Creative Ej

Select the Creative Ej staff member using the arrow keys.

Click on their picture to read their biography.

Karl Gunther

Karl is an extraordinary musician and performer. And we are not the only ones that think so - The Ohio State University awarded Karl a full scholarship in Music Performance. He has been classically trained, plays most instruments, and teaches bass guitar, guitar, drums, and keyboards at Creative Ej.

For the last two years, Karl has been playing jazz, seven nights a week at Jasmine’s, a five star Supper Club in Myrtle Beach., and now tours the East Coast with a rock band called “Joystick.” He has developed a style of guitar playing that incorporates two guitars at once, and has won the “Central Ohio’s Best Guitarist” contest.

In addition to teaching private lessons, Karl is in charge of Creative Ej's student band program.

Brian Burton

Brian is an honored graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA with a degree in Professional Music emphasizing Performance, Workshop Teaching, and Music Synthesis. At Berklee, he studied with many acclaimed percussionists including Kenwood Dennard, Dave DiCenso, and Rod Morgenstein. He has also studied with noted educators Rupert Kettle, Vuk Kulenovich, and Bob Moses. Brian has been a full time drum set performer and recording artist for the past decade. Highlights include work with Cast Iron Filter, the American Repertory Theatre, the Jon Finn Group, Brooke Starr, Rick Spreitzer, Jah Kings, and Billy Jones. Currently he performs regionally with Hipshack. Brian began his teaching career at RIT Music in his hometown of Grand Rapids, MI where served as head of percussion instruction. He also was an adjunct music professor at Grace Bible College. He uses Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, and Aquarian Drum Heads.

Visit our music page to hear Brian's music.

Sidney Helou

Sidney Helou is a vocal powerhouse. Being a part of the worship team at Mosiac Church, she performs weekly for over 2,000 people. Her incredible range is matched only by the power of her voice. Sidney is currently shopping for record deals. She is teaching vocals, piano, and Kreative Kids at Creative Ej.

Jeremy Holtzclaw

Jeremy Holtzclaw has over 20 years experience teaching and playing the guitar and bass guitar, specializing in classic rock and metal genres. He is also a studio musician, songwriter, audio engineer and producer. Jeremy has played professionally with Polaire, Alien FM, and Shallow. Jeremy offers private instruction, coaches student bands, and conducts audio engineering workshops at Creative Ej.

Ray Tyson

Ray started playing professionally at age 17 in his hometown of Dallas, Texas. He was greatly influenced by Texas Blues artists such as Freddie King and the Vaughan Brothers, as well as rock guitarists Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana. During his 34 year career, Ray has divided his time between playing and writing original music and performing in cover bands.

He has shared the stage with artists such as Joe Walsh, Delbert McClinton, and Mother's Finest. He has studied with guitarist/songwriter Chet Catello of Spyro Gyra. Ray is well versed in rock, blues, R&B, funk, and roots music, and welcomes students of all levels. Watch Ray on our video page.

Reggie Graves

Reggie Graves has professionally played guitar for 25 years and has a solid background in electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and drum programming. Reggie is a well respected studio musician and tours nationally with some of the best gospel groups around, including Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers. He has spent several years as the lead guitarist for University Park Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the nation. Reggie teaches private lessons in guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, theory, and songwriting at Creative Ej. In addition, he coaches praise & worship, pop, and country style student bands.

Jeremy Shaw

Jeremy Shaw (Guitar/Vocals) - is a performing, recording, and song-writing artist. He blends a wide variety of styles and traditions into his own unique sound. His guitar work ranges from acoustic finger-style to angular modern jazz. Jeremy studied composition and performance at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has worked professionally with numerous acts and musicians throughout the north and southeast for over fifteen years.

Jeremy has extensive studio recording experience and appears on many CD releases. Jeremy was born in Utica and attended the Berklee College of Music, where he studied composition and performance. The thriving musical environment in Boston was a tremendous learning experience. Jeremy spent the next several years in Boston and has performed with members of Phish, G Love & Special Sauce, Moon Boot Lover, Soulive, Schleigho, and others, as they passed through Boston. After almost a decade in Boston, Jeremy moved back south eventually settling in Charlotte, NC, where he lives with his family.

