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Bass Teachers
- Raul
Sunday
Monday
- Christian
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
- Callum
Friday
- Deanne
Saturday
Deanne Carloni
Deanne Carloni grew up in a very musical family. She began playing the violin in third grade and since then her love of music has never stopped growing. Deanne Carloni graduated from UW-Whitewater with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, a General Music Certificate, and a Minor in Spanish. While at UW-Whitewater she was a recipient of the ASTA Student Exemplary Service Award and the Richard Gaarder Award. During her time at UW-Whitewater, Carloni served as the President of the UW-Whitewater Student ASTA Chapter, taught lessons as a part of the after school strings program, and served as String Camp Head Counselor for two summers.
Deanne Carloni currently is a member of the Wisconsin American String Teacher's Association Executive Board, serving as the Membership Coordinator. She is also a member of NAFME and has attended the Wisconsin State Music Association Conference for many years. She has taught summer Orchestra lessons and taught at the Orchestra Jumpstart Camp for young musicians in Mukwonago, she has taught K-8th grade General Music in Milwaukee, and is currently teaching middle and elementary school Orchestra (violin, viola, cello, and bass) in the Oshkosh Area School District. In Oshkosh, she has also taught summer orchestra lessons, and she started the Orchestra Jumpstart Camp for students entering 6th grade.
Deanne Carloni has been very active performing in the community through being a member of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, Concord Chamber Orchestra, Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a coach for the Oshkosh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and she has played in PIT Orchestras for musicals such as Singin' in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, Ragtime, Shrek the Musical, Cinderella, and Into the Woods.
Deanne Carloni is always seeking to learn more and challenge herself to be a better musician and teacher so that she can pass on her knowledge to her students. This is evident through her involvement in the Christian Howes’ Creative Strings Workshop last summer, where she attended a week long camp with an extensive emphasis on improvisation, composition, and learning music by ear in the fiddle, jazz, and rock styles. She is passionate about alternative styles and learning music from around the world. One of her favorite experiences was getting to work with internationally known fiddlers Liz Carroll and Kiana June Weber, as well as taking a composition workshop with Andy Reiner. When she is not teaching, she loves to play traditional Irish fiddle music, read, watch superhero movies, cheer for the Milwaukee Bucks, and she is a competitive ballroom dancer.
Minimum age: 8
Accepting new students!
Raul Bonde
Raul (rhymes with Paul) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who lives in the Milwaukee area. He started bass and guitar lessons with jazz guitarist Clark Otto from age 12, and since then has taught himself to play most fretted instruments. Raul played guitar in the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra for two years and is currently a member of the Milwaukee Classical Guitar Society. His expansive musical palette and good ear make him a very versatile teacher for students across a vast array of interests and disciplines. He has performed at Festival of the Arts and at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center with the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra. His favorite style of music to play is classical and rock.
Minimum age: 10
Not accepting new students
Callum Fettiplace
Callum Fettiplace is an incoming senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pursuing a BA in double bass. Over the past three years he has played with the Wisconsin Philharmonic Orchestra, the UWM jazz ensemble, the UWM symphony orchestra, the UWM wind ensemble, the UWM community orchestra, and numerous UWM choirs. Currently, Callum is the principal bassist of the UWM Symphony Orchestra and the University Community Orchestra. Callum has been playing bass for 10 years and specializes in jazz bass and classical bass but also loves to play things like the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Vulfpeck on his electric bass.
Not accepting new students
Christian Porter
Christian Porter grew up in a musical family setting and got involved at an early age singing in church. He continued to grow as a vocalist in middle school, high school, and all through his university years at UW-Milwaukee under the direction of Dr. Zachary Durlham. He first picked up the guitar in high school in an effort to learn to accompany himself and while studying at UWM he devoted more and more time to composition, theory, and guitar method, which led him down the path of singing and songwriting.
After completing his generals at UWM, Christian was driven to grow as a musician and sharpen his skills as a guitar player. He then pursued a music performance degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College which he completed in December 2022. While at MATC he studied guitar, performance, composition, and improvisation under the guidance of Steve Peplin and the other esteemed instructors of the MATC music department.
Christian has been singing and playing guitar and bass with several groups in the area, including: P-Freaky and the Misdemeanors (r&b, hip-hop, soul), Strup & Friends (folk, country, rock), and Modern Joey (funk, rock). He also performs his own original compositions solo as Cosmic Love Child, and with his band, Colorblind Chameleon, and is a founding member of up-and-coming Bee Gees tribute band, Night Fever.
Christian is encouraging, engaging, enthusiastic, and excited to share the joy of music with his students by giving them a better understanding of their instrument and music as a whole.
Minimum age: 7 - Guitar, Bass
Minimum age: 11 - Voice
Accepting new students!
Brass Teachers
Sunday
- Alec
Monday
- Alec
Tuesday
- Dana
Wednesday
- Kobina
- Alec
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Kobina Sampson Davis
As a performer, Kobina always strives to push limits of eccentricity within tradition, Kobina Sampson-Davis is a vibrant trumpeter in the Los Angeles area. Kobina will earn a master's degree from the USC School of Music this spring, where he studies with LA Philharmonic principal trumpet Thomas Hooten and Grand Teton Festival Orchestra trumpet/former “The President's Own” US Marine Band member Jennifer Marotta. He frequently performs with the USC orchestra and has performed multiple concerts in Walt Disney Concert Hall. Prior to moving to LA, Kobina was a member of the Kettle Moraine Symphony trumpet section for 2 seasons, as well as being an active freelancer. He performed in numerous seasons, productions, or concerts with the Milwaukee Festival Brass, Greenfield Concert Band, UWM Graduate Brass Quintet, West Allis Players Theatre, and the Waukesha Civic Theatre. Kobina performed 2 national tours in the Drum Corps International world champion ensemble The Cadets, as well as the DCI World Class finalist ensemble, Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps. In his 2016 tour with The Cadets, Kobina was a cast member in the Fuse Network Docu-series Clash of the Corps.
Kobina's pedagogical philosophy is to be flexible in his approach to meet the variety of needs students have. His primary aims are for students to become comfortable routinely having diverse practice sessions that address weaknesses, and, to eventually be their own personal diagnostician in their practice sessions. Students will also receive help finding and learning from musical heroes and models. He taught small and large ensembles in the Oak Creek School District for 4 years and has been teaching private lessons for 4 years.
Kobina earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music performance at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, under the tutelage of Kevin Hartman. He also studied at the Center for Advanced Musical Studies at Chosen Vale during the summers of 2017, 2018, and 2019, with Edward Carroll, Thomas Hooten, Håkan Hardenberger, James Thompson, Clement Saunier, Pacho Flores, and many other prolific musicians.
