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Nick is a bassist and multi-instrumentalist from Fairfield. He started playing music on the violin in 3rd grade and since then has practiced and performed on several other instruments including, drums, bass guitar, double bass, viola, and cello.

After developing an interest in jazz music, he chose the double bass as his main instrument and attended the Ithaca College School of Music to pursue a degree in jazz studies. Since then, he has been regularly performing, arranging, and teaching music in the Connecticut area.

Nick enjoys teaching others how to make music on their instruments while emphasizing the "playing" aspect of making music.

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.

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. 

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 FSM, 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.

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. 

Liza Martin Cross received her Bachelors degree in musicology and piano performance at New York University. Liza grew up in a family of professional musicians and learned how to play the piano when she was 3 years old. She embarked upon classical music studies with several teachers, culminating with her studies during her college years with famed concert pianist Antonio Barbosa. Liza continues coaching with her mentor in New York City and has been teaching students of varying ages and abilities for 25 years. She is a highly skilled instructor with a keen sense of individual student needs. It is extremely important to Liza that her students connect with the joy of music, and not get discouraged by the work involved in learning and developing their skills. Liza understands what students need technically and musically, and is flexible in her approach with each student in order to meet their objectives and support their love of music. Liza is considered a Chopin speciatlist. Her favorite composers are Back, Chopin, and Beethoven.  

"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.

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.
 

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.

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.