Visit our music page to hear Jeremy's music.

Charity Helms

Charity Helms, a Liberty University graduate, is a vocal, piano, and songwriting coach at Creative Ej, who performs throughout the United States on weekends. She has even performed in Europe. Charity coaches our advanced singing/dancing group, Starz, and specializes in vocal harmony and blending. Charity loves singing praise and worship music most, but is well versed at teaching pop, rock, country, as well as classical styles, too.

Meredith Swanson

Meredith Swanson earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts from East Carolina University in Musical Theater in 2005. Since then she has stared in Walt Disney World’s “High School Musical” and “Playhouse Disney Live” in Orlando, Florida. Meredith has performed professionally throughout the United States and is a member of the Actors Equity Association. After moving to Charlotte in 2008, Meredith was a lead soloist in Charlotte’s own Carolina Voices “Singing Christmas Tree.” She is well versed all aspects of performing arts including dance, acting, piano, pop and vocal jazz. . Meredith is the elementary music teacher at Countryside Montessori School.

Annette Calud

Annette Calud is thrilled to be joining the Creative EJ family. Though she majored in Molecular Biology at the University of Wisconsin and earned a Doctor of Optometry degree at the Illinois College of Optometry, theater was always her real passion. After graduation she practiced as an Optometrist while also working in professional musical theater.

Annette got her start working in Theme Parks including Marriott’s Great America. She went on to perform as a Kid of the Kingdom and Emcee of the World Dancers at Walt Disney World and EPCOT Center in Orlando. After appearing in regional theater productions including “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, “Anything Goes”, “Gypsy”, “They’re Playing Our Song”, and the “20th Anniversary Revival of HAIR”. Annette made her Broadway debut in the original cast of “Miss Saigon” and went on to play the leading role of “Kim” She then went on to portray the recurring role of “Celina” the Dance Teacher on the Emmy award winning children’s’ television show, Sesame Street for five years.

Annette felt fortunate to work with such luminaries as Sesame Street founder, Jon Stone, producer Cameron Macintosh and award winning directors such as Nick Hytner and Frank Galati.

Annette has also traveled around the United States performing her interactive dance program, “Celina’s Dance Party” for over 10 years. She loves introducing music and movement to children of all ages.

After working in professional theater, television, print, industrials and commercial work, Annette used her experience in ministry. She spent seven years working as the drama and dance project manager at Willowcreek Community Church in Chicago. Annette also taught musical theater and dance at the Willow Arts Center and Einstein Academy.

Most recently Annette was on staff at Lake Forest Church as a director, writer and choreographer. She is also a weekly columnist for the Charlotte Observer and a freelance photographer. Annette loves helping children and students discover passion for the arts.

Diamelen Partridge

Diamelen has experience in all facets of the entertainment industry. She started professionally as a dancer with a Pacific Northwest company, eventually working in Los Angeles and internationally. This area of performing branched into the fashion industry where Diamelen has worked for a variety of clients in couture and ready to wear runway markets in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Sapporo , Japan; including television modeling on shows like “The View” ,” Donnie and Marie” and “The Other Half” with Dick Clark and Mario Lopez.

While pursuing dance and modeling careers, she booked various print ads including campaigns for the Korean make up line Ferity, Southern California Bride, and Ventura County Star as well as television work including videos, commercials for Us Health, Aetna, American Breads Council, Heineken, various industrials and hosting fashion segments for Los Angeles news programs, “The Other Half”, “Soap Talk”, and “The Christopher Lowe Show” pilot for Merv Griffin Productions.

Transitioning to the other side of the stage and camera, Diamelen has been a fashion show choreographer and director, pageant coach and judge for local and Miss Teen USA systems, and been coaching models and talent for over 12 years. Her models have been signed to contracts in the US and Japan, Spain, South America, Paris, Greece, and Germany. Her runway teams have won awards in international competitions. Some of her private clients include Shane Sweet of “Married With Children”, Olivia Olsen of “ Love Actually” and the “Barbie Movie” where Diamelen also served as a dance consultant, Jessica Goulet, Elite Model Search Winner of 2000, Liz Luque, Pan American Miss Universe 3rd place winner, as well as numerous clients who have booked print campaigns and gotten commercial and dramatic television representation. Her 3 children, signed with Ford Models and Abrahms Artists have worked regularly since they were 6wks old.