In his spare time, Kobina enjoys the hobbies of fitness and keeping up with the incoming new wave of electric mobility.
Accepting new students!
Virtual Lessons Only
Alec Burke
Alec Burke is an active brass teacher, performer, and composer based in the Milwaukee area. He holds a Bachelors in music education from Ball State University and a Masters in trumpet performance and chamber music from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). While pursuing his Masters, Alec was the recipient of the UWM Trumpet Teaching Assistantship, Graduate Chancellor's Award, the UWM Koeppen-Gerlach Scholarship. Currently, Alec serves as Trumpet and Jazz and Contemporary Music faculty at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
A proponent of differentiated and individualized music instruction, Alec's students range from budding musicians to trumpet veterans, ages 7 to 75. He enthusiastically utilizes his professional experiences and progressive brass pedagogy to cater his teaching style to the needs of his students. Several of his adult students have been accepted into collegiate music programs or have performed in semi-professional ensembles, including the Concord Symphony Orchestra and local jazz and rock groups. Many of his younger students have won music scholarships and perform in honors ensembles including UWM's UWAY, MYSO, or the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music's Honors Jazz Ensemble. In 2021 and 2022, each of Alec's students who participated in Solo and Ensemble Contest received a rating of 1 at the District competition, and his high school students that competed in Class A received gold ratings at the State competition.
Passionate about community engagement through performance, Alec has collaborated with organizations including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Wisconsin Art, and Danceworks MKE. His mixed wind quintet, Black Cat Ensemble, frequently brings interactive educational performances to schools and community centers throughout the Midwest. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Alec was the Education Coordinator with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra where he brought musical opportunities and educational performances to underserved communities throughout Central Indiana.
Alec is also a strong advocate for supporting living composers and commissioning new music. A few notable collaborations include Austin Melcher (Helix Bells, 2019), Steven Darling (Wasteland, 2020), Dan Langa (Freckled, 2021), and Erika Malpass (to find beauty in surviving our emotions, 2022). He is also an experienced composer and arranger. In 2021, Alec was awarded a scholarship to attend the 2021 Sō Percussion Summer Institute, and in 2023 he was invited to premiere two of his own compositions at Danceworks MKE's Get it Out There Emerging Artists Showcase. Black Cat Ensemble was also invited to collaborate with Danceworks MKE for their 2023 Small but Mighty performance.
As an orchestral musician, he has performed with ensembles including the Wisconsin Philharmonic, Kettle Moraine Symphony, and Concord Symphony Orchestra. An in-demand freelance musician, Alec has performed solo cornet with the Milwaukee Festival Brass, lead trumpet with the Chicago-based Connexion Band, and principal and lead trumpet for Milwaukee-area churches and theaters. In 2017, Alec was the Concerto Soloist for the Music for the Sake of Music Symphony Orchestra in Green Bay, WI.
In his spare time, Alec enjoys gaming, reading, and spending time with his wife Jennifer and their two cats, Gabby and Ariel.
Trumpet: Age 7+
French Horn: Age 10+
Euphonium: Age 10+
Trombone: Age 10+
Accepting new students!
Dana Reckard
Dana Reckard is a French horn performer, educator, and administrator based in southeastern Wisconsin. She is a recent graduate of the Jacobs School of Music, earning her degree with high honors. Her primary mentors at IU were Richard Seraphinoff, Dale Clevenger, Wayne Wallace, and Rodney Dorsey.
In summer 2022, Dana attended the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria on full scholarship. As a part of her time in Graz, Dana also served as a member of the music library staff. Dana also attended the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix International Music Festival in Quebec, Canada, studying with renowned horn pedagogue William VerMeulen.
In 2019, Dana studied with Jacques Deleplancque and his horn studio at the Conservatoire Nationale Supérieur de Paris. She also completed an advanced language immersion seminar while in France as a part of her French minor. Past summer festival acceptances- all deferred due to COVID-19- include Berlin Opera Academy, Miami Classical Music Festival, and Prague Summer Nights.
Throughout her undergrad, Dana became an in demand performer in the Jacobs community and southern Indiana. She performed several engagements with the Bloomington Chamber Singers, New Voices Opera, Jacobs conductor’s orchestras, and local church groups, among others. She was an active member of the IU natural horn studio. Dana has also studied jazz horn, and she has performed with the Jacobs Latin Jazz Ensemble.
In addition to her musical achievements, Dana has a dedicated passion to arts administration. Dana currently serves as the Associate Program Coordinator for Invested Musician program: a musician mastery course founded by principal musicians in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dana has also worked as a student ambassador and tour guide for the Jacobs School of Music admissions office, serving as a liaison between prospective students and their families and the Jacobs School admissions team. Other previous positions include assistant orchestral manager for a Jacobs school orchestra and advisor and tutor for HiLink: a startup dedicated to providing English language training to students in China. Dana also currently serves as a member of the Student Advisory Board for the International Horn Society.
Beyond music, Dana loves quilting, cooking, collecting refrigerator magnets, and biking.
Accepting new students!
Guitar Teachers
- Raul
Sunday
- Manuel
Monday
- Ramiro
- Christian
Tuesday
- Jack
- Isaiah
Wednesday
- Ramiro
Thursday
- Ramiro
- Manuel
Friday
- Ramiro
Saturday
Jack Tell
Jack is a multi instrumentalist and graduate of the UWM finger-style guitar program. Over the years Jack has played in numerous local bands of various genres including Rock, Bluegrass and Folk music. The variety of instruments in Jack's skill set include Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele, Electric Bass guitar and various hand drums. He has a passion for teaching and a desire to share his musical abilities within the community.
Minimum age: 8
Accepting new students!
Raul Bonde
Raul (rhymes with Paul) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who lives in the Milwaukee area. He started bass and guitar lessons with jazz guitarist Clark Otto from age 12, and since then has taught himself to play most fretted instruments. Raul played guitar in the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra for two years and is currently a member of the Milwaukee Classical Guitar Society. His expansive musical palette and good ear make him a very versatile teacher for students across a vast array of interests and disciplines. He has performed at Festival of the Arts and at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center with the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra. His favorite style of music to play is classical and rock.
