Our Team

Reneé Frey is a mother of two who has always been filled with a passion for children and music. Those passions have been clearly evident in many of her life’s activities. As a girl growing up in Oregon, WI, she was part of a musical family who often sang together in church and in the car when traveling. She was a member of her school chorus as well as her church choir. She also led children’s music in Sunday school. Reneé’s parents were both educators and instilled in her a love of and appreciation for many types of music, as well as the desire to be a teacher. In fourth grade she began playing the violin.

Her involvement with orchestra continued through her college years at UW-Platteville, where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood in 1995. After graduation, she worked as an early childhood educator and program director, allowing her to teach and learn with children from birth through school age. She then taught third grade for the Middleton-Cross Plains School District until transitioning to being a stay-home parent after the birth of her second child.

Reneé lives in Cross Plains with her husband Tony and their two children Logan and Mahala, where music continues to be a tie that binds the family. It is not uncommon to find the family singing and dancing together in the living room of their home or having drum, keyboard, or guitar jam sessions on a daily basis. It is a joy for Reneé to watch her children develop the same love of music that is so much a part of her life. She is excited about this opportunity to share that joy with other families and build on her history of teaching and learning with young children.

Andrea is so happy to have the opportunity to work with the entire Musical Pathways team! She knows the benefits of Kindermusik firsthand as her children were enrolled in Musical Pathways for several years. Andrea’s role as Administrative Assistant is to help ensure that Kindermusik families receive exceptional care and service. Feel free to call Andrea with any questions or concerns and she will be sure to serve you!

Born in Minneapolis, MN, Andrea moved to Wisconsin when she was 2 and is a Monona High graduate. She moved to Waunakee over 30 years ago where she married her husband of 26 years, Steve. They have two sons, Jake and Eric.

Some of Andrea’s favorite things are reading and to get together with close friends or family for a good meal and good conversation with a lot of laughs. She also enjoys traveling for several weeks in the fall with her Auntie Lois.

Alex Gallatin is a violinist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began playing the violin when he was 7 years old, and has taken individual lessons since. He participated in the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra program for 7 years, and continues to play in community orchestras. When he began his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in violin performance at UW-Milwaukee, his passion for both teaching and performing ignited. Since then, he received a Master of Music degree in violin performance from UW-Madison, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in violin performance, also from UW-Madison. 

Alex has been teaching violin since November 2017. He believes in a flexible and encouraging approach to lessons, as every student has different needs on their way to balanced and high-level musicianship. He loves working with students to solve the problems they run into during the week, and sharing the same ‘aha’ moments that he had on his way to becoming a violinist.

Alex has also established himself as a performer through his sensitive musicality and formidable technique. He’s had the pleasure of performing several styles of music throughout the midwest, including plenty of solo violin, orchestral, and chamber music repertoire, as well as jazz and pop tunes with the Lakefront String Quartet, and mariachi music with Mariachi Monarcas de Milwaukee. 

Claudia is so excited to be teaching voice, piano, and Kindermusik at Musical Pathways! Originally from Rockford, Il, Claudia studied for 6 years in Boston before settling in Madison in 2021. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Boston Conservatory in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and from Tufts University in 2021 with a Master of Arts in Musicology.

Claudia currently works in the education department for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and spends her days spreading the joy of classical music to Madison's families and community members. Her goal as a teacher of littles is to instill confidence and excitement about music. She views her role as a teacher of teens to create smart and passionate singers who leave her studio as avid musicians and listeners. When not administrating or teaching, Claudia studies the connection between all forms of music making and education as a musicologist and has published papers on various genres of instrumental music. She is also a professional mezzosoprano and performs often around the Midwest. 

Claudia lives with her partner Hugo and their two puppies Artichoke and Rutabaga. In her off time, Claudia loves to go hiking and camping where she can hear all of the music created in nature. She is so thrilled to be a part of the Musical Pathways team! 

Eric is excited to join Musical Pathways teaching saxophone, clarinet and guitar. Eric is originally from Melbourne, Florida where he discovered his love for music from a young age, with his first instrument being guitar at the age of nine and eventually getting into band and playing saxophone in middle school. During high school, Eric began teaching younger students where he developed an interest in teaching music. Eric went on to study music at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida focusing on music education, where saxophone was  his primary instrument. After graduating in 2023, Eric moved to Madison with his wife, Taelyn, and three cats to begin his career in music, which led him to Musical Pathways.

