St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is launching an affordable music education program for students in Ferguson and surrounding communities.
Music on the Vine will begin offering music lessons for students in 4th through 12th grades* beginning in March of 2026.
Students can sign up for lessons from professionally trained musicians on keyboards, piano, organ, drums, saxophone, guitar, and/or bass guitar. We will recruit teachers for additional instruments as interest grows. Please see photos and bios of our music teachers below.
All teachers in the program have received background checks and are required to take the Episcopal Church’s Safe Church, Safe Communities course (or an equivalent), to ensure that students can thrive in a community that is welcoming and safe.
Prices for these 30-minute classes will be on a sliding scale, depending on each student’s ability to pay. Full price is $50 per 30-minute lesson, but can be as low as $10 per 30-minute lesson. Please see pricing details on the applications below.
Lessons can be scheduled on Sundays and weekday afternoons. All lessons will take place at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 33 North Clay Avenue in Ferguson.
Students of all faiths and denominations are welcome. Our lessons take place in a church facility, but will focus only on music education during these sessions. Students may have opportunities to perform at special community events held at St. Stephen’s if they so choose.
*Any adults interested in receiving lessons should contact Music Director Jimmy Coogan to learn about availability.
Apply to Music on the Vine
Meet our Music on the Vine Teachers
Jimmy Coogan is a classically trained pianist serving as Music Director and organist for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ferguson. He also accompanies the Lindenwood University Chorus and works with student musicians. Jimmy has experience performing with singers, choirs, and instrumentalists throughout the greater St. Louis area. He holds a Bachelor of Music Business & Entrepreneurship degree from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO.
Alyssa Martin has been playing the saxophone for more than 12 years. She has performed in various ensembles, covering genres such as jazz, classical, and contemporary. Alyssa has experience both in group settings and solo work amongst Alto, Tenor, and Baritone Saxophone. Her studies of music have carried her through the collegiate level, where she studied under locally acclaimed musicians from University of Missouri-St. Louis and Lindenwood University in St. Charles.
Alyssa works with students of all levels. From beginners developing their first sound, to more advanced players trying to refine their technique and tone, she prioritizes having strong musical fundamentals to build confidence in a player’s ability. Alyssa truly believes in honing into the individual personality of the player to bring out their strengths through playing.
Ethan Massey has been playing music since age five, beginning on guitar and expanding into multi-instrumental performance (including voice, drums, bass, piano, saxophone, ukulele, etc.), songwriting, and music production. He is currently pursuing a degree in Music Business & Entrepreneurship with minors in Jazz & Coontemparary Music and Social Media Marketing at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.
Ethan owns two businesses: Exscend, a progressive rock trio where he serves as guitarist and vocalist; and Ethos Productions, where he provides remote songwriting and production services. Outside of professional work, Ethan enjoys working out, writing music, playing guitar, and spending time with loved ones like his dog, Rascal.
You can learn more about Ethan Massey at Ethanm.crd.co.
Timothy Shackelford, Jr. is a St. Louis–based drummer, percussionist, and audio professional who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music Business and Entrepreneurship from Lindenwood University in St. Charles. During his time at Lindenwood, he was actively involved in multiple ensembles, including Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combo 1 & 2, and served as Bass 1 in the university’s marching band. These experiences strengthened his versatility as a musician, sharpening his skills in reading, improvisation, groove development, ensemble communication, and stylistic adaptability across jazz, contemporary, and marching settings.
Beyond the university stage, Timothy is an active performer in the St. Louis music scene. He has performed with groups and artists such as BLVCKtheband, Damenai and the Afterhours, Kinfolkandthem, and Alexia Simone. Through these collaborations, he has gained extensive live performance experience across R&B, neo-soul, gospel, jazz, and contemporary styles, developing strong pocket, dynamic control, and musical sensitivity in both small combo and larger ensemble settings.
In addition to his performance background, Timothy brings valuable production knowledge from his work in live sound and backline, giving him a well-rounded understanding of both the musical and technical sides of performance. As an instructor, he emphasizes strong rhythmic foundations, proper technique, musicality, and professionalism—equipping students not only to play confidently behind the kit, but to thrive in rehearsals, performances, and collaborative musical environments.
Music and the Vine is made possible by a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. We are grateful for their support.
For more information about St. Stephen’s and the Vine and this music program, please contact the Rev. Dr. Teresa Danieley, Transitional Priest-in-Charge.