Ok, let's face it. When you're choosing a music instructor for your child, you want to have the confidence that they will be able to motivate as well as educate. Our instructors are spirited, passionate, and devoted to guiding their students to discover their full potential with music. Most have either earned college degrees in music or are currently working on them. And to bolster your confidence further, you may rest easy that background checks are also performed on all teachers when they hire with us. Finally and most importantly, our company takes the time to carefully train our teachers in the successful Flying Fingers method. Now then,
Ladies and gentlemen, please allow us to introduce you to...
Nick
devoted himself to music as an early teenager in the roaring 80's when he brought home his first used drumset from a junk store in Huntington Beach, CA. By the time he was ready to set off for college on a music scholarship, his curiosity and determination already helped him find his way to the guitar, the bass guitar, and the piano. He went on to spend the entire decade of the 90's scorching stages all around the southeast and working in recording studios as a session musician, engineer, and producer. The "long and winding road" as a professional musician eventually led Nick to an unexpected and yet very comfortable place in his life. Through a career in teaching, he began to realize an unmatched level of fulfillment, showing up and coming musicians the secrets to success with music.
Megan
(Piano & Voice)
started singing while she was in her mother’s arms as a baby. As the years have passed, she allowed many other musical influences to seep in and has continued her passion by singing in church, school, and even to her showerhead. While she was developing her singing gift as a youth, Megan also realized that she has a passion for dancing and has been dancing ballet and musical theater style since she could walk. Along the way, she discovered a fascination with the piano and the joy it brings when one can accompany her own voice with song, and started practicing any chance she could. When she was accepted into the music department at Kennesaw State University, she narrowed her emphasis towards a degree in General Music Education. An ambitious soul, Megan devotes much of her time as an assistant with the North Georgia School of Ballet and as the Director of Children’s Ministries with the North Springs United Methodist Church. She not only loves to work with kids but she tends to think she is one herself. You can always find Megan singing Disney melodies, especially her fav’s, Frozen and Mulan, any chance she can. In her free time, she likes to play video games, hit the shopping mall, and watch football. Another fun fact about Megan is that she is in the process of making a beauty and fashion blog, where she will write about the girly side of her life.
Jordan
(Piano)
began taking piano lessons at a young age. A little while later, the skills he acquired in his own lessons propelled him to be able to start teaching himself through playing his favorite songs. Then, in high school, he returned to taking formal lessons. This added temendous fuel to his fire and inspired him to pursue a music degree in college specializing in Piano Performance. Now that he gets to study, perform, and make music every day he's never been more excited about where he is in life, and about his opportunities for the future. With Jordan's vast and unique musical background and training, he hopes to spread his interest and passion for music to all of his students. In his free time he likes to write music of his own, for solo piano and various other ensembles.
Jeremy
(Guitar & Beginner Piano)
is a guitar teacher, performer, and songwriter based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The product of two musical parents, he and his brothers grew up surrounded by music. They all fell in love with music and Jeremy was hooked on the guitar at the age of 13. He studied classical guitar as well as a potpourri of other styles, earning a Bachelor's of Music in Performance in classical guitar from Kennesaw State University. Jeremy has performed in masterclasses for and received private lessons from renowned guitar performers and teachers from around the world. He is now an oft-requested performer in the Southeast, both as a soloist and with his rock and roll outfit "Third Sound". He has a wide range of teaching experience, teaching beginning to advanced guitar and beginning piano. Jeremy strives to help enable students create positive, healthy experiences with music and to live the soundtrack of their lives more fully and richly. When not performing or teaching, Jeremy enjoys recreationally competing in powerlifting.