Minimum age: 10
Not accepting new students
Ramiro Rubio
Ramiro started learning guitar at Laredo Community College under the tutelage of Dr. Cain Budds and later under Dr. Matthew Bishop, where he received an Associate’s Degree in performing arts. He then transferred to the University of Texas at Brownsville, where he studied under Dr. Michael Quantz in 2013. Ramiro has concertized with the One O’ Clock Guitar Ensemble in prestigious events and venues including the Schonbrunn Palace, the “Amerikahaus” U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria, Worarlberg, Austria, he also performed at the NFA Concert Series in Washington D.C., GFA Concert Series in Oklahoma City, the State Capitol in Austin, Tx., as well as had a special performance alongside the Grammy award winning artists Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. The UTB One O’ Clock Guitar Ensemble and Ramiro were also among those selected to perform in the premier of Dr. Joe Williams’, recordings of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie entitled “The Lodger”. Most recently Ramiro has performed at the Camino Artes Guitar Workshop in Carreon, Spain in 2019. He has performed in many masterclasses with artists such as Jason Vieaux, Rovshan Mamedkuiev, Anton Baranov, Stanley Yates, Rene Izquierdo and Dr. Isaac Bustos among others. Ramiro started working at a pubic high school in Brownsville, Texas and had been teaching for about 2 1/2 years. Ramiro has accepted to pursue his Master’s Degree with Rene Izquierdo at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Minimum age: 7
Accepting new students!
Manuel Rodriguez
Manuel has been passionately teaching for more than a decade. He has experience teaching all ages ranging from first graders to retirees, in group or individually. He has taught in Wisconsin for the Latino Arts Strings Program in Milwaukee, and at Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown. For two years he was the director of the guitar program at Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas, with an average of 130 students. In ensemble work, he has conducted numerous student ensembles at a local level (for an institution) and at a district level (for ensembles composed of students from different institutions). Additionally, he has taught technique workshops, summer intensive courses, held music summer camps, and judged in local competitions. He became a Texas Education Agency (TEA) Certified teacher in 2021 and has a Bachelors of Arts in Music degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Music in Guitar Performance degree from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
All skill levels, minimum age: 6
Accepting new students!
Isaiah Kitts-Lewinski
Isaiah has studied Jazz guitar with Jay Mollerskov, Peter Billmann, and Ben Dameron, as well as piano, music theory, improvisation, and ensemble playing with Neal Chandek, and he has also taken classical guitar lessons with Simon Farintosh. He is currently working towards completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Isaiah has played in several small group jazz combos at UWM, the UWM Big Band and Afro Caribbean Big Band, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Latin Jazz Combo. He frequently participates in open jazz jam sessions hosted by the Milwaukee Jazz Institute, the Jazz Estate, and Jazz Unlimited, and enjoys listening to and practicing music every day of the week. Isaiah specializes in improvisational music, especially straight ahead jazz, and also teaches practical music theory as well as learning music by ear. Isaiah is excited to teach and eager to share the knowledge he has been accumulating since he began his musical journey.
Accepting new students!
Christian Porter
Christian Porter grew up in a musical family setting and got involved at an early age singing in church. He continued to grow as a vocalist in middle school, high school, and all through his university years at UW-Milwaukee under the direction of Dr. Zachary Durlham. He first picked up the guitar in high school in an effort to learn to accompany himself and while studying at UWM he devoted more and more time to composition, theory, and guitar method, which led him down the path of singing and songwriting.
After completing his generals at UWM, Christian was driven to grow as a musician and sharpen his skills as a guitar player. He then pursued a music performance degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College which he completed in December 2022. While at MATC he studied guitar, performance, composition, and improvisation under the guidance of Steve Peplin and the other esteemed instructors of the MATC music department.
Christian has been singing and playing guitar and bass with several groups in the area, including: P-Freaky and the Misdemeanors (r&b, hip-hop, soul), Strup & Friends (folk, country, rock), and Modern Joey (funk, rock). He also performs his own original compositions solo as Cosmic Love Child, and with his band, Colorblind Chameleon, and is a founding member of up-and-coming Bee Gees tribute band, Night Fever.
Christian is encouraging, engaging, enthusiastic, and excited to share the joy of music with his students by giving them a better understanding of their instrument and music as a whole.
Minimum age: 7 - Guitar, Bass
Minimum age: 11 - Voice
Accepting new students!
Drum Teachers
Sunday
- Dan
Monday
- Tim
Tuesday
- Dan
Wednesday
- Nicholas
Thursday
- Dan
Friday
Saturday
Dan Broderick
Dan holds a BS from UW-Milwaukee and has 15 years of full-time teaching experience. He teaches 30+ students each year, totaling over 20,000 lessons since 1996. Dan instructs students on drum set, snare drum, parade drums and mallets. He teaches students as young as age 5 or 6 with a parent present, otherwise ages 7 and up. He describes himself as being a relaxed teacher who emphasizes reading to develop skills in listening, coordination and performance. In addition to teaching, Dan has more than 32 years of playing experience, including performances, tours and recordings.
Minimum age: 6 with parent
Accepting new students!
Tim Dries
Tim Dries is available for private percussion lessons at Brass Bell. He graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in music education. Tim has performed with groups including Marquette Symphony Orchestra in Marquette, Michigan, as well as with the Cardinal Stritch Community Orchestra. Tim enjoys playing drums with Big Style Brass Band, a group which specializes in iconic New Orleans music. Aside from teaching at Brass Bell, Tim is also the Band Director at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay.
Minimum age: 8
Accepting new students!
Nicholas Stainbrook
Nicholas Stainbrook is a Wisconsin-based percussionist, educator, and marimba soloist who recently completed a masters in marimba performance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
As a freelance percussionist he played with Concord Chamber Orchestra, the Milwaukee Children's Choir, and the Racine Choral Arts Society, and was the principal percussionist and a featured xylophone soloist with the Racine Concert Band.
Nick has a wide-ranging skill set informed by the many teachers he has studied with. His first lessons were with the jazz drummer Mark Pulice, and during his time at UW-Parkside, he studied percussion with Professor Dave Bayles and music education with Professor Laura Rexroth. After completing his undergrad, Nick attended seminars at Northwestern, and marimba symposiums in New Jersey.
Nick has taught with the Kenosha Conservatory of Music working with students from kindergarten through high school on drum set and percussion, and was also a regular substitute teacher at the Wauwatosa School of Music.
As a marimbist, Nick was a student of Nancy Zeltsman at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He has an ever expanding repertoire list and a few of his own adaptations for marimba. These adaptations include Chopin's “Nocturne in F Minor,” Brahm's “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” and Mendelssohn's “Hebrides Overture.”
Minimum age: 10
Accepting new students!
