The Instructors

CHRIS PELESHENKO

Chris is the Director of the Childbloom Guitar Program of St. Charles County. In 2022, he became the Director of the St. Louis County Childbloom Program, and is now the leading both programs. He started teaching with the Childbloom Company in 2003 with the St. Louis Childbloom Program. He is a multi-time award winning teacher, who in 2009 opened his own program in the area in which he lives and grew up. Chris went to UMSL to receive a degree in education. At the end of his classwork he found that he was more suited for education in the private sector as opposed to public education. Chris studied classical guitar under the tutelage of Kirk Hanser, and spent his late high school and college years playing in a successful Christian rock band. Currently he lives in Wentzville, MO with his wife and two boys.

 CHRIS’ TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

”My teaching starts at the very moment I meet a student. I have the ability to make an immediate connection with a child and bring music down to their level. This stems from my very vivid memories of the universal things that made me happy as a child. I take the time to learn how each child learns and to develop a student/teacher relationship based on who they are as well as what I have to teach them. My most important goal is to the show each student that they are the one’s who are creating their own successes. I am just the guide on the path to that success. In the past 15 years I have held a retention rate of almost 90% or higher, because of my ability to inspire children to learn to set and achieve their musical goals.”

CAROL EDER

Carol is Classical and Jazz guitarist/music educator. Her love for guitar began in childhood and has led her to a teaching and performance career. As a teen she studied Classical Guitar with Alan Rosenkoetter and performed in master classes with Michael Lorimer. Later as an adult Carol studied Jazz Guitar with Corey Christiansen and Chip Katz. She performed with the Mid America Guitar Festival in 1993 and St. Louis Community Music School Classical Guitar Orchestra through 1998. Her jazz guitar performances and recordings include shows with The Midwest Jazztette, vocalists, Mae Wheeler, Ali Hager, Flutist Erika May and Guitarist Chip Katz. She performs throughout the greater St. Louis area as a soloist and with Jazz Combos.

She has been an instructor with Childbloom® Guitar Program since 2008. In 2016 she joined the Childbloom Program of St. Charles County. Since 2009 she has been a faculty member of the Mid America Guitar Camp. Prior to her present teaching positions, she was a guitar instructor St. Louis Community Colleges and Fazio’s Music.

ALYSSA CATLIN

Alyssa is the first graduate of the Childbloom Program that has returned to be an instructor for the past 10 years she has been teaching with the St. Louis Childbloom Program. She was the 2009 Childbloom Instructor of the Year. Mrs. Catlin has a degree from Webster University in Musical Performance. She is also the conductor of the youth guitar ensemble Viva Musica.

PAULA GLASER

Paula grew up with the Childbloom program, starting guitar when she was 9 years old. She participated in the ensembles Viva Musica—under Alyssa Catlin—and Bella Corda—under Kirk Hanser—and has performed in many master classes. Paula now continues to pursue her musical and academic studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where she hopes to graduate with a double major in Educational Studies and Psychology. With training in these areas, she hopes to become a better counselor, occupational therapist, and educator as she continues her career. Between guitar and school, she also coaches children at a local St. Louis rock climbing gym