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VIVIAN TSANG   | PIANO/ACADEMY CO-DIRECTOR |

Vivian Tsang has a Master of Music degree in piano from the New England Conservatory of Music. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. She has studied with some of the most wanted teachers in the country, including Patricia Zander, Eugene & Elizabeth Pridonoff, Rosita Kerr Mang, and Suzanne Guy. She has performed all over the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong and is the prizewinner of various piano competitions in the United States and Europe. Vivian is an experienced piano teacher whose students actively participate in performances and are winners of state-wide  competitions.  She is frequently invited to adjudicate piano events throughout the state and have lead various Master Classes.  She is the Immediate Past President of Massachusetts Music Teachers Association (MMTA), the state affiliate of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and a member of the Local Association of the Year Award Committee at the national level of MTNA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTOPHER POON   | GUITAR/ACADEMY CO-DIRECTOR |

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christopher Poon is an experienced teacher who has taught private students and was a faculty member of the Institute of Vocational Education in Hong Kong, where he was a lecturer for the music technology program.  Chris graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor Degree in Music, double-majoring in Guitar Performance and Contemporary Writing & Production.  Jazz Guitar has been his main focus in the recent years, but he enjoys playing other styles of music on the guitar as well, such as Pop, Rock, Latin, and Folk.  Chris has developed his own curriculum-based, goals-driven and progressive guitar course utilizing renowned teaching materials from the Berklee College of Music and Musician Institute that covers both guitar playing and music theory.

 

 

 

A native of New York, Katie began studying music at the age of five, began giving piano lessons at sixteen, and received her Bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Rhode Island in 2005.  Since that time, Katie's love of music and teaching has taken her to many different places, from a little piano studio in Rhode Island, all the way to Japan.  Before relocating to Massachusetts, she spent a year teaching elementary general music at the Harlem Promise Academy in New York City.  Katie has many diverse hobbies, but music, by far, is number one.  She looks forward to each and every opportunity she has to share and spread that love of music with others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KATIE ANDERSON   | PIANO |

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew is an experienced and versatile guitar instructor who is well versed in various music genres.  Born and raised in West Virginia, Andrew grew up listening to Country and Rock n' Roll music.  As he was developing his love and skills for the guitar at a young age, he also studied classical and jazz music along the way.  After earning his Bachelor of Music Degree in Guitar Performance from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, he has been an active educator and performer in the recent years.  He is currently the lead guitarist in an indie rock band, "The Honors", that appears in festivals and venues throughout the Northeast.  It is his belief that the main goal for learning an instrument is to have fun and to explore one's own path to making music.  With his upbeat personality and positive attitude, Andrew always how to make learning and music fun for his students.

 

ANN ASSARSSON   | VOICE/PIANO |

 

 

Ann Assarsson, soprano, received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Notre Dame de Namur University, after obtaining degrees in International Relations, French and Music from Santa Clara University.  She enjoys a busy performance schedule, and has presented concerts both nationally and internationally. Highlights include a West Coast Scandinavian Music Tour, being a soloist with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and a special dinner performance for H.R.H. Princess Christina of Sweden.  Ann has completed master classes with celebrated opera, jazz, and musical theatre legends around the country.  A graduate of the American Musical Theatre Artist's Institute, Ann is currently enjoying the success of Oh, Mr.Sousa! as the 9-member cast continues performing to thrilled audiences across the US.  Specializing in Event Production and Programming, Ann is a Managing Director of the Depner & Deluca Social Club, putting on several annual performances that raise funds to find the cure for Multiple Sclerosis.  As a voice and piano teacher, Ann encourages growth in all areas musical development. She brings together the elements of technique, individual musicality, and performance confidence to nurture lasting appreciation and enjoyment of music!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANDREW BAYARDI   | GUITAR |