Piano Teachers
- Connie
- Joe
Sunday
- Nicole
- Faith
- Teresa
Monday
Tuesday
- Grace
- Jack
- Jeffrey
- Faith
Wednesday
- Ruth
- Noah
Thursday
- Connie
- Joe
- Austin
- Faith
- Grace
Friday
- Nicole
- Grace
Saturday
Connie Gordon
I am proud to be a new member of the Brass Bell team. I have been teaching classroom music and private piano for over 20 years. I currently am teaching middle school music with Milwaukee Public Schools.
My greatest inspiration have been the teachers I have had throughout my life. They have shaped the way I understand and appreciate all types of music. I hope to be an inspiration to my students, and instill in them a love for music.
I enjoy working with all of my students, and I learn so much from them every time we work together. I love teaching piano, and cannot imagine a day without playing. When I am not teaching, I enjoy watching movies with my family, trying out new recipes, and reading.
Minimum age: 5
Accepting new students!
Grace Sorenson
Grace Sorenson is a pianist and composer currently studying Music Composition and Technology at UWM with an emphasis in piano. When she graduates with that degree, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in piano pedagogy. As a pianist, she studies under the wonderful pianist and pedagogue Dr. Peggy Otwell. Currently she finds herself studying some true classics (Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, etc.) as well as more modern composers such as Phillip Glass, John Cage, and others that she has had the opportunity to work with closely. As a composer, she likes to work with both technology and acoustic instruments by including looper pedals, synths, and other fun tools in her compositions. As a piano teacher, her main goal is to work along with the student’s interests to help them develop a strong intrinsic motivation for piano. She believes that piano is fun, and that it’s her job to make sure the student thinks so too! Because of her knowledge of composition software, she regularly composes pieces for her students at their appropriate level that fit their interests. Her younger students enjoy the many piano games she likes to play, and they learn so much without even realizing it. She hosts an annual Winter Holiday recital that her students are strongly encouraged to participate in.
Accepting new students!
Faith Charbonneau
Faith Charbonneau grew up in a family of musicians: her parents being music teachers and her sisters loving to perform. Since she was 5 years old, singing with her family, she knew she wanted to perform and write music that people could perform and enjoy. Faith is currently a Senior at UW-Milwaukee, earning her BFA in Music Composition and Technology.
Faith has been involved with several UWM music ensembles since her Freshman Year, including the Alto Voce Ensemble, the Bella Voce Ensemble, UWM Chorale Chamber Choir, UWM Community Band, and the Steel PANthers. In addition to being proficient in Voice, Faith has been studying Piano for 13 years, and Percussion for 5 years. She has studied Piano with Dr. Margaret Otwell.
Faith hopes to integrate traditional techniques of Piano instruction while also including more popular songs that her students want to play. Faith teaches beginning to advanced students, ages 4 and older. She is thrilled to be teaching Piano, Voice, and Theory.
Minimum age: 4
Accepting new students!
Jack Cavanaugh
Jack Cavanaugh is a jazz pianist from the Milwaukee area. He studied classical piano for many years before discovering a love for jazz at Homestead High School in Mequon and has since focused primarily on jazz piano performance and composition.
Studying jazz under the likes of Milwaukee's own Mark Davis, Vanderbilt University's Bruce Dudley, and Grammy-award winning Brian Lynch, Jack has become a true jazz cat!
He is excited to teach piano to beginners who prefer a relaxed and easy-going teaching style, while still emphasizing the essential music theory and foundational basics required to begin one's piano adventure.
In his free time Jack enjoys running, honing his disc golf and ultimate frisbee skills, and playing monopoly with his family.
Accepting new students!
Jeffrey Wilde
Hi, I'm Mr. Wilde. I've been studying oboe since I was 10, voice since I was 15, and piano since I was 18. I've loved music all my life, and I'd like all my students to learn to love music too.
I've been teaching music for years and have been an English teacher for years also. I'm happy to move the music around and adapt the lessons to you as an individual, so that you can find something fun and enjoyable to work on. I have worked with many students who are just beginning, and I am a very kind and patient teacher.
I believe that much of the joy in music is found in working with other people, and I want you to find music fun and beautiful too!
Accepting new students!
Teresa Lee
Ms. Teresa teaches classical piano, violin, and recorder, and works with students ages 5 and up. She started playing piano and violin at a very young age and has enjoyed performing music all her life.
Originally from Taiwan, Ms. Teresa moved to Texas to get her Bachelor's degree at The University of North Texas with a focus in piano. Due to her strong classical background, Ms. Teresa emphasizes proper technique and fundamentals with every student, but still likes to keep the lessons informative, entertaining, and engaging for all students.
Accepting new students!
Noah Liermann
Noah Liermann is a bass-baritone trained in the classical, operatic, and musical theatre genres. He holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Holy Family College (formerly Silver Lake College) and a M.M. in Vocal Performance from UW-Milwaukee.
Noah teaches voice students ages 10 and up, making sure to provide the necessary tools for a student to thrive in vocal music, including oral and aural skills. In addition to voice, Noah also teaches beginning to intermediate piano ages 5 and up.
Noah has been a part of several ensembles/classes both inside and outside of the Milwaukee area, including the UW-Milwaukee Opera Theatre program, Bach Chamber Choral, Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and Kids From Wisconsin. Some of his recent roles include UW-Milwaukee Opera Theatre scenes from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Dvořák’s Rusalka; full role performances include Antonio and Bartolo from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and Gideon March from Mark Adamo’s Little Women.
Voice: Age 10+ all skill levels
Piano: Age 5+, beginner to intermediate
Accepting new students!
Joe Nicolay
Joe is our fun, serious, positive piano tutor here at Brass Bell. He has been showing off his teaching talents for twenty-some years. Such bands as the Beatles and Miles Davis rock Joe's world: he loves music! He also has a pet dog, a long coat Akita, by the moniker of "Kijo Kuma," which translates to "Lady Dear."
Not accepting new students
Austin Bare
Austin Bare is a classically trained tenor with a specialization of the Romantic era, especially song cycles by his favorite composer, Franz Schubert. He holds his Bachelor of Arts in Music with a focus on Vocal Performance. Austin has been performing as a soloist in the Milwaukee area since his graduation in 2019 and has been seen in various opera performances to date. His experience singing classical styles has also translated to pre-classical eras, such as the Medieval and Renaissance vocal styles he has the privilege of singing in APERI ANIMAM, a Milwaukee based early music vocal ensemble. Though he has focused on pre-modern styles in his training, Austin is an advanced vocalist in many contemporary styles such as musical theatre, jazz, and pop.