Christina
(Piano & Voice)
According to her mom, Christina could match pitches with her dynamic voice well before she could even walk! And...it was no small wonder where her gifts came from. Each of her grandparents happened to play a variety of instruments and her own mother is a piano and music instructor, too. At just 7 years old, Christina began a professional singing career. She performed at the Fox Theater with Theater of the Stars in Casper the Musical, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She's also performed with the Henry Players in Huckleberry Finn's Big River. She has competed and won a number of talent competitions in the area and even advanced as a semi-finalist with Showtime at the Apollo for Kids. Christina was also the winner of the Ella Fitzgerald Songwriting Scholarship for The Recording Academy's Grammy Camp which was held in LA. There, she worked directly with some of the biggest names in the biz, like Nick Jonas and others. She later was accepted into Berklee College of Music but decided to stay in Atlanta and study classical piano and voice at Georgia Perimeter College. Nowadays, in addition to infecting her students with her love for piano and singing, Christina spends her time writing and recording her own music and taking it to the stage to entertain audiences. Make sure you wave hello if you catch her performing throughout the Atlanta area!
Nico
(Drums & Percussion)
first started rocking the drums at age 11 in the Gulf Coast town of Clearwater, Florida. Following in the footsteps of his father and his father before him, what really started out as a fun after school activity progressed into an obsession. This obsession soon lead to studying jazz and classical music at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Soon after graduation, he started building his career by teaching students of all ages in the Jacksonville area, and refining his performance skills by playing in clubs and venues across the southeast and the country at large. After spending a few years on the road, he eventually landed in Atlanta where he has continued his love of performing in venues with original bands and artists and even a few wedding bands. In his off time, Nico enjoys lifting weights and hiking the beautiful north Georgia hills.
Jennell
(Voice, Guitar & Piano)
was only 7 years old when she stunned her first audience with her powerful and dynamic voice by singing her first solo from the altar of her church. Born and raised in the Virgin Islands, Jennell described her childhood as laid back and easy going. "It was the most beautifully picturesque environment to inspire creativity and my love for singing and playing the guitar". Upon moving to the United States at age 12, she soon found herself a regular at local recording studios, where she would begin fine tuning her craft of writing and recording songs for herself and others. She feverishly began exploring everything she was passionate about musically; the structure, the melody, the way it filters through your emotions, and that fact that it is, indeed, a universal language. Jennell received her AS in Music from GA Perimeter College and is currently pursuing her BS in Music Education from Kennesaw State University. She knew she wanted to teach ever since she was a little girl, when she would use her stuffed animals to assemble a classroom and write on her dry erase board pretending to be a teacher. It only made sense to combine music and teaching; two passions into one! The mother of 2 growing boys, (9 and 6), Jennell understands the art of multitasking and unconditional love. She loves to sing and play with her guitar and piano to the popular songs of today, not forgetting some oldies but goodies as well. "Music is the gateway to the soul and my voice is the vehicle I use to get me there".
Forrest
(Piano & Voice)
has had a love of music since he was very young. He would "entertain the grandparents" by learning and jamming out on their old piano. He continued in the path of arts as a theatre student in high school, but quickly took a dive into the choral music world after being cast in school musicals. Performing in shows like “RENT” and “The Sound Of Music” he discovered the full range and dynamics of his own voice. Throughout high school, Forrest continued his pursuit of the keyboard while singing in four All State choirs. It was an inevitable progression that he would want to make a career somehow in the music field. Continuing to pursue his own education, Forrest majors in Music Education at Kennesaw State University. In addition to studying the piano there, he is a proud member of their Chamber Singers group and Men’s Ensemble choirs. Along with music, Forrest was also blessed with an eye for photography. While he remains "focused" on his musical aspirations, he spends a lot of his free time searching for that perfect shot!
Daniel
(Guitar, Bass & Recording)
began slinging the strings at the young age of 9. It would be only 4 more years before he was jamming on stages around the Atlanta area at age 13. As he continued to hone his fretboard skills, Daniel knew that a career in music was going to become his destiny. He went on to study the guitar intensely and graduated from the Atlanta Institute of Music in the summer of 2003. Afterwards, he began teaching students, touring with bands, and recording with Grammy Award winning artists such as India Arie, Snoop Dogg, Macy Gray, and Nas. While playing with his band, I.O.Z, and backing up other artists, he has had the opportunity to share the stage with bands like Galactic, Fishbone, Col. Bruce Hampton, and many more.
