TSM Instructors
Leslie Thurman, director
Leslie is a Dallas native who graduated from Highland Park High School, and then attended SMU. She graduated with a Bachelors of Music in Music Education with concentrations in both piano and voice. Leslie is a former member of the DMTA & MTNA.
For over 50 years, Leslie has worked with children in music. She has taught private piano and voice lessons and directed music education for numerous private schools and churches. The demand for her private piano teaching increased to the point that she began training other teachers in her approach. Leslie continues to direct the Thurman School of Music as she and her staff continually commit to providing quality music instruction for all ages.
Many of Leslie’s students have continued to study music at the collegiate level, graduating from such highly-regarded music schools as UNT and SMU.
Andrew Grein, assistant director
Andrew has been an instructor with the Thurman School of Music since 2003. His educational background includes a B.M. in Piano Performance from Oklahoma Baptist University and an M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Oklahoma.
In addition to his TSM students, Andrew also teaches as an adjunct instructor of class piano at Richland College in Richardson and does vocal and instrumental accompanying throughout the area.
Chloe Ann Grein, assistant director
Chloe Ann has been with TSM as a student beginning in 1987, and a teacher beginning in 1995. She completed her B.M. in Piano Performance from Southern Methodist University in 2003 and an M.A. in Humanities from the University of Dallas in 2008. Chloe Ann has performed extensively throughout the area as an accompanist and as the pianist for the Plano Symphony Orchestra. She also co-directs Jubilate! Childrens Chorus, a choir for homeschool children located in the north Dallas area.
Chloe Ann stays busy by teaching and performing, homeschooling, and, along with her husband Andrew, taking care of their four children, Jonah, Leah, Bonnie, and Oscar.
Jessi Fraccaro
Jessi began studying piano in East Texas, where she has won numerous awards through the years at area piano competitions. As a junior in high school, Jessi was chosen to join the Kilgore College Keyboard Ensemble. During her time with this ensemble, Jessi performed at two MTNA conventions (2005 & 2006), and with Jackson Berkey, lead keyboardist for Mannheim Steamroller.
Jessi holds degrees in piano from Kilgore Junior College and Southern Methodist University. In 2013, Jessi received a masters degree in Christian Education from Dallas Seminary, and she served on staff at Grace Bible Church until 2016.
Since 2008, Jessi has served as a piano instructor with the Thurman School of Music and is a member of CMTA. In her spare time, Jessi enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband, three kids, and three dogs.
Barbara Loest, associate director
Barbara has been a teacher with the Thurman School of Music since 1982. She received a B.M.E. from Midwestern State University, and continued her education at the graduate level at the University of North Texas.
In addition to her outstanding teaching abilities, Barbara is also a highly sought after accompanist in the Dallas area. She currently serves as Associate Director of Worship & Music and Director of Youth and Senior Adult Choirs at Park Cities Baptist Church where she has directed and accompanied numerous choral productions.
Many of Barbara’s students have continued their music studies at the master’s and doctoral level, graduating from such prestigious schools as Eastman, Yale, Baylor, and TCU.
Lillian Paris
Lillian is a TSM alumnus, having studied piano since she was six years old. She has proven herself as a diligent pianist and she studied under Leslie Thurman. Her performance experience includes being a repeat winner in TSM’s Evaluation Workshop, playing in church and worship settings, and accompanying in various school ensembles.
Lillian graduated from Naaman Forest High School in 2019 and has been teaching with TSM for six years. She is passionate about music and loves using her gifts to inspire students.
Maddy Black
Maddy is an active performer, educator, and music enthusiast in Dallas, TX. She received her degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas in May 2022. During her time at UNT, Maddy participated in multiple masterclasses and competitions, and placed third in the Città di Massa International Competition for Young Musicians. She served as the Keyboard Representative for the UNT Student Advisory Committee for two years and graduated magna cum laude. Maddy was one of a select few musicians invited to perform at her commencement ceremony.
Since graduating, Maddy has performed with various organizations around DFW including the Plano Symphony Orchestra, the Irving Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Preservation Society. She is a frequent accompanist and coach for multiple high school band programs in the area and plays for other events regularly. Maddy has been an instructor with TSM since 2020. She loves working with kids of all ages and helping them find their own passion for music. Her work with nonprofit organizations since graduating has been very inspiring, and she has enrolled at Southern Methodist University to pursue an MBA and a Master of Arts and Nonprofit Leadership, beginning in the Fall of 2024.
Patrick Orr
Patrick began studying piano at age ten with Joan Robinson. By fifteen, he began studying with Dr. Julie Bees at Wichita State University. Presently, Patrick studies under the mentorship of Andrey Ponochevny at Southern Methodist University, and is pianist and music director at Preston Hollow Church.
Some of Patrick’s most recent accomplishments include winning gold medals at both the International Keyboard Odyssiad and Festival and the inaugural Festival Internacional de Piano y Orquesta de Guadalajara; second place in the Mu Phi Epsilon International Young Artist Competition; and has been a finalist in the Wideman Competition, as well as a quarter finalist in both the Dallas International Piano Competition and currently the Dublin International Piano Competition.
Patrick has performed concertos with orchestras including the Kansas City Symphony, the WSU Symphony, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, and most recently with the West Mexico Symphony Orchestra at Teatro Degollado. Beyond playing the piano, Patrick enjoys bullet journaling and pondering outer space.
LanUyen Le
LanUyen is a TSM alumna currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has studied piano since the age of five and has been part of TSM for over 13 years. A recurring Evaluation Workshop award medalist and a TSM senior award recipient, she loves to follow her passion for music and piano through individual projects.
One such project is her Independent Study Project, where she documents her piano journey—from performing in concerts to mastering the fundamentals of music theory. She loves teaching and enjoys working with students of all ages!
Leah Grein
Leah has been a part of the Thurman School of Music for 11 years, both as a student and also as a student teacher since 2024. She loves helping young students develop an understanding and love for music, and also gain confidence when performing. Leah is currently pursuing her own piano studies, and she also enjoys playing with her soccer team.
Bonnie Grein
Bonnie has been with Thurman School of Music for 10 years, starting first as a student and watching both her parents teach piano lessons. As our newest Student Teacher, she works with beginning piano students giving them a solid foundation and a love for music. In addition to continuing her own piano studies, Bonnie also enjoys singing and acting with local community theater groups.