In addition to voice lessons, Austin has been teaching piano and bass lessons for over a year. His teaching style focuses on inclusivity, creativity, and the continued growth of each individual student. Every aspiring musician brings their own unique experiences to each lesson, and from there, Austin seeks to deepen the student’s passion and understanding of their chosen path. For a fresh take on all styles of music, old and new, Austin is ready to help students of all ages take their next step as proud musicians.
Minimum age: 8 (Voice), 5 (piano)
Not accepting new students
Nicole McCarty
Nicole McCarty is a soprano who teaches voice and piano. She holds a B.M. in music education and recently received a M.M. in Vocal Performance. Prior to receiving her Master’s degree, she taught elementary music for 6 years, choir directed for 7 years, music directed for 6 years and has taught private voice and piano lessons for 6 years. Nicole enjoys teaching students of all experience levels in classical, musical theatre, jazz and pop; and she is skilled in finding each student’s strengths and helping them gain the tools necessary to succeed.
Nicole's most recent performances have been as Apollo in L'Orfeo with Aperi Animam and Milwaukee Opera Theatre, as Nan Carter in Exit, Pursued by a Bear with Sunstone Studios, as Joy in Southside Summer with the #Enough project to end gun violence, as Renee in Babel with the Constructivists, and as an ensemble member in Black Nativity with the Black Arts of MKE. Recently, she was the music director and accompanist for an original musical reading of RIP the Musical at Sunstone Studios. When she's not performing, she teaches private piano and voice lessons, sings with the Master Singers of Milwaukee, and is the female vocalist for the funk band Montage.
Not accepting new students
Ruth Brown
Ruth has been teaching voice since 2010, and teaches students how to sing varied styles of music, including jazz, pop, classical, and musical theatre. She enjoys giving students a full spectrum of training, including note reading and ear training, tailoring communication and content to the student ́s specific needs, goals, and strengths. She believes good vocal technique will feel easy and natural, and happens best within the context of great music and text. She teaches beginning through advanced students, ages 7 and older.
Ruth studied in Germany at the Leipzig Conservatory for Music and Theater. While abroad, she sang the roles of Rosina, Gretel, Clorinda (Cenerentola), and Nicoletta (The Love for Three Oranges). Her other roles include Valencienne and Mabel with Music by the Lake, and selections from the roles of Sophie (Rosenkavalier) and Pamina. On the concert stage, Ruth has sung Bach cantatas, Figlia from Carissimi’s Jephte, the soprano solo in Mozart’s Requiem, and is the soprano soloist for Milwaukee Camerata, an early music group. Locally, Ruth has sung with Madison's Fresco Opera Theatre, and most recently with Milwaukee Opera Theatre.
Minimum age: 6
Not accepting new students
Virtual Lessons Only
String Teachers
Sunday
- Teresa
Monday
- Iuliia
- Alex
Tuesday
Wednesday
- Iuliia
Thursday
Friday
- Deanne
Saturday
Iuliia Mykolyk
Born in Ukraine, Iuliia has been playing the violin since the age of six. After graduating from the Lviv National Music Academy where she received her Bachelor and Master degrees in violin performance, Iuliia performed with the Lviv International Symphony Orchestra (INSO-Lviv) for five years. During that time she performed at numerous festivals in Switzerland, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Poland. In 2013, Iuliia decided to pursue her musical training in the United States. She received an artist diploma in violin performance from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with Professor Mark Zelmanovich in 2014. In 2015 and 2016 Iuliia performed in master classes with Rachel Barton Pine, Mimi Zweig, and Clara-Jumi Kang at UW-Milwaukee. She also served as the concertmaster of the UW-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for three consecutive years. Iuliia holds a master's degree in Chamber Music Performance from UW-Milwaukee, where she studied under Dr. Bernard Zinck. As a teaching assistant, she was teaching violin to undergraduates of the UWM violin studio. As a violin instructor, Iuliia uses different teaching methods and studies such as Suzuki, Franco-Belgium School, Russian School (Yankelevich), and Czech School (Ševčík and Schradieck). Her goal as a music teacher is to share music knowledge with all of her students and their parents. Iuliia’s diverse background as a musician gives an opportunity to students not only to learn about violin performance, but to have a full understanding of music history and violin within its place. Currently Iuliia is working at Wauwatosa School of Music as a violin instructor and at Brass Bell Music Store in the Education Department.
Ukrainian
Accepting new students!
Alex Fisher
Alex Fisher has been a dedicated and passionate violinist and violist for eleven years, and has been teaching private lessons in both instruments for five years. He is currently attending the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee for pre-medicine and psychology with the intention of becoming a psychiatrist, but still maintains a large focus on performing and teaching. In earlier years, he was a member of the local Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra for seven years and performed in the Senior Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra ensembles, through which he toured in Ireland in the summer of 2019. He has also been a part of various string ensembles, such as the Rosewood String Quartet and Dream City Strings, through which he plays at weddings and other events.
Currently, Alex is performing as a part of the Milwaukee Philharmonic and is taking on numerous freelance performing opportunities outside of classes. He has also been credited for performances in pit orchestras for musical productions such as The Music Man, Guys & Dolls, Les Misérables, and Hello, Dolly, both as a violinist and violist. Alex’s teaching experience covers students of all ages, having taught beginning and intermediate skill levels for kids and adults. His teaching disposition emphasizes cultivating passion for music at all skill levels, and he emphasizes the importance of learning the styles and genres that each individual student is interested in, and reducing anxiety when it comes to learning and performing. Furthermore, Alex is experienced in and passionate about teaching students with various special needs. Outside of teaching, he enjoys furthering his studies, playing video games, and other musical pursuits.
Minimum age: 7+, 5+ (with parent)
Accepting new students!
Deanne Carloni
Deanne Carloni grew up in a very musical family. She began playing the violin in third grade and since then her love of music has never stopped growing. Deanne Carloni graduated from UW-Whitewater with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, a General Music Certificate, and a Minor in Spanish. While at UW-Whitewater she was a recipient of the ASTA Student Exemplary Service Award and the Richard Gaarder Award. During her time at UW-Whitewater, Carloni served as the President of the UW-Whitewater Student ASTA Chapter, taught lessons as a part of the after school strings program, and served as String Camp Head Counselor for two summers.
Deanne Carloni currently is a member of the Wisconsin American String Teacher's Association Executive Board, serving as the Membership Coordinator. She is also a member of NAFME and has attended the Wisconsin State Music Association Conference for many years. She has taught summer Orchestra lessons and taught at the Orchestra Jumpstart Camp for young musicians in Mukwonago, she has taught K-8th grade General Music in Milwaukee, and is currently teaching middle and elementary school Orchestra (violin, viola, cello, and bass) in the Oshkosh Area School District. In Oshkosh, she has also taught summer orchestra lessons, and she started the Orchestra Jumpstart Camp for students entering 6th grade.
