ALex Rodriguez - Gutiar
Alex Rodriguez is a Chicago based jazz guitarist. Alex’s guitar roots are in jazz, rock, and blues. Alex is regular gigging musician as a leader, sideman, and accompanist accompanying vocalists. Rodriguez has played at The Studio in Lockport, The New Lenox Commons, Embers Tap House in Lockport, Downtown Frankfort venue, Montrose Saloon, The Jazz Showcase, Fulton Street Collective, The Gallery Cabaret, The California Clipper, and many more venues around the city and suburbs of Chicago. I have been teaching for over four years now and believe that learning an instrument should be challenging but most importantly, fun!
My Philosophy statement for teaching:
Music is a form of expression. I teach, perform, compose, improvise, listen to, and interact with music because music at its best can bring joyfulness, sadness, anger, grief, etc. to anyone willing to interact with it. It is a way of life. Learning music is a life-long journey. In the right environment, music is learned best when collaborating with other interactors of music. Teaching music is a collaborative activity that requires both parties to approach the musical concept with an open mind. Teachers need to do away with their own egos so they can be fully present and compassionate in their classrooms. In a classroom setting, a co constructive, equal, and creative learning environment will lead to greater progress in journey to learning music. I do my best to ensure that students feel a sense of confidence, empowerment, achievement, and self-growth every time they leave the classroom. This is necessary so each student can evolve into compassionate interactors of music and share that with others throughout their musical journey.
My Philosophy statement for teaching:
Music is a form of expression. I teach, perform, compose, improvise, listen to, and interact with music because music at its best can bring joyfulness, sadness, anger, grief, etc. to anyone willing to interact with it. It is a way of life. Learning music is a life-long journey. In the right environment, music is learned best when collaborating with other interactors of music. Teaching music is a collaborative activity that requires both parties to approach the musical concept with an open mind. Teachers need to do away with their own egos so they can be fully present and compassionate in their classrooms. In a classroom setting, a co constructive, equal, and creative learning environment will lead to greater progress in journey to learning music. I do my best to ensure that students feel a sense of confidence, empowerment, achievement, and self-growth every time they leave the classroom. This is necessary so each student can evolve into compassionate interactors of music and share that with others throughout their musical journey.
Kehsin xu - voice and piano - individual lessons
Kehsin Xu is a singer-songwriter and a producer based in Chicago specializing in a wide range of contemporary styles such as Jazz, R&B, Pop and Funk, with some of her influences being Wayne Shorter and James Brown. Winning a singing competition at the age of 10 is what drove Kiki to pursue music as a profession. Kiki is a recent graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies. She credits her expansion of her musical journey to industry professionals such as Cheryl Wilson, amongst others. Thanks to her vigorous training and numerous stage experiences both with lead and background vocals, she auditioned landed a brief role as a background vocalist in the TV show Empire in early 2020. This was an early accomplishment for her growing career. Nowadays Kiki can be found playing in a variety of different ensembles around the city or spending time with loved ones. With her sheer dedication, passion, faith and love for music, along with her upbeat and fun-loving personality, studying with Kiki is an opportunity you should not miss.
“Learning how to sing is also about learning how to share your emotions and your stories to your audiences.” -Kehsin Xu
“Learning how to sing is also about learning how to share your emotions and your stories to your audiences.” -Kehsin Xu
Kyra Kornfeld - Voice and Piano - Indivudual and Group Lessons
Kyra Kornfeld is a musician and educator originally from Austin, TX. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree in voice from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Kyra’s love of singing began at the young age of 4, when she would sing along while her dad played the piano. She was a very shy kid who became more confident and personable from performing in voice and piano recitals, choral ensembles, and musicals. Kyra applies classical technique and fundamentals to any other genres a student wants to learn, like pop, rock, R&B, or musical theatre. She is passionate about creating a fun, safe space for students of any background and experience level to grow as a musician.
Owen Garcia - Piano & Percussion
Owen Garcia is a piano, drums and percussion instructor who specializes in Jazz, Pop/Rock, Latin, Classical, and World Music. Fluent in both Espanol and English, Owen is a graduate of Elmhurst University with degrees in music performance and production. He has been playing percussion and piano for the majority of his life and is dedicated to passing along his knowledge and love for music to students young and old alike.
