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Erin Trent - Zachary Manager,
Erin Trent is a voice and piano teacher who received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from LSU, specializing in voice and choral studies. She has been a cantor at local churches since she began studying voice, having sung at St. Joseph's Cathedral and Our Lady of Mercy in Baron Rouge during her career. As a college student, she also participated in Baton Rouge and LSU Opera. She also received a Masters in Social Work and Library Science. Mrs. Erin has lifelong love for learning. She also served as the children's services librarian at the Central branch of EBR Parish Library for five years. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching choir at Fellowship Christian Academy, singing with the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus, and helping her daughter, Olivia, participate in local music theatre. Mrs. Erin's philosophy is that learning to sing is a beautiful journey of self discovery.
Rockin Mozart Zachary Staff
Jalia Payne
Frank Tirado-Fontaines
Frank Tirado-Fontaines
Senior Instructor
Marketing Manager
Jalia Payne is a passionate music educator, composer, and performer dedicated to helping students discover their unique voice through music. Originally from Ruston, Louisiana, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industries Studies from Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Music in Composition fro
Senior Instructor
Marketing Manager
Jalia Payne is a passionate music educator, composer, and performer dedicated to helping students discover their unique voice through music. Originally from Ruston, Louisiana, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industries Studies from Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Music in Composition from Louisiana State University.
Jalia serves as the Marketing Director at Rockin Mozart Music School, where she leads creative initiatives, develops engaging content, and helps share the school’s mission of changing lives through music with the community. Through her work, she combines her background in music and media to connect with students and families across all locations.
In addition to her role in marketing, Jalia teaches students of all ages in piano, voice, flute, and songwriting. Her teaching style focuses on building strong musical foundations while encouraging creativity, confidence, and self-expression. She believes that every student can succeed in music when given the right tools and support.
As a composer, Jalia creates music that explores themes of nature, storytelling, and emotional expression. Her works have been performed in academic and community settings, reflecting her commitment to meaningful and expressive artistry.
At Rockin Mozart Music School, Jalia is proud to be part of a team dedicated to creating a positive, engaging learning environment where students not only grow as musicians but also develop discipline, creativity, and a lifelong love for the arts.
Frank Tirado-Fontaines
Frank Tirado-Fontaines
Frank Tirado-Fontaines
Instructor
Frank Tirado-Fontaines is one of our instructors at our Zachary Location, and has a vast amount of experience playing in orchestras and teaching violin. His musical journey started in his home country of Venezuela in the massive musical program: El Sistema. There, he played in the youth orchestras and studied with several violi
Instructor
Frank Tirado-Fontaines is one of our instructors at our Zachary Location, and has a vast amount of experience playing in orchestras and teaching violin. His musical journey started in his home country of Venezuela in the massive musical program: El Sistema. There, he played in the youth orchestras and studied with several violin professors such as: Leonardo Hurtado and Heemath Jahoor. He also took chamber music classes with professors Florian Ebersberg and Adrian Ascanio. From 2008 to 2014, Frank taught young violinists of El Sistema and played in his hometowns professional orchestra (OSEG). In 2014 he moved to Chile to play in orchestras and to teach young artists of that region. He has participated in several festivals, chamber music courses, and masterclasses throughout his career, such as: New England Conservatory and FESNOJIV Seminar (2010), String Quartets Latin America Academy Seminar (2010), Dispotraining for Musicians and Teach to Teach (2014-2016), and International Music Festival FIMA (2020). In these events he had the opportunity to learn from international masters such as: Levon Chillingirian, Nicholas Kitchen, Ingrid Zur, Jorg Heyer, Emmanuele Baldini, and Erzhan Kulibaev. Frank is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Violin Perfomance, at Louisiana State University under the tutelage of professor Espen Lilleslatten.
Matthew Davis
Frank Tirado-Fontaines
Matthew Davis
Instructor
(Information Coming Soon)
Maria Ortega
Dakota Kennedy
Maria Ortega
Instructor
Maria Ortega is one of our instructors here at Rockin Mozart. She is a cellist with strong experience in orchestral work, and teaching experience in Venezuela, Chile, and the United States. She had her beginnings in music back in her home country of Venezuela, in the well-known program El Sistema. She obtained a Bachelor's degre
Instructor
Maria Ortega is one of our instructors here at Rockin Mozart. She is a cellist with strong experience in orchestral work, and teaching experience in Venezuela, Chile, and the United States. She had her beginnings in music back in her home country of Venezuela, in the well-known program El Sistema. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in modern languages (English and French), and in 2016 she moved to Northern Chile to play in orchestras and teach young artists. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in cello performance at LSU. Maria has also played in various orchestras such as LSU Symphony, Acadiana Symphony, and Rapides Symphony Orchesra. She also has participated in Opera in the Ozarks in Arkansas state. As a soloist, Maria has performed in: Dispotraining (Iquique 2016), Chamber Music Festival (Iquique 2017-2018), Teach to Teach Masterclasses (Villarrica 2018-2019), Antofagasta International Music Festival (2020), and Collaborate String Institute (Baton Rouge 2023). She has learned under prestigious international professors such as Ingrid Zur (Argentina-Germany), Jorg Heyer (Germany), Heidi Litschauer (Austria), Rodrigo Pozo (Chile), Emmanuele Baldini (Italy), Alvaro Bitran (Chile-Mexico), Dennis Parker (USA), and Rita Sloan (USA).
Ariel David
Dakota Kennedy
Maria Ortega
Instructor
(Information Coming Soon)
Mark Dupont
Dakota Kennedy
Dakota Kennedy
Instructor
(Information Coming Soon)
Dakota Kennedy
Dakota Kennedy
Dakota Kennedy
Instructor
Dakota E. Kennedy is a dedicated multi-instrumentalist specializing in band and orchestra pedagogy. With nearly 20 years of performance experience on oboe and piano, Dakota has showcased his talents across a wide array of styles and ensembles. His musical education has been shaped by esteemed teachers such as Jaren Atherholdt (P
Instructor
Dakota E. Kennedy is a dedicated multi-instrumentalist specializing in band and orchestra pedagogy. With nearly 20 years of performance experience on oboe and piano, Dakota has showcased his talents across a wide array of styles and ensembles. His musical education has been shaped by esteemed teachers such as Jaren Atherholdt (Principal Oboe, LPO), Johanna Pennington (Baldwin Wallace University), and Andrew Parker (Louisiana State University). Currently, Dakota is pursuing a degree in Music Composition at Louisiana State University under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Nabors and Dr. Mara Gibson. His recent accomplishments include the premiere of his song cycle, "Button Songs," at the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, New York, and serving as both chair and performer with the Civic Orchestra of Baton Rouge. A passionate advocate for new music, Dakota leads the COBR Young Composers Initiative, which aims to spotlight the works of emerging local composers. He is also an active member of various LSU concert ensembles, further contributing to the vibrant musical community.
