Ever since a young age, Monica has been deeply involved in music. Growing up, she was a member of various concert bands, jazz bands, wind ensembles, orchestras, clarinet ensembles, concert choirs, madrigal ensembles, and vocal quartets. She loved them all so deeply that she knew she had to pursue a degree in music education.

Monica is currently a high school band and music teacher in Chicago, IL. Before becoming a teacher, she attended VanderCook College of Music where she studied all woodwind, brass, percussion, and string instruments, as well as music theory, conducting, and rehearsal techniques.
Monica has taken lessons on clarinet with Professor Patrick Refsnider as well as with Dr. Bonnie Campbell. Monica also has taken classical voice lessons with Professor Angela Presuti-Korbitz, a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

Music education is Monica's love and passion. She simply cannot wait to spend the rest of her life sharing the joys of music with others!

Welcome parents and students!

I have been playing oboe for 12 years and teaching for 7. I am currently a graduate student at DePaul University for music performance. I recently graduated from Peabody with a degree in oboe music performance as well as a strong background in education. I have experience working with special needs students, so feel free to contact me to see if I am able to work with your child.
While primarily an oboist, I have experience playing and teaching on all instruments. I am constantly performing music, which I absolutely love, but teaching is equally as important to me. I am passionate about teaching, and love to see how music can change a student's life.

Thanks for stopping by my page - hope to teach you soon!

Elizabeth

Chad has a rich musical history including both pedagogy and performance.
In his 12 years of applied study on trombone, Chad has studied privately with Mark Kellogg, Mark Salatino, John Marcellus, Andy Rosza, Joseph Rodriguez, and Clay Jenkins. He recently graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Music Education.

As an educator, Chad studied with Christopher Azzara, Richard Grunow, John Fetter, and others. In 2012, Chad completed his student teaching at Buckman Heights Elementary School in Greece, NY and the School of the Arts in Rochester, NY. In the summers of 2010 and 2012, he served as a teaching assistant at the Birch Creek Summer Jazz Camp. Several times, he has served as an assistant band director for summer programs at junior high schools and has 9 years of experience teaching private lessons.

In performance, Chad has extensive experience with many different styles. Most recently, Chad has been subbing regularly with...

I am a professional musician who enjoys helping young people reach their musical goals. I perform regularly as a solo act and play with a band at various hotels in Chicago. I went to Millikin University in Decatur for music where I toured the country and played and sang in the top ensembles. I also studied at the Music Industry Workshop in Chicago for music production and engineering. My goal is to help you learn the songs you love and show you how to make the technical side of music more fun than you ever imagined!

Hi My name is Mary Kay I am a Music Education major at VanderCook College of Music. I am a trombone major and vocal minor. I've been singing for 16 years and playing Trombone for 15 years. I am very patient and I love to sing and play trombone, I love to teach. I've grown as a teacher through out my time here at school, and my passion for what I do grows deeper. I enjoy playing music every day , but also love to do photography , knitting, or crocheting.

Some other things I love to do besides music is photography, dancing, and knitting scarves for friends. I love going out to the zoo or little red school house and take pictures of nature.

I also like to go bike riding either having it just around my neighborhood or when around a trail by my house. I find it one exercising and also a great stress reliever because I can't run with my sprained arch muscle in my feet.

I love planting flowers and I love hanging out with my friends on Friday or Saturday nights playing guitar...

A bachelors degree in music ed and 20+ years of playing and performing experience comes with you to every one of our lessons. Whether it be on trumpet, guitar, or piano I will consistently stress fundamentals that lead students towards the musicians they strive to be. I feel incorporating music that is relevant to the student and his or her goals is paramount and doable! I will always demonstrate the techniques and ideas I espouse. Lastly, I show my students the joy music has put in my life and in turn, show them how to play music towards the same ends.

Paul has been teaching music in the public school system since 1997. He has a bachelor and master's degree in music education from VanderCook College of Music. While at VanderCook Paul studied all woodwind, brass, percussion, and string instruments, as well as music theory, conducting, and rehearsal techniques.

Along with being a music teacher, Paul also composes and records out of his home studio. He has played bass and guitar in various Chicago bands including, Reckless Maggie, The One, Chicago Sound Machine, and Windy City.

Nick comes from a family of four generations of music in the GREEK/Balkan repertoire. He graduated from Columbia College of Chicago with a concentration in Music Composition in December of 2009. Currently teaching and performing professionally, Nick enjoys all styles of music, but has been declared as an "old soul" by many of his friends. He enjoys playing lots of Motown, funk, and jazz, but is proficient in Classical, Rock, and Blues as well. When not playing music (rarely), he is a Board member for the GivingBackPack Foundation which provides school supplies to underprivileged children. Nick's dedication to education is shown through his music and his personal volunteer hours, he feels his diverse background gives his students an advantage to a broader perspective of music and theory.