Our Team
Meet Our Creative Team
Walk into Thrive Creative Arts on any given day, and you'll find a community of passionate artists and educators creating something special together. From our front desk team who greet you with a smile to our teachers who make every lesson an adventure, we're all here because we believe in the power of creative expression.
Lisa Harper
Founder/CEO
As a native of Hanover County and a graduate of Atlee High School, Lisa has a deep connection to this community. Her passion for music began at a very young age with choir and piano lessons. She spent 14 years following her dreams and teaching music, 13 of which she spent as the choral director at Chickahominy Middle School. Her mission behind creating Thrive Creative Arts is to mentor kids through music and help them discover their potential. Understanding that not everyone is motivated by the same type of music, her approach to music education is to give students the tools they need to learn and play the music they love, and carry that love for music with them for life. She truly believes that music is for everyone and music is for life. Lisa looks forward to continuing to share her passion for music and youth with the Hanover community and helping students of all ages thrive at Thrive Creative Arts!
Andrea
Art Teacher
As a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with degrees in Art Education and Kinetic Imaging, Andrea comes from a family of educators. Her love for art began early while watching her grandparents draw and tell stories for her. She believes that the art studio is a valuable space for children to develop real-world skills that benefit them in everyday life. With a background in traditional and digital media, she encourages students to experiment, explore different materials, and find their creative voice.
Beatrice
Music Teacher
Beatrice is a versatile musician and dedicated educator with a deep passion for music. She began playing bass at age 16 and went on to study jazz at VCU, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. While bass is her primary instrument, Beatrice is also skilled in piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjo, allowing her to bring a broad range of musical styles and techniques to her work. In addition to teaching, Beatrice is an active performer, performing music such as Jazz, Latin, and musical theater. She regularly gigs with ensembles, ranging from small jazz combos to large pit orchestras. Her diverse performance experience has made her a well-rounded musician, adaptable to various genres and settings. Beatrice is passionate about teaching music and has experience offering private lessons to students of all ages. She also previously taught in preschool and Pre-K, where she loved introducing young children to the joys of music. Whether in the classroom or the performance space, Beatrice is committed to fostering creativity and inspiring others. Her teaching philosophy is centered on building a supportive, engaging environment where students can develop both musically and personally. With her broad musical expertise and dedication to both performance and education, she is driven to share her love of music here at Thrive and help our students grow through their own musical journeys.
Ben
Music Teacher
Ben is a versatile multi-instrumentalist and educator with four years of private lesson teaching experience who believes music should be engaging, hands-on, and enjoyable. Ben strives to create a supportive learning environment where students feel confident and excited about music.Their teaching approach emphasizes active learning, encouragement, and building strong technical foundations while fostering a genuine love for music.
Ben is active in the local music scene, performing in two bands, and continues to grow as an educator through ongoing study with Debbie Lamb, an experienced private piano teacher. Ben began studying classical piano at age six, training for 13 years under Dr. Gravis Sung, with additional experience in classical guitar and performing double bass with the Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra during high school.
Outside of teaching and performing, Ben enjoys gardening, making music, and relaxing with their cat.
Beth
Welcome Team
Beth was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area and was in her high school marching band. After marrying her college sweetheart, she and her husband, Kevin, moved to the Richmond area where they raised three boys. While their youngest son is away at college, his dog, Link, keeps the "empty nest" lively. She enjoys traveling with family and friends, especially to the beach, and has visited 49 of the 50 states with only North Dakota remaining. Beth is dedicated to providing excellent service to our Thrive families, and looks forward to offering students a friendly welcome upon arrival.
Christian
Music Teacher
Christian, a Williamsburg native, began his musical journey in his late teens when he first picked up the guitar. He later attended Christopher Newport University, where he deepened his musical interests and experienced firsthand the powerful role music plays in building community.Since then, Christian has collaborated with local bands throughout Hampton Roads and the greater Richmond area. With eight years of lead guitar experience and five years of vocal performance, he is a regularly performing artist who also spends much of his time recording, composing, and publishing electronic music that showcases his ever-expanding skill set. He believes music offers a unique opportunity for both individual and communal growth-one that cannot be replaced. He is excited to be part of the Thrive team and looks forward to inspiring his students through a love of musical exploration.
Darien
Music Teacher
Darien was born in Decatur, GA, and raised in Alexandria, VA. His musical journey began as a child singing in his church choir, leading to private voice lessons at age 8. He grew into a passionate stage performer, earning lead roles in high school productions and later starring as “Don Giovanni” and the “Pilot” in The Little Prince at James Madison University.