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miriam Conti Vanoni was born in Italy and she grew up in a family of pianists and piano teachers. She graduated Summa cum Laude from Milan Conservatory “Giuseppe Verdi”, Italy, with a Master’s Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance.  She has studied with great pianists such as Vincenzo Balzani and Cristina Carini, among others. She has performed in U.S., Italy, France, Germany and Poland, and she has been awarded prizes in different piano competitions in Italy and in U.S.  As a piano teacher, she has attended various music pedagogy courses in piano pedagogy and in music theory. She also has seven years of experience as a piano and music teacher, both in Italy and U.S.  This knowledge of both the European and the American teaching methods has allowed her to take the best of both worlds.  The goals of her lessons are customized to each student’s individual needs and centers around making her lessons fun while they are learning.  Miriam is a Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate in Piano Performance at Boston University since September of 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KANA DEHARA      | PIANO |

Kana Dehara began classical piano studies at the age of four.  After receiving a Bachelor Degree in Classical Piano Performance from Kobe Jogakuin College in Japan, she received a scholarship from Berklee College of Music in 2004 and graduated with diploma in “Professional Music” in 2008. Since then, Kana has been actively performing in United States and Japan at venues including Ryles Jazz club, Mr. Kelly’s, Japan, Carnegie hall, NY, and many more. In 2009 she joined Boston’s renown, award-winning group “Zili Misik” as their keyboardist and back vocalist. She also is the principal pianist of the “VGO orchestra, Boston. For the past ten years, Kana has taught numerous students in the area of Classical, Jazz, Contemporary piano styles and Ear training. It has always been her dream to be not only an excellent performer and musician but also to be able to share that dream and all her knowledge with her students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WINSTON FELIZ      | PIANO/COMPOSER |

 

 

Pianist and composer Winston Feliz has over twelve years of music teaching experience. With experience in various music methods, including the Suzuki Method, he has taught people between four years and 50 years of age.  Winston began his music career at a young age.  As the son of a church minister he organized and directed various church musical groups and accompanied the groups on keyboard and organ.  Winston then began his own music school and audio recording/mixing studio in Humacao, Puerto Rico, where for ten years he instructed many students of all ages.  He also became the director and keyboard player of the pop musical group “Eclipse”, which won performance and compositions awards including being twice-awarded the prestigious “Festival San Juan de la Cancion” (San Juan Song Festival) in Puerto Rico.  Winston attended Berklee College of Music and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in 2000.  During his education at Berklee he was selected to be part of the “World Music” exchange student program in the Rotterdam Conservatory in  Holland.  Following graduation Winston continued his music career as an educator and music producer concentrating on his interest in music education technology.  Winston’s specialty is his ability to tailor his instruction method to diverse students of all ages and abilities and to excite their passion in a musical piano and keyboard style of their own liking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINA CHO     | PIANO |

KATRINA DEGEL     | PIANO/VOICE |

Mina Cho is a professional musician performing and teaching primarily in the Greater Boston area.  Over the past seventeen years, Mina has been nationally performing the piano as a classical and jazz pianist in the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela, and etc.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in 2009 with a degree of Jazz Composition and Film Scoring and is pursuing her master of music degree in Jazz performance and composition in New England Conservatory.  Currently She works as a pianist/organist/musical producer in Somerville Community Baptist Church and leads a couple of jazz groups, which are Mina Cho Jazz Trio/Quartet and the modern jazz/Latin group, Boston Blue.  She also has been performing as a primary pianist of Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra cooperating with faculty members Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, and Longy School of Music.  As a label artist, she released her jazz compositional/improvisational album, Originality, from Blink Music.  Her album was nominated for Top 25 Awards from Indie-Music and voted for one of the Best Album of the Year, 2010 and No.1 New Talent of the Year, 2010, from Jazz Station run by a renowned jazz journalist Arnaldo DeSouteiro.

