Meet The Team

Savannah Rhodes started out as a new instructor in Baldwin County, under the mentorship of her best friend and colleague, Brittney Cowart, over five years ago. She studied classical piano under the same sweet piano teacher, Mrs. Pamela Loper, for 20 something years, until she studied music shortly under Dr. Robert Holm at the University of South Alabama. Because she was lucky to have the same piano teacher into her early twenties, she understands the devotion and bonds with her musical family are unbreakable.

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Savannah took a brief break from music, to pursue working in the medical field, as a pediatric dental assistant and surgical assistant in the veterinary and oral surgery world. Her steady hands with playing piano her whole life, devotion to practice, and ability to remain calm under pressure led her to a satisfying career in the medical field, but after the pandemic, she found her way back to music. 

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Savannah is also a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and very tech savvy with her own home music studio.

Alongside her sweetheart, Mr. Christopher Beaudette, together they have completely transformed our group piano technology to make it sleek, modern, and easily accessible online to parents. Personal hobbies of spending time in their home music studios has benefited the music company and the students, by bridging the gap between studio time, and practice at home.

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After five years of training with Brittney Cowart as the assistant director, Savannah has shifted her focus back to her hometown, to start her own passion project of expanding Musical Beginnings into Mobile County. She believes in the heart of Musical Beginnings so much and is fully invested in the company's mission, making a positive impact and long-lasting memories, in the lives of children and the entire community. After making the commute for 5 years, Savannah is so excited to bring our programs back home.

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Musical Beginnings Mobile will promote the same affordable, low-cost group piano lessons in the Mobile County School System. Musical Beginnings Mobile is our sister company to Musical Beginnings Baldwin County, and will bridge the gap between Mobile and Baldwin County, creating opportunities for our students in both cities. How exciting to broaden our horizons across the bay!

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Savannah has a heart for teamwork, creative collaboration, creative vision and entrepreneurship, event planning and volunteering with local non-profits, and guiding not only her students, but her whole team of new teachers

to confidence and success.

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Although she is no longer available for any new students in Baldwin County, outside of honoring her previous commitments to her original students, you can follow along with her new endeavors over at Musical Beginnings Mobile.

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She will still be at every recital, and act as Mr. Beaudette's assistant director of Musical Beginnings Baldwin County. She was so lucky to meet her sweetheart, forever valentine, and business partner in crime through teaching lessons together.

Christopher was born in Montana and lived all over the States and Europe, including Germany, as a child of an Air Force Officer. As a teenager, Christopher became fascinated by teaching himself how to play piano at age sixteen using whatever resources were available at his fingertips, such as Wikipedia articles and YouTube videos. He was self-driven to teach himself, despite not taking proper music lessons until he became a teenager.

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Christopher received a full-ride music scholarship at Coastal Alabama, after the music instructors walked by, and overheard him playing piano in a practice room only a few days before the semester's music classes started. Although Christopher wasn't signed up to study music, the professors quickly recruited him into the music department, and offered him

a full-ride scholarship, because his talent, devotion and commitment to perfecting his craftsmanship as as a young musician was obvious. Call it perfect timing, and perfect alignment, but this was the beginning of the journey that brought us together. This is what sparked Christopher to begin his career as a professional musician.   

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Christopher Beaudette,

Ms. Savannah's sweetheart, is the new director of Musical Beginnings Baldwin County, and is available on stand-by as Assistant Director of Musical Beginnings Mobile. Our two directors are very lucky to share their passion and love of music, and bring the same level of commitment and devotion to the music company, as they partner together to improve and create an outstanding studio environment for our next generation of musicians.

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Christopher's specialties are jazz-improv piano, performance standards, and teaching music theory to students of all ages. Christopher's style of teaching paves the path to quick freedom and endless creativity on the instrument of choice. Christopher focuses on developing an ear for music, improv abilities, and a cohesive understanding of music theory early on from the beginning of child's musical journey.

He is a well-rounded multi-instrumentalist, as our lead jazz piano instructor, lead guitar instructor, lead drum instructor, and bass-guitar player.

Christopher's curiosity is endless, and he's committed to continuing education.

 

Having experienced the difficulties of learning on his own, he understands the importance of having a professional and encouraging music tutor to help students develop quickly and enjoy the overall experience. Christopher understands the value of having a private music instructor to support the learning process, and aims to provide the utmost value to his students, and their families.

 

He has been teaching private lessons for over half a decade, specializing in piano lessons, while offering guitar and bass as well. Christopher also teaches beginner drum and percussion students.

 

Since graduating himself, he has mentored other students of Musical Beginnings towards receiving the same music scholarship.

He believes that music is a gift and strives to pass that skill on to as many students as possible.

 

He has been playing at Resurrection Church in Daphne for 3 years, along with playing in wedding bands and accompanying on piano for special performances and community events. 

