Meet Our Teachers
Abigail S.
Abigail is a sensitive, confident teacher who is always listening to her students to fine-tune their technique and relationship to music. A violin, piano and composition teacher with JFMA, Abigail graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with her degree in Violin Performance and Film Scoring. She was selected as a participant for the Composing for the Screen 2019: A Film Scoring Mentorship Program, sponsored by BMI and directed by pro composer Rick Baitz. This is a prestigious six-week workshop for budding film composers to learn more about writing music for a wide variety of media. Abigail’s past teaching experience includes being an instructor at the Global Strings Intensive camp run by Berklee College teaching her students styles from Bluegrass to Celtic. Abigail has written music for video games and has worked as an audio engineer and music producer. Abigail enjoys teaching her violin and piano students to identify with their instrument, to better control it with technical skills, to express their unique thoughts and feelings, and most of all to enjoy playing. She charts a unique plan for each student’s development and optimum learning and takes an active, hands-on role to realize their goals.
Alexander B.
A versatile musician, Alexander teaches Piano, Guitar, Drums and Ukulele. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s degree in Music from Cal State Fullerton having earned his Associates in Music from East Los Angeles College. He has been teaching music lessons since 2018 with attention to crafting engaging exercises to keep his students practicing between lessons. Alexander is patient and disciplined in his teaching; he focuses on technique, performance, and making music fun at every age. Alexander is a kind and thoughtful person and a very dedicated teacher.
Andres Y.
An exceptionally talented guitarist and experienced music educator, Andres is also a friendly, cosmopolitan, bilingual teacher of guitar, bass guitar, drums, piano, and the ukulele. His Bachelor’s degree is in Business Administration with a minor in Contemporary Music performance. He then went on to study Guitar at the Los Angeles Music Academy where he graduated on the Dean’s List of honors. He developed a music program for an entire high school in Quito, Ecuador and also has many years of one-on-one teaching experience in Los Angeles. He has developed a highly effective method of teaching music theory to kids based on playing games. He is also highly accomplished in music production, mixing, mastering, marketing, and of course performance. He has performed playing blues, rock, funk, pop, and R & B. He can teach any student to express him/herself in any musical genre, sharing one’s talent with the world.
Camden B.
Camden can talk to anyone about almost any subject and does an excellent job illustrating how music relates to history, technology, science, and the arts. He teaches violin, piano, and cello. He earned both his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Composition from the famed Juilliard School in New York City. Prior to Julliard, Camden served as Concertmaster for UC Santa Barbara’s orchestra and a Teaching Assistant at the San Francisco Music Conservatory, aiding composer Daniel Wood in teaching a composition intensive for high school students. Having composed numerous pieces in a variety of styles, Camden enjoys helping all of his students discover how to express themselves through music.
Ednaldo A.
A multilingual and internationally accomplished musician, Ednaldo has been teaching advanced Clarinet and Saxophone, and beginning Piano since 2016. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and Music Education from the Federal University of Paraíba in his home country of Brazil, where he was the principal clarinetist for several orchestras and concert bands. He went on to earn his Artist Certificate and Master’s degree in Music Performance from Azusa Pacific University. Ednaldo has been the recipient of many awards for competitions in Brazil, Bosnia Herzegovinia, the US, and the UK. Locally, Ednaldo has held many orchestral and wind ensemble positions and has performed a diverse repertoire as a soloist in a wide variety of orchestral settings. As a teacher, Ednaldo is patient, kind and encouraging to his students as he develops them into confident, creative performers.
Jackie T.
Jackie is fun and energetic, traits which serve her well teaching both adults and children. She teaches voice, violin, and piano. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Vocal Performance from Azusa Pacific University. She was Concertmaster for the St. Francis High School Chamber Orchestra for three years and a violinist with the Sacramento Youth Symphony for three years. In college she was a member of the APU Bel Canto Women’s Choir and the APU Oratorio Choir, and an university opera performer. Also at APU, she was a recipient of the Dean of Music Scholarship and a Vocal Performance Merit Scholarship. She won the Command Performance Vocal Soloist Award, State Level at the Golden Empire Music Festival. An accomplished performer, Jackie inspires her students to be actively performing musicians as well.
Jennifer N.
Jennifer is a very patient instructor and highly skilled with multiple styles of piano playing. She teaches piano, voice, songwriting, Math, English, and guitar. Jennifer graduated Summa Cum Laude from Life Pacific College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies and a Minor in Music. She has been the worship leader for Emmanuel Assembly of God Church and the Musical Director for Bible Mission church. In her teaching children of all ages and adults, Jennifer emphasizes performance skills. She enjoys teaching all types of musical genres including: baroque, classical, romantic, worship, gospel, ragtime, and contemporary.
Jeremy B.
Jeremy is wonderfully creative in his teaching and uses a diversity of methods to engage all kinds of students. A JFMA instructor since 2004, he teaches guitar, piano, drums, ukulele, bass, violin, theory, and banjo. Jeremy earned both his Bachelor’s in Psychology and his Master’s in Music Performance from Azusa Pacific University. As the Music Director for Mission Pointe Church, he prepared all the music for weekly services, led congregational singing, and ran rehearsals and performances for the worship band. Currently he performs as a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area. Dedicated to the success of his students, Jeremy develops personalized curriculums of music theory and guitar techniques for his students.
Jessie M.
Jessie is committed to seeing steady progress in her students to keep them confident, motivated, and consistently improving as musicians. She teaches voice, math, and piano. Jessie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of the Redlands, where she was a Music Talent Award Scholarship recipient, and studied theater, jazz dance, swing dance, and ballet at the College of the Desert. She is skilled in multiple genres including: pop, jazz, musical theater and is highly accomplished in jazz singing, sight singing, and vocal improvisation. She was a choir member for productions at Opera by the Glass, the Pacific Opera Project, the University of the Redlands, and the McCallum Theater. Jessie believes that a solid musical technique is the ideal foundation for a lifetime of musical development and enjoyment.
