Sonya Jason

(650) 703-0707

Sonya@SonyaJason.com

https://sonyajason.com/educatorlessons.htm

Offers: Online/Zoom lessons

In-person Teaching Location: Half Moon Bay

Sonya teaches saxophone, flute, clarinet and Native American Flute.

Howard Cespedes

(650) 714-6139

cespedes.howard@gmail.com

Offers: Online/Zoom lessons

Rate: $40/half hour lesson

Post-COVID Teaching Locations: San Mateo & San Jose

Howard also teaches clarinet and saxophone.

Sonya Jason

(650) 703-0707

Sonya@SonyaJason.com

https://sonyajason.com/educatorlessons.htm

Offers: Online/Zoom lessons

In-person Teaching Location: Half Moon Bay

Sonya teaches saxophone, flute, clarinet and Native American Flute.

Howard Cespedes

(650) 714-6139

cespedes.howard@gmail.com

Offers: Online/Zoom lessons

Rate: $40/half hour lesson

Post-COVID Teaching Locations: San Mateo & San Jose

Howard teaches flute, clarinet, and saxophone.

Jason received his B.A. in Saxophone Performance in 2001 and his Music Education Credential in 2004 from Cal State Hayward. He has been teaching in the San Mateo –Foster City School District since 2001 and is currently the Director of Bands at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City. Jason has been a freelance performer since 1990 and has performed as far as the Czech Republic with The Ondrej Pivec Trio.

He currently plays with West Bay Rhythm, a Tower of Power tribute band and is a regular sub with the E Ticket Band. Jason has also performed in many musicals including The Rat Pack and has shared the stage with Conrad Herwig and Louie Bellson to name a few. He has also been involved with opening acts for Jay Leno and Patti LaBelle. Jason is a dedicated and patient instructor inspiring his students to reach a higher degrees of learning. He thinks that playing the music for and with his students is a great way for them to learn the style of the music they are playing. Jason also enjoys following up with students that have continued to play into their college years and beyond.

James Pytko is an avid performer and educator in the SF Bay Area. He is the second/bass clarinet chair of Opera San Jose and during the summer, he is Principal Clarinet of the Utah Festival of Opera and Musical Theater. James has also performed with Symphony Silicon Valley, Sphinx Symphony, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, and many other Bay Area ensembles. James has taught clarinet at CSU Stanislaus and UC Santa Cruz, and now maintains a full private studio. His primary teachers were Richie Hawley, Carmine Campione, Scott Andrews, and Naomi Drucker.

Tom Griesser (alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, clarinet) has been performing professionally since 1992 and teaching private lessons since 2010. He studied clarinet with Richard Joiner (the principal clarinetist of the Denver Symphony Orchestra) and saxophone with Art Bouton and Hal Stein. Tom has been a longtime member of the Marcus Shelby Orchestra, Brass Monkey Brass Band, the Cottontails and B3B4. He teaches students of all ages and skill levels, emphasizing the fundamentals of sight reading, articulation and sound for beginners and developing proficiency in improvisation for more experience students.

Classically trained, Al has a degree in music with more than 20 years of private teaching experience in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere while promoting discipline, musical creativity and self-confidence. He has performed with several Bay Area orchestras including Berkeley Symphony, Peninsula Orchestra, New Millennium Chamber Orchestra and Concerto Orchestra. His Youtube Channel can be found under the name Viola Revolution.

A sensitive and intelligent cellist, Will’s impeccable tone has drawn acclaim from audiences and fellow musicians across the US. As a gifted collaborator and chamber musician, he has performed in quartets and piano trios for decades, frequently partnering with his wife, Dr. Karen Chan Barrett, a gifted pianist.

A graduate of Peabody Conservatory (B.Mus. 2007), Will’s teachers include Noreen Silver (principal cellist of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra), Peter Howard (former principal of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra), and Alan Stepansky (former principal of the New York Philharmonic).

His musical interests extend beyond classical to contemporary genres, including Jazz, blues, and world music. As a pedagogue, Will passes on the techniques of Jaqueline du Pré and Orlando Cole that he learned from his teachers.  He brings a kind, gentle, and supportive attitude to the precious time with his students.

Adrianna Khoo pioneered Suzuki Cello Programs in Mountain View, Livermore and the first Suzuki recognized school in China. Her teaching philosophy is that all children can learn in a nurturing environment that cultivates curiosity and creativity. 

Her students have won principal positions in Galbraith Honors, CODA and All State Honors. They have played alongside the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Adrianna holds a B.A. in English from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Journalism from USC, where she also studied music, and a GPD in Cello Performance from Longy School of Music.

Carlos's teaching started early; when he was on the road performing with different ensembles, he was often asked to share some of his knowledge with individuals and small groups of musicians. Studying Composition, Arranging and Film Scoring at the Dick Grove School of Music gave him a firm foundation in Music. He has arranged and composed for small ensembles as well as individual instrumentalists. For over 40 years Carlos has had the privilege of performing many styles of music: Jazz, Rock, Classical, Salsa, Cumbia, Bossa Nova and a few others. Individual and group lessons available in English and Spanish.

