Jill Alonzo
Jill Alonzo's expertise is manifested in a wide variety of areas, including the disciplines of language arts, piano, and math. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University; and holds two Masters’ degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy and in Cross-Cultural Studies, from Fuller Theological Seminary.  She is fluent in Spanish and has developed her language skills from over 8 years of rigorous study, including four months of residence in Costa Rica, and travels to Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, and Nicaragua.  Additionally, she is a gifted pianist and has served as an accompanist for multiple choral performances. Jill exhibits a high level of patience and personal investment. With a special talent for children, her energy is contagious and creates a positive environment for the learning experience.

 
Genevieve Birchman
Genevieve Birchman received her Music degree from Occidental College with an emphasis in Composition.  She has been a student of trumpet and piano for over fifteen years in both classical and jazz styles.  Prior to graduation, she received the Warren Award for Composition.  Her effort as a young professional composer is largely focused on classical music and pop.  For a number of years she was the front woman for the rock band, Trophy Room, and is now recording her debut solo album, Traveler.
 
Matthew Borba
Matthew Borba has been teaching private violin lessons for over eight years. His academic experience includes a Bachelor’s degree in Music with an emphasis in Violin Performance from the University of Southern California. Matthew regularly performs for various orchestral concerts, including the USC orchestra, and has received six musical awards from multiple competitions. His musical expertise also includes the art of directing having served at the Suzuki Violin School of Davis as the String Chamber Orchestra director, where he has also performed regularly as a talented accompanist.  Matthew specializes in the traditional pastime of Old Time Fiddling, and also specializes in both Appalachian and Irish/Scottish genres. His balance of both professional musical methods and his flexible and encouraging approach to teaching the violin enhances his students’ progress.  Matthew is also currently pursuing his PhD at Fuller Seminary.

 
Daniel Brummel
Daniel Brummel holds a B.M. in Music Composition from UCLA, whose ensembles have recorded his works for orchestra, chorus, and chamber groups.  Daniel’s university training emphasized music theory, piano performance, voice, jazz guitar, film scoring, electronic music, and folk music of various cultures.  He has garnered such accolades as being awarded recognition from the Monterey Jazz Festival and the California Arts Scholar medal.  Daniel has scored multiple short films, recorded and performed on over a dozen albums, and given performance tours to audiences of thousands across the world.  In addition to his musical training, Daniel is a highly competent math tutor and a committed educator.  He teaches piano, guitar, bass, voice, composition, and math, and also enjoys working with special-needs students.
 
Jason Chavez

Jason was born and raised in San Dimas California and has been playing and performing music from the age of eight.  He started with trumpet and after six years added guitar to his musical studies.  He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Berklee College of Music having received a world scholarship.  There he concentrated in guitar studies, performance, arrangement, harmony, and business.  Currently Jason is enrolled in the Recording Technology program at Citrus College and enjoys writing and performing original music along with subbing for top 40 bands such as Cold Duck.  At Joe Ferrante Music Academy Jason appreciates the "one on one" style of learning, as each student learns differently and benefits from having lesson plans custom made to suit their individual needs and interests.  Jason believes that as long as his students show interest in, practice, and most of all have fun with music, they can achieve anything!
 
Mary Cummings
Mary’s musical studies began at the age of 12 and within six months she joined the local Youth Symphony Orchestra. In the next 5 years, Mary served with the Youth Symphony Orchestra in such prestigious roles as Principal Violinist, Concertmaster, and Chamber Artist. In 1998, she won the annual Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist with the Senior Orchestra, and was subsequently invited to play a season with the local Symphony as its youngest member. Mary has a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Azusa Pacific University. During her years participating in APU’s Symphony Orchestra, University Choir and Orchestra, Chamber Music, Recording Artist, and Musical Theater Programs, Mary was also a member of and served as a substitute for the Debut Symphony Orchestra. These days Mary performs regularly with the Golden State Pops Orchestra. You may also catch her as a special guest artist at the Pasadena United Congregational Church or at various performances in the Los Angeles areas. Mary has taught both Music and Drama to students in Montana, California, Mexico, the Philippines, and Japan. When she’s not playing the violin, Mary enjoys pilates, knitting, cooking, swimming, reading and playing with her two cats.
 
Summer Ferrante
Summer is a singer/songwriter who has been singing and writing music since she was 4 years old. You can find her most recent CD release titled “Favorite Fantasy” online and at the Academy. Coming from a musical family, she has been in various bands throughout the years and was an active choir performer. Summer holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Azusa Pacific University in Sociology and specializes in teaching children in a manner that makes each one feel special and a valuable member of a group. She is the manager of Client Services at the Academy, and is also in charge of the Joe Ferrante Music Academy In-School Pre-K program, while teaching her own Pre-K class at the academy. Summer plans on returning to school to obtain a Masters Degree in Child Development to receive more theoretical knowledge to complement her passion for working with children.
 
