Hope Institute of Music

All of our teachers are passionate about music and the development of children.

They create a fun, informal, social setting that spurs engagement and supports each child's musical development.

Sunny Ahn, Center Director

Sunny, center director of Hope Institute of Music, has performed in Europe, Asia and the USA both as a member of Seoul Philharmonic as a Principal Harpist and soloist. She has taught Music Together^® since 2003 and is an accredited Suzuki Harp teacher. Sunny did her undergraduate work at USC in harp performance. She enjoys working with children and leads young children's recitals and performances at various places in the City of Los Angeles

Carri Brown

Carri Brown attended New York University and Brown University with a degree in Drama and International Relations. Carri has always loved working with children. At an early age, she volunteered with children with disabilities. Later, she taught swimming lessons and horse-back riding lessons to young children. She has also been musical through the influence of her family: studying piano, voice and learning the soundtracks to most of the Broadway musicals! Since college, Carri has continued to love her connection with children. Most recently, Carri particpated as a counselor in the city schools of New York helping them to deal with the after-affects of 9/11.

Marisa Rawlins

Marisa is a well-rounded musician who has been performing for over fifteen years. While attending college, Marisa toured through Austria, Czsch Republic, England, and Germany with this award winning Chamber Choir. Marisa is currently choral directing, and giving private voice lessons at the Los Angeles Music and Art School, and the Hope Institute of Music. Along with her teaching, Marisa is also an active member of the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Laura Parker

Laura is a first year Master's student studying vocal performance at the University of Southern California. She recently received her Bachelor of Music degree in voice from Boston University (summa cum laude, valedictorian), where she received the Ellalou Dimmock Voice Honors award as well as the Boston University Opera Institute award. Laura has performed in many operas at Boston University, as well as at various summer opera programs. She has also spent summers working with children through educational outreach performance programs and running a vacation Bible school specializing in music and theater.

Melissa Simpson

Melissa Simpson is a first years Master’s candidate at the University of Southern California in the vocal arts program. She received her Bachelors of Music degree with an emphasis in performance at California State University Long Beach where she received the Howard Still memorial scholarship and the Dramatic Allied Arts Guild scholarship. She was a young artist last spring for Long Beach Opera and this year she is in the Opera Pacific Ensemble of Repertory. She has done many outreach shows and taught vacation bible school as well as counseled children in the YMCA.

Alina Hevia

Alina has recently come to California from her home in Miami, Fl. She has a Batchelor's degree in Music and Arts from Barry University, and has taught music to children for the past eight years. She taught elementary school music in the public system in Florida, and directed youth at a conservatory camp in Maine. She has been teaching Music Together for three years, and recently achieved certification level one. When not making music with kids, Alina has done so onstage from Pennsylvannia to Miami to Seattle. She is delighted to share her love of music with children and people everywhere.

Stephanie Elsayed

Stephanie Elsayed is currently a Masters candidate in vocal arts performance at the Thornton School of Music as USC.
She received her Bachelors of Music degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. She has studied voice since the age of nine, and has performed many leading roles in operas such as Don Giovanni, Albert Herring, and Acis and Galatea. She has won many competitions and scholarships such as Tar River Young Artist Competition, NATS regional and state winner, A.J. Fletcher Scholarship, and the Dean's Scholarship Award at USC. Stephanie is currently studying with Cynthia Munzer.

Ania Barrow

Il Young Moon