MUSIC TEACHERS
Rebecca Hahn
Owner
Teaches: PIANO
AIM Testing CHAIR
Rebecca Hahn grew up in Roselle and attended Medinah Christian School, Wheaton Academy, and Wheaton College. While receiving her B.A. in Psychology, she studied classical piano and jazz through the Wheaton Conservatory and has taught privately for 20 years. She also taught at the Medinah Christian Conservatory and at the Roselle Park District.
Rebecca’s teaching style takes a fresh approach to traditional methods. Without losing the importance of note-reading, music theory, technique, or rhythm and articulation, Rebecca also incorporates harmonization, composition, ear training, transposition, and accompaniment for singing or playing with a band. She believes in tailoring her instruction to the individual student and finding connection points between what most interests the student and their study of music.
Rebecca resides in Elgin with her husband, Dan, and their four young children, Providence, Daniel, Benjamin and Primrose. Rebecca’s parents, Wayne and Joan Domke, are long-time Roselle residents who love the town and are tirelessly involved in the community.
Rebecca is an active member of the MTNA, ISMTA, and the NWSMTA.
Stephanie Jost
MUSIC Director
Teaches: PIANO, FLUTE, voice
Stephanie Jost is a music educator, vocal performer, music director, and lifelong lover of the arts. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Illinois Wesleyan University and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. She currently serves as Music Director and a private lesson instructor at Roselle Fine Arts Academy. Stephanie also works as a substitute teacher, sings at local churches, and can occasionally be found pouring wine at Lynfred Winery.
Stephanie’s performance experience spans opera, musical theatre, and sacred music. During her undergraduate studies, she appeared in productions of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. Her graduate credits include Verdi’s Falstaff, Michael Torke’s Strawberry Fields, Judith Weir’s King Harald’s Saga, and Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims. She has also participated in the Classical Singer Competition, the New York Vocal Competition, and the Casa Italia Vocal Competition.
As a theatre educator and music director, Stephanie has worked on numerous school and community productions. Her assistant-directing credits include Annie, High School Musical, High School Musical 2, The Little Mermaid, Seussical, Grease, and Cinderella. She has directed productions of Beauty and the Beast Jr., High School Musical, Shrek Jr., and Into the Woods Jr.
Most recently, Stephanie served as music director for the Children’s Theatre of Western Springs productions of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. and The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition. She will return this fall to music direct Cinderella: Youth Edition. She also served as music director and pit musician for the Theatre of Western Springs production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Away from the classroom and stage, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband, Justyn, and their two fluffy bunnies, Sam and Pebbles—who are, without question, the cutest members of the household.
Justyn Jost
Teaches: Trumpet, Piano, VIolin, Viola, Cello, String Bass
Justyn has been a dedicated music educator at School District U-46 since 2019, most recently as the orchestra director for Canton Middle School, its elementary school feeder programs, for the past 2 years, bringing his passion for music and a commitment to fostering a positive, differentiated and growth-oriented learning experience for all students.
Justyn earned his Bachelor of Music Education in 2013 from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting in 2018 from Illinois State University. His past teaching and directing experience includes general music, high school and middle school choir, elementary school/beginning orchestra lessons, private trumpet and small group brass lessons, and directing the music for musical theater and opera productions.
Justyn’s past mentors have included Jake Worley-Hood and Rick Leister on trumpet, Dr. J. Scott Ferguson, Becky Moan, and Joseph Martarano for voice, and Dr. Glenn Block for conducting.
Over the years, Justyn has worked with students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles, focusing on creating an inclusive classroom where every student can succeed. He believes in the power of education to unlock potential and has worked diligently to integrate differentiated instruction, standards based learning, and holistic teaching practices into the curriculum to meet the needs of all learners.
Justyn has had experience both as a teacher and a performer. He has been a part of musicals, both on stage and in the orchestra pit, filling roles such as ensemble member or leads like Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun. Justyn has led and directed the music both as vocal director and pit conductor of a number of operas and musicals, including Legally Blonde, The Light in the Piazza, Hello Dolly!, Abraham and Issac, Così fan tutte, Newsies, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He has also participated in numerous professional development workshops and conferences to stay current with educational trends and best practices.
Outside of the classroom, Justyn enjoys playing board and card games, going on camping trips, and spending time with his wife Stephanie and their two rabbits, Sam and Pebbles.
Tom Malouf
Teaches: Guitar, Ukulele
After receiving his B.A in Music Education at Northeastern Illinois University, Tom has taught grade school music through high school music for over 45 years. Tom has a passion for the guitar, and can be seen performing as a singer/guitarist at festivals, libraries, park districts, and corporate events.
Tom’s career includes:
Director of Music at St. Walter Church in Roselle
Teacher at St. Francis High School in Wheaton
Tom loves people and making music with people. He believes strongly that music must be fun, and that we must meet the students where they are at and tailor the lessons to their needs. Tom lives in Wheaton with his wife, and has 4 adult children and 3 grandchildren.
Frankie Palermo
Teaches: Drums
Frankie has been a Professional DrumSet Performer for 50 years (since age 15) and a Professional DrumSet Instructor for 45 years. He started playing drums at the very young age of 5! Frankie studied at The Chicago Drum School in downtown Chicago under Ernie Gadzos and Marshall Thompson for many years. He then continued his studies with the world famous percussionist Bobby Christian. At age 15 he was accepted into the Chicago Federation of Musicians Union and began to work locally as a Professional Drummer in all types of musical situations through the Musicians Union. After completing his studies, he continued to perform both locally and on the road. Some of the venues that Frankie has performed at were The Newport in Miami Beach, The Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, Caesar’s Hotel in New Jersey, The Bop Shop in Chicago, Joe’s Be-Bop Cafe on Navy Pier in Chicago, The Green Mill in Chicago, Frankie’s Blue Room in Naperville., Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn. and numerous Festivals and Concerts in Chicago and the surrounding Midwest. As a DrumSet Instructor Frankie has taught on location at various studios in the Chicago area, virtually online, and in student homes. After 50 years of performing and after 45 years of teaching he is happy to say he’s still at it and enjoying every minute of it!
ART TEACHERS
Megan Roy-Chowdhury
Art Director
Teaches: Art Classes, Art Camps, Special Events
Megan is currently an art teacher with School District U-46, where she has been an educator of various grades and programs since 2019. She primarily works with students from kindergarten to sixth grade, encouraging young artists to push out of their comfort zone and build confidence in creation. Megan has a bachelors in graphic arts and design and a masters in elementary education with an endorsement in art education (K-12). Throughout her years as a student and a teacher, Megan has honed in on her craft in traditional methods such as drawing and painting, expanding her skill in digital art and animation, and developed a background in coding and print media.
When Megan is not collecting ideas for new art projects, she feeds her love of animation by exploring new shows and movies from countless studios. She also adores videogames and the artistry in all stages of their production. Whenever possible, she makes time to meet with her friends to participate in their own Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Megan sees interests and passions as fuel for a creative mind, and encourages her students to embrace their unique tastes in their artwork to add their own flare.
Karen Scoles
Teaches: Art Classes, Art Camps, Special Events
Karen is a professional portrait artist, mural painter and art teacher. She has been painting and teaching professionally for over 25 years and has taught students varying from K-12th grades. She currently teaches in the Keeneyville school district and runs an art club for her students there. At the Roselle Fine Arts Academy, Karen teaches art lessons and also does workshops and private events for both children and adults.