OUR TEACHERS

Carla Waterfield, Founder and Teacher 
In 2008 Carla founded Carla's Musikgarten New Orleans. Ms. Carla has her Bachelor of Music from Chapman University, California; Orff Schulwerk Certification from University of Nevada, Musikgarten Certification for infants through advanced keyboard, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association Certification, and private training with internationally acclaimed early childhood music specialist Lynn Kleiner. She began teaching music to young children and their families in 1997 and has presented parent and educator workshops, weekly classes and school programs in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Italy and Louisiana. 
Carla studied piano from a very early age through her college years and is an accomplished singer. She has performed in numerous musicals and operas including: The Sound of Music, Follies, Hello Dolly, La Boheme, Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, The Merry Widow, Man of La Mancha, and Annie. She was the lead vocalist of Five Hundred Miles High, a jazz ensemble in Southern California, Co-directed The Siren Sisters, a New Orleans women's acapella group, and has sung in numerous chamber choirs and master chorales. She trained for a year with Horst Guenter in Freiburg, Germany and several years with Patrick Goeser and Margaret Dehning in Los Angeles, CA. 

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Stephanie Condon Perry, Teacher
Stephanie Condon Perry is an accomplished flute player, modern dancer and teacher. Stephanie began studying flute and dance at an early age continuing on through classes at the University of Alabama. She furthered her dance education by achieving a teaching/dance certificate from the Isadora Duncan International Institute and has performed with the Isadora Duncan International Institute Dancers. Stephanie began teaching Musikgarten classes in 2015 and has been teaching children movement for over 18 years. She has taught after school programs at multiple New Orleans private schools and dance at the Off Broadway Dance Studio for ten years. 
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Sterling Waterfield, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele & Bass Teacher
Sterling began his music studies with Carla’s Musikgarten New Orleans from infancy to age 10. Following the completion of this curriculum he studied classical piano technique and artistry with Dr. Donna Clavijo as well as jazz technique and improvisation with Mr. Darell Lavigne and Dr. Peter Cho. Throughout his training he has participated in multiple master classes including a master class and private lessons with Master Teacher, Dr. Frank Heneghan from Ireland. He has won or placed in multiple piano competitions including Louisiana State Rally, where he won 1st place two consecutive years. After completing his piano training he began teaching Carla’s Musikgarten graduates during the summers and teaching privately in California. In 2021 he moved from California to Chicago where he began working as a professional accompanist with the Joffrey Ballet. He has accompanied ballet classes and auditions for multiple ballet companies including Joffrey Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet and Ballet Austin. Sterling is also a professional ballet dancer and is currently a New Orleans Ballet Theatre company member. Sterling has a degree in History from Saddleback College in Orange County, CA.