Bio to be added

Bio to be added

GG has been playing the guitar since she was 10 and started teaching in 2001. Her own musical style is west coast blues and soul jazz and is an accomplished singer and songwriter. She can teach finger picking, flat pick, scales, solos, strumming in multiple styles/patterns, rhythm & beats, chords, melodies, and much, much more!

GG has her own studio in San Francisco and teaches Wednesdays and Thursdays currently.

Raymond Bambao, a San Francisco native has been performing professionally in the Bay Area for thirty years. He started his music training on trumpet in elementary school and began singing in middle school. He received a Classical Scholarship for Voice and went to San Jose State University, where he received his B.A. in Improvised Music Studies (Voice). Raymond started early Hula and Tahitian dancing with Spirit of Polynesia in the eighties and then danced for Hula Halau O Ku’uleinani in the nineties. 



He is currently teaching voice, beginning piano, ukulele, guitar, bass, beginning drums, and trombone privately. He also teaches a group Ukulele Class with Ke Aka O Polynesia and private lessons for Spark of Creation Studios in SSF. Playing Music is a big part of his life and sharing the love of music with his students is even bigger.

If you've taken guitar lessons in the east bay at any point in the past 25+ years, odds are pretty good that you've studied with Rob Michael. 

A professional player for over 35 years, Rob teaches all styles of electric and acoustic guitars, electric Bass and ukulele. All levels welcome for online lessons via Zoom, Skype or Facetime. He prides himself on teaching methods that are organized, concise and efficient.

Bio to be added

Carlos's teaching started early; when he was on the road performing with different ensembles, he was often asked to share some of his knowledge with individuals and small groups of musicians. Studying Composition, Arranging and Film Scoring at the Dick Grove School of Music gave him a firm foundation in Music. He has arranged and composed for small ensembles as well as individual instrumentalists. For over 40 years Carlos has had the privilege of performing many styles of music: Jazz, Rock, Classical, Salsa, Cumbia, Bossa Nova and a few others. Individual and group lessons available in English and Spanish.

Bio to be added

Bio to be added

Jeff Marrs grew up in Concord, California, where he began performing in local clubs at the age of 10. Jeff received his Masters Degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston, Massachusetts. While at NEC, he studied and performed with Danilo Perez, Bob Brookmeyer, Gary Chaffee, George Russell, Cecil McBee, John McNeil, Arturo OʼFarrill and Benny Golson. Since moving back in 2001, Jeff has become one of the most in-demand jazz and rock drummers in the Bay Area. He regularly performs with Mike Olmos (Etta James), Wil Blades, Javier Santiago, and “The Dynamic” Ms. Faye Carol. He has also performed with Dayna Stephens, Josh Nelson (Natalie Cole), Mark Inouye, The San Francisco Symphony, Victoria Theodore (Stevie Wonder), Mads Tolling and many other national artists. Jeff has done studio work for TV (Ring Central), Video Games (Sims Go to College) and Film (PBS Documentary for Ralph Ellison).

Bio to be added

André is a San Francisco native currently residing in Oakland, where he teaches via Zoom and Skype. André started playing percussion professionally at age eleven, and has played locally, nationally, and internationally with rock bands, punk bands, and singer/songwriters. For the past ten years he has led his own jazz quartet, Consensual Bop, which performs throughout the Bay Area. André also judges drum corp competitions for young people, which he finds incredibly satisfying and rewarding.

"I emphasize an ergonomic approach to sensible technique which will allow you to easily communicate musical ideas. My students are hobbyists, professionals, and everything in-between. From young to young-at-heart, joy is what music is about. Let's get to it." -André Custodio

Raymond Bambao, a San Francisco native has been performing professionally in the Bay Area for thirty years. He started his music training on trumpet in elementary school and began singing in middle school. He received a Classical Scholarship for Voice and went to San Jose State University, where he received his B.A. in Improvised Music Studies (Voice). Raymond started early Hula and Tahitian dancing with Spirit of Polynesia in the eighties and then danced for Hula Halau O Ku’uleinani in the nineties. 



He is currently teaching voice, beginning piano, ukulele, guitar, bass, beginning drums, and trombone privately. He also teaches a group Ukulele Class with Ke Aka O Polynesia and private lessons for Spark of Creation Studios in SSF. Playing Music is a big part of his life and sharing the love of music with his students is even bigger.

Ali Zarrin started learning Santoor with Parviz Meshkatian for four years at age fourteen covering both Radifs (repertoires) of Abolhasan Saba and Mirza Abdollah. He then spent seven years studying the Radif under Majid Kiani. He also benefited for two years from Ali Asghar Bahari studying his unique instrumental and vocal repertoire as well as mastering improvisation. His musical activities include teaching for more than 30 years, and many performances and workshops in the United States and Canada. 

One of the characteristics of authentic Persian music is solo improvisation, a style that is rarely heard and appreciated today. Each performance is a unique experience where the musician improvises following the precise rules and concepts of the Radif repertoire which is predominately learned from heart to heart. In the hands of a learned and skilled musician, music becomes a living language, charged with passion, creativity, always new, yet embodying the cultural values and traditions that have been handed down for centuries.