Katie Mahnke - Voice, Piano, Clarinet, Saxophone
Katie Mahnke is a woodwind player and vocalist from Sioux City, Iowa. They are currently a junior at VanderCook College of Music as a music education major. Katie has always had a love for music and began singing at an early age. This love for music grew when they began playing the clarinet and saxophone in middle school, and have continued to do so for 10+ years. While in high school, Katie began studying the piano and has since fallen in love with the instrument. Katie is a multi-instrumentalist who can play more than 19 different instruments. Their most notable musical achievement is performing in a choir at New York City's Carnegie Hall. Katie strives to provide a safe and welcoming environment for their students, where they can express themselves through music.
Julia Minkin - Voice, Songwriting, Piano
Julia Minkin is a singer/songwriter from Chicago with strong ties in France. She began her career in 2014 with the French pop band Kid Francescoli, with whom she collaborated on two albums, With Julia and Play Me Again, contributing lyrics and music as well as vocals. Until 2019, the project toured internationally with Julia on lead vocals, appearing at European festivals such as Dour and For Noise, as well as established French venues like Le Trianon and Moulin Rouge. Songs from both albums have been used in major ad campaigns (ALDI, Lancome, Hyundai) as well as in TV and film (Emily In Paris, Get Shorty) with one song (“Moon (And It Went Like)”) becoming a viral sensation on TikTok and reaching more than 68 million streams on YouTube (September, 2022).
Julia feels comfortable in a variety of musical genres, and sings in both English and French. While living in Marseille between 2014 and 2021, she became involved with the local jazz scene, collaborating with local double bassist Pierre Fenichel, saxophonist Fred Pichot and others. During the same period, she was invited to contribute lyrics and vocals to a number of projects, ranging from experimental music to electro (Thylacine, French79, Wuman, Paravision Music). Most recently in 2021, her lyrics and vocals, as well as an original song, were featured on an album from jazz trumpetist Christophe Leloil, based in Marseille.
Songwriting provides Julia with an outlet for her love of language. She has a BA from NYU in Comparative Literature and a minor in Creative Writing, a practice that carries through into her lyrics. She is always excited to be invited to compose lyrics for others, even as she continues to write for herself. To read some of Julia’s lyrics, click here.
Since moving back to Chicago in 2021, Julia and her husband, guitarist Andrew Sudhibhasilp, have shifted their focus to recording an album of original songs at their home studio. For a preview of what’s to come, check out their submission to the Tiny Desk Contest 2022.
Julia feels comfortable in a variety of musical genres, and sings in both English and French. While living in Marseille between 2014 and 2021, she became involved with the local jazz scene, collaborating with local double bassist Pierre Fenichel, saxophonist Fred Pichot and others. During the same period, she was invited to contribute lyrics and vocals to a number of projects, ranging from experimental music to electro (Thylacine, French79, Wuman, Paravision Music). Most recently in 2021, her lyrics and vocals, as well as an original song, were featured on an album from jazz trumpetist Christophe Leloil, based in Marseille.
Songwriting provides Julia with an outlet for her love of language. She has a BA from NYU in Comparative Literature and a minor in Creative Writing, a practice that carries through into her lyrics. She is always excited to be invited to compose lyrics for others, even as she continues to write for herself. To read some of Julia’s lyrics, click here.
Since moving back to Chicago in 2021, Julia and her husband, guitarist Andrew Sudhibhasilp, have shifted their focus to recording an album of original songs at their home studio. For a preview of what’s to come, check out their submission to the Tiny Desk Contest 2022.
Madelyn Merrell - VOICE & PIANO - Individual Lessons And Group Classes
Madelyn Merrell is a singer, pianist, and educator that strives to make music lessons responsive to students’ needs and interests. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree in voice from Jacobs School of Music, with minors in Conducting and General Music Education. Madelyn has performed with Indiana University’s Singing Hoosiers, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Besides her classical training, she has experience with musical theatre, contemporary music, and jazz. She is dedicated to sharing the joy of music with students of all ages and backgrounds!
Angelo Nottoli - Guitar AND Piano - Group And Individual Lessons
Angelo Nottoli is a Chicago-based composer, guitarist, pianist, audio engineer, and music educator. He received his Master's of Music in Music Composition for Film from the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program in Seattle, Washington. Musical styles Angelo teaches range from Classical, Avante-Garde, Electronic/Ambient, Jazz, Punk/Rock, Soul/R&B, and Hip-hop.
