Heather Smith

Heather has a multi-faceted career as a music educator, administrator, adjudicator, and community arts advocate. She is a US Representative and member of the College of Examiners for The Royal Conservatory of Music.

Prior to switching to a career in music, Heather received a degree in accounting and worked as a tax manager for several years. Realizing that music was where her heart lay, she returned to school and earned two additional degrees, this time in piano performance. Heather teaches individual piano lessons and group classes in her private music studio in Centerville, Utah.

Christopher Norton

Christopher is well known for his compositions for piano from beginner to advanced. His pieces have been listed in piano exam syllabi around the world. 

Originally a New Zealander, Christopher now resides in Canada. In 1983, he was signed by Boosey & Hawkes, and the first of the Microjazz series appeared. This was a new style of music which appealed greatly to children and teenagers but was sufficiently rooted in the classical tradition to be useful as teaching material.

Chris is a passionate advocate for teaching students how to improvise and compose.

Elise Beckett Russell

Elise has spent her entire career developing and implementing new curriculums. She began her teaching journey in 1977 developing an entire music program for grades one through twelve. She teaches piano and voice. She developed the PCS Piano Proficiency Examination to fill a void in American Testing Systems.
Elise was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and is a member of MTNA and Texas MTA. She held multiple Board positions for over 20 years.