Brittney Cowart was Savannah's first professional mentor, and guiding light, as she began her teaching journey. It was very much a Musical Beginning, as they worked together. Savannah is forever indebted to Brittney, for giving her the chance to try out teaching, to see if it came naturally. Savannah's path back to music wasn't linear, so it was sincerely appreciated, just to be given a chance, after working in the medical field. Not only did Brittney give Savannah a chance to bring Musical Beginnings back to her hometown, but Brittney helped her in the journey to finding her way back home to studying music. 

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Brittney quickly became a best friend and role model for what it means to be a leader.

Savannah only hopes to carry herself with the same grace, sincerity, diligence and gentle spirit that Brittney gives to everyone she encounters. Brittney's spirit is the key thing that makes an impressionable. memorable music teacher, and Savannah was lucky to learn from the best of the best. Brittney left behind a legacy for

Musical Beginnings Baldwin County of lots of memories, teaching and making an impact on thousands of students, over the last decade. 

Brittney has truly blessed her community by making it a priority to offer affordable, group music lessons. Brittney's business model paved the way for us to be able to provide those low-cost lessons for the community, and keep it the heart and center of the music company. 

 

Brittney is a native of Spanish Fort. She began taking piano lessons at the age of six from Margaret Guenther.

 

Through her years of training and music education, Brittney participated in Sonata Contests and State competitions from 1997 - 2008, placing in the Top 3 contestants every year in both competitions.

 

Upon her graduation from Spanish Fort High School, Brittney pursued a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama where she studied English, Music Education, and Music Administration. She continued her studies with Dr. Noel Engebretson throughout her college career.

 

She joined Musical Beginnings in Tuscaloosa as an instructor in 2012, and was offered the opportunity to bring the program to Baldwin County in 2013. She acted as Assistant Director of Musical Beginnings Baldwin County, until she became Director in 2015.

 

Brittney received the

Steinway Piano Gallery Top Teacher Award

for 2017-2022. She is an active member of the MTNA (Mobile and Baldwin Branches) and ALMTA.

 

She believes that all children should have the opportunity for music education, and that encouraging students to dream will result in their success. Brittney resides in Fairhope, and has taken a step back from the business to focus on family, friends and her future, as a retired music teacher and business owner.

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The beautiful and gifted American soprano,

Phyllis Demetropoulos, has performed extensively throughout Europe. After returning to the U.S. to perform some of her signature roles, Miss Demetropoulos made a highly acclaimed debut with Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre at the Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin to which she later returned to sing Madama Butterfly and Violeta with Bolshoi costars. She made an auspicious debut at the Kirov Opera in St. Petersburg and has since returned to Europe for extensive engagements with the state theaters of Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lativa, the Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, and Russia.

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Phyllis Demetropoulos sang a critically acclaimed La Traviata with the Nevada Opera Company in Las Vegas, Nevada and received their first standing ovation. She inaugurated the Natchez Opera Festival with Madama Butterfly. The soprano made her debut with the Memphis, Syracuse and Indianapolis operas, singing Alice Ford, and sang the Merry Widow with the Mobile Opera in her native city.

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Miss Demetropoulos first attracted international attention when she made her European debut as Lisa in La Sonnambula at the International Festival in Corfu. She returned to Corfu to sing Ariadne, and made her debut with a Greek National Opera in Athens as Mimi in a gala new production of La Boheme.

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Active on the concert stage as well, the soprano made her New York debut at Lincoln Center performing Rossini‘s Sabat Mater and the premiere of Dino Constantinides’ Lament of Antigone. Miss Demetropoulos earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Florida State University, and later graduated from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.

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Professional Performances in Opera include:

The National Opera of Greece in Athens, Greece (where she performed as House Soprano from 1981-1989)

The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia

 Kremlin, Palace of Congresses, Moscow, Russia

Kirov Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia

National Theatre in Warsaw, Poland

Prague State Opera in Prague, Czechoslovakia

Odessa National Academic Theatre in Odessa, Ukraine

The Estonia National Opera in Tallinn Estonia

Tbilisi Opera in Tbilisi, Georgia

Riga Opera House in Riga, Latvia

Sofia National Opera in Sofia, Bulgaria

Hungarian State Opera in Budapest, Hungary

Mobile Opera in Mobile, Alabama

 Indianapolis Opera in Indianapolis, Indiana

Memphis Opera in Memphis, Tennessee

Syracuse Opera in Syracuse, New York

Las Vegas Opera in Las Vegas, Nevada 

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Professional Performances include the roles of:

MIMI - LA BOHEME (Professional Debut)

