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!
Emma Ford
Welcome Team
Emma was born and raised in the Richmond area. She grew up in a musical family and sang at every opportunity presented. She took both piano and guitar lessons before continuing to learn on her own through high school and college. She currently performs occasional solo gigs and is a member of a Richmond vocal group, Main Street Station A Cappella. She enjoys spending time at home doing puzzles and games, going on walks, and taking care of her four cats. Emma looks forward to working at Thrive, and helping all the students and families to have the best experience possible!
Beth Barger
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.
Alex Kehayas
Music Teacher
From a young age, music has propelled Alex's life and informed him of how important art is in the world. Alex began his formal music education with piano lessons at age 10, and quickly moved on to guitar at 12, electric bass at 13, and finally settling on the upright bass at 15. Since then, Alex has made it his mission to not only spread happiness and good vibes through his playing, but also through teaching and informing the next generation of musicians. Alex has been very lucky to have a great career as a freelance musician thus far, including performing at Carnegie Hall, Le Poison Rouge, and a tour of Japan during his high school years, as well as a number of musical theater productions. He studied orchestral and jazz bass performance at VCU and played in ensembles such as string trios and quintets, small and large jazz ensembles, opera productions, and solo recitals. He also studied advanced music theory, jazz arranging and composition, music history. Alex has enjoyed a number of unique experiences, including touring the Czech Republic with an opera company and performing before Barack Obama's appearance at the Richmond Forum. Currently Alex spends his free time preparing for and taking orchestral auditions, tending to his backyard garden in the spring and summer, and spoiling his dog and 3 cats that fill his home with much joy and pet hair.
Andrea Garcia-Gamez
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 Kelly
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.
Charles Berry
Music Teacher
Charles Berry is a multi-instrumentalist, song-writer and live performer from Birmingham, AL. He began piano lessons at the age of 5. When entering middle school, Charles took up the bass guitar and joined the jazz band. At the University of South Alabama, Charles began writing original songs and performing them on the keys, bass and guitar. After college he relocated to Portland OR, where he played in bands as a song-writer, vocalist and bass player. To explore music further, he moved to Athens, GA where he began to teach music lessons. Through traveling, Charles discovered Richmond and fell in love with its music scene. He decided to move here in the summer of 2022, and he is excited to share his passion for life and music with this community.
Chris Fenton
Music Teacher
Chris is a highly motivated musician and skilled audio engineer dedicated to fostering musical growth in his students. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Shenandoah Conservatory and is an active presence in the Richmond music scene, performing on bass in various bands and providing professional sound engineering services. With six years of teaching experience, Chris shares his passion for music, guiding students in piano, violin, bass, guitar, and drums. His background also includes invaluable studio internships and a role as the recording studio's advisor and staff engineer at Shenandoah Conservatory.
Erika Holson
Art Teacher
JoAnne Whitlow
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 Stoker
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 Lee
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.
Sequoia Swanson
Music Teacher
Sequoia Swanson is currently earning a BM in Music Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her passion for music blossomed throughout her years of grade school. She has had the honor of participating in All-District and All-State choirs, which not only refined her skills but also solidified her commitment to sharing the joy of music with others. As she pursues her degree, she strives to become an educator who inspires future generations to find their voices through music.
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.