Guitar & Harp Faculty

Lira Cady: Harp - Lira Cady is a graduate of Atlantic Union College, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Music Performance. Carl Swanson has been her primary harp instructor since she first started playing the harp. Lira is a freelance musician, performing throughout Central Massachusetts. Her orchestral affiliations have included the Thayer Symphony Orchestra, the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, Atlantic Wind Symphony, South Eastern Massachusetts Chamber Orchestra and the New England Youth Ensemble. Lira is also a member of the Romantic Harp and Violin Duo with Sheila Reid, violinist and Synergy, a trio for flute, harp and organ with flutist Debbie Frank and organist William Ness.

Lira teaches harp at the Thayer Performing Arts Center, directs the South Lancaster Academy Choir and VOCE, their touring choir, and teaches Musikgarten classes to preschoolers in South Lancaster. She began teaching harp at Joy of Music in February 2010.

Kathleen Corcoran: Classical Guitar - Kathleen Corcoran holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University and a Master of Music from the University of Arizona. As recipient of a research fellowship, she did part of her Master’s work at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England, studying the baroque guitar manuscript compiled by Henri Francois de Gallot (1660). Kathleen received her early guitar training from New England Conservatory’s Robert Paul Sullivan and went on to study with Thomas Patterson and Neil Anderson. She also attended master classes with musicologist and guitarist Emilio Pujol in Cervera, Spain. In addition to being an active teacher and performer in the Worcester area, Kathleen has served as Executive Director of the Thayer Symphony Orchestra and on the development staff of the Worcester Art Museum and Revels, Inc. She has also served as a board member for several local arts organizations, including ArtsWorcester, Joy of Music and currently, the Worcester Chamber Music Society. 

As a performer, Kathleen was a member of the Abbott Chamber Players and the Bullfinch Players, known for their CD, “Holiday Music in New England.” Recent performances include a Duo Recital with flutist Tracy Kraus at Assumption College and an appearance as guest artist with the Worcester Chamber Music Society. As a teacher, Kathleen has taught at the Bancroft School and Anna Maria College. She served as a faculty member at Joy of Music from 1994-1998 and resumed her teaching here in 2009.

Joe D’Angelo: Guitar, Bass Guitar - Joe D’Angelo majored in Music Performance and Composition at UMass Lowell. He has also studied jazz guitar with Rich Falco, classical guitar with Peter Clemente, and improvisation with Bruce Bartlett. Joe has played with many groups over the years, and is currently performing with the Johnny Dollar Experiment, Blind Tiger Swing Posse, the Rocco Sevino Jazz Trio, and the Denis Coughlin Band. He has appeared on numerous recordings on MGM, BASF, United Artists, and Evolution Records.

In addition to the Joy of Music Program, where he has been on the faculty since 1991, Joe teaches guitar in the Worcester Public Schools Fine Arts Magnets (Burncoat Junior and Senior High Schools) and at Clemente Music Studio in Worcester.

Dan Hunt: Guitar, Bass Guitar - Dan Hunt earned his Bachelors degree at Worcester State College, where he minored in music. His guitar teachers have included Joe D’Angelo, Peter Clemente and Rich Falco. Dan has played professionally for over 20 years, currently performing with the original 11- piece band Jubilee Gardens and the swing band The Red Riders. He has also performed with Lydia Fortune & Company. Dan is also a luthier, working privately from his home and at Mockingbird Music in Berlin. He joined the JOMP faculty in 2005 and also teaches at Clemente Music Studios in Worcester.

Joe Scott: Classical Guitar - Joe Scott graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He later earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Guitar from the Boston Conservatory, where his teachers included Neil Anderson and Robert Guthrie. Joe is a certified Suzuki classical guitar instructor through Book 7, having received his training at the Hartt School of Music and the Snowmass Suzuki Institute in Aspen Colorado. He has served as editor of the Boston Classical Guitar Society newsletter.

Recent performances include appearances with the Boston University Opera Department, the Colorado String Quartet and the Worcester State College Chorale. Joe, who previously taught at Milton Academy, the Powers Music School and Boston University Extension Division, joined the Joy of Music Program faculty in 2005. He is also currently on the faculty at the Cape Cod Conservatory and Worcester State College.