Katy
(Voice, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele & Mandolin)
Katy's love for music began at the age of five, singing in her church. Her attraction to music grew quickly and led her to begin taking piano lessons in the second grade, getting involved in chorus as well as performing lead roles in the theatre program. Her private voice lessons were not far behind, giving her the boost she needed to compete in local talent shows, choir singing, singing lead vocals with her youth praise band, and was even chosen as a member of the GMEA All-State Choir three years in a row. She knew for certain that her leadership skills and passion for teaching music would validate her decision to major in Music Education at Valdosta State University. During her undergraduate studies she was involved in Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Opera, Jazz Spotlighters Ensemble, Pan-American Ensemble, and continued with piano lessons as well as voice lessons. Student teaching gave her great experience teaching grades PK-5th grade as well as a Pre-K Special Education. Her drive and passion led Katy to pursue her master’s degree in music performance with an emphasis in choral conducting at Valdosta State. While in graduate school she received a graduate assistant scholarship and served as a teaching assistant to the Director of Choral Studies. She is classically trained in voice, but has a versatile repertoire. She enjoys all types of musical genres from pop, jazz, blues, Broadway, blue-grass, rock, and country music. Katy spends her free time cooking, camping, going to music festivals, and spending time with my family and friends. "Music is the food of life and I want to share my love for music by educating anyone who is eager to learn! Music is our expression of history, culture, literature, and healing to the soul."
Crystal
(Piano, Clarinet, Trumpet, Oboe & Alto Sax)
was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. At a young age, due to the exposure of different genres, Crystal’s family realized she had a passion for music. By the age of 5, Crystal’s family embarked on a new journey, to the United States, where her passion for music continued, and grew. In the 5th grade, Crystal’s music instructor allowed the class to play a unique instrument, such as the recorder. It was then that Crystal decided she wanted to expand her knowledge of music and choose a new musical instrument in middle school. Crystal settled on the clarinet and with time and effort, she learned the fundamentals of the instrument, and grew to love it more every day. Throughout her musical journey, she came across the piano, at the age of 12, and continues to play it every day. Crystal now attends Kennesaw State University where she is pursuing a degree in Music Education. She is involved in many organizations, such as, Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Women’s Choir, and Gospel Choir. On her free time, you can usually catch her at the dog park, with her Puppy, or at the lake with her family. She also enjoys watching Harry Potter, with friends, and quoting lines from Despicable Me. Her dream is to one day share her passion for music, with the adolescence, and help build young minds through music.
Jimmy
(Guitar)
was born and raised right here in Atlanta, GA on a steady diet of milk and music. From his first blue Donald Duck guitar all the way to his current blue Fender guitar he has never stopped engaging with music. While attending Marist School he started playing in bands with his classmates, and continued to do so at the University of Georgia where he studied jazz, classical guitar, music business, and audio engineering. After reading a newspaper article about a late Jazz teacher, he realized how many lives could be touched and enriched through the process of teaching music, and saw that it was his duty to use his eclectic knowledge and experience to guide and encourage up and coming musicians of all types. Motivated by the fact that everyone is different in terms of their ability and expression, he hopes to find the unique musician inside each one of his students, unlocking the door to their potential and fostering a passion for music that lasts a lifetime.
Anna
(Piano & Voice)
has been singing since she was in diapers. She began taking private lessons at the age of 9 and could not wait to sing her little heart out. What started as a fun hobby quickly turned into much, much more. In addition to singing, Anna quickly recognized the importance of studying the piano in order to accompany her voice while improving her pitch. She continued learning and performing through her high school years, finally realizing that music was what she wanted to do with her life and career. Her family has been incredibly supportive, even though only one other family member plays a musical instrument. Anna will receive her degree in Music Education with a choral focus in December of 2012. She sings with her church every Sunday and devotes some of her time student to teaching with a local high school choir program. Music has changed her life and given her something to constantly work on and strive for. It is her goal to share this love with everyone she meets!
