Meet our teachers!

Theo (Founder)

I've been playing music since I was ten years old, first the trumpet and later the guitar. Although I can teach a variety of genres, my passions include fingerstyle folk and jazz. I'm especially influenced by Adam Rafferty, Stephan Wrembel, Louis Armstrong, and John Coltrane.

I believe that if learning guitar is ever frustrating or unwelcoming to the student, the teacher has to take a different approach. 

My vision is simple: help the next generation express themselves through music. 

Andy

I have been playing guitar for nearly 15 years now. As a youngster, I also took guitar lessons, learning theory and lots of pop and rock songs. Nowadays, I'm more of a Soul, Jazz, Hip Hop, Indie, influenced guitarist. 

My favorite artists range from the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane, J Dilla, D'angelo, to Iron Maiden.  

 I love to teach! I make fun my top priority, and I want students to always walk away with a positive impression of music. I pride myself on being informative and direct while remaining very patient and relaxed. 

Aliah

My musical journey began with piano and violin, but coming from a family of
guitarists, the guitar always fascinated me. I’ve now been playing for over 6 years,
with a focus on folk and rock.

I play ukulele, give singing lessons, and love helping students write their own music. Some of my favorite guitarists include Joni Mitchell
and Paul Simon, but I can get into pretty much anything with a good riff! 

I think guitar lessons should be fun and unique to each student. One of the coolest
things about learning guitar is discovering you can play your favorite music – or
create something that’s all your own. My teaching style is based on finding what’s
enjoyable and creating a strong foundation in technique and rhythm so that you are
excited about picking up the guitar.

Milo

I have been playing guitar since the 5th grade which is a pretty long time (for me anyway) and I’ve been obsessing over music for even longer. I was lucky to have a parent with a large and eclectic record collection that I worked my through in my childhood.

I am fascinated by all things guitar and I think it is one of the most accessible and expressive instruments a student can learn. I try to listen to many types of music, but some of my favorite musicians/influences include Howlin’ Wolf, Frantz Casseus, The Kinks, Tom Waits, Marc Ribot, Robert Fripp, Baby Gramps, and The Pixies.

In my teaching, I strive to help students overcome the common roadblocks that they face while encouraging experimentation and finding those “happy accidents” that make playing an instrument such a fulfilling experience. 

John

It was a minute ago when I first started performing musically, as the lead boy soprano at a local church in Nebraska. Later, I became acquainted with the baritone horn and the electric bass, the guitar, and eventually the tuba. More recently, the piano and the flute have found their way into my musical life.

I’ve performed many different genres of music, and at many venues. I am most influenced by English and American progressive rock, American jazz of the 60’s and 70’s, Afropop and Romantic Symphonic music.

I believe music is innately accessible to everyone. It can sometimes seem as dauntingly complex as life; my key to teaching is to always try to bring it back to the experience, the purpose of music.

David

I have been studying the guitar for over ten years and recently graduated with a degree in music performance from Western Washington University.

I’ve had experience teaching all genres of guitar, and I specialize in Classical and Jazz. Some of my favorite guitarists include Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Roland Dyens, and Andres Segovia.

My goal with students is to help them develop a deep love for music, and give them the skills they need to pursue any style.

Cary

I’ve played guitar since I was 12, and piano for about 5 years. I'm inspired to play by many classic and modern pop and rock groups. There's the Beatles, The Beach Boys and the heavy hitters of the 60's and 70's. I also really enjoy a lot of world music from the era, when electric guitars and wah pedals made their way to Cambodia, Peru and Nigeria among other places!

I see music as a form of communication with oneself as well as others and I want to help others find and recognize the place in them that lights up when they hear something that enlivens them. If it feels good and sounds good, it is good! I enjoy helping students learn to express themselves and hopefully find a voice they love to hear when they play their instrument.

Brett

Brett Strizich is originally from Phoenix, Arizona and has been living in Bellingham for the last several years. Brett moved to Washington to pursue his dream of summitting peaks and climbing classic rock routes in the cascades. He earned his associates in music composition from WWU in 2020 and is currently working on a degree in business management. On the weekends, if you don’t find Brett recording various instruments in his bedroom or making music with his friends, he’s probably on his way to the mountains looking for the next adventure.

Brett combines the formal discipline of classical music education with a loose easy-going rock and roll spirit. The most skilled guitarists are the ones who know how to play their scales with their eyes closed, and at the same time know that there’s no such thing as “wrong” notes.