Meet Our Teachers and Therapists

Welcome to our team page! Rest assured that you will receive top-notch music lessons from our instructors who have earned degrees from prestigious institutions such as Florida State University, Stetson University, Bethune Cookman College, Yale, and others. Having the appropriate music teacher or therapist can make learning a musical instrument a delightful and enjoyable journey!

At Beachside Music, our in-studio, in-home, or online music lessons and music therapy will help build your confidence and skills in a warm and supportive environment. We currently have some availability for new students. Contact us for more info and availability.

Ashlee Hughes, MT-BC, NICU-MT

Founder, Music Therapist, Music Teacher

Meet Ashlee Hughes, a music therapy expert with close to 20 years of experience. Ashlee Hughes grew up in New Smyrna Beach, Florida where she studied all types of music from an early age. She completed her bachelor's degree in music therapy at Florida State University. Ashlee has experience serving a variety of populations, including special needs, hospice, acute care medical (hospital and rehab), premature infants, traumatic brain injury, trauma, stroke, dementia, behavioral health, substance abuse, foster children, juvenile detention, and more. After running a successful hospital music therapy program for over 3 years, Ashlee moved back to her home community to open Beachside Music Lessons & Therapy in 2016. In addition to music therapy, Ashlee also teaches voice, piano, guitar, saxophone, early childhood music private lessons, and classes, like our famous Sip & Strum Ukulele Class for adults.

Ashlee is proud to serve her home town community through local organizations like Ormond Beach Mainstreet, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Halifax Behavioral Health, Children's Home Society, Community Action Team, Welcoming Hearts, and more. She also enjoys spending time as an American Heritage Scouts Leader!

Eliott Hughes

Operational Manager, Music Teacher

Eliott Hughes grew up in Vero Beach, FL, where he began studying music at a charter school for the arts. He later studied Music Composition and Theory at the University of Florida. At Beachside Music, Eliott serves as the Operations Manager, overseeing students, families, teachers, and office coordination.

A multi-talented musician, Eliott is proficient in theory, songwriting, piano, voice, and guitar. He has been performing professionally for over 10 years, including a performance at Carnegie Hall. His experience spans opera, musicals, choir, and solo work. With a deep understanding of music theory and composition, Eliott excels at breaking down complex concepts in a simple and engaging way for students of all ages.

Outside of teaching and management, Eliott gives back to the community as a Board Member for Miracle League Baseball and plays in his church worship band.

Natalie Walker

Music Teacher

Natalie is a passionate music teacher dedicated to helping young people discover their musical talents. She holds a degree in vocal music from Bethune-Cookman University and has been teaching intermediate voice and beginning piano since 2015, both in her community and at her church.

By day, Natalie teaches music in Volusia County Schools; in the afternoons, she shares her love of music with students at Beachside Music. Outside the classroom, she enjoys watching musicals and spending quality time with friends and family.

Matthew Rose

Music Teacher

Matthew is a Central Florida native who has been playing trombone since the age of 10. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Performance from Stetson University and recently completed his Master of Music at the Yale School of Music, where he studied under world-class faculty and guest artists.

With experience teaching students as young as 10 through programs like Yale’s Music in Schools Initiative, Matthew brings both skill and passion to his teaching. He offers lessons in brass instruments of all levels, as well as beginning piano and ukulele.

Outside of music, Matthew enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his cat and two guinea pigs. On rainy days, you’ll find him playing video games or catching up on his favorite TV shows.

Matthew Berman

Music Teacher

Matt was born in Miami and has lived in Florida his whole life. He began playing violin in elementary school and has been immersed in music ever since, participating in orchestras and drama programs throughout his education. He has experience teaching kids of all ages, including as a music instructor at summer camps.

Currently studying Anthropology at UCF with a focus in Ethnomusicology, Matt has a deep curiosity for world music and a passion for sharing the arts. While violin is his primary instrument, he also teaches mandolin, guitar, ukulele, and piano—and, upon special request, fife, cavaquinho, and charango.

