Our Teachers

Meet the Teachers of Melody Kids

Our teachers come from all sorts of backgrounds, but they’re united by a common passion: Sharing music with children and families in Longmont!

All teachers have successfully completed the live Music Together® Teacher Training, which is built on research in early childhood and music development. We keep our skills fresh through workshops every semester and advanced trainings offered by Music Together Worldwide.

photo Alexandra "Xan" Fischer

Xan Fischer is the Director of the Melody Kids Music in Longmont. She is the product of three generations of music teachers. Her passion for teaching music has defined her life in the community and the direction of her family.

Xan discovered Music Together after her twins were born in 1995. Joey and Izzy Fischer started Music Together with their grandmother, Jo Simons who taught Music Together classes in Madison, Wisconsin. From an early age, Xan exposed her children to music and made the Music Together collections a part of her children's daily lives.

As a Music Together parent, Xan took all three kids to class including Baby Jesse (born 1998). The Fischer children, Joey, Izzy, and Jesse graduated from the Music Together program and have since become accomplished passionate young musicians. With a sound musical foundation, any child can thrive at any musical skill they pursue.
     
photo Allyson Koplen

Allyson is a full-time musician and mother. In addition to Music Together, she teaches piano to all ages at her home studio and is the Music Director at a church. She started taking Music Together classes with Xan when her son was 9 months old and fell in love with this style of music learning. With Allyson, your child will see how fun and full-bodied music-making can be.  

Allyson has a Master of Music degree in piano performance from Florida State University, a Bachelor of Music degree in piano pedagogy from the University of Montana, and a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing also from the University of Montana. She and her husband Jake love playing music together (he plays the saxophone), and they are encouraging their son Niko to develop his musical abilities too!
     
photo Liz Emmett-Mattox
Liz Emmett-Mattox is excited to return to teaching Music Together after a twenty-year hiatus!  Introduced to MT when her son was young, she became a teacher after being impressed with the musical sophistication of the rhythms and tonalities of the songs she was learning with her son.  Liz has an extensive musical background, starting with piano lessons at age ten. She picked up the clarinet in middle school and attended a performing arts high school. She continued to play throughout college with the marching band and orchestra. Music continues to be an important part of her life, and she has been part of a women's chorus since 2014. Liz has a PhD in Philosophy and all that time in academia convinced her that everyone needs a creative outlet. The arts are not an 'extra' reserved for the talented few, they are necessary for every person to have a fully human life. And that music together kid of hers? He became an accomplished violinist, graduated from Berklee College of Music and is now working in Nashville as a teacher and professional musician!  
     
photo Andrew Matranga

Andrew Matranga is a new teacher at Melody Kids Music in Longmont, bringing with him a passion for music, education, and community building that took root when his own children were toddlers. It was then that Andrew began his Music Together journey with Center Director, Xan Fischer, an experience that would become a cornerstone of his family's musical life.

A doctoral student and longtime journalism professor at the University of Denver, Andrew has spent over a decade exploring how humans connect, communicate, and create meaning. He sees his role as a Music Together teacher as an opportunity to foster a love of music, creativity, and connection in young learners and their families, just as the program did for his own children.

When not teaching or studying, Andrew can be found cycling, seeking the perfect slice of pizza, playing music, and sharing his love of Star Wars with his family. He is thrilled to come full circle and join the Melody Kids Music community, looking forward to guiding families on their musical journeys together.