About the CPAA faculty

CPAA is proud to work with some of the best, and most respected, music instructors in all of East Tennessee.  Our administrative team works to insure our instructors are not only exceptional at their art, but that they are people we would want teaching our own children.  You will find many of our instructors are actively involved in church music, attend Christian college or teach in Knoxville-area Christian schools.  Are you interested in teaching at CPAA? contact us.

Caleb Hall
​Guitar, Ukulele, Bass, High Brass and Piano

Caleb Hall is a professional performer, composer, and educator from East Tennessee. Caleb received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lee University in Music Business with a minor in Jazz Studies. Caleb is currently finishing his Master's degree in Experimental Sound Practice from University College Cork in Ireland. Caleb plays regularly with many groups, including his own ensembles, both locally and internationally. In addition to performance and composition, Caleb teaches privately at high schools and colleges in this region. Caleb has been honored to serve as a faculty member for Lee University's annual Music Camp, teaching jazz trumpet. Caleb recently returned from Ireland to continue work on his Master's degree while advancing his music career.
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Sherbie Hampson
Flute, Saxophone and Clarinet

For more than twenty years, Sherbie Hampson has been one of the most sought after flute instructors in the Knoxville area, teaching hundreds of young students, ranging from beginners to advanced flutists.  Sherbie received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music with concentrations in Flute Performance from the University of Tennessee.  She has taught at Maryville College, Roane State Community College and at the Westminster Conservatory of Music in New Jersey.  Sherbie has played in a wide variety of local groups including the Oak Ridge Symphony and she currently plays in the Celebration Orchestra of First Baptist Church Concord. 

Inna Karsheva-Tillman
Violin and Viola (online only)

Inna Karsheva-Tillman, a native Bulgarian violinist, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance and an Artist Certificate in Music from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. She has held teaching positions at My Music Box and Angelic Music International in Arcadia, CA; Music and Arts Music Store and ASU’s String Project in Phoenix, AZ; The Joy of Music School and Knoxville Strings in Knoxville, TN, as well as being an assistant with Suzuki Chamber Music Class and teaching privately. Inna has won numerous competitions and played for world class violinists in their masterclasses. She has served anywhere from a sectional player to a principal second violinist and concertmaster in many orchestras in Europe and the U.S. Currently residing in Los Angeles, CA, Inna is a Violin Music Advisor at Renaissance Arts Academy, as well as a freelance session/touring violinist. 

Jacob See
Tuba, Baritone and Trombone

Mr. Jacob See is a graduate of the University of Tennessee - Knoxville where he received a M.M. in Tuba Performance. Jacob received his B.M. in Music Education and Tuba Performance from Carson-Newman College. As an active performer, Mr. See can be seen with the Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band in Crossville, TN as Principal B-flat bass. Additionally, he performs with the Black Oak Brass Quintet, based in Knoxville, TN. Jacob's primary instructors include Dr. Kelly Thomas, Sande MacMorran, and Dr. Sean Greene. Currently, Mr. See is an active private tuba and euphonium instructor in the Knoxville region, while serving as Adjunct Instructor of Tuba on the faculty at Carson-Newman University.

Kim Slusher
Piano

Kim Slusher has taught beginning and advanced piano, as well as music theory, for more than 30 years. Several of her students have gone on to major in music and received scholarships to schools like Vanderbilt, Belmont and Virginia Tech. Kim received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and her Master's Degree from the University of Tennessee, During her college years, Kim served as a special accompanist for the UK Choir and for a variety of musical productions. And, for more than twelve years, Kim trained with a Russian concert pianist. Kim and her husband, Joe, have two adult children, Preston and Tarah.

Garrit Tillman
Drums and Percussion (online only)

Garrit Tillman is a Tennessee-born drummer, songwriter, producer, and educator. He is a graduate of Farragut High School and the University of Tennessee, where he studied Studio Music and Jazz under the legendary Keith Brown. Garrit has taught in-studio with CPAA, as well as working as a drumline tech with local high school bands. He has performed and recorded with numerous artists in and out of the US, including Avi Buffalo, Adam Levy (Nora Jones), The War and Treaty, Count This Penny, Levi Kreis, Joshua Ray Gooch (Shania Twain), Adam Miller, and Mike Watt. A multi-genre drummer, Garrit takes every opportunity to create, fulfill, and offer new ideas for the performance. His high level of versatility, musicianship, and attention to nuance sets him apart from others. Currently residing in Los Angeles, CA, Garrit is a freelance/studio drummer, member of the band LARK, and co-founder of a specially designed studio for songwriters called Custom Shop Sound.

Missy Waldroup
Piano and Voice

Missy Waldroup has been teaching private piano and voice lessons since she was just sixteen. Missy attended Belmont University in Nashville, as well as Georgia State University.  She also attended, and later taught at, the prestigious Stamps Baxter School of Music in Nashville. Missy has served on the faculty of the North Georgia School of Gospel Music, and in teaching, arranging and directing roles at Central Baptist Church in Houston, TX, and at North Point Baptist Church and North Point Christian Academy in Carrollton, GA.  Missy and her husband, Jason, former tenor for Greater Vision, have three children and serve on the Worship team at FBConcord.

Zane Winchester
Trumpet and other Band Instruments

Zane Winchester, a Knoxville native, is an undergraduate at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville studying Instrumental Music Education. He studied trumpet under Dr. Cathy Leach and Tina Erickson. Zane was a member and leader of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. In addition, he also served as the Vice President of the Rocky Top Trumpet Guild (a chapter of the International Trumpet Guild), as Secretary of the University of Tennessee Chapter of The National Association for Music Education, and a Trumpet Ambassador for the University of Tennessee Trumpet Studio. In addition to studying Music Education, Zane assists at local high school and middle school music programs and teaches private trumpet lessons. Zane is currently student teaching at Carter High School and Carter Middle School.

Steve and Julie Arnold
Co-Directors

Steve and Julie Arnold share a deep love for the arts, but most importantly for their Lord. Steve and Julie met during their tenure in the University of Tennessee's Pride of the Southland Marching Band. While at UT, Julie received her B.A. in Speech and Theater, and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence. Steve received his B.S. in Management from Tusculum College. Both have been involved in musical and theatrical performance for many years, performing alongside many notable celebrities, including Wynton Marsalis, Travis Cottrell and Bill Gaither. Since they began using their talents in Christian service, Steve and Julie have had the opportunity to travel and perform throughout the United States, and internationally in East Asia, Thailand, Spain and Ireland. In 2011, Steve and Julie agreed to serve as Directors of CPAA's programming. Since then, they have had the privilege of witnessing God's blessing, as CPAA has grown from less than ten piano students to almost 400 musicians, actors and dancers. Steve and Julie are honored to be part of growing the next generation of worship leaders.