When he’s not teaching or studying, Matt plays in three different bands or spends time at the rock climbing gym.

Hannah Randolph

Music Therapist, Music Teacher

Hannah is a graduate of the historic Bethune-Cookman University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in voice. She went on to receive her Master of Music in Music Therapy from Florida State University. A lifelong singer, Hannah enjoys performing in choirs, at church, and through her work.

Passionate about helping others, Hannah uses music as a tool to support individual growth and wellness. In addition to providing music therapy services, she teaches voice, piano, ukulele, and guitar.

Outside of work, she enjoys going to the beach or pool, spending time with loved ones, singing at church, and exploring new self-care activities.

Lilly Kershner

Music Teacher

Lilly Kershner holds a degree in Music Education from Bethune-Cookman University. Her musical journey began in middle school, where she actively participated in a variety of ensembles. Guided by Dr. Sarah Jane Young during her college years, Lilly continued to develop her skills and passion for teaching music.

Currently an elementary music teacher, Lilly enjoys playing and teaching piano, ukulele, voice, and flute. She looks forward to sharing her love for music and helping students grow at Beachside Music Lessons & Therapy.

Jodi-Ann Taylor

Music Teacher

Jodi-Ann Taylor is a versatile multimedia artist and educator from Florida, proudly rooted in her Jamaican heritage. A graduate of Stetson University, she holds a degree in Digital Arts with minors in Music and Entrepreneurship. Her creative passions span a wide range of disciplines including music and audio production, sound design, live performance, painting, writing, and photography.

Jodi-Ann’s work has earned her recognition both on and off campus. She is a recipient of the Ann West Hall Award, the Student Choice Award, and the Faculty Choice Award at Stetson University. In 2022, she debuted her solo visual art exhibition, Imago Dei, at the Eatonville Library. Musically, she continues to be celebrated for her vocal talents, most notably as the 2nd Place Winner in the American Negro Spirituals category at the SERNATS Vocal Competition in March 2023.

Jodi-Ann is passionate about using the arts to uplift others—teaching piano, voice, and ukulele, leading worship at church, and supporting her community through art wellness programs and nonprofit work.

Jodi-Ann Taylor

Music Therapist, Music Teacher

Hannah Miller is a proud Florida native with a passion for using music to make a difference. She holds a degree in Choral Music Education from Huntingdon College and began her career teaching music to Pre-K through 6th-grade students in a small Alabama town. While she loved her time in the classroom, Hannah soon realized her calling was to do even more—leading her to pursue graduate studies in Music Therapy at Western Michigan University.

Hannah believes deeply in the transformative power of music. Through gentle encouragement and heartfelt connection, she helps others discover and express their most authentic selves—whether through singing, guitar, piano, or ukulele.

Outside of her musical pursuits, Hannah enjoys long-distance running, gardening, and soaking in the beauty of life by the sea.

About Us

“Beachside Music is absolutely amazing. Their teachers makes a fun music lesson plan tailored to each student and their needs which results in their best productivity possible. My daughters have become less shy and show an improvement with their critical thinking skills.”

- Nicole

How It Works

Sign-up

Once you've made contact with us, we'll call you for the initial assessment. We'll go over the program, the cost, and find out if home music lessons are right for you. Then we begin the student/teacher matching process.

Student/Teacher Matching

This is what separates us from the rest. We take the time to hand match each student with a teacher or therapist we think will best fit their needs and goals. You don't have to worry about digging through pages of teacher listings hoping you find the right teacher. We do the work for you. All of our teachers and therapists are background checked and highly qualified.

Schedule Your Lessons

We will work together with your hand picked teacher or therapist to schedule your weekly lessons. Our teachers/therapists then use our custom built online tool to track your weekly music lessons or therapy or any changes in your schedule.

Ready to get started?