Staff
Our staff and faculty are passionate educators, artists, and leaders dedicated to inspiring creativity and helping every student thrive. Meet the professionals who make our mission possible each day.
Cecilia Stair
Jenn Ritter
Administrative Director
Executive Director
Cecilia Stair is board-certified music therapist, musician, instructor, and community arts leader based in Knoxville, Tennessee. She earned a BA in Music with a concentration in cello performance at the University of Tennessee and a MM Degree in Music Therapy at the University of Kentucky. Cecilia’s clinical work has supported students in special education settings, individuals living with chronic health conditions, as well as individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. She has partnered with regional nonprofits, community organizers, healthcare providers, artists and educators to develop projects that explore connections between music, wellness, and community health. As a performer, Cecilia is passionate about collaborating with innovative Appalachian musicians, including the Lonetones, Senora May, and Warren Byrom. She was a contributing artist for Tyler Childers’ Grammy-nominated album, Long Violent History. Additionally, she writes, records, and produces original music. Cecilia served as a private music instructor, including positions at Community School of the Arts and Central Music Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. She was named “40 under 40” by Knox News in 2024. At the heart of Cecilia’s work is a commitment to inclusivity and expanding access to the arts.
Jenn Ritter has served as the Administrative Director of Community School of the Arts since 2009. Previously, she worked as a project assistant for ImagePoint, Inc. During her six years with ImagePoint, she provided administrative support to teams that managed the accounts of DaimlerChrysler and Nissan North America. She also was a member of the planning committee for the company’s annual United Way fundraising campaign. Before moving to Tennessee in 2003, Jenn was administrative assistant to the Community Services Director for the City of Delano in Delano, California, for eight years. While living in Delano, she also served on the Board of Directors for Harvest Holidays, Inc. and the Filipino Community of Delano, helping to organize and promote community-wide celebrations and events.
Faculty
Mary Pulgar (violin) holds a master's degree in violin performance from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Duquesne University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She currently plays first violin with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and is professor of strings at Carson-Newman University. Prior to moving to Tennessee, she played with several professional orchestras, including Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Mary has appeared as soloist with Orquesta Sinfónica del Delta Amacuro in Venezuela, where she also provided a number of master classes. She spends her summers performing at music festivals and has been a member of the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra since 2006.
Greg Horne (guitar, piano, traditional instruments) has been performing and teaching music for more than 25 years. He performs as a multi-instrumentalist with regional and touring artists and has written and produced albums of his own songs. Greg, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the College of Wooster, teaches songwriting at the Crown Guitar Workshop & Festival in Montana and was a senior faculty member of the National Guitar Workshop, a well-known summer program with campuses across the country. He has written over a dozen educational books published internationally by Alfred Music, including methods for acoustic guitar, mandolin, ukulele and songwriting.
Ashton Ludden (visual arts, printmaking) earned her Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from the University of Tennessee in 2013 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in engraving arts and printmaking from Emporia State University in 2009. Her works have been exhibited nationally and internationally, as well as at conferences, including the 2012 Animals, Ethics & Law Symposium and the 2013 International Veterinary Social Work Summit with keynote speaker Dr. Temple Grandin. She was an artist-in-residence at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Poland, in 2012. Ashton was awarded the 2013 Frogman's Graduate Scholarship Fellowship and the 2013 Emporia State University Liberal Arts & Sciences Outstanding Recent Graduate Award. Currently, she is the 2D coordinator for pentaculum at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, an active artist member of the Vacuum Shop Studios collaborative and the head sign artist for Trader Joe's in Knoxville.
Joe Jordan (trumpet, jazz piano) is an educator, performer, and recording artist in East Tennessee. Joe has a Bachelor of music degree in Instrumental Music Education from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Master of Music from the University of Tennessee. As an educator Joe has taught, and continues to teach for several music programs including: Thackston school, the Joy of Music School, Community School for the Arts, Knox County schools, the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra, and the Knoxville Jazz Workshop. Mr. Jordan was a middle school band director at Gresham and Central High School, in the Fountain City area from 2014-2017. From 2017 through the present day he teaches trumpet, Introduction to Music, World Music and assists with ensembles at Pellissippi State Community College and the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. He also teaches AP music Theory, jazz band, and Freshman seminar at Farragut High School since 2023. Since 2019, Joe has played numerous festivals, concerts, and tours with the Husband-and-Wife Duo “The War and Treaty” a performing artist. These opportunities have found him in the opening act for Al Green, John Prine, Chris Stapleton, and Zach Bryan, the New Orleans Jazz Festival among many other performances at various venues across the US, UK, Europe, Canada, and Mexico. He also actively participates in several regional bands including: The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, The Streamliners Big-Band, The Oak Ridge Symphony, Soulfinger, Frog and Toad, Jaystorm project, Sensitive Warrior, and The Thrift Store Cowboys. Mr. Jordan performs as well as a freelance horn player in several groups on call for private events. Mr. Jordan also performs as a soloing artist alongside many local singers including Jeanine Fuller, Kayley Farmer, Shirley Herbert, Doug Harris, and Brent Thompson. As a recording artist Joe can be heard on a variety of local artists EP’s, as well as regional and national artists. His credits include work on: “Heart’s Town” and “Plus one” by The War and Treaty, “Let me Know” by William Wild, “Baby Doe” by the Black Lilies, and “This is Life” by Michael Hicks, “Wrong Side” by Ramajay Intercostal, “Sprout” and by JBu$h, and appears on Vance Thompson’s Five Plus Six album “Such Sweet Thunder” among others. You can hear him featured on “Little Boy Blue” and “Called you by your name” by the War and Treaty. Joe resides in Lenoir City with his wife and four children on their small farm.
