Meet Our Faculty
Dr. Rebecca C. Bellelo
Beginning her piano studies at the young age of eight, Rebecca C. Bellelo, enjoys playing any and all kinds of music. An avid music reader with traditional training, Rebecca has played and performed most styles of music in almost any setting you can imagine: soloist; ensemblist; accompanist of choirs, vocalists, instrumentalists, concert bands, jazz bands; weddings musician; church musician; party musician, even a restaurant pianist for a stint in graduate school. But her real passion is teaching.
A National Certified Teacher of Piano, Rebecca holds a Ph.D. in music from LSU, and a Master of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy from LSU. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Delta State University. Her students have been honored for their performances by winning numerous awards in local and state festivals.
Rebecca has served as an active adjudicator, clinician, and presenter at many state and national conferences, including Music Teachers National Association Conferences, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, National Association for Music Education conference, Louisiana Music Teachers Association state conferences, and Louisiana Music Educators Association conferences. She is the past-president of BRMTA, the past-president of the LFMC Baton Rouge Jr. Counselors Club, and has served on the LMTA Executive Board as Vice President of Rallies and currently, as the Vice President of Membership. She is a member of the MTNA Pedagogy Saturday RMM track planning committee, and hosts regular webinars sponsored by NPF and NAMM. Rebecca is also a Professional Affiliate Faculty Member at LSU, where she teaches piano pedagogy classes and group piano classes for non-keyboard, music majors.
Rebecca remains current in the technological advancements in the pedagogy field and uses these tools to provide an invaluable opportunity for students in the classroom. Rebecca’s passionate desire to teach and enrich students through music is apparent in her teaching philosophy that every person is musical. Every lesson consists of opportunities to expand the student’s understanding of music, integrating in every lesson performance, reading, technique, and musicianship. She incorporates a wide variety of activities that foster a healthy learning environment while allowing the student to grow as a well-rounded individual.
Adam Moffett
Adam Moffett has been playing piano almost as long as he can remember, ever since his mom taught him to read music at a young age. He started taking proper lessons in middle school, playing lots of church and classical music. After deciding to study music in college, he was thrilled to discover teaching music could be an entire career path.
Adam graduated from William Carey University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Worship Ministry and from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2020 with a Master’s degree in Music Theory. As a graduate student at USM, Adam had the opportunity to teach theory and ear training classes at the college level, and more recently, teach piano at a music studio in Hattiesburg, MS.
Getting to teach people how music works is one of Adam’s greatest passions, and the piano is the perfect instrument to do that with!
Chun Ka “Jay” Lam
Classical music has given Jay Lam solace and peace throughout his life. During Jay’s last year of high school, he left his home country of Hong Kong and moved to the United States to concentrate on his piano study. Pursuing music as a field of study in college has not always been an easy road; however, piano helps Jay connect with his innermost emotions, and he could not live without music.
Jay is a pianist and teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is an active soloist and accompanist with international performance experience. He holds a bachelor degree in music as a piano major at Utah Valley University, where he studied with Dr. Hsiang John Tu, Dr. Koji Attwood, and Dr. Hilary Demske. Having earned his Masters Degree from LSU, he is currently pursuing his doctorate degree also at LSU in piano performance with Dr. Michael Gurt.
Jay has studied chamber music with Dr. Cheung Chau and accompanied the vocal studio of Serena Kanig. He has also been involved with the Utah Valley University Piano Competition. Jay was invited to perform at the Grumo Festival in Milan and Rome Italy, performing solo and chamber music across Europe. He has previously studied piano at Coventry University in England, taking lessons from Julian Hellaby from the Royal College of Music.
Jay enjoys teaching students of all ages and is committed to providing them with a solid musical foundation. He teaches in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Dr. Melanie Mallard
Originally from Utah, Melanie has been surrounded by music throughout her life. All seven children in her family play the piano and at least one other instrument. Jam sessions are frequent when they all get together! She is currently a doctoral student in piano at Louisiana State University, having received her Master of Music degree from LSU and a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University.
Melanie believes that anyone can learn to enjoy making music at the piano, no matter the student’s skill level, learning style, or age. She enjoys connecting with students and helping each discover ways to engage with music making in every lesson. She loves Piano Pathways because it’s a positive space with teachers who are experienced and care about their impact on the community. Plus, the students are the BEST!
Dr. Richard Owen
Dr. Richard Owen has spent more than three decades sharing his love of music as a pianist, organist, conductor, and chamber musician. He loves teaching both classical and contemporary piano, guiding students with a focus on solid technique and heartfelt expression. Whether you’re just starting or preparing for advanced performance, he will tailor each lesson to your unique interests and goals.
Dr. Owen earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas, a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Accompanying from the University of Illinois, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Organ Performance from the University of Memphis.
His journey has included teaching at the University of Illinois and Coker College, along with serving on some of the largest church music programs in the USA. When Dr. Owen is not teaching, you will often find him trying to cook up something delicious or snuggling with my playful golden doodle, Bailey.