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Aidan is a multi instrumentalist and singer/songwriter from Fairfield who grew up taking piano and guitar lessons at FSM. Growing up he was heavily involved in music programs around town and went on to play stages across the country, including the music festival Lollapalooza. He continued his passion for music at Hofstra University, releasing original music, continuing to perform, and graduating with a Music Business degree in 2023. Since graduating, he has been the music teacher at Fusion Academy in Fairfield and has also been working as admin at FSM. He plays and teaches a wide variety of genres including rock, r&b, jazz, blues, etc...along with music theory and ear training. Aidan enjoys connecting with students and finding what speaks to them musically, understanding everyone learns differently.

Soprano Ava W. is a concert soloist and private voice and piano teacher. Ava is a graduate of the Purchase College Conservatory of Music, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. During her time as a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland, Ava performed leading roles in various opera productions, including La Boheme and Roméo et Juliette. Ava has also appeared with many chorales and orchestras, including the Metro Chamber Orchestra, Mystic River Chorale and Manchester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale. 

The study of music should always be a joy, and Ava prioritizes making music lessons a time for her students to look forward to. She understands every student is their own unique musician with goals and dreams, and therefore tailors each lesson so that they feel supported and encouraged in pursuing them. She integrates the mastery of healthy techniques—in both singing and piano—through fun methods and a wide variety of repertoire. Ava strives for every student to leave each lesson feeling like an empowered and confident musician with the ability to achieve whatever they desire! 

Chris Strange is a Connecticut based keyboardist, producer, and music teacher who combines blues, rock, hip-hop, and R&B styles into his unique performance and production work.

He has performed as a session keyboardist for an eclectic range of artists including Peter Shaw, The Juicy Grapes, Old Bob, Massive Diva, Miss Peppermint, as well as a residency as the house keyboardist for the "Bowieball" shows at Le Poisson Rouge in Manhattan.

He has also licensed original compositions for independent films like "Green Eyes" and "Heaven is Now", as well as network television programs such as "All My Children" and Fox Sports' "Tuf Talk", and "Inside PBC Boxing".

Chris enjoys connecting with students of all ages, styles, and abilities. His teaching style focuses on helping achieve their individual goals to develop a lifelong relationship with music.

Lyra received her Bachelor of Music degree in Musical Studies in 2017 with a concentration on Music History and Violin at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, where she studied with John Lindsey and Liesl Schoenberger Doty. Previous teachers include Eriko Sato, Gary Kosloski, David Oei, and Edmund Niemann. During her studies at Crane, Lyra also completed a senior project, which focused on cultural appropriation in music.

As a chamber musician, Lyra has participated in a chamber music festival at Vianden, Luxembourg and in the ArtsAhimsa Chamber Music Festival in Lenox, MA. She has also performed at Carnegie Hall and Mohonk Mountain House. Outside of her performances, Lyra is currently the Secretary for the Board of Directors at the Violoncello Society of New York and has previously interned at the ARChive of Contemporary Music.

Lyra's dedication to music eduction led her to become the first and only Children's Music Director and Educator at the Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains for four years, where she taught general music and how music has become a crucial tool of culture. With her strong belief that music should be accessible to all, she has taught violin, piano, and cello privately to students of all ages.

Gianni began playing guitar at the age of seven. As a teenager, he played in local blues jams alongside the likes of Charlie Karp (Buddy Miles, Them Changes). He currently holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in Guitar Performance and graduated Cum Laude. Gianni received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Berklee Guitar Department. He did a study abroad semester at Berklee Valencia, Spain where he earned a minor in Music Technology.

Gianni has a wide-ranging interest and passion for all musical genres including blues, classic rock, jazz, soul, funk, slide, bluegrass, flamenco and classical guitar.  Through teaching, he explores the fundamental topics of music theory, ear training, improvisation and reading. He focuses on the importance of tone, timing, and technique.

Steve is an accomplished musician, music teacher, songwriter, and recording engineer. He earned his bachelor's degree in classical guitar, although he is skilled in all genres of music and performs regularly with various area rock bands, including The Occasionals and The Adult Swim Band. In 2008, Steve released a CD of original music titled Something for Everyone, under the band name "Steve and the Enablers." 

Although guitar is his primary instrument, Steve plays and teaches a number of instruments, including ukulele, mandolin, electric bass, piano, and voice. He is also a Certified Music Together teacher and has taught the program to hundreds of young children for over 20 years.

In addition to his extensive teaching and performing credentials, Steve is a recording engineer of classical music and has contributed to over 250 recordings, including the 1999 Grammy award winning, HornSmoke. He resides in Fairfield and is the proud father of two beautiful children, Leah & Kyle.