CIO-CIO SAN - MADAMA BUTTERFLY

ELENA - MEFISTOFELE*

ANNA - ANNA BOLENA*

MARIA - MARIA STUARDA*

DONNA ELVIRA - DON GIOVANNI*

ELLETRA - IDOMENEO*

COUNTESS - MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

TOSCA - TOSCA*

LIU - TURANDOT*

ELVIRA - ERNANI*

LUISA - LUISA MILLER*

LADY MACBETH - MACBETH*

LEONORA - IL TROVATORE*

VIOLETTA - LA TRAVIATA

HANNA - DIE LUSTIGE WITWE (THE MERRY WIDOW)

ALICE FORD - FALSTAFF (Under the direction of Robert Driver)

*in preparation

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From 1995-1997 she toured with the Broadway show of Phantom of the Opera as cast voice teacher and coach, and has taught privately in Mobile from 2002-2007. She is thrilled to be teaching again for students that are interested in vocal studies.

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Agents include:

Kritas Productions - Europe

Columbia Artists Management (Cami) - North America

Richard Realmuto - North America

Born in Mobile, and raised throughout the Gulf Coast, Kelsey spent nearly a decade in Savannah, Georgia before finding her way back home. She's lived in Mobile again for six years and is more connected than ever to its creative heartbeat.

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Her love for music began early, first starring in living room concerts, and later teaching herself piano and guitar at age 15. She picked up the tenor saxophone in 6th grade and played through high school; it remains her primary instrument today.

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After high school, Kelsey initially pursued a path in education, studying English before ultimately changing gears and earning a certificate in therapeutic massage. She has worked as a licensed massage therapist for over seven years. But through a desire to change fields, and a journey of prayer, personal healing, and revelation, she was drawn back to her first love: music. Despite the odds, she felt a renewed calling to become a high school band director.

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In 2025, Kelsey returned to college to pursue that dream. She currently attends Coastal Alabama Community College on a full-ride scholarship as a music major, with plans to complete her Bachelor's Degree at the University of South Alabama. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, she regularly plays and sings at her local church, combining technical skill with her God-given grace and a heart of worship. 

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Kelsey believes music is one of the most powerful tools for connection, to ourselves, to others, and to something greater. She is passionate about helping others discover their own unique relationship with sound and express themselves through it. When she's not teaching or practicing, you'll often find her painting, walking in nature, or exploring new creative outlets that spark joy and imagination.

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Kelsey's previous work as a massage therapist, and deep understanding of the interconnectedness of mind, body, spirit & soul will make her an excellent instructor to help ease new student's nerves regarding performance anxiety. Kelsey's sweet personality and calming demeanor will be perfect to work with new beginners, to encourage them to to find the courage and comfort to express themselves musically. 

Magan has spent more that 20 years at the piano and over a decade honing her skills in voice and vocal performance. With 15 years of formal piano training and 10 years of dedicated vocal study, she brings wealth of experience to her teaching. Magan sang in competitive choir in high school with the director, Savannah, where they were lucky to perform in NYC.

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Magan has worked with students of all ages - from children discovering their very first notes to adults returning to music later in life. She believes every student comes with their own story, goals, and unique way of learning, and she loves meeting them right where they are. Whether it's a young singer preparing for their first performance, a beginner pianist learning simple melodies, or an advanced student tackling challenging repertoire, Magan tailors each lesson to be both enjoyable and effective.

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Her approach blends structure with creativity, making sure students gain solid technique while also connecting with music they truly love. Above all, Magan hopes her students walk away from every lesson feeling confident, inspired and excited to keep making music.

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Magan has a creative, vibrant, fun-loving personality. My memories of Magan from singing together in choir were always memories of lighting up the room with smiles, and bringing the best energy. Magan is going to bring this light-hearted energy to music lessons, and it will bring optimism and bright hopefulness to her students, while also helping them them with hard work, discipline and success. 

Mitchell Robinson is from Kentucky and has lived in Alabama from the last decade where he attended the University of Mobile and graduated with a minor in music. While in school, he toured, playing hundreds of shows, including performances in France and Carnegie Hall. 

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Mitchell has taught private lessons for the better part of ten years, as well as group music classes at public schools. Aside from teaching music, he also taught high school level History and English classes and has offered one-on-one tutoring with students with learning disabilities like Austism Spectrum Disorder and Dyslexia. 

 

Mitchell has been playing piano since he was eight years old and drums since he was ten. His grandfather, a long time bluegrass musician from Ashland, Kentucky, taught him both instruments and toured with him all over Appalachia when Mitchell was growing up. Mitchell has played in several bands, as well as having played on a few recorded albums. His preferred styles are Blues, Rock n' Roll, and Jazz.

 

Mitchell believes that everyone can learn how to play an instrument, if given the right tools and if they have the desire to. He also has an intimate understanding of how music can positively impact a young person's life and is passionate about helping make that impact with any student that he can. 

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