All posts by bang_admin

Woodwind Teachers

Joshua Barnes

$35 per lesson

Joshua grew up in Georgia, Kentucky, and Arizona. He graduated from The University of Arizona in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, with flute being his professional instrument. Before moving to Virginia to pursue a career as a military musician, Joshua taught music in the public schools for five years.

Although he has stepped out of the classroom for the time being, Josh still supports the music programs within the local community and enjoys making music while teaching others in order to keep his educator wits about him. When not at work, you can find him working on home projects with his husband!

Voice Teachers

Katherine Preseren

$35 per lesson

Katherine has been teaching choral music for the past 8 years. She earned her BA in music (vocal performance) in 2013 and a Masters of Education from the University of Mary Washington in 2014. She has performed solo and with various groups in the area. She can be seen performing locally in the 90s tribute band Waney Edges.

Violin & Viola Teachers

Carly Steenstra

$35 per lesson

Carly has been playing violin for 13 years. She studied under Dr. Wanchi Huang at James Madison University where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree with concentration in Music Education in 2016. In her 4years at JMU, Carly has played in JMU’s Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and a jazz combo.

She has also recorded and performed with musicians in New Jersey. Carly continues to play in a band with her father when she is back in her New Jersey hometown, as well as the Saint George’s Chamber Orchestra in Fredericksburg.

Her overall musical experiences cover the genres of classical, jazz, bluegrass, fiddle and rock. Carly currently teaches in Stafford County.

Violin & Viola Teachers

Melissa McCreary

$35 per lesson

Melissa McCreary was captivated by the oboe at an early age. Many years and even more reeds later, she graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s in Music Education, specializing in oboe. Since her graduation in 1992, she has picked up viola and alto sax. She taught orchestra for nine years in Maryland while playing viola with the Susquehanna Symphony.

Since coming to Fredericksburg, she has played with numerous ensembles, including the UMW Philharmonic, several community bands and the St. George’s Chamber Orchestra/Ensemble. From 2012 to 2022 she taught orchestral strings and woodwinds at Catfish Music in Stafford. She currently performs with the UMW Philharmonic and at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg.

Violin & Viola Teachers

Michael Andree

$35 per lesson

Michael Andree holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, with a concentration in strings from the James Madison University School of Music. He is a violinist, violist, strings and music educator, and co-founder and member of the Melodious Strings Quartet and Professional Ensembles.

Michael has performed with the Melodious Strings Quartet at a variety of venues all over Virginia, including the Patrick Henry Ballroom, Montpelier, Montalto, and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and he has also performed with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. 

As a teacher, Michael’s dedication and passion for music and strings education has led him to train at rigorous summer string education workshops such as Bay View Music Festival and the Philadelphia International Music Festival, and he has assisted with several strings workshops for children’s music education. 

When not performing or teaching music, Michael likes to build custom computers, learn about new tech, and tend to his three Australian Shepherd “dog kids”, Pickle, Daisy, & Zen. 

https://www.melodiousstrings.com/recordings.html

Piano Teachers

Eliane Sunderlin

$35 per lesson

Eliane is a graduate of the Federal University of Goias, Brazil, where she earned degrees in music and piano. She performed piano nationally in Brazil as a recitalist, and played chamber music in the Conservatory of Music of Anapolis, Brazil.

She has had a great passion for music since early childhood where she started playing in church at a young age. She has played piano for churches in Brazil, California, and Virginia. She also enjoys composing her own music.

She has been teaching students of all ages to play piano since 1994. Eliane helps students develop their skills and become independent musicians, learning to play and enjoy the music that they love.

Piano Teachers

Rebecca Evans Case

$35 per lesson

Rebecca has been teaching piano at BANG! Music for over 10 years, and her students range from 3 years old to mid 40s. She specializes in beginning students, especially children. Rebecca has accompanied school concerts and has played in numerous churches. Dr. Evans enjoys classical and Broadway Music.

Piano Teachers, Woodwind Teachers

Ejuana Andrews

$35 per lesson

Ejuana’s primary instruments of choice are piano, flute, and clarinet, but she also has extensive knowledge of most other woodwinds, thanks to her degrees in both musical performance and music education. She has over 30 years of teaching experience in both private music lessons and classroom environments. Ejuana specializes in traditional styles as well as worship music and jazz.

Guitar Teachers, Mandolin Teachers

Jon Wiley

$35 per lesson

Jon Wiley has been a working musician for the past 10 years. Fluent on the guitar, bass and mandolin, he has performed around the world as a member of Stephen Kellogg’s SouthWestNorthEast, Virginia based rock band Melodime, and as a teaching artist/performer with the MusiCorps program.

He has also performed with artists such as Aloe Blacc, Sister Hazel, and Ron Holloway on stages such as the Grand Ole Opry and PBS’s A Capital Fourth. You can see him perform locally in small combos and his current project Jon Tyler Wiley and his Virginia Choir.

Guitar Teachers

Chris Cepulis

$35 per lesson

Chris started playing guitar at the age of nine. She picked up her sister’s guitar and a songbook, figured out some chords, and she’s been playing ever since. It was the lessons she shared with her twin brother, however, that were invaluable to her development as a musician.

In college, she started using her guitar for her real passion: leading worship. She graduated Penn State with a degree in Secondary Education. She’s been a worship leader and a youth band leader on and off for longer than she’d like to admit.

Currently, she is Worship Ministries Director at Stafford Crossing Community Church in southern Stafford County. She loves and plays all types of music and believes in the importance of knowing music basics. Chris teaches beginners.