Though voice is his primary instrument, Darien also studied Alto Saxophone for 9 years, along with Guitar and Piano. In Summer 2024, he was selected for the prestigious AIMS opera institute in Graz, Austria, where he trained with world-class opera professionals for six weeks.
In March 2025, he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the JMU Carnegie Collective, performing Triptych by acclaimed composer Tarik O’Regan—who watched from the audience! Darien graduated from JMU in May 2025 with a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance and brings his rich background in classical training, performance, and songwriting to inspire the next generation of musicians.
Erika
Art Teacher
Jesse
Music Teacher
Jesse is a New York native whose first love has been music for as long as he can remember. He has pursued this passion through many avenues, including playing piano, guitar, saxophone, drums, bass, and clarinet, as well as producing music and DJing. Jesse graduated from Boston University, where he continued to build a career in music through communications, and also participated in Berklee College of Music’s renowned Five-Week Summer Program—a highly formative experience in his musical journey. Coming from a family of musicians, Jesse is thrilled to share his passion for music and his unique perspective with the amazing students at Thrive!
JoAnne
Music Teacher
JoAnne is a native of Virginia Beach and started playing the violin at the age of 6 through the Suzuki Violin method. She attended the Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, VA and moved to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned a Master of Music degree in Music Education. She has been teaching music for over 25 years in a variety of different roles. JoAnne was a private strings teacher at Swift Creek Academy for the Performing Arts in Brandermill, orchestra director at Oak Knoll Middle School and Hanover High School, and she taught group and private strings as well as a group piano using the Music for Young Children method at the former Talent Developing Studio. She has spent the past 6 years as a stay at home parent and music teacher for her three daughters and is eager to share her skills and talents with the students at Thrive!
Kyle
Music Teacher
Kyle is a multi instrumentalist from Richmond, Virginia who specializes in percussion, guitar and bass guitar. Graduating in 2019, Kyle holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. After earning his degree, Kyle went on to study at the University of Missouri where he worked as the TA for Jazz, Pop, and Rock music. Kyle has been teaching for 10 years in many different settings ranging from 1-on-1 lessons to students of all ages to full classes of high school band students. Before arriving at Thrive Creative Arts, Kyle taught students at Guitar Center, Clover Hill High School, Colonial Heights High School, and Atlee High School.
LaJuan
Music Teacher
LaJuan, a native of Eastern Henrico, began his music journey at an early age, singing in church and at Varina Elementary School. He later played trumpet and baritone horn in his middle school concert and jazz bands. At Varina High School, he joined the Marching Blue Devils, playing sousaphone and piano. LaJuan studied Music Education at Norfolk State University, focusing on euphonium with a minor in piano for three years, then switching to voice for the remaining four years. He was a member of the Norfolk State Spartan Legion Marching Band, Concert Choir, Concert Band, Euphonium Ensemble, Voices of Inspiration Gospel Choir, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He performed with the Virginia Symphony and recorded with gospel artist Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell. LaJuan has taught recorder and vocal ensemble at Richmond Preparatory Christian Academy and served as an audio and visual technician at St. James Baptist Church. He is passionate about helping students reach their full potential and enjoying the journey.
Maddy
Music Teacher
Maddy is a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University, pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Choral Education with a minor in Theater Studies. With over 14 years of choral experience, her passion for music continues to grow. She currently serves as the president of ACDA at VCU, the university's student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
Maddy has a deep love for musical theater, having performed in numerous productions throughout high school. During her time at VCU, she also discovered a newfound passion for opera. In addition to her academic and musical pursuits, Maddy is an active member of her community and is thrilled to be part of the Thrive team!
Olivia
Art Lead
Olivia, a Hanover native, found her love for art as a student in elementary school and carries it today as an art educator in Hanover County for the past 5 years. While she teaches a variety of mediums, Olivia finds herself practicing her drawing skills with a pen and paper at home, or finding inspiration at various performances, museums and galleries in Richmond. She believes that everyone, no matter what age, can continue learning new art methods and mediums and encourages others to try new art skills!
Patrick
Enrollment & Marketing Manager
Patrick is a born and raised Richmonder who's passion for music started when he was about 7 years old. He started learning simple songs that his dad taught him on the guitar, and went on to earn a degree in music production from Berklee College of Music. He is an active touring musician and regularly records, releases, and performs original music with his band. As the Enrollment and Marketing Manager at Thrive, Patrick is excited to help more people discover the arts themselves, and to make a positive impact in the community of Richmond and surrounding areas.
Join Our Team
If you're passionate about nurturing creativity and building a supportive arts community, we'd love to hear from you. We're always looking for dedicated educators and staff members who want to make a difference in young artists' lives.