Viri Franco
Viri Franco is an experienced and versatile musician who began her music studies at age eleven. She immersed herself in public performing groups including marching band, wind ensemble, symphonic band, jazz band, orchestras, a saxophone quartet, and percussion ensemble.  She served as a private saxophone instructor via the Azusa Conservatory of Music, and graduated in 2005 from Azusa Pacific University with a degree in Music Education. She has her California Teaching Certificate, and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Education, while additionally teaching in the Azusa Unified School District as an instrumental instructor. Her musical performance tours have included trips to Thailand, Brazil and Mexico. As a Spanish tutor, Viri is fluent in all levels of Spanish, including both reading and writing. Viri is a dedicated educator, and brings techniques to each lesson that wonderfully encourage and motivate students.
 Jennifer Heren

Jennifer Heren holds both her Bachelor's and Master’s degrees of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge.  Jennifer has appeared in many musical theater productions and operas.  She has performed roles in Italian, French, German, and Spanish, both in school and with such companies as Center Stage Opera, the Merola Opera Institute, and Opera Pasadena.  She is currently a member of Opera a la Carte, a nationally touring operetta company.

Jennifer has taught voice and piano for over five years, and her students cover a wide range of ages and experience.  In voice, she emphasizes a natural, healthy vocal technique, and teaches vocal styles ranging from pop to classical.  With both her piano and voice students, Jennifer believes it is most import to instill a love of music and a deep emotional connection to music through performance.
 
Faith Hefty

Faith Hefty holds a B.A. in Music from Azusa Pacific University where she studied musical arrangement and music business in addition to classical, jazz and contemporary piano. Faith has performed in numerous vocal ensembles of various styles and therefore brings personal experience to her teaching vocal performance. She is also an active singer and songwriter, performing her original compositions in the greater LA area on a regular basis. She is currently at work on an EP (extended play cd). While studying music for many years, Faith had the opportunity to work as a nanny and so she is very good with young children. She greatly enjoys sharing her passion for music by teaching piano and voice and is also available for tutoring in Math, Spanish and English.

 
Linus Lau

Linus Lau received his B.A. in Music from Santa Clara University with an emphasis in Piano Performance and Composition, and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California.  A composer of film/video music, Linus has had works featured on elle.com and current.tv.  His concert and solo works have premiered at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Steinway Society of California.  His favorite aspect of teaching is challenging young players to be more expressive and find new interpretations for traditional music.  For the academy, Linus teaches piano, composition and trumpet.  Additionally, he teaches in the Music, Radio and Television Department at Long Beach City College.

 
Daniel Levin
Dan Levin is an accomplished performer, composer, and arranger, receiving both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in composition from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he also performed in their premiere jazz ensemble.  Dan has been a private instructor of classical and jazz piano, saxophone, clarinet, musical theory, composition and songwriting for over seven years, as well as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University for two years.  Dan has received numerous awards in many competitions, including the San Francisco Song Festival’s American Art Song Competition for Composers, the Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composers Competition, and the Down Beat Student Music Awards.  He is also an active film composer and orchestrator.  Dan is especially talented in encouraging those students who may lack confidence, and is also gifted in explaining complex concepts in practical, understandable terms.
 
Jennifer Oikawa
Jennifer Oikawa (piano voice) holds an MA in music from Azusa Pacific University, and has studied at the Royal Conservatory of Toronto.  Her musical training includes studies in classical, jazz, and contemporary sacred music, as well as training in pedagogy.  Jen is a very gifted pianist and brings a deep commitment to education and student development.
 
Christina Po
Christina Po is an accomplished piano accompanist who has been accompanying choirs since the third grade.  She started playing piano when she was 5 and continued playing for churches, school choirs, choir tours, concerts, and impromptu events for vocalists and instrumentalists.  She has a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington with a Music Minor.  She loves the one-on-one relationship she can have with each student and brings passion and joy to teaching music.  She loves to work with kids and feels that a piano lesson is more than just a music lesson; it is also a time for the student and teacher to get to know each other and to develop a friendship.  She also teaches Pre-K Music at the academy and really enjoys working with the little ones and introducing them to music.
 
Morgan Roberts

Morgan Roberts is an alumni of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he studied classical and jazz violin under Dr. Stanley Chepaitis.  He was a member of the university symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra and string quartet. He is an active composer and arranger, a technical advisor and performer for film and television and has and performed with several jazz bands.  Morgan has been a private instructor of classical and jazz violin, viola, and musical theory for over 15 years.