Katrina Degel is a a graduate of Berklee College of Music, with a Bachelor’s degree in Writing and Production.  She has been teaching privately for over five years, and performing for over fifteen.  Her first love is piano, as she began lessons at the age of seven. In fifth grade she began learning guitar and soon after was playing and singing during her school Masses at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Montana. She taught herself to sing in tune, and took private voice lessons during high school.  Since graduating from Berklee, she has started two successful bands and her own production company working with local bands and doing freelance work with large studios.  Her current musical endeavors include teaching music at Small World Preschool in Jamaica Plain, being the Music Director at All Souls Church in Braintree, performing with the kid's band "Flooky and the Beans", and teaching adult and children's classes at the Boston Center for Adult Education.  Along with instrument lessons, she offers tutoring in all subjects of music and songwriting, and specialize in offering lessons tailored to each student’s needs.  Katrina strives to help each student find their own voice and expression through music.

 

 

 

 

Beginning as a classical piano and voice student over 15 years ago, Katy Moy continued to pursue her music career at the University of Southern Maine (USM), as well as a semester abroad in 2005 at Universidad de Chile and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, studying world music. While at USM, Katy studied both classical and jazz piano, in addition to performing in the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra on Upright Bass, Percussion Ensemble, and various Vocal Combos and Ensembles. She completed her degree at USM in December of 2007 in Vocal Performance, with a Jazz Concentration. Since graduating she has adjudicated for Maine music festivals, started her own private piano and voice studio, and regularly performs solo playing piano and singing. As a teacher, she strives to educate her students about the importance of technique, aural training, music theory, and music history during lessons. While these are not always the most appealing subjects, she blends learning with fun and enthusiasm and in turn learning becomes fun!

 

AIKO ONUMA    | PIANO|

 

Aiko Onuma is a keyboard/piano player and instructor, and a music therapist  She holds a degree in music therapy from Berklee College of Music, in Boston, MA.  After over 10 years of varied performance experience as a professional piano player and several years of teaching experience throughout Japan, Aiko moved to the United States.  She has been teaching the piano, performing as a piano and keyboard player, working as a music therapist with the elderly and autistic children, and supervising music therapy students. In 2006, she developed a new music therapy program at Deutchen Altenheim, West Roxbury, MA as their first music therapist. She has given keyboard workshops for music therapy students at Berklee College of Music as her unique method of using the keyboard and improvisation has been recognized. Currently she performs on piano and keyboard both independently and with several bands.  Aiko hopes to incorporate her skills as a music therapist into teaching her students, as being a music therapist gives her unique insights into the human mind, as well as a strong ability to recognize the needs of each student.

 

 

BEN DICKE     | DRUMS |

Originally from New Jersey, Ben moved to Boston in 2002 to study at Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee he studied with Ian Froman and Terri Lynne Carrington. Graduating in 2007, Ben has maintained an active performance and teaching schedule. He is featured on dozens of recordings and has performed in many of the areas highly regarded venues. Ben's vast teaching experience allows for each student to learn drums and percussion in the most clear and fun way possible.

 

 

NAOKO FUKAYA    | PIANO|

KATY MOY   | PIANO/VOICE|

SU HSIEN HSU    | PIANO|

 

 

 

 

 

Naoko Fukaya earned her Master of Music degree in piano performance from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  She received her Bachelor of Music degree in saxophone performance from the Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo, Japan.  A unique musician, Ms. Fukaya began her study of piano at four years of age and that of the saxophone at twelve. A year ago, she added organ performance to her repertoire. After arriving in the United States, she has shared her love of music through piano and saxophone instruction for both children and adults in Acton, Brookline, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. She hopes to garner more local interest in music and create a fun environment in which students may discover the joy of music performance.

Su Hsien Hsu, a native of Taiwan, began her musical training on the piano at the age of six and studied the cello at the age of eight. Prior to arriving in the United States, Su Hsien earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from National Taiwan Normal University in Cello and Piano. She also holds a Master of Music degree and Performance Diploma from the Boston Conservatory.  In her fifth year in Boston, Su Hsien has performed with many professional orchestras and ensembles throughout New England area. As an accomplished pianist, Su Hsien was awarded top honors in a number of competitions in Taiwan. From 2007 to 2009, Su Hsien served as pianist for the MIT Chinese Choral Society and performed several concerts in MIT Kresge Auditorium. Currently, she is staff accompanist at the Boston Conservatory and regularly performs with students in competitions and recitals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YUKO YOSHIKAWA   | PIANO |

