Meet the Teachers
Aja Elaine — Owner
- Voice, Piano
- Styles: Musical Theater, Pop, Jazz, Opera
- Education: BA - CSUH 2002; Rancho High School 1997
- Musical Accomplishments: Aja played harp in TLC's "A Wedding Story"
- Interesting Fact: Aja was once a "home owner" on HGTV's Landscape Design, even though she doesn't own a house!
Daniel Norris — Owner
- Trumpet, French Horn, Baritone, Didjeridu, Ukulele
- Styles: Classical, Jazz, Technique
- Education: BA, Cal State East Bay; MM, Peabody Conservatory.
- Musical Accomplishments: Dan is the principal trumpet player for the West Bay Opera, as well as performing with Santa Rosa Symphony, Napa Valley Symphony, Santa Cruz County Symphony and other Local Orchestras.
- Interesting Fact: Dan owns two Cornish Rex cats; their names are Maya and Pandora!
Kelly Butler
- Voice, Beginning Piano
- Styles: Jazz, Opera, Musical Theater, Pop, Blues
- Education: Sonoma State University , Majoring in Music Education, Minoring in Jazz Studies
- Musical Accomplishments: Co-director of Rohnert Park Children's Chorus. Director of Rancho Cotati Musical Theatre Class and Jazz Choir, Various Musicals/Operas including Dido and Aeneus, Madam Butterfly, School House Rock, A Christmas Carol and other SSU productions, and Coordinator of CMEA Festival at SSU.
- Interesting Fact: Kelly is a chameleon; she changes her hair color frequently!
Dan Dewitt
- Classical, Acoustic, and Electric Guitars
- Styles: Classical, Blues, Rock, Folk, Pop, beginning Jazz and Flamenco
- Education: BA in Classical Guitar Performance, Sonoma State University
- Musical Accomplishments: As a student, Dan studied private classical guitar lessons for four years with Tom Leisek at SSU and an additional year as an exchange student with Prof. Andreas Higi at the Staatliche Hochshule für Musik in Trossingen, Germany. He was also a regular in performing in ensembles such as the SSU Classical Guitar Ensemble, SSU Noon Choir, SSU Gamelon, and SSU Percussion Ensemble.
As a professional musician, Dan performs regularly as a solo classical guitarist in Sonoma Country. He has has also performed in various folk and rock groups in the area. - Teaching: Dan has been teaching private lessons since the fall of 2002. Dan strongly feels that while the guitar may not get taken as seriously as other instruments, it is one of the most versatile instruments and one of the most rewarding to study. While he does teach individual songs and riffs, the focus of the lessons is to develop a strong understanding of how music works and how to create music on the guitar. He feels that any student who develops a strong foundation of the fundamental aspects of the instrument can eventually go on to learn any style or song they want.
Beginning students can expect a focus on rhythm, basic improvisation, and learning simple tunes. As a student begins to develop a foundation for music, the focus switches towards developing technique (the physical aspect of playing) and understanding music theory (the intellectual side behind music) with real musical examples to keep the student's interest. A student who has learned the basics of theory and technique can go on to teach themselves their chosen styles or keep taking lessons to accelerate their learning process and be exposed to styles of music they never would have thought of trying to play. - Classes: Dan currently heads the Music to My Ears Blues Band, a class designed for intermediate students to develop their improvisation and accompanying skills in a group setting and plans on adding a Rock Band class in the Spring of 2010.
- Website: www.youtube.com/dandewitt
Anne-Marie Fassler
- Cello
- Styles: Classical
- Education: BA in Music and BS in Biology from Biola University, 2005. Private instructors have included Cory Antipa and Marlin Owen.
- Musical Accomplishments: Anne-Marie comes from a musical family and has always loved playing music. She played flute and French Horn in the school band, but her love for music grew when she started studying cello at age 11. She also participated in the Santa Rosa Children's Chorus, the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as the Young People's Chamber Orchestra. While a student at Biola, she had the immense honor to participate in multiple chamber music master classes with Menahem Pressler, the distinguished founder of the Beaux Arts Trio and was selected to perform a movement from the Elgar cello concerto for the Biola University Concerto Competition in 2005. She has toured with the Biola Symphony Orchestra in Europe and also in China with a smaller string ensemble. After graduating, Anne-Marie lived in Davis while working at Genentech and was the principal cellist of the UC Davis Symphony from 2007-2009.
- Interesting Fact: Anne-Marie has played Yo-Yo Ma's cello!
Nick Grizzle
- Drums, Percussion
- Styles: Rock, Pop, Funk, Avant Garde
- Education: BA, Music, Sonoma State University (Minor: Communications)
- Musical Accomplishments: Played with many local bands ranging in styles from punk to jazz; performed in the Disneyland recording studio under the baton of David Warble, who has also conducted the London Symphony Orchestra
- Interesting Fact: Nick is also a recording engineer!
Lauren Haile
- Piano, Voice
- Education: BA Degree from Sonoma State University
- Musical Accomplishments: Lauren has played piano for 17 years. She often accompanies for vocalists, as well as singing alto herself in chamber choir at Sonoma State. She has performed in over 20 musicals and even composed a one-act musical which was performed at Sonoma State Musical. She's also been a director at Ragamuffin Theater Camp for two years.
- Interesting Fact: Lauren has traveled across the country six times.
Paul Haile
- Piano, Voice
- Education: BA, Music, Sonoma State University. Certificate of Completion from the Recording Connection Audio Engineering Program.