 
Erin Rametta

Erin Rametta is a gifted musician with a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Columbia College for Women and a Master’s of Art from Cal State University with emphases in Piano, Voice, and Theory.  She teaches a variety of subjects at the academy including voice, piano, guitar, Dulcimer, Pre-K classes, English, and Math.  Her repertoire encompasses a wide variety of musical genres: including jazz, rock, classical, and Spanish-style guitar.  As an artist, she also instructs basic design and drawing at the academy.  Erin comes to the academy well qualified with previous experience as a private music instructor.  One of Erin's prominent strengths is how she positively affects her students is her ability to present musical concepts creatively.  She is able to customize her teaching plans to the individual learning styles of each student. Her cheerful attitude and passion for music education is directly evident in each of her lessons.
 
Mateja Schuck

Mateja Shuck holds a B.A. in Music from Santa Clara University, where she worked as a theory instructor, diction coach, as well as an accompanist and voice coach for the university's musical theatre students.  She has extensive training in the classical opera genre and has received various awards for her performances, including "Outstanding Achievement in Opera" in 2006.  Her voice has appeared in several film and tv prodcutions, including Barbie in the Nutcracker. In additional to her musical skills, Mateja has been trained in linguistic studies and is musically proficient in such languages as Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Slovenian, and Latin.  With a Minor in English, she is also available to instruct creative writing, grammar, and essay construction.  Mateja is passionate about teaching others and enjoys fostering progress with all of her students.
 
Angie Soloman

Angie is a recent transplant to southern California originally from Iowa. She last lived in Kansas City, where she was the soprano apprentice with the Kansas City Lyric Opera. She appeared as Papagena in that company’s production of Die Zauberflöte (Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute) in the spring of 2008 and has an impressive résumé comprised of opera and musical theater roles, including recent stints at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. In addition to her performance background, Angie has several years of experience teaching private voice and piano lessons having maintained a studio of undergraduate voice students at the University of Kansas. She also particularly enjoys working with young children and has worked (and played!) extensively with music schools in the Kansas City area. Angie received her B.A. in Music from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN, and her M.A. of Music from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. When she's not tackling musical endeavors, Angie can be found hiking, cooking, or flying home to Minneapolis to nurse her inner farm girl and play in the snow with her family.
 
Saskia Victor

Saskia Victor graduated Cum Laude from the University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in Languages.  She has traveled extensively in France and Italy.  Courses in linguistics and literature in Siena and Venice, Italy have complemented her knowledge of the Italian language.  In the Netherlands, she worked as an Italian teacher, translator, editor, and writer. Language arts, literature, and teaching are her greatest passions.  In 2005 Saskia moved to the United States, and is also currently working part-time in special education. Her understanding, patience, and love for children make her a dedicated teacher.
 
Hubie Wang
Hubie Wang graduated from the respected Berklee College of Music where he concentrated in guitar studies including performance, arranging, and songwriting.  In additional to his musical degree, Hubie holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and received the honor of being his class' Commencement Speaker.  Hubie has had experience in freelance work and is proficient in various styles, including rock, r&b, jazz, and classical genres.  He has also received a number of awards, including a Professional Music Achievement Award from the Berklee College of Music and an Honorable Mention in the Billborad World Song Contest.  In addition to teaching guitar, Hubie is able to instruct mathematics, piano, composition, and songwriting.  His fun teaching style is effective with children of all ages.
 
Josh Weekley
Josh Weekley earned a B.A. degree in Music Education from the University of Alabama, Birmingham in 2003, an institution known for its high caliber music department.  His major instrument study of guitar is demonstrated in his ability to play all styles, including classical, pop, rock, modern rock, jazz, blues and country.  Josh is an accomplished bass guitar player, as well, and his skills on the drums and piano allow him unique insights into how the guitar interfaces in the all-important combo setting.   Additionally, Josh brings extensive teaching experience, having taught hundreds of students over the last few years.  His easy style and approachable personality enhance his skills as a communicator and his passion for private music education.  Josh is an active professional guitarist and recording artist in the greater Los Angeles area, and loves modeling performance techniques to all of his students.
 
Cara Woelhoff
Cara holds a B.A. in Sociology from Azusa Pacific University and is currently working on a Master's Degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Azusa Pacific University. She enjoys teaching Spanish, English as a Second Language as well as working one on one with her students to improve their reading and writing skills. Cara has both studied and taught in many different cross-cultural contexts; including Thailand, China, and Spain. In her experiences teaching abroad and at home, she has refined her skills to adapt lesson plans to best suit each individual student's needs. Cara embraces teaching with enthusiasm and believes learning should be both enjoyable and interesting!