Drum Teachers

LJ Trotta

$35 per lesson

Gennaro “LJ” Trotta is an accomplished drummer and producer who has been active in the music industry for 15 years. LJ has toured the globe with both national and international acts and has shared the stage with artists such as Kenny Rogers, Halestorm, and Victor Wooten.

LJ recieved both his Bachelors and Masters in Music Production and Engineering from the prestigious Berklee College of Music graduating with honors distinction on his principal instrument of drum set.

LJ owns LGenius Productions, a recording studio, that specializes in recording, mixing and mastering as well as remote drum recording and lessons. LJ has recieved numerous awards for his work including the Louis Armstrong National Jazz Award and the Friends of the Philharmonic Scholarship. LJ currently offers private instruction in the areas of drum set, percussion, and music production.

Brass Teachers, Voice Teachers, Woodwind Teachers

April Wheelis

$35 per lesson

April Wheelis has over 20 years experience in various instruments. She studied performance, theory and composition in the jazz program at the University of Maine, Augusta. She has also played in various orchestras and ensembles.

She is currently the Music Ministry Director for Rock Hill Baptist Church, working with adults and youth on both choral and orchestral music.

Brass Teachers, Woodwind Teachers

John Nelson

$35 per lesson

John has a BA in Music Ed. from Trenton State College, NJ. He taught junior high school instrumental music for 13 years and is a former member of the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra. He is currently the principal horn of the Fredericksburg Community Concert Band and a member of the UMW Orchestra.

Bass Teachers, Guitar Teachers, Ukulele Teachers

Dan Davis

$35 per lesson

Dan is a well-experienced instructor with a passion for learning, performing and teaching music. He enjoys students who want to learn how to play guitar, bass or ukulele and in whom he can inspire and nurture the love of music by passing it along to others.

While Dan has advanced education in humanities disciplines, he is mostly self-educated in music. It’s a lifelong learning experience of more than 40 years that has led him to perform in local pop, rock, country and jazz groups and to teach music as a way to share his inspiration, gifts and talents. Dan teaches a variety of styles to students of all ages.

Bass Teachers, Guitar Teachers, Mandolin Teachers, Piano Teachers, Ukulele Teachers

Lisa Lim

$35 per lesson
ONLINE ONLY

Lisa Lim is a three-time WAMA (Washington Area Music Association) award winning multi-instrumentalist, performer, clinician, music educator and songwriter!

Lisa offers guitar lessons, acoustic/electric—all styles and levels—and beginner to intermediate lessons on keys/piano, mandolin, electric bass guitar, and tenor ukulele. She also offers lessons in music theory, performance and songwriting.

Lisa has toured and performed extensively throughout the U.S. for the past two decades. She is a National Guitar Workshop faculty member and writes instructional columns for various national music publications. In 2015, Lisa was one of the top five finalists in Truefire’s Next Top Guitar Instructor Competition. Lisa Lim is endorsed by GHS Strings, PRS Guitars, Taylor Guitars, Daisy Rock Guitars, Retro-Sonic Pedals, Source Audio Pedals, Spectraflex Cables, Levy’s Leathers, Pedaltrain Pedalboards & G7th Capos.

Bass Teachers, Guitar Teachers, Mandolin Teachers, Ukulele Teachers

Bruce Middle

$35 per lesson

Bruce Middle is an educator, composer, and performing and recording artist with over 25 years in the industry. He teaches beginners through advanced (ages 10 to adult) in all styles.


Member of: MENC, IAJE, BMI, WAMA
Education: NVCC, GMU, UMW

Bruce is currently Professor of Guitar at The University of Mary Washington, and is an 11-time WAMA (Washington Area Music Award) nominee.

www.brucemiddle.com

Bass Teachers, Guitar Teachers, Ukulele Teachers

Brett Minard

$35 per lesson

Brett Minard has played guitar for 12 years and taught privately for 7 years. He has been involved in the punk rock community in the DC area and has toured across the country in a number of rock bands. Brett has also worked with local praise and worship bands and is one of the directors of the Rockademia program at BANG! Music.

Bass Teachers, Cello Teachers, Piano Teachers

Joanna Smith

$35 per lesson

Joanna Smith has been playing upright and electric bass professionally for the past 10 years. She received her BA in music from the University of Mary Washington in 2012, spending four years in the UMW Philharmonic and Jazz band.

She can often be seen playing in Fredericksburg and abroad with various groups in styles ranging from jazz to bluegrass and rock. Her most recent projects include playing for Ladia, The Kingbolts, and Jon Tyler Wiley and his Virginia Choir, and she regularly plays in the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts’ pit orchestra. 

www.joannasmithbass.com

Bass Teachers, Guitar Teachers, Piano Teachers, Ukulele Teachers, Voice Teachers

Becca Bass

$35 per lesson

Becca Bass has been teaching private music lessons in the Stafford area for over 20 years. Singing/voice, piano/keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, and ukulele. Beginner to professional. Classical, Pop, Broadway, Rock/Metal, Jazz, R&B, Country, and everything between. She specializes in theory and live performance so students can quickly excel on their own in high production environments.

Becca is a local worship leader and consultant to churches, known for developing leaders and teams, streamlining productivity in bands for professional productions. She performs regularly locally under the name Rebecca Rose, and was also was voted “Best of Stafford” Music Instructor in 2021.

www.rebeccaroselive.com