- Musical Accomplishments: Paul has been playing piano and singing for almost 15 years, and has been playing drums for almost 10. He studied piano under Marilyn Thompson at SSU, and has been singing tenor under Bob Worth at SSU for the last 7 years. Paul was in many musicals in junior high school and high school, and starred in a one act musical that his wife wrote while they were in college. He currently plays drums in an instrumental rock band and sings and plays the ukulele in folk band.
- Interesting Fact: He and his 3 brothers range in height from 6'3"-6'8".
Jenny Juhl
- Flute, Beginning Piano
- Styles: Classical
- Education: BA in music education from Sonoma State University.
- Musical Accomplishments: Spent two years as director of Old Adobe School District Band. Has taught wind ensemble and music theory with the Santa Rosa Symphony Music Academy.
- Interesting Fact: Martha Stewart is her personal Hero.
Krisha Montmorency
- Violin
- Styles: Classical
- Education: B.A. Music, Sonoma State University; year abroad program in music at the University of London
- Musical Accomplishments: Krisha was one of the founding members of American Philharmonic-Sonoma County during its first season. She continues to play in the orchestra and serves on the Board of Directors. Krisha has also played with the Ukiah Symphony, the Rogue Valley Symphony in Ashland, Oregon, and the University of London Chamber, Strings, and Symphony orchestras. Krisha also enjoys singing and has sang with the Sonoma County Bach Choir, the Sonoma State University Chamber Singers, the Chamber Choir at the University of London, and the Windsor Parish Church Choir in Windsor, England.
- Interesting Fact #1: Krisha records regularly for the video game industry. Her tracks appeared in the game Aveyond, which was selected in 2006 by Game Tunnel as Game of the Year for its soundtrack. Visit http://walzmusic.com for samples.
- Interesting Fact #2: While living in London, Krisha sang in the choir for the official knighting ceremony for the Knights Templar. Unfortunately, the Queen didn’t attend…
Kelli Kraal
- Office Person, and Baby Sing and Sign teacher
- About: Kelli is a new mom with an 18 month old to keep her busy. She has worked with Music to My Ears for over 2 years and has been teaching the Baby Sing and Sign class for the last few months. She hopes to one day have her own business and is working towards a degree in business administration and business management. Kelli is currently working on promotional ideas for Music to My Ears and breeding her many snakes!
- Interesting Fact: She has over 60 snakes!
Marie Millard
- Trombone
- Styles: Beginning to Advanced Trombone Technique, Classical, Jazz
- Education: BA in Music from Cal State East Bay
- Musical Accomplishments: High School, California All State Honor Band and All State Honor Jazz Band, has performed with local dixieland bands, orchestras, and pit orchestras.
- Interesting Fact: She enjoys writing fiction.
Barbara Norris
- Suzuki Piano, Flute
- Education: Barbara studied Suzuki pedagogy with Gwen McKeithen, Michiko Yurko, Merna Thomas, and Elaine Worley. Barbara has more that twenty six years of experience as a Suzuki Piano and Flute teacher and is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.
- Musical Accomplishments: Applying her early traditional music training with the method of
Suzuki, Barbara has enjoyed many wonderful experiences in music
education. "My most rewarding musical accomplishments are Erin, Daniel, and John Paul!" Her three grown children were nurtured with the Suzuki method and now all three enjoy satisfying careers as musicians /music educators.
"Where love is deep, much will be accomplished."-Shin'ichi Suzuki - Interesting Fact: Barbara lives in Tomales with her husband and two cats, Rocky and Comet. Once while body-boarding at Dillon beach, Barbara caught a wave and a fish at the same time!
John Paul Norris
- Electric/Acoustic Bass, Electric Guitar.
- Styles: Punk, Funk, Rock, Jazz
- Education: Tomales High School; Sonoma State
- Musical Accomplishments: John Paul has been gigging professionally since he was 15 years old.
Jeff Prinz
- Saxophone, Clarinet
- Styles: Jazz, Classical, Dixie , Pop, Rock n' Roll, R & B, Funk, Swing, Smooth Jazz, Klezmer
- Education: Studied with Daniel Zinn.
- Musical Accomplishments: Over 15 years of professional work in the Bay Area, including performed with the Santa Cruz Symphony.
- Interesting Fact: Performed on two Grammy nominated CDs, Rosemary Clooney's last two albums.
Nick Xenelis
- Clarinet, Sax, Violin, Cello
- Styles: Classical
- Education: BA from Boston University; Masters
- Musical Accomplishments: Nick
Xenelis began his musical studies in Grade 5 in the Lynn, Massachusetts public
school system. His father was a classical music enthusiast, and in addition to
the distinctive modes and rhythms in the music of his Greek heritage, Nicholas
was also exposed at an early age to the intricate harmonies of Beethoven,
Mozart, Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsakoff and Moussorgsky.
During his high school years, Nicholas participated in all of the All-State and District Honor groups.
While attending Boston University, Xenelis studied violin, and to this day remains a passionate educator and spokesperson for stringed instrument instruction. He received his Masters Degree from Lowell University in Massachusetts, where he majored in woodwinds and minored in strings.
Though Xenelis still coaches and assists with various music programs in the county, he is now retired from teaching in the public school system and is devoting more time to performance. - Interesting Fact: Enjoys travel and photography.
Music to My Ears
8500 Gravenstein Highway,
Suite A
Cotati, CA 94931
(707) 664-0123
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