Ben Maney (piano, jazz, composition) studied with renowned jazz great Donald Brown at the University of Tennessee and is a pianist, keyboardist, singer, songwriter and composer living in Knoxville. Having worked for more than 20 years as a pianist and keyboardist with a myriad of bands, Ben has had the good fortune of opening for such famed musicians as Johnny Winter, Béla Fleck, Delbert McClinton, John Scofield and Acoustic Alchemy to name a few. As a full-time member of the Mitch Rutman Group, he appeared at the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival in Puerto Plata and at Bonnaroo. His original compositions are licensed by ROBA Production Music in Hamburg, Germany. Ben and his music also were featured in the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's Symphony in the Park concert at Ijams Nature Center in 2016.
Leann Cooper's (visual art) art has an emotional tone that reminds viewers that hope dwells within hard times and beauty is present in the simple things we see about us each day. She participates in her local art community through the exhibitions, teaching at Summer Art Academy, Meeting the Master, and Memory Care classes with the Knoxville Museum of Art, and after school at Community School of the Arts.
Nathan Barrett (group percussion) has been playing drums and percussion for more than 25 years, performing with various musical and theatrical groups in East Tennessee and Austin, Texas. Since 1996, he has served as accompanist, performer, choreographer and music director for Circle Modern Dance, where he is currently a member of the Core Company and Circle's Artistic Committee. Nate also is a member and student instructor with Capoeira Fundo da Mata. As half of the acclaimed electronic pop/rock duo Hudson K, he has performed at Bonnaroo, Rhythm & Blooms and many other festivals.
Lisa Muci (violin) Lisa Muci Eckhoff is pleased to return to the CSA where she was previously Head of the Violin Department and recipient of the Certificate of Outstanding Teaching. She is currently a member of the Oak Ridge Youth Orchestra Education Team, Associate Concertmaster of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, a member of the national Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, an active adjudicator, and a Certified O’Connor Method Teacher. Her teaching mixes traditional classical music with other genres to guide students to achieve their musical goals through unique experiences. Recent teaching positions include Strings Program Lead at the Joy of Music School and Faculty at Tennessee Technology University’s Summer Music Institute. She also designed and implemented the Dr. Adolf King Summer Strings Camp in Oak Ridge. Lisa has performed in many orchestras and was a tenured Core Violinist and soloist in the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She studied Suzuki and Rolland string pedagogy at Northwestern University where she earned her Master of Music degree; period performance at Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute; and arts integration in Project Zero Classroom at Harvard Graduate School of Education, supported by a Sphinx MPower Artist Grant.
Kelli Turczyn (voice) is a licensed speech-language pathologist, vocologist, voice teacher, singer-songwriter, and the owner of Trillium Speech, Language, & Voice Services, LLC in Knoxville, Tennessee. She provides personalized evaluations, therapy, and training for individuals with a wide range of vocal needs. As a singing voice specialist, Kelli’s areas of expertise include voice therapy, vocal training, gender-affirming voice and communication training and therapy, and manual laryngeal therapies. Whether she's helping someone recover from a voice disorder, or build skill and confidence in their speaking or singing voice, her goal is to create a supportive environment where every client feels heard, empowered, and capable of reaching their fullest vocal potential. Kelli earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee and dual bachelor's degrees in Communication Disorders and Vocal Music from Central Michigan University. She also holds a Certificate of Vocology from Lamar University. Outside the clinic, Kelli is an active performer as both a singer-songwriter and fusion dancer. She is a karaoke connoisseur and enjoys creating art and experiences with her friends and community. She is passionate about combining the science of voice with artistry and exploration to help her clients discover their voice, and vocalize with greater ease, expression, and assurance.