Deanne Carloni has been very active performing in the community through being a member of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, Concord Chamber Orchestra, Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a coach for the Oshkosh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and she has played in PIT Orchestras for musicals such as Singin' in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, Ragtime, Shrek the Musical, Cinderella, and Into the Woods.
Deanne Carloni is always seeking to learn more and challenge herself to be a better musician and teacher so that she can pass on her knowledge to her students. This is evident through her involvement in the Christian Howes’ Creative Strings Workshop last summer, where she attended a week long camp with an extensive emphasis on improvisation, composition, and learning music by ear in the fiddle, jazz, and rock styles. She is passionate about alternative styles and learning music from around the world. One of her favorite experiences was getting to work with internationally known fiddlers Liz Carroll and Kiana June Weber, as well as taking a composition workshop with Andy Reiner. When she is not teaching, she loves to play traditional Irish fiddle music, read, watch superhero movies, cheer for the Milwaukee Bucks, and she is a competitive ballroom dancer.
Minimum age: 8
Accepting new students!
Teresa Lee
Ms. Teresa teaches classical piano, violin, and recorder, and works with students ages 5 and up. She started playing piano and violin at a very young age and has enjoyed performing music all her life.
Originally from Taiwan, Ms. Teresa moved to Texas to get her Bachelor's degree at The University of North Texas with a focus in piano. Due to her strong classical background, Ms. Teresa emphasizes proper technique and fundamentals with every student, but still likes to keep the lessons informative, entertaining, and engaging for all students.
Accepting new students!
Music Theory & Composition Teachers
Sunday
- Alec
- Faith
Monday
- Alec
Tuesday
- Faith
Wednesday
- Alec
Thursday
- Faith
Friday
Saturday
Alec Burke
Alec Burke is an active brass teacher, performer, and composer based in the Milwaukee area. He holds a Bachelors in music education from Ball State University and a Masters in trumpet performance and chamber music from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). While pursuing his Masters, Alec was the recipient of the UWM Trumpet Teaching Assistantship, Graduate Chancellor's Award, the UWM Koeppen-Gerlach Scholarship. Currently, Alec serves as Trumpet and Jazz and Contemporary Music faculty at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
A proponent of differentiated and individualized music instruction, Alec's students range from budding musicians to trumpet veterans, ages 7 to 75. He enthusiastically utilizes his professional experiences and progressive brass pedagogy to cater his teaching style to the needs of his students. Several of his adult students have been accepted into collegiate music programs or have performed in semi-professional ensembles, including the Concord Symphony Orchestra and local jazz and rock groups. Many of his younger students have won music scholarships and perform in honors ensembles including UWM's UWAY, MYSO, or the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music's Honors Jazz Ensemble. In 2021 and 2022, each of Alec's students who participated in Solo and Ensemble Contest received a rating of 1 at the District competition, and his high school students that competed in Class A received gold ratings at the State competition.
Passionate about community engagement through performance, Alec has collaborated with organizations including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Wisconsin Art, and Danceworks MKE. His mixed wind quintet, Black Cat Ensemble, frequently brings interactive educational performances to schools and community centers throughout the Midwest. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Alec was the Education Coordinator with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra where he brought musical opportunities and educational performances to underserved communities throughout Central Indiana.
Alec is also a strong advocate for supporting living composers and commissioning new music. A few notable collaborations include Austin Melcher (Helix Bells, 2019), Steven Darling (Wasteland, 2020), Dan Langa (Freckled, 2021), and Erika Malpass (to find beauty in surviving our emotions, 2022). He is also an experienced composer and arranger. In 2021, Alec was awarded a scholarship to attend the 2021 Sō Percussion Summer Institute, and in 2023 he was invited to premiere two of his own compositions at Danceworks MKE's Get it Out There Emerging Artists Showcase. Black Cat Ensemble was also invited to collaborate with Danceworks MKE for their 2023 Small but Mighty performance.
As an orchestral musician, he has performed with ensembles including the Wisconsin Philharmonic, Kettle Moraine Symphony, and Concord Symphony Orchestra. An in-demand freelance musician, Alec has performed solo cornet with the Milwaukee Festival Brass, lead trumpet with the Chicago-based Connexion Band, and principal and lead trumpet for Milwaukee-area churches and theaters. In 2017, Alec was the Concerto Soloist for the Music for the Sake of Music Symphony Orchestra in Green Bay, WI.
In his spare time, Alec enjoys gaming, reading, and spending time with his wife Jennifer and their two cats, Gabby and Ariel.
Trumpet: Age 7+
French Horn: Age 10+
Euphonium: Age 10+
Trombone: Age 10+
Accepting new students!
Faith Charbonneau
Faith Charbonneau grew up in a family of musicians: her parents being music teachers and her sisters loving to perform. Since she was 5 years old, singing with her family, she knew she wanted to perform and write music that people could perform and enjoy. Faith is currently a Senior at UW-Milwaukee, earning her BFA in Music Composition and Technology.
Faith has been involved with several UWM music ensembles since her Freshman Year, including the Alto Voce Ensemble, the Bella Voce Ensemble, UWM Chorale Chamber Choir, UWM Community Band, and the Steel PANthers. In addition to being proficient in Voice, Faith has been studying Piano for 13 years, and Percussion for 5 years. She has studied Piano with Dr. Margaret Otwell.
Faith hopes to integrate traditional techniques of Piano instruction while also including more popular songs that her students want to play. Faith teaches beginning to advanced students, ages 4 and older. She is thrilled to be teaching Piano, Voice, and Theory.
Minimum age: 4
Accepting new students!
Ukulele & Folk Teachers
- Raul
Sunday
- Manuel
Monday
- Ramiro
Tuesday
- Jack
Wednesday
- Ramiro
Thursday
- Ramiro
- Manuel
Friday
- Ramiro
Saturday
Jack Tell
Jack is a multi instrumentalist and graduate of the UWM finger-style guitar program. Over the years Jack has played in numerous local bands of various genres including Rock, Bluegrass and Folk music. The variety of instruments in Jack's skill set include Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele, Electric Bass guitar and various hand drums. He has a passion for teaching and a desire to share his musical abilities within the community.
Minimum age: 8
Accepting new students!
Raul Bonde
Raul (rhymes with Paul) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who lives in the Milwaukee area. He started bass and guitar lessons with jazz guitarist Clark Otto from age 12, and since then has taught himself to play most fretted instruments. Raul played guitar in the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra for two years and is currently a member of the Milwaukee Classical Guitar Society. His expansive musical palette and good ear make him a very versatile teacher for students across a vast array of interests and disciplines. He has performed at Festival of the Arts and at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center with the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra. His favorite style of music to play is classical and rock.
