Lessons

Dave Dequasie (Guitar)
David began playing guitar in 1972. His interests in different styles of music have led to his studies in rock, blues, jazz, and classical. He has a certificate from the Berklee College of Music and has been teaching professionally since 1984. David is able to teach traditional classical style as well as contemporary pop and jazz.

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Don Sudduth (Guitar)
Don has an Associates of Arts Degree from Brevard Community College where he studied guitar and music theory, he also studied guitar and music theory at the University of Central Florida. Some of Don’s experiences include playing clarinet in school band for five years, studying piano, and playing electric guitar in rock bands. Don has more than 30 years of guitar teaching experience and has written and published Seven Guitar Method Books which teach the fundamentals of music and technique leading to student self sufficiency. His first two books teach traditional music notation, melodies, scales, and chords, and his tablature books “Metal Werks” and “Power Chord Power” teach Rock, Grunge, Blues, Metal, and Alternative styles. Don’s Tab books have rhythm notation and come with a play along CD with Guitar, Bass, and Drum tracks. The Tab books develop rhythmic timing and ear training. It’s more than lessons it’s an education.

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Michael Hawley (Guitar)
Michael has been playing guitar for over 20 years and holds a B.A. degree in guitar performance from UCF. He has taught both privately and in group settings since 1986, including country, jazz, and rock seminars for the National Guitar Workshop. Many of his former students have gone to play professionally. Michael is the author of Red Hot Country Guitar available through Hal Leonard. To listen or see Michael play and for more info, check out his website: www.michaelhawley.net.

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Jeff Adkins (Guitar, Bass)
Jeff began learning to play and sing folk rock songs in the style of Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and the Beatles. He quickly became the guitarist for the youth fellowship in the church. Upon graduating high school he moved into Jazz studies and spent nine semesters as the 1 st chair guitar in the UCF jazz lab. Jeff went to Boston and studied Improvisation with esteemed Berklee instructor Dave Frank. In the mid eighties he took the time to study Bass guitar and spent three years playing professionally in a power trio. Not only does Jeff play bass but he plays with bass fingerings which are guite different from traditional guitar fingerings. He simply is not a guitarist teaching bass. Something all potential bassist should be concerned with. Jeff also learned to play blues in the style of the late great Stevie Ray Vanghn and spent the better part of the nineties playing top 40 country music. Over the last five years he has been an entertainer on cruise ships. “I love what I do and my students can sense this, I am always striving to be on top of new trends in music.”- Jeff Atkins

[Visit Jeff's MySpace page]

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Brian Chodorcoff (Guitar, Bass)
Brian’s extensive education includes 4 years of the National Guitar Summer Workshop and a period of instruction at the New School in NYC. In addition to these private institutions he has also studied with various instructors for 13 years. Brian has performed on over 200 recordings for both national and local artists of all styles. As a current member of the Legendary JC’s and The Riverbottom Nightmare Band he can be seen performing in and out of town. Brian has been playing guitar for 24 years, has been teaching professionally for 11 years, and is well versed in many styles and instruments (guitar, bass).

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Willie Rast (Drums)
Willie is a graduate at Valencia Community College in 2004 and will pursue his Bachelors at Rollins University. He performs in Jazz, Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Bands, and orchestral + mallet percussion, as well as on the drum set. Willie has been playing drums since a young age and plays all styles ranging from Classical, Jazz, Rock, Funk, and Latin. He is experienced in teaching students of all ages and levels.

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Natalie Wright (Piano, Voice, Violin)
Natalie is a graduate from the University of Central Florida with a BM in Violin performance. She also has over 18 years of musical experience. Highlights of her experience include: 4 year member of the Araphae Philharmonic Orchestra in Denver, CO; 3 year member of Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra; 2001 Eastern Music Festival member; and also attended Colorado All-State Orchestra and Colorado All-State Choir. Natalie has studied violin for 15 years and has played piano since age 4. Her vocal experience includes 3 years of study at Metropolitan State College of Denver where she was the section leader in the select mixed chorus. Natalie teaches all ages and uses different styles to best fit the students way of learning.

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Kyria (Violin)
Kyria has been playing the violin since 4 years old and graduated from Rollins College with a BA in music. She has been in ensembles such as Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, Florida Young Artists Orchestra, and Bach Festival Orchestra. She currently teaching violin in local elementary schools with A Gift Of Music and has 8 years of teaching experience with all ages starting at 4 years old. Bilingual English/Spanish.

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Jim Young (Upright Bass, Electric Bass)
Jim studied classical music as a performance major at Florida State University. He has been playing both electric bass and double (Upright) bass for over 20 years. Jim has played contemporary, rock, jazz, and R&B with local professionals since the late 80’s. His career has taken him from school ensembles to Disney and Universal Studios and hundreds of other gigs in and around Florida.

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Dave Gardner (Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone)
David Gardner began his music studies on clarinet in the Oakland, California public school system. After two years in college, he began and enjoyed a 23 year career as a Navy Musician. Highlights of his career were performing throughout the United States and Italy where he lived six years. He has resided in the Orlando area for 12 years and continues to play with may bands in the area. Dave has been teaching clarinet, saxophone, and flute since 1975 and has seen traditional teaching methods evolve to what now are accepted and necessary musical conceptions to understand and learn, include classical, rock/pop, and jazz. Dave likes to use the many new practical teaching aids available such as “play-alongs” that give students needed experience when opportunity presents itself.

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Rachel Gould (Piano, Oboe)
Rachel is a music performance major at Valencia Community College, where she studies both piano and oboe. She has been studying the piano since she was seven years old and the oboe since she was eleven. Rachel currently volunteers in various music ensembles at Rollins College where she plans to attend school after receiving her Associate of Arts Degree from Valencia Community College. Rachel’s main focus when teaching is music theory. She prefers to make her lessons enjoyable, while making sure her students are learning everything they will need to be better musicians.

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Jonathan Clay (Brass)
Jon has been playing the trumpet for 16 years, 8 of them in Orlando, Florida. During that time he has performed for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, The Central Florida Philharmonic and several other groups and venues including churches, schools and theatres. He is currently seeking a music performance degree from the University of Central Florida where he has performed in several ensembles including the orchestra, wind ensemble, big band, quintet and early music ensemble.  He has also assisted many school band programs as a brass instructor in the band room and on the field as a marching band technician. He has been teaching brass and piano while in Orlando to students whose ages span from 7 to 66.

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