 

 

 

 

JESSICA YI-CHEN YEH   | PIANO |

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lincoln Smith, a native of North Carolina, grew up in the blues traditions of the south.  His music career began on the violin at the age of five and by ten, Lincoln began teaching himself to play the guitar.  His passion for music eventually led him to the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Jazz Composition.  Over the years, Lincoln's unique talents and versatile skills have landed him performances all over Europe and the United States, bringing his unique vision to every project he pursues whether it be Jazz, Classical, Blues, Rock, Bluegrass or anything in between.  Lincoln has been teaching since he was nineteen working with students of all ages and levels.  He believes patience, flexibility and a desire to see his students fulfill their musical goals are what makes a great teacher.  With his sense of humor and warm personality, he always knows how to make music fun, encouraging and personal for his students.

Abigail Schoppe graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Piano Performance, a minor in Accompanying, and certification in Piano Pedagogy. During her time living in Pittsburgh, she also taught piano at Carnegie Mellon’s Music Preparatory School. Since then, she has continued to teach piano, to accompany singers, and to work as a church organist and music director. She is currently the director of music at Faith Lutheran Church in Andover, where she plays the organ and directs the adult choir, children’s choir, and handbell ensemble. Abby enjoys teaching music in all its forms, whether through private piano lessons or through directing choirs and other ensembles. She especially enjoys working with children in order to help shape the next generation of musicians.

Sara Azriel is a singer/songwriter and pianist who has been performing, recording, teaching, and working as a session musician for the past ten years. Recently having moved back to Boston after 7 years in Los Angeles, Sara is excitedly working on her debut record. She received her degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in 2001 and later studied audio recording at Musician's Institute in Hollywood. Sara thrives on helping to instill a deep enjoyment of and dedication to music, and takes a holistic approach to teaching which includes emphasis on applied theory, improvisation, ear training, composition/songwriting, emotional interpretation, and music history (in addition to song mastery). She loves all kinds of music, but her favorites are Traditional Jazz, Folk, Indie, and Americana.

 

 

 

 

 

LINCOLN SMITH   | GUITAR |

ABIGAIL SCHOPPE   | PIANO |

SARA AZRIEL SCHAUB   | VOICE/PIANO |

 

 

 

 

ELIZABETH SCULLEY  | PIANO |

JUSTIN SCHRUM  | PIANO |

JOHN PAOLILLI  | GUITAR |

Liz is a Boston native, who has recently returned from a year on the West Coast. She majored in Piano Performance and Composition at Bennington College in Vermont, where she wrote new work, led ensembles, and performed the compositions of other students. While at Bennington, she was awarded the prestigious John Hendricks’ Commission for composition, and also received a grant from the Student Endowment for the Arts to fund the performance of one of her pieces. Since graduation, she has accompanied a variety of groups, ranging from concert to show choirs, and has continued to write and arrange new music. Liz combines her abilities in her lessons; she utilizes her strengths as a composer to create arrangements and songs that her students are excited to learn, and passes on the strengths that her own classical training provided her as a performer.

Justin Schrum holds a Bachelor’s of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Ithaca College and a Master of Arts Degree in Music Therapy from Lesley University. Hailing from Pennsylvania, Justin began piano lessons at the age of 9 and grew up listening to Beethoven Symphonies and Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos. While attending Ithaca College, Justin performed regularly and in master classes with Barry Snyder and Dr. Jennifer Hayghe. Proficient in organ, violin, and guitar, Justin enjoys playing a wide array of music from Bach to Joni Mitchell. Justin is proud of the fact that he was pushed by all of his teachers to strive for the best while always remaining true to the musical self. As a result, this is a philosophy he brings to his teaching. As a teacher, Justin looks forward to the relationship that grows during lessons, and values the importance of technique, musicality, and determination.

