Our Staff

Rachel has been passionately involved in music from a young age, starting piano at the age of 4 and began teaching and accompanying by the time she reached 8th grade. This early start laid the foundation for a deep commitment to both performance and education. Rachel studied Music Therapy at Illinois State University, which has […]

Adam is a current saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, and music educator who performs and teaches a variety of styles including jazz, classical, r&b, and pop. He is an active freelance musician and teacher working in the Chicagoland area. Adam grew up in Geneva, Illinois and began playing piano at the age of 7 and saxophone at […]

Evie Hickman is completing a degree in music education and performance at Elmhurst University. She has been teaching violin for 6 years and served as an orchestral assistant through middle and high school. She especially loves early (medieval-baroque) music and chamber music, and working with kids. Evie has also taught cello, and in addition to […]

Temenuga “Tammy” Zhekova was born in Bulgaria, where she began her musical education at a school in Sliven, focusing on violin and singing in a choir. She continued her studies in Kotel, graduating as a singer and tambura player, before securing a spot at the “Academy of Music, Dance and Art” in Plovdiv. There, she […]

Ryan Dailey is a trombonist and music educator based in the western Chicago suburbs. He graduated from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Music Education. In 2018, Mr. Dailey was a finalist for the Wheaton College Concerto Competition, performing the Tomasi Trombone Concerto as a soloist with the school’s Symphony Orchestra. He was also a […]

Janet Cramer is an accomplished drummer and instructor with more than twenty-five years of experience. She obtained her Masters in Music degree from Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, before relocating to Chicago. Ms Cramer has made a significant contribution to various genres and music scenes in Chicago, including Blues, Rock, Jazz, Latin Jazz, Americana, and […]

Seonyoung holds a bachelor’s degree in Violin performance from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea and was the principal in the Kyung Hee Symphony Orchestra. She was also a violinist of a master class directed by the faculty at Ball State University and Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in Germany. She has played in […]

Gabriel Hwang began his music education in piano and violin at the age of five. He then progressed to instrumental studies. At the age of sixteen, young Hwang made his official debut conducting the entire score of Handel’s Messiah from memory. Hwang received his Bachelor of Music degree from Notre Dame de Namur University for […]

Eric holds a Bachelor of Music from the Lamont School of Music at University of Denver. He has been teaching guitar for over 15 years. In that time he has taught students of all ages and skill levels. He works with his students to form a lesson plan that fits every individual’s needs. The styles […]

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Andrew Jaicks has lived in the Chicago area since 2013. He earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Composition and a Minor in Piano Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Andrew has studied and is interested in a wide variety of musical genres. He has performed in […]

Connie started taking piano lessons at the age of ten because she wanted to be like her big sister who played the piano. She enjoyed practicing and started playing for services in her church when she was in high school. She has continued to play for church services throughout her life as well as accompany […]

Marty Binder has been playing drums, touring, and recording for over 30 years. He keeps a busy schedule playing local venues, festivals, corporate and private events. He has played with Blues greats, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Albert Collins and many more. He has recorded for historic Chicago record label Delmark records as well as Blind […]

David’s students enjoy learning and feeling like musicians while still getting the academic benefits that learning music provides. He includes many songs and pieces that his students are familiar with while making sure important skills and knowledge are being developed. Lessons with David lessons are fun and energetic, but he is always in charge and […]

Jason Wickland is a Music Education Major at Elmhurst College with Classical Guitar as his primary instrument. Jason has been playing the guitar since 3rd grade and he is currently involved in Classical and Electric Guitar Ensembles at Elmhurst College.

Jennifer Thompson is an accomplished vocalist who has performed many times in the Chicago area. She sang Elgar’s Sea Pictures for the Friends of the Windows concert series at St. James Chapel. In the realm of new music, she gave a dramatic interpretation of the song cycle Mariposa en Arullo by Chicago composer Amy Wurtz. […]

Jim has been playing piano for over 20 years and teaching piano for 4 with a certification in piano pedagogy. He graduated last May from Elmhurst College with top honors, majoring in Music Theory/Composition, Psychology, and Philosophy with a specific focus on Music Cognition. He is currently finishing a 3 year psychological study on the […]

Mike was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, and has spent the last thirty years learning the intricacies of composing, performing, and teaching the guitar. He’s well versed in most contemporary styles of music, and is always on the lookout for new challenges to his playing. He has studied with a variety of musicians […]

Nadiya has been a piano and music theory teacher for over 30 years. She is an honors graduate from Ternopil Music College and went on to get her Master’s degree from Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts in Ukraine. After graduation, she was a teacher at Kozova Music and Art School for more than […]

Education: Specialized Diploma with Distinction (violin performance and pedagogy), Rivne Music Academy (Ukraine); postgraduate study at Rivne Institute of Culture; solo recitals, quartet, trio and chamber ensembles performances, principal 2nd and 1st violin in chamber and symphony orchestras (Ukraine), 1st violin in Harper Symphony orchestra. Also, Paraprofessional Educator Certificate from Harper college. Teachers: Anatoly Bortnik, […]

Paul Kutylo began playing acoustic guitar at Divine Word College. He played and sang for an overwhelming number of hootenannies, church services and talent shows in college and graduate school. Paul taught fellow college students to play folk guitar. He was the founder, leader and guitar teacher for St Eulalia church group. From his extensive […]