Minimum age: 10
Not accepting new students
Ramiro Rubio
Ramiro started learning guitar at Laredo Community College under the tutelage of Dr. Cain Budds and later under Dr. Matthew Bishop, where he received an Associate’s Degree in performing arts. He then transferred to the University of Texas at Brownsville, where he studied under Dr. Michael Quantz in 2013. Ramiro has concertized with the One O’ Clock Guitar Ensemble in prestigious events and venues including the Schonbrunn Palace, the “Amerikahaus” U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria, Worarlberg, Austria, he also performed at the NFA Concert Series in Washington D.C., GFA Concert Series in Oklahoma City, the State Capitol in Austin, Tx., as well as had a special performance alongside the Grammy award winning artists Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. The UTB One O’ Clock Guitar Ensemble and Ramiro were also among those selected to perform in the premier of Dr. Joe Williams’, recordings of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie entitled “The Lodger”. Most recently Ramiro has performed at the Camino Artes Guitar Workshop in Carreon, Spain in 2019. He has performed in many masterclasses with artists such as Jason Vieaux, Rovshan Mamedkuiev, Anton Baranov, Stanley Yates, Rene Izquierdo and Dr. Isaac Bustos among others. Ramiro started working at a pubic high school in Brownsville, Texas and had been teaching for about 2 1/2 years. Ramiro has accepted to pursue his Master’s Degree with Rene Izquierdo at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Minimum age: 7
Accepting new students!
Manuel Rodriguez
Manuel has been passionately teaching for more than a decade. He has experience teaching all ages ranging from first graders to retirees, in group or individually. He has taught in Wisconsin for the Latino Arts Strings Program in Milwaukee, and at Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown. For two years he was the director of the guitar program at Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas, with an average of 130 students. In ensemble work, he has conducted numerous student ensembles at a local level (for an institution) and at a district level (for ensembles composed of students from different institutions). Additionally, he has taught technique workshops, summer intensive courses, held music summer camps, and judged in local competitions. He became a Texas Education Agency (TEA) Certified teacher in 2021 and has a Bachelors of Arts in Music degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Music in Guitar Performance degree from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
All skill levels, minimum age: 6
Accepting new students!
Voice Teachers
Sunday
- Nicole
- Faith
Monday
- Christian
Tuesday
- Jeffrey
- Faith
Wednesday
- Ruth
- Noah
Thursday
- Austin
- Faith
Friday
- Nicole
Saturday
Faith Charbonneau
Faith Charbonneau grew up in a family of musicians: her parents being music teachers and her sisters loving to perform. Since she was 5 years old, singing with her family, she knew she wanted to perform and write music that people could perform and enjoy. Faith is currently a Senior at UW-Milwaukee, earning her BFA in Music Composition and Technology.
Faith has been involved with several UWM music ensembles since her Freshman Year, including the Alto Voce Ensemble, the Bella Voce Ensemble, UWM Chorale Chamber Choir, UWM Community Band, and the Steel PANthers. In addition to being proficient in Voice, Faith has been studying Piano for 13 years, and Percussion for 5 years. She has studied Piano with Dr. Margaret Otwell.
Faith hopes to integrate traditional techniques of Piano instruction while also including more popular songs that her students want to play. Faith teaches beginning to advanced students, ages 4 and older. She is thrilled to be teaching Piano, Voice, and Theory.
Minimum age: 4
Accepting new students!
Jeffrey Wilde
Hi, I'm Mr. Wilde. I've been studying oboe since I was 10, voice since I was 15, and piano since I was 18. I've loved music all my life, and I'd like all my students to learn to love music too.
I've been teaching music for years and have been an English teacher for years also. I'm happy to move the music around and adapt the lessons to you as an individual, so that you can find something fun and enjoyable to work on. I have worked with many students who are just beginning, and I am a very kind and patient teacher.
I believe that much of the joy in music is found in working with other people, and I want you to find music fun and beautiful too!
Accepting new students!
Christian Porter
Christian Porter grew up in a musical family setting and got involved at an early age singing in church. He continued to grow as a vocalist in middle school, high school, and all through his university years at UW-Milwaukee under the direction of Dr. Zachary Durlham. He first picked up the guitar in high school in an effort to learn to accompany himself and while studying at UWM he devoted more and more time to composition, theory, and guitar method, which led him down the path of singing and songwriting.
After completing his generals at UWM, Christian was driven to grow as a musician and sharpen his skills as a guitar player. He then pursued a music performance degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College which he completed in December 2022. While at MATC he studied guitar, performance, composition, and improvisation under the guidance of Steve Peplin and the other esteemed instructors of the MATC music department.
Christian has been singing and playing guitar and bass with several groups in the area, including: P-Freaky and the Misdemeanors (r&b, hip-hop, soul), Strup & Friends (folk, country, rock), and Modern Joey (funk, rock). He also performs his own original compositions solo as Cosmic Love Child, and with his band, Colorblind Chameleon, and is a founding member of up-and-coming Bee Gees tribute band, Night Fever.
Christian is encouraging, engaging, enthusiastic, and excited to share the joy of music with his students by giving them a better understanding of their instrument and music as a whole.
Minimum age: 7 - Guitar, Bass
Minimum age: 11 - Voice
Accepting new students!
Noah Liermann
Noah Liermann is a bass-baritone trained in the classical, operatic, and musical theatre genres. He holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Holy Family College (formerly Silver Lake College) and a M.M. in Vocal Performance from UW-Milwaukee.
Noah teaches voice students ages 10 and up, making sure to provide the necessary tools for a student to thrive in vocal music, including oral and aural skills. In addition to voice, Noah also teaches beginning to intermediate piano ages 5 and up.
Noah has been a part of several ensembles/classes both inside and outside of the Milwaukee area, including the UW-Milwaukee Opera Theatre program, Bach Chamber Choral, Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and Kids From Wisconsin. Some of his recent roles include UW-Milwaukee Opera Theatre scenes from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Dvořák’s Rusalka; full role performances include Antonio and Bartolo from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and Gideon March from Mark Adamo’s Little Women.
Voice: Age 10+ all skill levels
Piano: Age 5+, beginner to intermediate
Accepting new students!