John
(Piano)
grew up around music lessons. As a matter of fact, his mother taught guitar lessons and his grandfather taught bluegrass violin and banjo. When John turned 6 years old, his musical flame was sparked with the acquisition of a baritone ukulele. Right away he started playing chords to accompany singing. The guitar and piano weren't far behind when he began formal lessons at age 10. As the flame grew, John spent his teen years studying percussion in school band and jamming with his friends in various garage bands on keyboards. You could say it all turned into a roaring fire by the time he reached his college years. At Georgia State College, John earned himself a bachelor's and master's degree in music composition, with emphasis in pedagogy, jazz, and electronic music. Teaching music lessons in Atlanta for 15 years now, John continues to push himself to new levels with performing, arranging, and improvising on the piano. When John is away from the keyboard, he can be found dragon taming (his pet Iguana, Pedro), tinkering with his Theremin (you'll have to ask him about this unique pastime), and playing racing games with online friends in triple wide aspect on 3 monitors.
Loren
(Guitar, Bass, Trombone & Piano)
has been playing music nearly every day for most of his life. After beginning trombone in his school band at age 10, he's never been able (or willing?) to restrict himself to just one instrument. In order to play the rock & roll music he grew to love as a teenager, Loren learned his way around the guitar. He was recruited by his high school jazz choir as a bassist and by a cover band as a lead guitarist. Spending his time at the University of Idaho solidifying his music theory background and honing his skills as a trombonist, he held down the low end in a couple of alternative rock bands and did freelance studio work through most of the '90s. In addition to freelancing, Loren currently plays trombone in the Atlanta Wind Symphony and the Usual Suspects (big band jazz) as well as bass in local original rock bands Evered and the Wayward Hounds. What little free time he has is usually occupied with sci-fi, animated comedies & nerdy websites like physorg.com & jpl.nasa.gov.
Megan
(Piano)
became immersed in music from the very beginning. Her dad would play lullabies on the trumpet at night and her aunt was always fiddling around on the piano. When she was 10, Megan started taking piano lessons from that crazy aunt and quickly fell in love. During the high school years, she used music as a way to meet people by joining the school marching band. Because she couldn't carry a piano around on the football field, she applied all of her training to the percussion section. She loved that so much that she went on to earn a Music Education degree from Eastern Kentucky University, with an emphasis in piano and a minor in percussion. Before her graduation, Megan wrote her honors program thesis titled "Music Heals the Soul: Music Therapy and Autistic Children". She has been studying music in some capacity for the last 16 years and continues to learn as much as she can, even traveling to Brazil a couple of times to study percussion and the integration of music in every aspect of their culture. Megan believes that music is a part of everyday life and gets a kick out of helping other people find the music in their lives!
Tricia
(Violin & Piano)
is from Nashville TN and was introduced to music at the age of two. She was given a violin and never let it go; starting with a Suzuki music program at a small private school, moving to The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt around age eight, and finally attending Agnes Scott College, gaining a minor in music performance. In 2007 Tricia joined the Agnes Scott College Community Orchestra, as the principal violinist, and Agnes’s String Ensemble. She remains the principal violinist for Agnes’s Orchestra as Alum, and enjoys practicing with them once a week, and performing with them twice a year. She loves to teach and learn with students as they begin to love and appreciate music. She is currently working on a MA degree from Georgia State University.
Nick
(Guitar & Bass)
after being inspired by the music of groups like the Beatles and the Who, quickly realized that his dream was to be a musician. He began playing the guitar constantly at age 12. Further into his journey, he became drawn to the music and culture of the South and relocated from his hometown outside of Boston to Atlanta. Nick graduated at the top of his class from the Atlanta Institute of Music in 2007 and soon thereafter became an active member of the Atlanta music scene. While maintaining a busy teaching schedule, Nick has enjoyed performing on the Future of Jazz stage at the Atlanta Jazz festival and has traveled all over the country with acts that include; Col. Bruce Hampton, the Yonrico Scott Band, and the Last Waltz Ensemble. Most recently, Nick has had the privilege of opening for Bonnie Raitt as part of the Randall Bramblett Band. Keep an eye out for Nick playing guitar in the upcoming film Jayne Mansfield’s Car starring Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duvall!