Valuing community involvement and relationships with people, Diamelen has volunteered for the Special Olympics as a coach, Girls On The Run, Bloom Project, Target’s “Arts in School” grant program ,YMCA, local church and missions work,( wherever “local” happens to be at the time). Diamelen and her family now live in North Carolina , where they have worked for local television, fashion and print clients including Coke, Presbyterian Hospitals, Nascar, Car Quest, Coats and Clark, Charlotte Fashion Week, American Girl, and Verizon. Nationally, they have worked for Banyan Productions on The Travel Channel and even done an episode of “Trading Spaces”. Diamelen is a photo shoot creative stylist as well as make up artist, fashion show choreographer, fashion and talent coach, event hostess, and spokesperson.

Charles Morrow

Charles Morrow is a 2004 graduate from the Lenoir Rhyne College School of Fine Arts. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and a Minor in Sacred Music. Although Charles uses his voice as his main instrument he also enjoys the piano and trumpet. While in college, Charles had the opportunity to study with known vocal coaches as; Michael Clawson from Virginia and Judith Burbank from the Cincinnatti Conservatory of Music. After graduation, Charles had the opportunity to study with choral directors from Florida State, St. Olaf and Luther College.

Charles enjoys a wide range of music and has helped students from all areas of music. Some of Mr. Morrow's private students have obtained full music scholarships to schools such as; Southeastern, Appalachian State, Alabama and Covenant College.

Charles has enjoyed touring musically through out the United States and Europe. He has also been with Grammy Award winner Steve Green during his 2003 Christmas tour in North Carolina.

Eric Williams - "E Will"

Lacey Kline

Lacey Kline is an avid dancer who studied at Dance Davidson, and the prestigious school of North Carolina Dance Theatre for several years, under Patricia McBride (former principle dancer of NYC Ballet). For more than fifteen years, Lacey has danced and performed leading roles in ballets such as: Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Copellia, Pinocchio, and the Nutcracker, as well as the musicals of Fame, and West Side Story.

She attended University Park Creative Arts Elementary School in Charlotte, where she was a member of the troubadours, and the dance company for three years. In the fourth grade she was in Opera Carolina’s production of Tosca, and in the fifth grade sang with Celine Dion in the song, “Let’s Talk about Love,” during her tour in Charlotte. That same year she was awarded, Outstanding Performing Artist of 1999, by the Carolina's Concert Association, and had her artwork displayed as the program cover for the 1998 Charlotte Mecklenburg School’s Cultural Education Festival.

Lacey was a cheerleader her freshman year at North Mecklenburg High and captain of the dance team at La Canada High School, in California. This past year she helped form Queens University's first dance club, where free Salsa, Swing, Ballet, and Hip-Hop workshops are taught to the students. Next year she plans to take on a project with the dance club, teaching dance to inner-city children through the big brothers and sisters foundation. Along with her love for the stage and the performing arts, Lacey is pursuing her dream of becoming an Elementary School teacher, due to her passion for helping children learn and grow.

Leeah Cavanaugh

Born and raised in Locust North Carolina, Leeah began to show off her love for entertaining early in life. With the encouragement and support of her family, she took to the stage at age seven and began honing her talents attending drama workshops, competitions and talent shows.

Starting at her community theatre program, Leeah gained eleven years of experience in singing, dancing, acting, and overall stage performance. Although she loved each of these crafts, her true passion was singing. Her influences include a broad spectrum of performers spanning various genres of music, including Olivia Newton-John, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride. These artists and many more have helped Leeah shape her own unique style into one that her fans enjoy and love.

Christian and gospel music have also been a significant part of Leeah's life. She has performed Southern Gospel with "The Singing Towers" for nine years. She also served as musical director of the Loves Grove UMC Praise Band for 4 years.

Leeah's talent has not gone unnoticed in the community. She has been invited to perform the National Anthem for community events and at sporting events including the Charlotte Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, and Charlotte Sting (WNBA) as well as at concert venues for Keith Urban and Chris Cagle.

