BU Preparatory 
Music & Theater Program

​Louie Hehman serves assistant professor of piano and music theory at Bellarmine University, as well as director of the Preparatory Music Program. Dr. Hehman is highly active as a performer, educator, clinician, and researcher, and has performed or presented at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP), the MTNA Collegiate Symposium, and the Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina Music Teacher's Association State Conferences. He is also a two-time recipient of the Steinway and Sons Top Teacher Award, and in 2021 was awarded a gold medal in the Grand Metropolitan International Music Competition.In 2018, Dr. Hehman spent a summer studying in Vienna, Austria under acclaimed Schubert interpreter Hafez Babashahi, and in the same year participated in the South Carolina premier of Leonard Bernstein's MASS.

In summer 2022, he received an appointment to teach at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. Important teachers have included Charles Fugo, Kate Boyd, and Meme Tunnell; pedagogy mentors have included Sara Ernst, Scott Price, and MTNA president Karen Thickstun. Louie has an interest in both jazz and classical styles, and in addition to his coursework at South Carolina also holds an MM degree in piano pedagogy from Butler University and BA degrees in Music and History from Bellarmine University.

Asia Vincent is a recent graduate from the University of Louisville where she received her Bachelor’s of Music with an emphasis in Music Therapy. Her principal instrument of study was piano under the guidance and teaching of Dr. Anna Petrova and Dr. Naomi Oliphant. Asia loves discovering the joy of music-making with students, and has taught private lessons to beginner piano students throughout her college career. In the summer of 2021 she had the privilege of teaching the summer music program in Portland, Louisville to students from underserved families. 

Asia has been a member of the National Guild – Teachers Division of American College of Musicians for the past three years in order to give her students the opportunity to challenge themselves by presenting their pieces to a judge annually. Asia is also currently serving as Treasurer for the Greater Louisville Music Teachers Association. She is extremely grateful and excited to be working with Bellarmine’s Prep Program to bring music to more students and families.   

Rebecca Northrup is a graduate of Bellarmine University. She graduated in 2022, having studied under the guidance of Dr. Meme Tunnell and Dr. Louie Hehman. She has played the piano since she was 6 years old and has performed pieces in various genres, including classical, jazz, Irish traditional, worship, pop, rock, and her original compositions. She has taught piano since her freshman year of college, and has a passion for teaching beginner students.  She has additionally studied piano technology, working as a piano technician in addition to teaching. She has led master classes at the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University on piano technicianship and continues to expand her knowledge and passion for pedagogy,  performance, and piano technology.

Hank Evans is a 2013 graduate of Bellarmine University with degrees in Piano Pedagogy & Accompanying and Jazz Studies.  In 2016, he earned a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Louisville.  Hank has been teaching piano lessons in the Louisville area for over ten years and currently serves as the Director of Worship and Music for Holy Trinity Parish in St. Matthews.  When he isn't teaching, he performs with local groups including Tony and the Tan Lines, 64West, The Players Club, and Funkasaurus.

Elise received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Accompanying from Bellarmine University, where she studied piano under Meme Tunnell and Dr. Louie Hehman and cello under Allison Olsen. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Piano Performance under Dr. Anna Petrova at the University of Louisville. Elise is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and has presented research at local meetings and state conferences. In addition to her work with the Bellarmine Prep Program, Elise teaches piano and cello lessons at Christian Academy of Louisville, where she also leads cello sectionals and works in special education.

Simon McGaughey is a Bellarmine Alumnus who holds a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Music Technology. During his time at Bellarmine, he took a two-semester instrumental pedagogy course and studied classical piano with Dr. Louie Hehman. In addition to classical training, Simon also studied jazz piano under Professor Todd Hildreth, and also explored cello, guitar, and music composition. He played in Bellarmine’s jazz, bluegrass, and chamber string ensembles, and debuted original electroacoustic compositions on his Junior and Senior recitals.

Highlights of Simon's time at Bellarmine include: touring Italy with the jazz ensemble and the choir, playing piano for the only student composition featured in the 2024 KMTA Composer’s Concert, and attending the annual Jazz Education Network conference in Atlanta, GA. Through exploring multiple different disciplines, Simon has developed a passion for helping students express themselves through music by employing diverse learning tools and practice techniques.

Todd Hildreth is instructor of jazz piano at Bellarmine University where he also teaches courses in Jazz, Pop, and Rock History. Todd's musical interest began with the accordion at 10, and moved to Jerry Lee Lewis, Frank Zappa and Queen at 12. He enrolled at Bellarmine University in 1985 with the intention of becoming an English teacher, but discovered Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett by the end of his first semester and has never looked back. He has founded or been in collaboration with groups such as The Java Men, King Kong, Liberation Prophecy, Squeeze-bot, Vgroove, The Louisville Improvisors, and the Todd Hildreth trio. He teaches at the annual Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops, leads the music program at Ascension Lutheran Church, and is the musical director for The WHAS Crusade for Children's annual telethon. Todd has performed or recorded with Don Braden, Stephanie Courtney (Flo from the Progressive commercials), Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, Dave Liebman, Rufus Reid, Joan Rivers, Bobby Shew, Dave Stryker, and many others.

Gabriella Galletti is a soprano and voice educator passionate about cultivating healthy, expressive technique and artistic authenticity. She holds degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisville (M.M.) and the University of Memphis (B.M.). Performance highlights include roles in Rigoletto, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Gianni Schicchi, with appearances at Kentucky Opera and abroad in Germany and Austria. She has performed alongside Kristin Chenoweth and participated in masterclasses with Jake Heggie and Ben Moore. Her students have earned scholarships to top music programs, and she fosters a supportive, inclusive environment for singers to thrive.

Cody Hofmans is a Louisville-based musician and educator with a deep love and appreciation for music. He graduated summa cum laude from Bellarmine University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Technology and Production.What began as a love for The Beatles and classic rock evolved into a lifelong passion for exploring and performing a wide range of musical genres, including but not limited to classical, jazz, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, ragtime, soul, funk, and even hip-hop. While at Bellarmine, his primary focus was classical guitar performance in addition to music production.Cody began playing bass guitar at age 15 and picked up acoustic guitar during his senior year of high school. His musical journey has led him to perform at the historic Cotton Club in Rome and sing for a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Since 2019, he has also been a member of a local band that continues to perform throughout the Louisville area.

Violinist, Jane Halliday (YouTube@JaneHalliday-Musician), is a versatile musician with extensive performance experience in a variety of musical genres. She studied violin with Paul Kling, Philipp Naegele, Peter McHugh, and Timothy Baker. She has a B.M. in music performance and an M.A. in Humanities & Civic Leadership, both from the University of Louisville, as well as a B.A. in English from Smith College. Jane’s performance experiences as a classical musician range from solo work to chamber and orchestral playing with ensembles throughout Kentucky. She also plays for productions of the Broadway Series at the Kentucky Center and special concerts by visiting artists such as Stevie Wonder, Kristin Chenoweth, and The Eagles. She is a founder of the Carnegie Quartet (carnegiequartet.com), an outstanding string quartet based in Lexington KY. As a crossover violinist, she “fiddles” in Jane’s Jazz Addiction (janesjazzaddiction.com) and collaborates and records original music written by her singer/songwriter sister,