Marianna
(Piano, Voice & Flute)
love for music began when she was three years old. She started piano and voice lessons at this age, as well as flute in the 6th grade. She played in many competitions and festivals over the years. She started teaching lessons in high school to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award, and realized then that this was her passion. She played the flute through her first two years of college, classical piano up until her junior year, and sang opera until she graduated. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Berry College. While at Berry, she was involved in concert choir, as well as a reputed choir called Berry Singers, and won a concerto competition as a freshman. She has played piano and led worship in many churches over the years. She enjoys listening to, and playing, all types of music. Music is her love, passion, and life. When not playing music, you can usually find Marianna traveling to new places to take photos. Marianna has a love of cooking as well as spending time with her family. She wishes to help children find their passion in music in a way that’s fun for them to learn.
Doug
(Guitar, Bass & Saxophone)
interest in music started early. Legend has it, while still in diapers he would sit alone in the corner for hours wearing headphones bigger than his head, listening to his parents' classic rock albums. When his mother would stretch rubber bands between the knobs of the kitchen cabinets to keep him and his brothers out, Doug would pluck the various lengths of rubber like a guitar and sing, making up his own songs. In his late teens he finally saved up enough money to buy his first real instrument - a used bass guitar from the pawn shop. He immediately started learning songs by ear and playing in garage bands with his friends. After high school, he decided to get more serious about studying the inner workings of music theory by attending the Atlanta Institute of Music. During this time, he was exposed to music he had never heard before like jazz, blues, and world music. Besides tutoring fellow students in his spare time, Doug would go on to play in a number of blues, rock, country, and jazz bands throughout the SouthEast. Even today Doug keeps his chops up on the bass guitar (electric and upright), the guitar (acoustic and electric) and even the saxophone, continuing to teach students and play gigs with various bands all around town. When he's not playing music he enjoys spending time learning about electronics and making his own effect pedals and amps for guitar and bass. He also enjoys camping, hiking and exercising, swinging kettlebells and mace.
Brooksie
(Guitar, Piano & Voice)
has a remarkable passion for entertaining and educating children through her music. After growing up in the South with parents who fought for Civil Rights and the Equal Rights Amendment, Brooksie moved to New York City in the 1970s, where the thriving folk music scene heavily influenced her music. She landed her first "big break" when Bobby Darin discovered her at the age of 19. She would go on to write for years for Chappell Music, with several of her songs used in recordings and movie soundtracks. She later performed with John Lennon's band Elephant's Memory, and as a singer with Kid Creole and the Coconuts. While raising two children in the early 1990's, Brooksie became an international children's performer, recording "Rainbow Family" and "Brooksie's Kid Songs". Brooksie performs music programs for children at concerts, and as an artist in residence at Montessori schools. She specializes in folk, pop/rock with a touch of blues. We could go on and on about this amazing member of the Flying Fingers staff, but if you'd like to learn more click on her photo above to hear from her directly. Then pick up the phone and grab an appointment with her while they last 🙂
Matthew
(Drums & Percussion)
musical interests started at the age of 5. His parents said that from a young age he banged on everything in the house from pots and pans to furniture. Matthew grew up listening to his dad's vinyl records and aspired to be a musician at an early age. He started taking percussion lessons when he was 10 years old. The following Christmas, Matthew got his first drum set and the house was never quiet again. From that moment forward, Matthew participated in the church gospel band, symphonic bands in junior and high school. In high school, Matthew participated in jazz ensemble, drum line in marching band, indoor drum line, and provided the music for all drama and one-act plays. His life revolved around drums every season of every year. Matthew started teaching percussion and drum set lessons while in college in Statesboro, Georgia. He became more involved in bands and becoming a studio musician. After he graduated he moved to Atlanta and married his wife, Keely, and has two beautiful children. Matthew continues to teach private lessons, play in local Atlanta bands, and is a recording studio musician. Matthew's teaching style is learn as you go, but most importantly, have fun while learning!