Leeah performs at multiple Charlotte venues with an acoustic duo as well as being a guest vocalist with local bands. She also frequently performs at various charity fundraisers, weddings, funerals, nursing homes and other local events.

Jeff Gastineau

Originally from Ohio, Jeff performed on guitars, keyboards, and vocals as a member of several extremely successful regional groups including Scram, Money, Glass Hammer, and The Press, with total independent record sales of over 50,000 units. These groups were attendance record-holders at the largest clubs in the area during their existence and opened for acts such as Toto, Joe Perry Project, John Waite, Robin Trower, Molly Hatchet, Night Ranger, and others.

Jeff had a long run of success in the Columbus Ohio music scene, and appeared on WLVQ (Columbus, Ohio) Q•FM•96 Hometown Album Projects 7, 8, and 9 with Durzo & Keen, Gastineau & Harriman, and The Press, respectively. As a product specialist and clinician, Jeff performed hundreds of synthesizer and guitar concerts and seminars across the country for Korg Keyboards, Marshall Amplifiers, BOSS, and Roland Musical Instruments. As a participant in the first wave of online internet music services, several of Jeff's songs charted in the Top 5 on the Classic Rock and Guitar Rock charts on MP3.com.

Jeff has been active in studios for over 25 years and has produced and engineered for various artists including Royal Crescent Mob, The Press, Gastineau & Harriman, Eurogression, JB Bruck, Money, Durzo & Keen, Def Dee, Tetrec, IPYPU, Razor Penguins, Susan Kay Johnson, The Point, The Bellows, LeDanse Classical, Five Mighty People, Miss America Troupe, War Minister, Spirit Song, Donald Scales, Peggy Lacey, and Final Flight, among others.

Dave Zeltner

Dave Zeltner is a producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who has studied privately with Ted Baker (keyboardist for Steely Dan), George Mesterhazy (pianist for world-renowned jazz artist Gary Burton) and Mr. James Amadie (pianist for Woody Herman and Mel Torme as well as Berklee College of Music Guest Lecturer).

Playing professionally at the age of 15, Dave performed in every major city of the United States as well as toured throughout Mexico and Puerto Rico. He also served as a musical director and keyboardist in Atlantic City performing with many well-known artists including Mel Carter, Danny Aiello, Danny Bonaduce and The Soul Survivors at Trumps Castle, Tropicana Hotel, and Bally's Casino and Hotel.

Performing as an artist, clinician and product specialist, Dave worked for Ensoniq, Korg USA and the Roland Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturers of synthesizer workstations, digital samplers and professional recording equipment. David has composed product demos, conducted clinics, published articles and appeared in instructional videos for a number of high tech product releases by these companies. While on board with Korg and Roland, Dave worked with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, REO Speedwagon, Keith Emerson, Dennis DeYoung (Singer and Keyboardist for Styx) and Chuck Leavell (keyboards for the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and the Allman Brothers).

Dave’s keyboard and production work can be heard on hundreds of Karaoke versions of today's top selling artists distributed worldwide and has performed on the "Artists Song Series" of Celine Deion, Shania Twain, The Beach Boys, Christina Aguilera, Hall and Oates, Neil Diamond, Partridge Family, Chaka Kahn, Travis Tritt, The Bangles, Harry Chapin, Orleans, Bette Midler, Taylor Dayne, Ronnie Milsap, Kenny Rogers, Player, Mary Chapin Carpenter as well as many others.

Recently Dave released his first solo CD of original compositions entitles "Smooth Sailing" as well as a CD of contemporary Christmas arrangements. Dave can also be heard performing locally with Maxwell Smart and Zeltner and Montieth, as well as on the following CD's: David Caudle's "Night Passions", Christopher Cortez's "Territorial Imperative", Kathy Dulin's "The Truth", Andre Ferreri's "Family Album", Paul Kramer's "Seasons", Jim Benham's "Midwest Rain's and Weather Vanes", Tesser's "Walk a Different Line", Dr. Cecil Edward's "Faithful till The End Of Time" and Lisa Gianikos ' "Starting From Zero".