Jamie F. has been a music educator for over 20 years. He is a composer and multi-instrumentalist, playing trumpet and piano. In addition to teaching at FTSM, Jamie is currently an adjunct professor at Fairfield University. His professional playing credits are myriad and diverse having recorded, toured and performed all over the world with many great jazz and blues artists of all kinds. Jamie currently lives in Monroe, CT and spends his time teaching and composing music.

Eli was born in 1989 and was adopted from Seoul, Korea. He spent most of his life growing up in New York and Missouri. The first instrument he picked up was the harmonica which opened up a world of communicating emotion and feeling through music. Eventually that lead him to guitar, ukulele, voice, and piano as well. Eli became very intrigued by many genres of music and graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education from Columbia College in Chicago in 2013.

Eli has spent the last decade teaching and playing music all over the world, in the United States, Italy, Japan, and London, to name a few. Eli believes that music education is imperative to anyone who wishes to partake and that music is one of the best ways to enchance a persons education and understanding of the world around them. 

Isabella Palacpac is a Filipino-American cellist and teacher based in Connecticut and New York. In addition to serving her in-person and online private cello studio, Isabella has also been a faculty member at The Cello Camp in Westport since 2018. She also taught with The Harmony Program in Manhattan and with the Nucleo Corona Music Project in Queens. While attending Wilton High School, Isabella co-founded and directed "Roots of Music," a free summer camp based in Wilton providing music instruction to young children, for four years; Roots of Music still operates today under new leadership. As a teacher, Isabella draws upon her classical background while also enjoying opportunities to explore the versatility of the cello in multiple genres with students.

Isabella received her Bachelor's degree in cello performance from the Julliard School in 2020, where she was a Gluck Community Engagement Fellow. She has performed internationally on stages in Canada, China, Switzerland, and Russia. Isabella has also performed as a soloist locally in Connecticut with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Danbury Symphony Orchestra, American Chamber Orchestra, and Eastern Connecticut Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has played with regional ensembles such as the Ridgefield Chorale and the Ridgefield Theater Barn. Isabella is especially excited to join the rock-classical crossover trio Take3 on their upcoming tour. Among other accomplishments, Isabella was a National Young Arts Foundation Winner, a semi-finalist in the International Young Tchaikovsky Competition, and a member of Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra of the USA.

Jennifer L. is an accomplished music professional, educating students of all ages & levels for over 20 years in public schools and private lessons. Jenn’s musical training began at the elementary level on the clarinet under the tutelage of the late clarinetist, Richard Shillea of the Manhattan School of Music, and continued through her post-secondary education at Ithaca College, where she earned her Music Education degrees. In addition to teaching at FTSM, Jenn is currently a K-8 music and band teacher in the New Haven Public School System. 

As a well-trained and diverse instrumentalist, Jenn teaches beginning & intermediate piano as well as all brass & woodwind instruments, with an emphasis on her primary instruments, the clarinet and saxophone. Jenn is also trained in and teaches Play-a-Story Piano, an age-appropriate and creative way for young children (ages 4-6) to learn basic piano skills. This improvisatory approach explores sound and visuals as students travel through a storybook world and create their own soundtrack to the story. Jenn provides a safe and relaxed learning environment that is tailored to meet the goals her students set for themselves, whether it’s a specific audition or simply to add enjoyment in their lives. She pours her heart out into her craft for all of her students, with a continued focus on positive growth throughout each lesson. 

"Ellynne is well worth discovering." (Scott Yanow). With her warm authenticity, subtle delivery, and crystalline mezzo voice, she has been delighting and enchanting listeners all over the world as a jazz vocalist and recording artist. Ellynne studied jazz vocal performance with a variety of prominent figures and "legends" including: Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Barry Harris, Mark Murphy, Nancy King, and actress Betty Buckley. She studied vocal technique for 6 years with renowned opera singer, John Macurdy. 

Ellynne is certified in Somatic Voice Work and The LoVetri Method (TM). She serves on the music faculty of Southern CT State University and Sacred Heart University. A songwriter and composer, Ellynne is a member of ASCAP. Other artists have performed and recorded songs that she has co-written.

As a teacher, Ellynne believes that everyone has the potential to make music. She helps students build a solid musical foundation by emphasizing technique and core skills, such as sight-reading and ear-training. She also believes students should have fun making music. While developing musicianship takes discipline and focus, Ellynne believes music should be personally expressive, creative, and above all -- enjoyable. Seeing practice as a pathway to learning and discovery, instead of a chore, is part of her philosophy that she strives to impart to all of her students.

In her work teaching, mentoring, and performing, Julia approaches music-making with a signature passion and wit. Her holistic approach to singing is grounded in OperaWorks training with Ann Baltz, and voice study with Claudia Friedlander and Ruth Ann Swenson. In private lessons, she meets each student where they are physically, emotionally, and musically that day. Most of all, Julia guides students in developing healthy habits for preparing repertoire, practicing, and performing that empower them in their musical lives going forward. 