Originally from Pepperell, Mass, John is a gifted guitarist/teacher who graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Guitar Performance.  John is well verse in Rock music and also fluent in slide, fingerstyle and classical guitar.  He is currently involved with three different groups that perform all over Eastern Massachusetts. Some of his performing highlights include, "The Wall" with the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra, a clinic performance with Gary Hoey and others. His performances have been heard from VFW Halls to the House of Blues across the state.  From his college years until now, John has been a guitar and bass instructor to students in his home town where he has been teaching students ranging from age 7 to adults.  His teaching philosophy is to instill a love and appreciation for music within his students, as well as inspire them to achieve their goals.  He has been teaching for 7 years and loving every minute of it!  With his laid back personality and the energy that he brings, John can engage students in lessons in a both fun and educational environment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandra Tan started her musical studies at the age of four in classical piano. She later received a Diploma in piano performance from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). Having completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne, Australia where she majored in voice performance and instrumental teaching and minored in piano, she continued her graduate studies at The Boston Conservatory, receiving a Masters in voice performance under the tutelage of Dr Marilyn Bulli. She has also performed and given recitals in her home country, Singapore, Australia and here in Massachusetts. Discovering her passion for teaching, she also undertook a Post Graduate Diploma in Music Education. Alexandra has taught in a variety of settings. Besides teaching private piano and voice lessons, she has also taught in public schools in Massachusetts such as the Boston Latin School and Bigelow Middle school, teaching general music, chorus and instrumental ensembles.  As a teacher, she endeavors to help students achieve their full potential by adapting her instruction to the student’s needs. Besides this, she believes music should be enjoyable and fun for all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALEXANDRA TAN   | VOICE/PIANO |

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATALIE WEAVER   | GUITAR |

 

Natalie Weaver received a scholarship from the World Scholarship Tour to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where she graduated from with a dual-degree in Guitar Performance and Songwriting. She grew up in Punxsutawney, PA where she began playing guitar at the age of 12. She auditioned and was accepted into the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts at the age of 16 and also began her teaching career in Pittsburgh at that age. She has traveled to Northern Uganda to teach music to former child-soldiers and child-wives, and has been teaching at-risk and incarcerated youth in Boston who often don’t have access to music education. She has been leading her own band since a young age and has performed at various clubs and venues throughout the Northeast Region. As a teacher she strives to help each student reach their full-potential and develop strong musicianship by focusing on technique, note-reading, theory, and songs of the students choice, while keeping learning fun and enjoyable. She’s focused on Blues, Rock, and Folk music in the recent years but is well-versed in all genres of music having studied Jazz, Latin, Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Popular, and Folk music.

 

 

 

MIRIAM CONTI VANONI      | PIANO |

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a talented pianist, Yi-Chen Yeh started her piano training at the age of five. After receiving her Bachelor Degree of Art from National Kaohsiung Normal University in Taiwan, she went on to receive a Master Degree and Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at the McGill University in Montreal, Canada, studying with Marina Mdivani and Richard Raymond, and where she was awarded Luba Kolessa scholarship.  Yi-Chen has been actively performing in Canada, United States and Taiwan. In particular, she was the winner of the Quebec Competitive Music Festival in 2004. As the winner of  “New Sound” competition in 2006, she was invited to perform a solo recital at Bach Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. For the past 10 years, Yi-Chen has dedicated herself in piano education for children and adults. She has trained numerous students in Montreal and New York City. Recently her family moved to Greater Boston area. She wishes to spread the joy of the music with her students.

Yuko Yoshikawa received a Master of Music degree from The Boston Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music Degree from The Osaka College of Music.  She began playing the piano at the tender age of 3 in her homeland of Japan, studying with Noriko Yasunaga, Takashi Uehara, and Miyuko Sho.  Although Yuko mainly plays music in the classical genre, she is also skilled at teaching pop and jazz.  Besides piano, Yuko is also a marimba and percussion player.  She has been teaching piano, marimba and percussion lessons since 2002, including being a substitute marimba instructor at the Berklee College of Music, and teaching at the Linnaean Community School.  Yuko is an active performer, recording artist, and the winner of many prestigious awards, including being the winner of the Aspen Music Festival and School Solo Competition.  She is an energetic and vibrant teacher who loves to make lessons fun for her students.