Our Teachers

Eric Godsey teaches percussion, guitar, ukulele, electric bass, piano/keyboard, as well as sound production and music theory. He has been teaching private lessons for nearly 15 years! Eric teaches K-5 general music at Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. He has 5 years of public teaching experience. He holds a B.M. in Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.S. in Music Production/Business from Old Dominion University. Eric uses his silly sense of humor and child-like nature to make learning fun! He can also be seen playing drums and singing background vocals in the quirky rock n' soul group The Wimps!

Emily is the owner of Mosley Music. In addition to running the studio, she teaches piano lessons and most of our classes. Emily began piano lessons at the age of 6. She studied with Grace Chase, Virginia Carroll and Dr. Martha Fickett. She studied voice with Kathy Ahearn at Mary Washington and James Taylor at VCU. Emily has over 18 years of experience teaching private piano lessons, in addition to teaching chorus and general music at every level from preschool to high school in both public and independent school settings. Emily has conducted and accompanied adult and senior adult choirs and welcomes students of all ages. Emily holds a BA in Music from Mary Washington College and a Master of Music with a focus in Music Education from VCU.

Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman teaches voice lessons at Mosley Music. He is a tenor hailing from Richmond, Virginia, and is excited to be able to share his art with the community that bore him! He has given private instruction during his time at Northwestern in pursuit of a master's degree and is no stranger to the professional stage. He has appeared as a young artist at Sarasota Opera (2020), Central City Opera (2018-2019), Des Moines Metro Opera (2017), as well as Charlottesville Opera (2016). Past professional roles include Corydon in Acis and Galatea, and Second Priest in Die Zauberflöte, both at Central City Opera. He is a recent graduate from Northwestern University, where he performed as Satyavan in Gustav Holst’s Savitri, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Septimius in Handel’s Theodora, the eponymous Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, as well as Benedict in Berlioz’s Beatrice et Benedict. In his undergraduate studies at Shenandoah Conservatory, he performed such roles as Eisenstein in (Die Fledermaus), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), and the titular role in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring. Benjamin is currently in the studio of W. Stephen Smith.  

Kacey O’Kelly teaches guitar, ukulele and violin at Mosley Music. She was born and raised in Hanover County and is currently studying Music Business at Berklee College of Music. Kacey has participated in events with the Richmond Symphony through VCU Come & Play and occasionally volunteers at Autumn Care where she plays guitar for the residents. Throughout her Berklee journey she has completed both courses in Pro Tools (a professional level DAW for producing music). She has been studying music for 13 years and has much experience with music theory. Kacey has also completed two Music Therapy courses through Berklee to gain a better understanding of the effect music has on mental and physical health.

Fitzhugh Ralph Mason III was born and raised in Hanover County, VA in 1989. He graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor's in Music Education with a concentration in percussion, and currently teaches Music at Elmont Elementary School. He specializes in performing and teaching drum set, guitar, bass and ukulele. His love for music and teaching knows no bounds!

Mara Smith teaches guitar and ukulele at Mosley Music and will host Making Music through STEAM and Storytelling with Ms. Smith this summer. She is a passionate musician and dedicated educator in the Richmond, VA area. She has been a elementary music teacher in Hanover County, VA since 2014. She holds a B.A. in Music and French from the College of William and Mary, and B.M. of Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. From 2012-2018 she served as a elementary choral director with City Singers Youth Choirs in Richmond, Virginia. She is a creative artist, composer and multi-instrumentalist who collaborates in the Funk/R&B project PPL MAG The Band, which premiered at the Broadberry, Richmond in January 2020 and continues its emergence on the Richmond music scene.

Connor Rudd teaches voice, piano and the “A Time to Sing” adult ensemble at Mosley Music. He is currently enrolled at Randolph-Macon College located in the town of Ashland, VA pursuing a music degree with a concentration in voice and composition. Music has and continues to be a lifelong passion of his, and over the course of the past 10 years he has had the pleasure of working with vocal coaches and clinicians such as Shelby Claire Milgram, Joseph B. Clarke, Juan Pineda, Sarah Walston, and many more. He currently takes piano lessons with Ms. Kimberly Fox, and he looks forward to passing on his knowledge of how to start out on an incredibly beautiful, unique instrument. In addition to his studies, he also participates in the only collegiate level Show Choir in Virginia, LUXE, under the direction of Mr. Adam Pulver, and has begun writing his first ever single, which will be released at the end of August 2022. His experience in LUXE and his high school show choir, New Dimensions, has led him to perform on various stages from Orlando, Florida’s FAME National Competition to the Midwest’s Fairfield, Ohio arena and numerous in between, and he can’t wait to share his passion for making music and performing with all of his students.

Chipper Via teaches guitar, bass, piano, drums and more at Mosley Music. He graduated from John Brown University in 2018, with a guitar degree, and moved to Virginia shortly thereafter. Chipper has toured with, recorded with, and engineered for a plethora of artists including Urban Doxology, Iamson, Porter's Gate, Kimberly Williams, Zóé, and more. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Production at Third Church. In your lessons with Chipper, you will set your goals and crush them with a song-based and student-centered approach, discovering yourself and your inner artist along the way. Outside of music, you might find Chipper nose deep in a good book, experimenting in the kitchen, or enjoying a quality cup of coffee with his buddies.

Melissa Reynold is the Conductor of Mosley Music's children's choir, The Hanover Youth Singers. Melissa has served as the Director of Music at Mechanicsville Presbyterian Church since 2009, where she leads the adult choir, children's choir, handbell choir and praise band. Melissa also teaches preschool music at several area preschools - New Hanover Christian School, First Baptist Church of Richmond Preschool, and Canterbury Community Nursery School. Melissa loves working with children of all ages, and is excited to share her love of choral music and choral technique with the members of the Hanover Youth Singers. Melissa has a BS in Spanish from Penn State University and a MA in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and she taught middle and high school Spanish for several years before pursuing a career in music. Melissa lives with her husband, Mike, and her three children in Mechanicsville.

Liz Alexander teaches piano and voice at Mosley Music. She is passionate about music, and piano and voice are her primary instruments. Liz has studied classical voice and piano at James Madison and is currently finishing her studies at Liberty University online. Most recently, she has become the worship director at Restoration Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and continues to grow in strength as a teacher and musician. Liz's goal in teaching students at Mosley Music is to empower the kids to have confidence in their abilities and to foster growth and potential!

Coleman Wheeler teaches acoustic and electric guitar at Mosley Music. He has been playing guitar for 20 years and has been teaching private lessons for 7 years. He graduated from Colorado Contemporary Music College in 2008, with a Commercial Music Diploma of Performance and Education. He played acoustic and electric guitar on the worship team at New Life Int’l Church in 2016, Hope Church in 2017 and has been serving on the worship team at Third Church since November 2020. He enjoys playing and teaching blues, rock, folk, jazz, and bluegrass. Coleman is very passionate about music and sharing the joy of it with others. He enjoys learning songs that his students are interested in playing and works towards helping students develop the foundation and skills they need to express themselves through the beautiful language of music!