Teachers

style: Rock Jazz Pop Classical Drumline African Latin

Register for lessons with Matt.

Matt Bennett is a drummer and percussionist from Augusta, Ga who enjoys rocking out on the drums as much as playing a deep African groove. Matt is a recent graduate of the University of North Texas where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a minor in International Studies, studying Jazz drum set, African music, and Latin percussion.

Currently, Matt is working as a freelance musician in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where he plays in cover bands, original groups, churches, musicals, an African troupe, and accompanies dancers at Texas Woman's University. He has toured the country with various groups and has taken two research trips to West Africa where he studied traditional music and dance in villages in Ghana.

Matt has over ten years of teaching experience including private lessons, group lessons, clinics, band camps, and developing curriculum for programs like Stomp! For Life, an integrative after-school program that uses rhythm to teach healthy habits to kids.

Matt spent some of his college career studying classical music as well as drum set and percussion so will have no problem coaching you through that upcoming audition.

Jacob Cortez

style: Classical

subjects: Cello, Viola, Violin,

Register for lessons with Jacob.

A San Antonio Native, Jacob Cortez enjoys teaching string students of all ages ranging from early childhood to adult. He regularly performs with ensembles around DFW, Austin, and San Antonio. Currently, Jacob is a principal violinist in the UNT Symphony and a principal member of the UNT Baroque Ensemble where he has been featured as a soloist. He has performed with the Cactus Pear Music Festival young artist's program, the Texas Music Festival (2014 & 2015), Oregon Bach Festival, and Boston Early Music Festival

Notable artists Jacob has worked with include, Lucie Robert (Manhattan School of Music), Nathan Olson (Co-Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony), Frank Huang (Concertmaster of New York Philharmonic), Leon Spierer (former Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic), and Cynthia Roberts (Julliard Baroque). Jacob's teaching philosophy revolves around string pedagogical techniques and creative expression. Jacob is currently teaching with the UNT String Project and occasionally teaches with the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio Summer Symphony Camp. As a current member of the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), Jacob has been the recipient of two TMEA Scholarships and is the 1st prize winner of the 2015 TMEA College Essay Contest. His essay on the Occupational Health Risks in Elementary Music Education was the only undergraduate paper to be recognized and has been acknowledged in the Southwestern Musician magazine.

Jacob is currently finishing undergraduate degrees in Violin Performance and Music Education from the University of North Texas where he is under the tutelage of renowned pedagogue, Julia Bushkova.

Liz Cross

style: Pop, Indie, Rock, Folk, Electronic

subjects: Break, Guitar, Piano, Semi-Private, Ukelele, Voice (singing), Voice and Piano,

Register for lessons with Liz.

Liz is a dedicated, passionate musician and vocalist from Denton, Texas. She often spends her free time weaving new little tunes on her favorite instruments and imagining lyrics to match.

She enjoys performing anything from Chopin’s nocturnes to old hymns, movie soundtracks and Adele. She believes music has no rules and is never meant to be a chore - practice and perfection follows passion. Her goal as a teacher and artist is to encourage other music lovers to sing and play simply because it is their love and joy to do so.

Liz is one of our group instructors and pairs perfectly with younger kids and beginners, she is able to convey the fundamental piano techniques through the classical method while keeping the young students engaged with fun pop and movie melodies and songs they might know.

Chuck Davies

style: Rock Blues Pop Country Singer/Songwriter

subjects: Bass Guitar, Drumset, Guitar, Songwriting,

Register for lessons with Chuck.

Chuck Davies is a multi-instrumentalist, music producer, songwriter, and music educator with a passion for the creative process.

As a professional guitarist of over 25 years, Chuck has toured the U.S. extensively and has real-world experience in virtually every facet of the music industry, including being the lead guitarist for national recording artists, Slur, whose single, "Who I Am," reached #41 on national rock radio and #1 on Music Choice Satellite Radio in 2003.

Chuck was a regional finalist in Guitar Center's 2007 "Guitarmaggedeon" national guitar competition, and was also a 1st place winner in the 2009 and 2010 Texas Songwriters Cruise National Songwriting Contest, and a finalist in the 2010 Durango "Write With a Hit-Maker" Songwriting Contest.

Chuck currently teaches guitar, bass, drums, singing, and beginner piano. In addition, he teaches music theory, songwriting, music production/music business, and also does performance coaching.