As a singer, Julia has won praise for her "clear, bell-like tone" (OperaWire), and has extensive experience performing operatic, musical theatre, concert, and choral works, from plainchant to premieres of new works. She regularly serves as a soloist and section leader in churches and synagogues, and she served as a vocal mentor for the National Children's Chorus, NYC. Julia holds a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from The University of Texas, Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Drama from Tufts University, where she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Julia is a proud native of Maine, and she's thrilled to be back in New England after a few (very hot) years in Texas.

James B. received his Bachelors in Music Education (Applied Music in Piano and Voice) from the Hartt School of Music. In addition to teaching piano at FSM, he has taught in public and private schools with an emphasis on vocal/choral performance and piano accompaniment for many years, as well as worked in music ministry for area churches, most recently at Huntington Congregational Church in Shelton.

In the studio, James uses the best instructional materials available and guides the student in choosing classical and popular music, including rock, jazz, and Broadway showtunes that are appropriate for the student’s level. James wants all of his students to discover how music can be a very special part of their lives. He encourages his students with his patient and persistent manner and cultivates a positive, fun environment for learning music.
 

A Connecticut native, Kenny O. has toured & recorded internationally and domestically with multiple bands since his teens. At home in all American styles and many world musical styles, he enjoys sharing his learned knowledge with all of his students by studying recordings, transcriptions of rhythms, and solos, with an emphasis on improvisation and melodic awareness. Now in his 30s, he resides in the Blackrock area of Bridgeport and performs & records regularly with Hitch & The Giddyup, Alligator, Rudeyna, and many more tristate area groups and international artists, entertaining audiences and demonstrating his acquired skills with joy and passion. 

As a teacher, Diane’s aim is to help students develop an enduring love of music and a sure confidence in their ability to create it. For over 30 years, Diane has had the good fortune to teach students of all ages in a variety of musical arenas including school classrooms, church choirs, camps and private studios. Walking with students as they grow in musical skills and knowledge and guiding them each step of the way is the joy of her teaching practice!

From its beginnings, Diane has taught Simply Music, a unique playing-based piano method, designed for ages 6 thru adult. Students initially learn songs by pattern (not by ear or rote) before learning to read music, similar to how we learn to speak before learning to read or write. Simply Music draws on a repertoire of Classical, Jazz & Blues, Contemporary and Accompaniment pieces, teaching students to play with both hands together from the very first piece. Diane meets students “where they are” so she can adapt to their particular needs, including blending in traditional methods for students who want to continue their musical exploration beyond Simply Music’s curriculum.

Diane’s musical journey began in a time when, together with like-minded friends, they schlepped guitars, ukes, and tambourines everywhere they went, passionately performing at a wide variety of Church and civic events throughout high school. After college, where she conducted a small women's choir, Diane began teaching music in an elementary school and conducting youth and contemporary adult choirs while directing a youth ensemble. Presently, Diane is grateful for the opportunity to offer individual and small group instruction as a licensed Simply Music Piano Teacher and is a member of The Schubert Club and the Simply Music Teachers Organization.

Violinist Arjun G. is a recent graduate of the Yale School of Music (Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts), where he studied with Ettore Causa. Arjun completed his undergraduate studies with a degree in Statistics from the University of Minnesota, while studying viola with Korey Konkol and Sabina Thatcher. He has performed in numerous festivals across Europe and the United States. 

Arjun enjoys teaching and has taught in many capacities including music theory, private and group lessons, and chamber ensembles via various institutions and programs, including The Heartbeat Project in New Mexico (Navajo Nation), as well as The Morse Academy and Music in Schools Initiative in New Haven.

A guitarist from the New Haven area, Mike studied classic rock and metal in his formative years, and then gradually became more interested in fusion music. Through fusion, his interest in jazz grew, and he enrolled in an arts high school in New Haven (Educational Center For The Arts), where he studied for his junior and senior years. Mike later completed his Bachelor’s degress in Jazz Studies from Western Connecticut State University. For the past decade, Mike has had an active teaching and performing schedule. He has toured all over the country with his former progressive jazz metal group, Mid Atlantic Title, and has performed with a multitude of well-known jazz artists, such as Aaron Goldberg, Myron Walden, Jimmy Greene, Jumaane Smith and Ralph Lalama. In addition to teaching private lessons, Mike is also currently on the faculty of the Litchfield Jazz Camp. 

Mike’s goal as a teacher has always been to provide a lesson environment that’s educational and fun at the same time. A typical lesson will consist of Note Reading, Technique and Music Theory combined with learning songs from the student’s favorite artists and bands to create a lesson environment that gets the student excited and inspired to practice, while simultaneously teaching them the fundamentals of music.