Jessica Spicer is thrilled to teach flute, piano, and string lessons for Musical Pathways Foundation. Originally from Wilmington, DE, she grew up playing flute and piano in school, church, and community programs. She moved to Wisconsin for college and attended Lawrence University-Conservatory of Music in Appleton. Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Flute Performance in 2004. She completed a Master of Music in Music Education (Kodaly emphasis) at Silver Lake College in 2014.

Jessica currently teaches general music, as well as band and orchestra lessons, at Waunakee Community Middle School. She also coaches and accompanies solo and ensemble students for festival each year. Her previous job experience includes teaching 6-12 grade band and general music in rural Wisconsin.

Jessica lives with her husband, Peter, and sons, Seton and Seager, in Waunakee, WI. Jessica is excited to have Seager in Kindermusik and Seton taking music lessons through Musical Pathways. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family. Her hobbies include reading, jogging, ballroom dancing, and traveling.

Jessica believes in a holistic approach to music education by developing musical talent, while at the same time instilling creativity and self-confidence in the child. Most of all, she enjoys sharing her passion for music with students of all ages nearly every day!

As a multi-instrumentalist (piano, percussion) performing and learning music of many genres, Leah takes a teaching approach that is flexible, practical, and accessible. Leah studied percussion and jazz piano at Hope College in Holland, Michigan; during that time, Leah also developed a niche collaborating with tap dancers. In addition to continuing to perform around the Midwest, Leah regularly collaborates on projects with musicians and dancers around the continent through performance and creative residency opportunities. Leah’s training spans many genres, including classical, jazz, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, funk, R&B, and musical theater.

Outside of music, Leah enjoys reading, hiking, and building relationships with the disability community. Leah has extensive experience teaching and designing music education curriculum for students with disabilities and neurodivergent students of all ages. Leah also combines lived and professional experience to support students rehabilitating from injuries that have affected their playing.

Leah has two objectives for every student: that they have fun making music and that they develop healthy habits in their practice that allow them to make music over the course of their lives. The best part of Leah’s job is watching students develop creativity and curiosity. When students start their lesson asking more questions than they left with, Leah knows their work together has been successful.

Nate Wewetzer is the instructor in Guitar and Trombone with the Musical Pathways Foundation. He holds both a BM in Music Education and Jazz certification from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, which he received in 2016. Nate currently teaches for the Madison Metropolitan School District as a General Music & Orchestra instructor and teaches guitar classes at the Waunakee Village Center.

His educational philosophy centers around providing students with ample performance opportunities and meaningful learning experiences. Nate teaches students to develop proper technique and an understanding of music theory, as well as composition and improvisation skills. He helps students set personal goals and create plans to reach them.

Outside of teaching, Nate composes and produces music for movies and games, bikes and runs around the lakes of Madison, and performs as a vocalist, guitarist, and trombonist for his cat named Bucky. He avidly listens to music in all styles, though he prefers funk, jazz, and rock music.

Originally from Shanghai China, Ying began his piano studies at the very young age of four. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with degrees in Piano Performance and Psychology, with an emphasis in child development. After completing a master’s degree in Piano Performance at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, he is now back in Madison pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy.

Ying believes that most learning comes through the students themselves and it is his goal to guide students onto a path of lifelong musical learning. He is deeply interested in how children’s neuropsychological development and music, especially piano, can directly affect one’s intellectual and multisensory development. Currently, he is working on an EEG study for his dissertation with the Speech Processing and Auditory Neuroscience Lab, under the UW Madison department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

As an outgoing and experienced instructor, Ying currently maintains a private piano studio in the Madison area where he teaches students across all ages. He strives to bring musical concepts to life in creative ways and to share his enthusiasm for the piano and music with his students.

Early childhood experts agree that a young child’s most important teacher is the parent or caregiver, and that the best place for a child to learn is in the home where they feel safe and secure. Betsy established Musical Pathways (neural pathways) when she recognized the need for a studio to help make great parenting easier, and to pull families together from the youngest member to the most senior. Utilizing high-quality musical experiences, Musical Pathways works to develop the whole child.

Betsy and her husband, Larry, have retired to sunny California and are enjoying life.