Meet Your Different Dynamics Team

Jessica Ingraham

Founder & Executive Director

Founder of Different Dynamics, Jessica has proudly served the music education community for more then fifteen years. Currently serving as Director of Education for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jessica began her career in music education teaching in the St. Charles City Schools in St. Charles, MO. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Miami University in Oxford, OH, a master’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and is Orff Schulwerk certified. Jessica serves on the board of the Hesse Memorial Fund and the advisory board for Breach. In 2017, she was awarded the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association’s Merit Award for her contributions to music education and in 2019 the Spotlight Award from the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement.

Monica Orban

Operations Administrator

Monica Orban has been involved in music education for over thirty years. She has been a collaborative pianist in the midwest area since 1992, accompanying school choirs, music students, and ballet classes. Previously, she served as the Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Bach Society of Saint Louis and as an Education Associate for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Other experience includes teaching general and choral music in the public school system, as well as founding and directing a children’s choir of approximately fifty elementary students. Monica holds her Bachelor of Education in Music Education from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana and her Masters of Education from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She is also a graduate of Coach U, Inc., a professional coach training school. Monica loves to dance, cook, read, travel, drink wine, and spend quality time with her family and friends!

Gregory J. heaney

Team Lead, The Music Exploratorium

Greg has been the music teacher at Southview School for nine years, where he has taught a wide variety of students from age 5 to 21 with all different abilities. At Southview, Greg develops and implements adaptive strategies to teaching music, and works closely with paraprofessionals, speech pathologists, physical therapists, music therapists, and social workers in order to best serve the musical needs of his students. Greg started his career in special education as an ABA para working with students with Autism and individuals with severe behavioral needs. He has served on the school crisis team for over ten years and is also certified as a mental health first responder.

Greg graduated from Loyola New Orleans with a Bachelors of Music in Music Industry Studies. Post-graduation Greg worked for Artists House Music, a non-profit music enterprise funded by The Herb Alpert Foundation. Greg is also a bandleader, songwriter, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, and performer with his own local band that specializes in original rock music.

Greg's true calling lies in facilitating the spark of joy that comes over people when they begin creating music themselves and realize that they can be accepted and celebrated for their talents, regardless of their situation.

Paula BErner

Paula is a recently retired special education music teacher. Paula taught students with disabilities for 31 years, 28 of those years with the Special School District of St. Louis County. For the last 20 years, Paula taught music to students at Litzsinger School. Paula has been a big proponent of sensory-friendly opportunities for the special needs community. She’s worked closely with Opera Theatre St. Louis and Stages St. Louis and provides the sensory awareness training to the musical artists and staff prior to sensory-friendly performances. Paula has been recognized for work in her field. She was chosen as Special School District’s Teacher of the Year in 2004. In 2005 she was one of six finalists for Missouri Teacher of the Year and in that same year received the Emerson Excellence in Education Award. In 2007 Paula was a Founders Award recipient from Fontbonne University and in 2014, she was chosen as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Educator of the Year.

Cheryl Buneta

Cheryl Buneta has been a Paraprofessional for 15 years. The last 10 years she has worked at Southview School in the Special School District of St. Louis County primarily with students on the Autism Spectrum. She is ABA certified as well as having continuous training in non-crisis intervention. Cheryl has a background in choir and dance. She believes that music and movement is a way for individuals with different abilities to express themselves when words aren’t always an option.

Emillee Kellermann

Originally from Colorado, Emilee Kellerman started her elementary music teaching career in Washington, Missouri. After three years she transferred to the Rockwood School District where she taught for more than 30 years before retiring in 2022. While teaching Emilee became Orff and Kodaly certified and was involved in many committees and organizations. Her proudest accomplishments are her three children, two of whom are elementary music teachers in the St. Louis area. Emilee enjoys sewing, reading, walking as well as riding her motorcycle.

Karen Stafford

Karen is a retired elementary music specialist, church music director, Teachers Pay Teachers seller, and adjunct professor from Union, Missouri. Dr. Stafford obtained her BME and MA from the University of Central Missouri and her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and has all three levels of Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly. She has presented clinics and workshops at the local, state, and national levels and has had several articles published in the Orff Echo. Currently, Dr. Stafford serves as music director for Zion United Church of Christ in Union, an adjunct for Central Methodist University, and supervises student teachers for Missouri State University on an as-needed basis.

Dr.Stafford is a CASA volunteer (Court Appointed Special Advocate) with the Franklin and Gasconade Counties (MO) system. On the home front, she is not ashamed to admit she is a rescue pet mommy, and spoils her dog and cat without regret. She loves yoga and swimming, and her kitty is especially happy about Dr. Stafford taking up crocheting.

Jennifer Nelson, MMT, MT-BC

Jen is a board-certified music therapist, with a master’s degree in music therapy from Maryville University-St. Louis. Her experience includes working with children and adults throughout the medical hospital setting as well as with adults who suffer from pervasive mental illness in an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting. Jen loves seeing music’s effect on people and how music can help achieve (what seems) the most impossible of goals!

Marie Kellerman

Marie Kellermann currently teaches Elementary Music in the Rockwood School District. She obtained her undergraduate degree of Music Education from Missouri State University where she participated in the choir and marching band. In June of 2023, Marie graduated with her Masters in Special Education from Northwest Missouri State University. In her free time, Marie enjoys running with her dog, Delilah, and playing trumpet in several community bands in the St. Louis area.