Chuck received a Music Minor as part of his Bachelors Degree from Indiana University and has been involved in music education for over 18 years. He also holds a black belt in martial arts and is an advocate for health, fitness, and personal development.

Jacob Hammonds

style: Jazz, Blues, Soul, Rock, Classical, Electronic

subjects: Absolute Beginner Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drumset, Guitar, Music Production, Music Theory, Piano, Semi-Private, Songwriting,

Register for lessons with Jacob.

Jacob Hammonds is a multi-instrumentalist, and graduate of the University of North Texas. He has studied classical guitar with Paul LeBlanc, and jazz guitar with Richard McClure and Fred Hamilton. Jacob has also studied jazz and classical piano at UNT . Jacob has taught private and group lessons for 3 years in the DFW area. While at UNT, he has studied baroque and 16th century counterpoint, orchestral arranging, jazz theory, and contemporary music composition.

Jacob performs often in the DFW metroplex and has performed at House of Blues, The Door, and Trees in Dallas and at Sundance Square in Fort Worth.

In addition to performing, Jacob is also proficient with Avid Sibelius music notation software and PropellerHead's Reason Music Production Software.

Reese Hyatt

style: All Styles

subjects: Saxophone,

Register for lessons with Reese.

Reese Hyatt has been taking music lessons for 8 years with Jason, owner of Stomp Music Studios. He is working on college level technique, exercises, and repertoire. He plays piano, guitar, ukelele, alto saxophone, and sings. He takes lessons on all of these instruments, is in a rock band, school jazz band, sings at his church, and was a member of the all-district band on saxophone. We are proud to have Reese as our youngest student teacher. He teaches beginning piano, guitar, and saxophone at Stomp Music at our Keller location.

Angie Kim

style: Classical, Pop, Jazz, Praise and Worship

subjects: Piano, Ukelele, Voice (singing), Voice and Piano,

Register for lessons with Angie.

Angie's technique is skillful and flawless, and she moves through genres like jazz, R&B and pop easily and masterfully. Her beautiful and powerful tone soars through ballads, and her phrasing invites the audience into thoughtful interpretations. Angie has a dynamic approach that carries hints of jazz greats Shirley Horn and Sarah Vaughan blending with the R&B sounds of Whitney Houston and Lauren Hill.

Angie's musical background is deep and varied. She got an early start studying private voice for many years in her native home of South Korea. She went on to receive multiple awards in her youth and gained entrance into one of Korea’s most renowned and competitive colleges, Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts.

Her studies then led her to New York City, where she received a scholarship to attend City College of New York and was mentored by jazz vocalists Suzanne Pittson, Charenee Wade, Julie Hardy, Jay Clayton, and briefly with National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Sheila Jordan.

She finished her Bachelor’s degree at City College and decided to follow her passion for jazz and pursue a Master’s degree at the University of North Texas, an internationally acclaimed jazz institution. At UNT, she was a thriving member of the vocal jazz community, eventually singing lead soprano in the school’s premier jazz choir, the UNT Jazz Singers.

She sang with and/or was mentored by many exciting guest artists, including 10-time Grammy Award-winner, Bobby McFerrin, Lauren Kinhan (member of Grammy-winning group New York Voices), Janis Siegal (member of Grammy-winning group Manhattan Transfer), and legendary vocalists Bonnie Herman and Don Shelton (members of the Grammy Award-winning Singers Unlimited).

At UNT, she honed her skills in composition, arranging, improvisation and lyric delivery, working with renowned vocalist/educators Jennifer Barnes and Rosana Eckert.

Alex Kishiyama

style: Classical, Jazz, Modern

subjects: Piano, Saxophone,

Register for lessons with Alex.

Alex Kishiyama has played piano since the age of four. He has experience playing saxophone in various ensembles and singing in choir. He has a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. He has played in multiple of UNT's nine big bands, as well as in the rhythm section of UNT's premiere Jazz Trombone Ensemble (winners of the International Trombone Festival in 2014, allowing them to play a concert in Valencia, Spain). Additionally, he regularly gigs in the DFW area. He has shared the stage with musicians such as Leonard Patton, Young Heo, Jamil Byrom, Steve Barnes, Lynn Seaton, Howie Dietz, and many others. Alex plays a variety of styles, and has passions in music and education.

Jason Nolen

style: Classical Jazz Pop

subjects: Guitar, