Meet the Instructors
The music faculty remains one of the Conservatory’s strongest assets. They have the combined skill, education, and love for teaching that every student deserves. Feel free to contact our administrator at conservatory@saintandrewsonline.org to set up an audition or interview.
Terry Yount Dean; Harpsichord, Organ, Piano faculty
Terry Yount is Dean of Saint Andrew’s Conservatory of Music, teaching Organ, Piano, and Harpsichord. He earned a BM, (University of Alabama), MM, DMA, Performers’ Certificate, (University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music). His Affiliations include Omicron Delta Kappa, American Guild of Organists, Rollins College (music faculty), Belhaven University (adjunct faculty), and Ligonier Ministries (recordings, Organist/Music Director of annual National Conference).Recent performances include the dedicatory recital at Saint Andrew’s, recitals at Central Hebrew Synagogue (NY City), Ursinus College (PA). His recordings with Ligonier are: God of Grace and Glory (2008) and Ligonier Sinfonia (2009).
Christopher Belt Guitar faculty
Christopher Belt received his Master's degree in guitar and conducting from the University of Central Florida. He has performed with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the UCF Orchestra, and the UCF and UF New Music Ensembles. He has performed in the masterclasses of Paul Galbraith, David Starobin, Denis Azabagic, Claudio Marcotulli and Anna Vidovic, and at chamber music festivals in New York, Paris and Les Arc's. He makes his living as a guitarist, conductor and educator. Chris is dedicated to helping Central Florida become a hub of 21st century music. He is currently curating the first ever Accidental Music Festival in Orlando, Florida.
Priscilla Heffield Piano faculty
Priscilla Heffield received her B.A. in Piano from Bob Jones University, and has been a leader in the music-teaching community, serving local organizations in capacities ranging from committee chair to president. In her studio she trains beginners through adults, and is adept in preparing young musicians to enjoy learning, perform with confidence and serve God in music ministry. Mrs. Heffield, wife of Pastor Ron Heffield, leads the music program at New Life Community Church, successfully home schooled her children through high school, and tutors mathematics, specializing in SAT preparation.
Cynthia Jimenez Piano faculty
Cynthia Jimenez earned a B.A. in Music from the University of Central Florida.
A piano instructor in Central Florida since 1994, she has been with St. Andrews Conservatory since 2008.A member of the National Federation of Music Clubs (affiliated with the Orlando Music Club), her students participate in the Federation’s Junior Festival at UCF, where she serves as facilities coordinator. Cynthia serves as pianist at St. Andrews Methodist Church in Winter Park. She has taught in the Instrument Museum in Saint Andrew’s Summer Music Camp for several years.
Verne Smith Voice faculty
J. LaVerne Smith (Verne) has a B.A. degree in Organ from Tennessee Temple University, and a M.A. degree in Voice from Eastern Michigan University. He has done post-graduate study with Robert Shaw at Ohio State University. A member of the Fort Wayne (IN) Philharmonic Chorus for several seasons, Verne has been a Minister of Music for many years. He has taught private voice, organ and piano as well as directing choral groups and ensembles. In January, 1998 he and Mrs. Smith formed Smith School of Music, Inc. in Clermont FL where they teach 40+ students weekly. On the SACM faculty since 2005, he is a member of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing).
Chris Winans Trumpet faculty
Trumpeter Chris Winans has been an active performer and educator throughout the Mid-West and Northeast United States. He recently moved to the Orlando area from New York City where he was the musical director of Jazz Band Classic, a 17 piece large jazz ensemble that performed with artists such as Joe Lovano, Geoffrey Keezer, and Steve Turre, with performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Chris has taught elementary through adult students, many of whom have gone on to attend such schools as Juilliard, Eastman, and the Manhattan School of Music. He earned his BME and MM from the University of Northern Colorado.
Craig Uppercue Percussion faculty
Craig Uppercue has played percussion in many shows including THE LION KING (Broadway), THE ROCK & THE RABBI (Off Broadway) and SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD (Off Broadway.) He has performed with the Florida Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic and Jacksonville Symphony, as well as numerous other musical groups. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Percussion Performance degree from Stetson University where he currently teaches. Craig and his wife Amy and family live in Central Florida.
Vanessa Vache Clarinet, Saxophone, Recorder faculty
Vanessa Lawicki-Vache was born and raised in the Cleveland Ohio area. She received her Bachelors of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School studying with the notable professors, Leon Russianoff and Charles Neidich. During that time she attended the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival and the Spoleto Festival . After completion of college she took a position as Principal Clarinetist with the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de la Republica Dominicana, in Santo Domingo. After returning to the United States Ms.Vache embarqued on a fast paced, world traveled career with the Air Force Bands.
Vanessa Vache has always had the recorder and various early music ensembles as a part of her life. She attended the Baroque Performance Institute at Oberlin College studying with Michael Lynn. Ms. Vache an Orlando Clarinetist plays with The Villages Orchestra, The Florida Lakes Symphony the Walt Disney World Orchestra and various other shows and musical ensembles in the Central Florida area.
Laura Yount Voice faculty
Mezzo soprano, Laura Angus Yount, received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music. She has studied with John Maloy, notable teacher/performers Elsa Baklor, Jan DeGaetani, Julius Huehn, Anna Kaskas, Heinz Refuss and Frances Yeend. A recipient of Eastman’s Performer’s Certificate, Laura has appeared as soloist in opera companies including St. Paul Opera, Chautauqua Opera Association, and Rochester’s Opera Under the Stars. Her orchestral performances include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody, Vaughn Williams’s Five Mystical Songs, Serenade to Music, and Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. She was the alto soloist with the Messiah Choral Society of Orlando.
Mrs. Yount has previously taught voice at the Eastman School of Music, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Seminole State College, Rollins College and the University of Central Florida. She currently maintains a private studio in Oviedo, Florida. She is an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Fraternity and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
