Ashley Eisenmann
Owner / Instructor – Kindermusik and private lessons
In 2014, Ashley’s music passion led her to win the Big Idea contest at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This sparked Crash Bang Boom—a hub for quality music instruction. Initially, a piano pro teaching all ages, Ashley expanded her venture to offer small group classes, private lessons, music-themed parties, and music education courses designed for parents and caregivers. With a Bachelor of Music degree, she’s building a music haven in Omaha, her current home with her husband Josh, and 3 kids Haddie, Brock, and Jay.
Hobbies: Spending time with my family, traveling, and baking.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Her favorite musicians are her students!
Dayle Johnson
Instructor – private guitar lessons
As a former vocal music teacher at Bertrand Community Schools and Ord Junior/Senior High School, Ms. Johnson directed choirs, show choirs, and ensembles while teaching guitar and general music. Following retirement, she joined the University of Omaha as an adjunct faculty member, teaching Music Education, guitar, and vocal methods. Presently, at the College of Education, she supervises student teachers and serves as an Instructional Coach. Ms. Johnson adjudicates various choral competitions and occasionally substitutes for the Millard Public School District. When she’s not involved in music, you can find her spending time with her sister or brother and their spouses, or with her sidekick, Belle (the dog).
Hobbies: Gardening, singing in the church choir and following Husker volleyball and football.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Her favorite contemporary composer is John Rutter who writes beautiful choir pieces and her favorite band/singer is Jon Bon Jovi.
Grace Manley
Instructor – private lessons
Grace (she/her) is thrilled to be part of the Crash Bang Boom family! As a teacher, Grace has a passion for making music education joyful, accessible, and inclusive. She is dedicated to meeting students where they are at, tailoring lessons and pedagogy styles to meet individual needs, all while inspiring self-confidence and a love for the process of learning. Grace is a classically trained soprano with many years of professional performing experience in art song, opera, choral repertoire, and musical theater. She received her master’s degree in music education and her bachelor’s degree in voice performance, both from UNO. Grace works for the University of Nebraska Foundation and calls Omaha home along with her dogs, Leo & Winnie.
Hobbies: Spending time with loved ones, writing, cooking, dancing, and singing!
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: She loves all types of music but folk artists like Joni Mitchell and Indigo Girls might be her favorite!
Christian Shields
Instructor – private lessons
Christian is a recent graduate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance, and will be starting his third year of teaching at Crash Bang Boom.
Alongside teaching, he is continuing to study both piano and voice. Christian is planning to continue teaching while also auditioning for shows in the Omaha area while he explores what will come next in his musical career.
He lives here in Omaha and enjoys spending time with his mom, dad, two sisters and older brother.
Hobbies: Playing video games and regularly bowling in leagues and tournaments.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: For King & Country
Kaitlan Scates-Pettiford
Instructor – Kindermusik and private lessons
Inspired by early mentors, Kaitlan discovered her passion for music teaching in high school. With a Bachelor of Music in Education from Hastings College, Kaitlan has been teaching music since 2012. She is an elementary music teacher in Omaha Public Schools.
Kaitlan enjoys fostering a love of music and loves getting to assist students on their way to learning and discovering. She balances work and family with husband Benjiman, two children, and their two cats.
Hobbies: She loves to crochet, play board games with friends and family, sew, bake, and garden.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Yo Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O’Connor album called Appalachian Journey, AJR and The Happy Fits. She also loves instrumental versions of different popular songs.
Benji Pettiford
Instructor – private lessons
Benjiman has been playing piano for over 30 years and performing for nearly as long. He studied under Ruth Moore at Hastings College, receiving his first Bachelors degree in Music (Piano). Being an international performer with Up With People, he now teaches choir and performs in various venues throughout Omaha and the surrounding area. He discovered his passion for teaching when he refused to take off his summers, instead creating workshops for students who wanted to stay in “musical shape” throughout the summer. He decided to go back to college to earn his next teaching degree from Peru State College, where he also worked as an adjunct professor. He thoroughly enjoys helping students grow in both their technique and developing musical individuality.
Hobbies: He enjoys video games, theater (both on and off stage), board games, and cooking (but he’s admittedly not great at baking.)
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Depends on the day, though classically speaking he is a fan of French Impressionism (Debussy) as well as Contemporary Russian (Rachmoninov, Shostakovich). His playlist includes Louis Cole, Stevie Wonder, Jon Batiste, of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand, Cory Wong, and Sammy Rae & Friends among many others.
Austin Meyer
Instructor – private lessons
Austin is currently studying Music Education at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he is also a proud member of the Piano Mentorship Program under Professor Stacie Haneline. Through this program, he has gained hands-on experience in lesson planning and in creating musical games and manipulatives that make learning the piano both effective and enjoyable.
In addition to piano, Austin loves to sing! He currently directs UNO’s recognized collegiate a cappella group, where he has had the opportunity to arrange and rehearse popular music performed across campus and throughout the community.
Hobbies: He enjoys working as a summer camp counselor and playing chess.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Gregory Alan Isakov, Bon Iver, and Joni Mitchell
Melissa Burke
Instructor – private lessons
Melissa Berke is a music educator whose day job is serving as the Associate Dean for the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has taught music at the preschool, elementary, and middle school levels for over 30 years.
“Teaching piano at Crash Bang Boom and helping students discover the joy of music is incredibly rewarding and I am thrilled to be part of this talented group of teachers.”
Hobbies: Reading, water aerobics, and spending time with family.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: She doesn’t really have a favorite and listens to just about every kind of music, but she does enjoy a 1980’s playlist.
Elizabeth Ford
Instructor – private lessons
Elizabeth brings heart, joy, and connection into every piano lesson she teaches at Crash Bang Boom. For her, music is all about community — building meaningful relationships with students, families, and fellow teachers that often last a lifetime. She believes music is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together, and that passion shines through in her thoughtful, individualized, and fun teaching style.
In addition to teaching piano, Elizabeth is a dedicated volunteer swim coach for the Barracudas Special Olympics team and teaches private swim lessons for students of all ages and abilities. She’s also currently double majoring in Music Performance and Education.
At Crash Bang Boom, Elizabeth loves the supportive, collaborative environment and the way staff and students lift each other up. Her favorite tip for beginners? Music lessons aren’t graded — your job is to learn and have fun!
Hobbies: Spending time outdoors with family, traveling, hiking or accompanying the UNMC choir.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Elizabeth’s musical inspirations are as diverse as her talents — she’s a trumpet player who dreams of performing with the legendary Canadian Brass, and her go-to mood boost is anything off the Fun Machine album by Lake Street Dive.
Cathy Pacholski
Instructor – private lessons
“Music makes life better… at any age.“
Cathy has been playing the piano for more than 50 years. She’s no Mozart or Beethoven, but she truly loves to share music with others as an accompanist at schools, in senior living communities, for special events like weddings, and at Von Maur.
During COVID, she was given the opportunity to play various styles of music in dance classes. While there, she met a family whose child wanted to take piano lessons. Cathy had considered teaching over the years, but life got in the way. Not this time. She agreed to work with the, then, five-year-old child.
Nearly five years later, she is still teaching him and has added other students; including those at Crash Bang Boom. She meets each one where they are in their life journey and proceeds accordingly, just like her music teachers did with her.
Cathy graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She minored in communication, sociology, and music.
She is married and has two daughters, a stepdaughter, and a stepson.
Hobbies: When she’s not working, Cathy loves to stay active; walking, jogging, and playing tennis.
Favorite Artist/Musician/Group: Barry Manilow, The Carpenters and Celine Dion