Santo Domingo, the Camerata Washington Heights, and the Camerata Mozart Caribe. In 2015, he was honored by being inducted into the American Association of Musicians of Honor. He is also a dedicated member of the Music Teachers National Association, the North Carolina Music Teachers Association, and the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association. Milton’s artistic development has been shaped by his distinguished teachers, including Andrew Parr, Claire Wachter, and Dean Kramer, the last student of the legendary Vladimir Horowitz.

Sarah is a data scientist with experience in leading teams and solving complex problems. She holds an M.S. in Analytics from North Carolina State University and a B.S. in Biology, B.A. in Global Studies with Distinction, and a minor in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina. As Lead Data Scientist, Sarah develops and maintains a global product used by hundreds of users, utilizing Python, Azure, Agile, and version control. She collaborates with clients of varying technical expertise, focusing on automation and addressing key challenges. Her work includes analyzing large property portfolios to inform investment strategies and building an AI pipeline to analyze documents and store data in SQL.

Isiah is a Clarinetist and Pianist. While having a love and passion for music at an early age, his mother and grandmother showed him how to play the piano. At the age of 12, he started playing his own music on the clarinet, winning awards and being a part of bands like all county and all district throughout Middle School. When he was attending Grimsley High School, he started tutoring children in and around his neighborhood and won the James Decker Scholarship for being the #1 Woodwind player. Isiah then went to Guilford College and attended the Greensboro Concert Band, later becoming one of the lead clarinet players. Graduating from Guilford College with a B.A. degree in Music, Isiah is always looking for new students to teach from beginning to advance.

Albert has been teaching since late 2021 after he was handed his first student. Over time, he started receiving and teaching more students of all ages and levels Beginner through Advanced throughout the Cary, Apex and Morrisville area. He primarily excels in Classical, but had several experiences in Beginner series (Alfred and Faber), Baroque, Romantic, Contemporary and cover music. Albert first started taking piano lessons at age 10, starting off at Cary School of Music under Mr. John Hermann. He later went on to study with more teachers like Florence Ko, and Dr. John Salmon from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he got his Bachelor's degree in 2019. His experiences studying with these teachers enabled him to develop empathy toward his students whilst encouraging them to work hard to fulfill their clear goals. Since 2023, Albert has been a member of the Cary-Apex Piano Teachers Association, where he had visions to help students get enrolled on their musical journeys to embark in competitions and recitals, acquire valuable skills that benefit body coordinations, and make new friends along the way.

Farida Peña has an M.D. and a master’s degree in music education and music pedagogy. She has worked as a music educator, speaker, international workshop facilitator, and piano teacher for over 25 years, teaching multiple workshops in countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the USA. Farida has been trained in diverse musical methods such as MLT, Dalcroze, Orff, Kodaly, and Dissimilis. Currently, she works with Kindermusik International as part of the product development team and as a bilingual training specialist. Farida has 20 years of experience imparting Kindermusik classes.

Anne grew up competitively performing in various ensembles as a keyboard percussionist, playing the marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone. She discovered her passion for the piano later in life while taking her first music theory class in high school. She began teaching piano in 2015 while pursuing her degree in classical piano performance and contemporary/commercial voice in 2018 while pursuing her degree in music therapy. Anne is dedicated to working with a diverse population of students, having experience in clinical settings with TBI adults and adapted lessons with neurodivergent children. Her teaching philosophy stems from fostering a growth mindset, believing all people are inherently musical and capable of developing their abilities. Anne aims to make her lessons fun, flexible within routine, challenging, and rewarding through a person-centered approach.

Robbie Errico is a pianist and instructor who is devoted to instilling a lifelong passion for music in his students. Inspired by his grandfather, he began piano lessons at age 5 and has since then only continued to pursue his love of the instrument. Robbie aims to foster a well-rounded skill set, including technical training, aural skills, and music theory, but also aims to incorporate these subjects organically within the context of repertoire, building a solid foundation which promotes speed of improvement, flexibility, and retention. Robbie considers music to be an intimately personal part of us, and his mission as a teacher reflects that. Guided by his belief that the biggest strength of 1-on-1 instruction is the ability to personalize every lesson, he makes it a goal to learn what methods work best for each and every student, ensuring everyone is able to make progress and meet their goals in ways that speak to them. Recently celebrating 20 years as a pianist, Robbie studied piano at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, and has performed internationally in music festivals as a soloist, ensemble member, and accompanist in a variety of styles and genres. His experience includes concerto competitions, solo recitals, duets, orchestral and choir works, and accompaniment work for numerous singers and instrumentalists.