Meadowlark is a place to joyfully discover music, at any age! Be yourself and learn music with a focus on celebrating what you already know and what you want to learn. Being classically trained, I value the precision and hard work that goes into studying music, and as a musician and creative myself, I also value the ability to connect with others and follow my own musical curiosity. We combine a solid curriculum with joyful wanderings to offer a path forward that honors humans making and learning music at various levels and in ways they find most inspiring.
We offer Group Classes and Camps (make friends! be in community!) and Individual Classes (focus on your goals at your pace!). This allows us to provide multiples ways to enter into music and find your strengths that you can build upon. Our Camps and Classes are small so we can enjoy each other as we go (no raising hands or waiting a long time for a turn). We know and love all of our families. Come check it out!
Amber Dutton-Hanlon
Hi, I’m Amber! I’m the founder, songwriter, performer, music educator, mom that started this Meadowlark adventure. Welcome and I’m so glad we found each other!
A little about me in 3rd person…
Amber Dutton-Hanlon earned her Bachelor of Music Performance and Masters of Arts in Teaching from UNC-Chapel Hill. She then taught Middle School Band, Orchestra, and Chorus at Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, earning her National Boards Certification in Music Education, before moving to Washington, DC (so her husband could work in cancer research).
While in Washington, DC, she focused on her singer-songwriter pursuits, performed regularly, had a band, went on tour, and recorded an original CD. She taught group and private guitar/singing/flute/piano lessons in her own studio and taught for Guitars for Peace (Guitars Not Guns), Sobin Senior Guitar Orchestra, and Girls Rock DC. She founded Meadowlark Music in 2014, a music company that focuses on “joyfully discovering music”, teaching the smallest babies, kids, adults, and all the way up to seniors. She created original CDs for Meadowlark (she was singing to her baby ALL the time so it became multiple CDs!) that are included when families enroll in Meadowlark baby-toddler classes. She believes music belongs to all of us and that it can be full of magic and discovery. Music provides so many scholastic and creative pursuits along the way!
Julia Dow
Julia is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill double majoring in Psychology and Human Development and Family Science. Singing all her life, Julia has helped foster successful music communities in multiple environments through her strong leadership skills and warm attitude. For the last eight years, she has helped her church worship band grow extensively, lead her high school choir as President and Choreographer, and is now a music director for her collegiate acapella group, Tar Heel Voices. She has also spent a lot of time working with children, including her last summer where she worked with children with autism as a Behavioral Technician and this past year where she worked as a teacher at a preschool in Chapel Hill. Julia’s desire in life is to help people grow and work toward things they are passionate about, and can’t wait to work with you towards your goals. You can also see her performing around town with the Little Larks (our Meadowlark Trio)!
Treasa McDonald
Treasa McDonald grew up in the Chapel Hill area and is excited to be teaching at Meadowlark! She studied music therapy and psychology at Appalachian State and spent some time studying abroad in Italy and Amsterdam as well as a program in Tanzania. Her primary instrument is voice but she also plays piano, guitar, and ukulele. Music has been in her life since she was little, she was even in Amber’s middle school choir class! For a few years after college, Treasa did floral design professionally and expanded her creative world through that outlet. Along with a friend, she participated in Art in Bloom 2024 at the North Carolina Museum of Art where they were awarded the Directors Choice Award and they are excited to be participating in the event again in 2025. She loves kids and is looking forward to getting to know the babies and toddlers of the Triangle and their families through music!
Emma Lincoln
Originally from Naples, New York, Emma Lincoln received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Fredonia School of Music in 2022. With a concentration in voice, she also teaches piano, guitar, ukulele, music theory, flute, and saxophone. After finishing her degree, Emma moved to Chapel Hill, NC where she now teaches K-5th grade music at McDougle Elementary School. She also had the honor of being the Music Director at Chapel Hill High School’s Musical this spring and is excited to be teaching chorus at CHCCS this upcoming year. Emma is so excited to continue teaching music in the classroom, while also being able to be a part of the Meadowlark Music!
Sarah Lorenzi
Sarah has been playing piano since she was 5 and has 10 years of classical training, but loves any style of learning and playing that she can immerse herself in! As well as being a self taught guitar player and vocalist, Sarah is part of many music communities, one of which being a local band here in Chapel Hill! A fourth year student at UNC studying physics and Spanish literature, she works hard to make accessible and inclusive music spaces where everyone can learn no matter their schedule or skill level, and hopes to bring her passionate love for music to new learners! In her free time, Sarah enjoys birdwatching with her friends and making art of any kind, from music to visual art to comedy!