Josh H.
Josh is an effervescent, energetic, fun and bilingual teacher of Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, and Spanish. He earned his Associate’s degree in Music from Rio Hondo College and is currently completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Guitar Performance at Cal State Fullerton. He was awarded the honor of Guitar Student of the year at Rio Hondo College. A compassionate and empathetic teacher, Josh has frequently performed with the Guitar Foundation of America. His lesson plans incorporate music history, theory, ear training, and composition. Josh customizes lessons according to each student’s individual pace, level, and learning goals.
Lorraine G.
Fun-loving, friendly, and great with kids, Lorraine teaches multiple styles of Voice, Piano, Spanish, and our beloved Pre-K program. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Vocal Performance from Cal State Polytechnic University. She has played major roles in a variety of Broadway musicals: Into the Woods, The Addams Family, Amelia Goes to the Ball, and In the Heights. As a teacher, Lorraine values and teaches healthy singing habits to strengthen one’s versatility in a variety of styles and genres, and of course to protect one’s voice. She incorporates both ear training and sight reading in her voice lessons. Lorraine is also a flexible teacher and adapts her lessons to suit each unique student’s personality and goals.
Lu J.
Cosmopolitan, engaging, and patient, Lu teaches piano, music theory, and Mandarin. Lu earned her Master’s degree in Music Education from Mississippi College and her Bachelor’s degree in Musicology from Southwest University for Nationalities in China. Lu has helped many students to pass the ABRSM examinations in Music Theory and Piano Performance. Lu relies on her international experiences to enhance her teaching methods. She believes in working towards specific musical goals and mastering solid technique as the foundation of great musicianship.
Melissa M.
Melissa is a kind and nurturing instructor who enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures. She teaches Voice and Piano and earned her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Chapman University. Melissa is committed to developing and preserving healthy musical habits in her students for a lifetime of making music. In Voice lessons, she pays special attention to proper technique for breath control and support and when teaching piano, Melissa focuses on strengthening her students’ fingers for both power and agility. Melissa sings Soprano and performs with multiple choirs throughout Los Angeles and is a section leader for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Choir in Monrovia. In college, she performed in staged opera productions, recitals, and numerous choir concerts all over California and Nevada. In 2017, she was awarded first prize in the Great Composers Competition in the Rising Talents of the Americas competition and third prize for composition in the Artist of the Year Competition that same year. Always professional, Melissa makes use of every lesson and takes every opportunity to develop her students’ growth.
Naomi D.
Teaching Voice and beginning Piano to students of all ages, Naomi has been teaching privately since 2021. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Cal State University and has also studied classical voice at Citrus College. She’s participated in various musical ensembles including concert choir and university choirs and has toured internationally in Costa Rica with these ensembles. Naomi still takes voice lessons herself because she believes in continuous learning and growth for all musicians. Naomi is a teacher who practices what she preaches and is committed to developing a lifelong love of music.
Natalie C.
Natalie is an engaging and personable teacher who challenges her students to progress while still being nurturing. She teaches voice and piano plus Pre-K with international music teaching experience to children of all ages. She earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music with a Vocal Performance emphasis and her Master’s degree in Music Education with a Choral emphasis from Azusa Pacific University. She has performed and worked in Hong Kong, China and the US. She designed and developed curriculums and worship formats for several Christian music programs and won APU’s 2018 Final Cut singing competition. She is very kind, friendly, and always encouraging.
Samantha V.
Always kind and very personable, Samantha teaches Piano, Guitar, and our Pre-K program. She earned her Associate’s degree in Music from Rio Hondo College and she is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance from Cal State Fullerton. She received the award for Music Student of the Year at Rio Hondo College. Samantha is an empathetic teacher with great attention to detail so she is particularly effective with getting shy, sensitive students to feel comfortable and develop their musical talents.
Talia S.
Talia is incredibly energetic and works wonderfully with children. Sweet, friendly, and down-to-earth, she teaches voice with specializations in pop and musical theater. She completed the Citrus Singers Conservatory program at Citrus College. Talia has extensive professional experience in Vocal performance, touring in places such as New York, Los Angeles, and all the way in China. She has over five years experience teaching children and young adults in voice, acting, and songwriting and she’s a skilled audio engineer of mixing and mastering. Talia is dedicated to fostering a love of music as a foundation of growing up.
Vicki S.
Highly experienced, Vicky gives her students the perfect balance of encouragement and technical instruction. She teaches violin, viola, piano, and cello. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Violin Performance from the University of Buffalo, New York. Vicky has written orchestral arrangements of pop songs and classical music for school orchestras at varying levels of technical competence for the student players. She has taught group string lessons to students grade levels K-6th at several local schools, led masterclasses for violin students, and taught private lessons to students aged 4 to adults, ranging from beginning to advanced, for over ten years. Vicky’s educational philosophy is that music is meant to be shared and so regular performance is the best way to improve one’s skills.
Walter T.
Enthusiastic and friendly, Walter teaches Trumpet, Trombone, Bass Guitar, Piano, Banjo, and Music Theory. He earned his Bachelor’s of Music in Composition from the University of North Texas. He has many years experience teaching private lessons to all ages in Performance and Music Technology. Walter has worked in recording studios playing keyboard, guitar, and bass and freelances in score editing, composition, and arranging. Versatile in a wide variety of musical styles from orchestral music to jazz, Walter is always positive and upbeat, and is dedicated to encouraging any student to believe in oneself.