The Lawson School of Music

Heather Heim-Lawson

Owner/Instructor

Heather Heim-Lawson is the Owner and Lead Instructor at The Lawson School of Music. She is a passionate music instructor and performer and teaches a variety of classes at The Lawson School of Music (Vocal coaching, piano, Ukulele, Beginner Guitar, Musical Theatre and Kindermusik). Mrs. Heim-Lawson holds degrees from Campbellsville University (Masters of Vocal Performance) and Western Kentucky University (Bachelors of Music in Voice) as well as training from New York University (2009), pedagogical training in the Blaylock Vocal Method, a Kindermusik License. Mrs. Heim-Lawson has over 11 years of teaching/vocal coaching experience and is a proud member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).  Her teaching method has been described as “holistic and empathetic in approach with pedagogical techniques that are accessible and applicable to performers in all genres of music.” In addition to being the owner and lead instructor at The Lawson School of Music (Elizabethtown, KY), Mrs. Heim-Lawson has worked as adjunct Voice Instructor and Assistant Director to Opera/Musical Theatre productions at Campbellsville University and Indiana University Southeast. In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Mrs. Heim-Lawson has had the pleasure of being guest Music Director for BG OnStage as well as a regular guest vocal clinician at The Rock Band Academy. Most recently, Mrs. Heim-Lawson has served as Musical Director for The Youth Theatre of Hardin County's production of The Addams Family (2021) and The Little Mermaid (2022).

Many of Mrs. Heim-Lawson's students have gone on to pursue music and performing arts at The University level, landed roles in various musical theatre productions, semi-finalists and finalists in State Fair Talent Competitions, performed in Honor's Choirs at Carnegie Hall, and attendees of The Governor's School for the Arts (GSA).

In addition to teaching, Mrs. Heim-Lawson can be found performing on stage in everything from musicals and opera and everything in between. In her free time, Mrs. Heim-Lawson enjoys yoga, dancing, running, traveling with her husband and spending time with their pug, Wednesday.

Kinly Bertram

Instructor

Kinly Bertram is a professional pianist and teacher residing in Elizabethtown. She holds a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Campbellsville University. Ms. Bertram held the position of adjunct staff accompanist at Campbellsville University until 2020, and ran her own independent piano studio since 2014 until joining with The Lawson School of Music. She is a 2009 Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts (GSA) alumnus in piano and has received numerous piano honors and awards in competitions and festivals, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. Ms. Bertram has served as a woodwind instructor for Southwestern High School Marching Band, and formerly taught piano, winds, music appreciation and church music at Jubal’s Academy. In her spare time, she enjoys running, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with her cats.

At The Lawson School of Music, Ms. Bertram teaches a variety of classes including private and group piano lessons, Musical Theatre Class, Kindermusik, and woodwinds!

Carlos Serrano

 Instructor

Carlos Serrano is a guitarist from Topeka, KS. He began playing guitar at 14 and within his first year had already mastered solo compositions by Chet Atkins, Andrew Yorke, and Ernesto Lecueno. Carlos' prodigious talent led him to pursue guitar performance at Kansas State University where he studied under head jazz instructor/guitarist Dr. Wayne Goins. Due to KSU lacking a major in Jazz Performance, Carlos received a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy with an emphasis in Aesthetics and a minor in Jazz Performance. During this time Carlos became involved in numerous ensembles and developed proficiency in an array of styles including latin jazz, big band, choir, musical pit, and small ensemble bebop. 

Since graduation, Serrano has continued to build his abilities through daily practice with an emphasis on blues, rock, and integrating jazz theory into folk styles. When Carlos isn't teaching or causing a ruckus he enjoys intensive gardening, reading, podcasts, and cooking. He currently resides in Mt. Sherman, KY, with his fiance and their overabundance of dogs and cats. 

Mariah Lewis is an Elizabethtown native with a passion for teaching and art in all its forms. She found a passion for performance and voice at her high school alma-mater, Central Hardin High School. Mrs. Lewis is an alum of Bellarmine University where she received her Bachelors in Arts Administration. After graduating she spent two years abroad in Europe exploring culture and art. Upon her return to Kentucky she taught high school English for years before following her heart back to the world of theater and music. She is licensed in Kindermusik and has studied voice under Heather Heim-Lawson. In addition to Kindermusik, she teaches private lessons in voice, beginner piano, beginner guitar, group ukulele, bucket drumming and musical theater.

When she’s not sharing her love for music with her students you can find her traveling, hanging out with her cats Freda and Georgia, hiking, or on stage performing and perfecting her own craft.



Kate Shirts

Student Intern/Instructor

Kate Shirts is a Senior at Elizabethtown High School and joins The Lawson School of Music's Intern Mentorship Program. Under the guidance and mentorship of owner, Heather Heim-Lawson, Kate teaches a variety of classes including Ukulele, Guitar, Voice, and Piano. She is also a section leader and participant in our Musical Theater Ensemble Class. Kate is active in both academics and performing arts at her school and in the community. She is a member of The Youth Theatre of Hardin County, Elizabethtown High School Drama Club, and active in her church. She has been studying voice with Heather Heim-Lawson for 3 years during which she has made it to the State Fair Talent Showcase in Louisville, KY. She was also accepted in to both GSA and GSP! Kate is a leader with a kind heart and we are so proud to have her with us spreading love and the arts on to others.

Kiris Ray

Student Intern/Instructor

Kiris Ray is a Senior at Central Hardin High School. She enjoys the arts as a whole, but mainly focuses on vocal music and instrumental music. Kiris has performed in many theatrical performances with Allegro Dance and Youth Theater of Hardin County. She was also selected to attend GSA for Classical Voice and performed at Carnegie Hall as part of an honors choir. In addition to this, in the summer of 2023, Kiris was accepted in to the GSP program!

Kiris has been taking voice with Heather-Heim Lawson for two and a half years. In her free time, she is either reading, talking to friends, or practicing. After high school, she hopes to pursue a vocal performance degree and become an opera singer and professional instrumentalist. Kiris is known to all for her kind heart and willingness to help others.

Joey Schaefer

Instructor

Joey Schaefer has loved making music since he was a child and grew up listening to it while banging out beats on any surface he could find. He continued this love for music by playing trumpet for four years in middle school and singing in Choir. After years of begging his parents for a guitar, Joey received a guitar on his 18th birthday and has been playing for over 25 years with musical interests including classic rock, folk, bluegrass, classical, and indie rock. In college (Bachelors in Organizational Management- Webster University; Master's Degree in Applied Geography- Univeristy of Louisville), he played drums, sang in a band, performed solo in and taught guitar privately. Joey is also a military veteran and served for 14 years in the Air Force. When Joey isn't teaching, he is a meteorologist at Fort Knox. His hobbies include music, reading, writing songs/poetry, attending concerts, sports, comic books, Jeopardy and serenading his wife and daughter on occassion.