Ruth Brown
Ruth has been teaching voice since 2010, and teaches students how to sing varied styles of music, including jazz, pop, classical, and musical theatre. She enjoys giving students a full spectrum of training, including note reading and ear training, tailoring communication and content to the student ́s specific needs, goals, and strengths. She believes good vocal technique will feel easy and natural, and happens best within the context of great music and text. She teaches beginning through advanced students, ages 7 and older.
Ruth studied in Germany at the Leipzig Conservatory for Music and Theater. While abroad, she sang the roles of Rosina, Gretel, Clorinda (Cenerentola), and Nicoletta (The Love for Three Oranges). Her other roles include Valencienne and Mabel with Music by the Lake, and selections from the roles of Sophie (Rosenkavalier) and Pamina. On the concert stage, Ruth has sung Bach cantatas, Figlia from Carissimi’s Jephte, the soprano solo in Mozart’s Requiem, and is the soprano soloist for Milwaukee Camerata, an early music group. Locally, Ruth has sung with Madison's Fresco Opera Theatre, and most recently with Milwaukee Opera Theatre.
Minimum age: 6
Not accepting new students
Virtual Lessons Only
Nicole McCarty
Nicole McCarty is a soprano who teaches voice and piano. She holds a B.M. in music education and recently received a M.M. in Vocal Performance. Prior to receiving her Master’s degree, she taught elementary music for 6 years, choir directed for 7 years, music directed for 6 years and has taught private voice and piano lessons for 6 years. Nicole enjoys teaching students of all experience levels in classical, musical theatre, jazz and pop; and she is skilled in finding each student’s strengths and helping them gain the tools necessary to succeed.
Nicole's most recent performances have been as Apollo in L'Orfeo with Aperi Animam and Milwaukee Opera Theatre, as Nan Carter in Exit, Pursued by a Bear with Sunstone Studios, as Joy in Southside Summer with the #Enough project to end gun violence, as Renee in Babel with the Constructivists, and as an ensemble member in Black Nativity with the Black Arts of MKE. Recently, she was the music director and accompanist for an original musical reading of RIP the Musical at Sunstone Studios. When she's not performing, she teaches private piano and voice lessons, sings with the Master Singers of Milwaukee, and is the female vocalist for the funk band Montage.
Not accepting new students
Austin Bare
Austin Bare is a classically trained tenor with a specialization of the Romantic era, especially song cycles by his favorite composer, Franz Schubert. He holds his Bachelor of Arts in Music with a focus on Vocal Performance. Austin has been performing as a soloist in the Milwaukee area since his graduation in 2019 and has been seen in various opera performances to date. His experience singing classical styles has also translated to pre-classical eras, such as the Medieval and Renaissance vocal styles he has the privilege of singing in APERI ANIMAM, a Milwaukee based early music vocal ensemble. Though he has focused on pre-modern styles in his training, Austin is an advanced vocalist in many contemporary styles such as musical theatre, jazz, and pop.
In addition to voice lessons, Austin has been teaching piano and bass lessons for over a year. His teaching style focuses on inclusivity, creativity, and the continued growth of each individual student. Every aspiring musician brings their own unique experiences to each lesson, and from there, Austin seeks to deepen the student’s passion and understanding of their chosen path. For a fresh take on all styles of music, old and new, Austin is ready to help students of all ages take their next step as proud musicians.
Minimum age: 8 (Voice), 5 (piano)
Not accepting new students
Woodwind Teachers
- Julia
Sunday
- Lewis
- Teresa
Monday
- Jennifer
Tuesday
- Jennifer
- Jeffrey
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Jennifer Burke
Jennifer Burke is a collaborative flutist and educator based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Described as a “breakout flutist” by Danceworks Inc., Jennifer has a passion for sharing musical experiences within local communities in solo and chamber settings. Recent projects include performing at the Sō Percussion Summer Institute and facilitating MOVE MKE, a cross-curricular fundraiser recital featuring flute and dance.
Jennifer has a great passion for community involvement, having previously taught bucket drumming, storybook performance presentations, and non-traditional composition classes through after-school programs such as Girls Inc. in Indianapolis, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra in Muncie, Indiana.
Along with being a solo artist and teacher, Jennifer performs with the Black Cat Ensemble, and Microcosm Ensemble with co-artist and spouse Alec Burke. In addition to Brass Bell Music Store, Jennifer is an avid teacher in the Milwaukee area at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and Brookfield Academy. Jennifer is a member of the Chicago Flute Club, President of the Flute Player's Guild at UW-Milwaukee, and is certified in Every Child Can through the Suzuki Association. Jennifer received a B.S. in Music Education from Ball State University in 2017, and a double M.M. Degree in Flute Performance and Chamber Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Minimum age: 5
Accepting new students!
Jeffrey Wilde
Hi, I'm Mr. Wilde. I've been studying oboe since I was 10, voice since I was 15, and piano since I was 18. I've loved music all my life, and I'd like all my students to learn to love music too.
I've been teaching music for years and have been an English teacher for years also. I'm happy to move the music around and adapt the lessons to you as an individual, so that you can find something fun and enjoyable to work on. I have worked with many students who are just beginning, and I am a very kind and patient teacher.
I believe that much of the joy in music is found in working with other people, and I want you to find music fun and beautiful too!
Accepting new students!
Lewis Zwiefelhofer
Lewis Zwiefelhofer grew up in Whitefish Bay and started his musical journey in grade school continuing on to band and has now been playing the saxophone for over 15 years. After cultivating a passion for music in the Whitefish Bay High School Band, Lewis attended the University of Wisconsin: Stevens Point, where he studied Music Education and Saxophone Performance. In the last decade, Lewis has studied Saxophone under Eric Schoor, Preston Duncan, David Hastings and Myles Boothroyd. He has also collaborated with artists such as Janet Planet, The Bad Plus, Mathew Buchman, and Robert Brooks. He has experience with a diverse variety of music styles, making his teaching style adaptable to any aspiring Saxophonist.
Lewis’s philosophy is that you cultivate a love for the Saxophone in students to engage them in the enjoyment and entertainment of learning their instrument. This introduction is essential and enhances the learning process to master the techniques of the musician. The ultimate goal for a teacher is to be a partner in the development of strong musicians who love their instrument.
All skill levels, minimum age: 10
Accepting new students!
Teresa Lee
Ms. Teresa teaches classical piano, violin, and recorder, and works with students ages 5 and up. She started playing piano and violin at a very young age and has enjoyed performing music all her life.
Originally from Taiwan, Ms. Teresa moved to Texas to get her Bachelor's degree at The University of North Texas with a focus in piano. Due to her strong classical background, Ms. Teresa emphasizes proper technique and fundamentals with every student, but still likes to keep the lessons informative, entertaining, and engaging for all students.