Throughout Angelo's musical career, he has collaborated with many filmmakers across the globe to write and record original film scores to bring their artistic visions to life. Furthermore, he has collaborated with many live orchestras, such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago's Composer Orchestra, and Seattle Philharmonic, for many pieces he has written on multiple film projects and concert compositions.
Angelo's goal is to bring students' creativity to the forefront. He teaches beginner, intermediate, and advanced players, where we will develop skills to push their musical boundaries beyond what they thought was possible.
Throughout Angelo's musical career, he has collaborated with many filmmakers across the globe to write and record original film scores to bring their artistic visions to life. Furthermore, he has collaborated with many live orchestras, such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago's Composer Orchestra, and Seattle Philharmonic, for many pieces he has written on multiple film projects and concert compositions.
Angelo's goal is to bring students' creativity to the forefront. He teaches beginner, intermediate, and advanced players, where we will develop skills to push their musical boundaries beyond what they thought was possible.
Kara Schultz - Voice, Piano And Guitar - Individual Lessons and Group Classes
Kara Schultz has been teaching since 2017 in the Chicagoland area. They received a BFA Musical Theatre from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. You may have seen them perform with Corn Productions, Alphabet Soup, or Traveling Lantern theater companies.
Kara's teaching style is student-centered, discovery based and goal oriented. Kara has experience teaching many styles and techniques of singing including riffs, harmonization, belt, mix, and multiple styles of vocal distortion. In addition to voice, Kara can play and teach piano, guitar, and beginner drums. Kara is an expert in teaching young kids ages 4-6 and specializes in teaching group classes. Some of Kara's favorite musicals include, Spring Awakening, The Little Mermaid, Avenue Q, and Merrily We Roll Along.
Kara's teaching style is student-centered, discovery based and goal oriented. Kara has experience teaching many styles and techniques of singing including riffs, harmonization, belt, mix, and multiple styles of vocal distortion. In addition to voice, Kara can play and teach piano, guitar, and beginner drums. Kara is an expert in teaching young kids ages 4-6 and specializes in teaching group classes. Some of Kara's favorite musicals include, Spring Awakening, The Little Mermaid, Avenue Q, and Merrily We Roll Along.
SAMuel Barsi - Guitar, Drum Set
"I want to inspire my students to love music and discover their best selves. The reason I started teaching music was because I had a teacher that almost cost me my love of music. Now music is such a huge part of my life, I would be missing out on so much!" - Sam Barsi, Founder, Pilsen Music Studio
Samuel Barsi, raised in a musical family, initially pursued piano at age 6 but lost interest due to perceived inadequacy and poor teaching practices. His passion for music revived when he embraced his family's musical fervor, joining the school band as a brass player and learning the drums in his spare time. For Sam's drumming career, transitioning to a pop/rock band in grade 8 marked the beginning of Sam's performing experience. Sam spent high school playing with his rock band in his home town and around the surrounding area. Sam was also active in the school band earning awards at solo and ensemble contest, marching band contests, and more. Word of musical excellence circulated the hallways of his high school and then teaching friends to play drums revealed Sam's passion for teaching. Since, Sam has become a college-educated, seasoned professional teacher and drummer. With extensive experience and collaborations with notable musicians, Sam employs a three-pillared teaching approach. Prospective students are invited to schedule a trial lesson to experience his effective and personalized methodology.
Sam also manages https://samslessons.com.
Samuel Barsi, raised in a musical family, initially pursued piano at age 6 but lost interest due to perceived inadequacy and poor teaching practices. His passion for music revived when he embraced his family's musical fervor, joining the school band as a brass player and learning the drums in his spare time. For Sam's drumming career, transitioning to a pop/rock band in grade 8 marked the beginning of Sam's performing experience. Sam spent high school playing with his rock band in his home town and around the surrounding area. Sam was also active in the school band earning awards at solo and ensemble contest, marching band contests, and more. Word of musical excellence circulated the hallways of his high school and then teaching friends to play drums revealed Sam's passion for teaching. Since, Sam has become a college-educated, seasoned professional teacher and drummer. With extensive experience and collaborations with notable musicians, Sam employs a three-pillared teaching approach. Prospective students are invited to schedule a trial lesson to experience his effective and personalized methodology.
Sam also manages https://samslessons.com.
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