The Deoc Ensemble

Grace Meier studied Music Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education at Indiana University, graduating in 2015 after 3 semesters of student teaching in urban Indianapolis public schools. Following two years of teaching Special Education, she made the hard decision to leave the world of education and dedicate fully to The Deoc Ensemble. Although Grace misses her students, working for Deoc is truly a dream come true! Although she began her musical studies on the violin, Grace began playing the cello at the age of nine under the instruction of Dona Vellek Klein. During her high school years, Grace performed with the New World Symphony Orchestras and studied with Ingrid Fischer-Bellman. In addition, she performed as a soloist at The Palladium in Carmel, Indiana. While at the Jacobs School of Music, Grace continued her training in the Starker method as she studied with Benjamin Karp and Adriana Contino. When she is not performing, Grace loves spending time with her husband and son. Her passions include hiking, spending time in her community of Speedway, and reading.

Sean Kilgore has been playing the viola since the age of 10. His work spans chamber music, regional orchestral playing, musical theater and ballet. Sean holds a BS from Butler University in Arts Administration, a JD from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and an M.S. in Cybersecurity & Risk Management from Indiana University Bloomington. While he is now a licensed attorney, he continues his passion for music working with Grace and the amazing musicians of Deoc.

Abby Witt is originally from Louisville, KY and began studying violin at age three before discovering her passion for the cello at age thirteen. She earned a bachelor in cello performance from Eastern Kentucky University and later earned a masters in cello performance from Butler University. Abby developed her skills as both a performer and educator through orchestral and chamber music performances, as well as teaching students of all ages. Alongside her musical training, she earned an associates in Business management and later completed a masters in business analytics, both from Butler University. While her professional career is in finance, Abby continues to pursue her passion for music through her work with Deoc. As the ensemble's Business Manager, she oversees many of the group's day-to-day operations and creates custom arrangements tailored to each client's vision.

Haley Stevenson-Carlos has been playing the viola for about twenty years and earned a BA in Music from Butler University. She enjoys performing with regional orchestras, local musical theater venues, and touring acts such as Carrie Newcomer’s Gathering of Spirits string quartet and "Batman 1989" in Concert. She also teaches privately; her students have gone on to perform in the Indianapolis Youth Orchestras, Indiana All-State Honor Orchestras, and Side-by-Side with the Indianapolis Symphony. She decided to pursue an MS in Library and Information Science in 2021 and now works as a part time librarian with the Indianapolis Public Library, making her a perfect fit as Deoc’s music librarian!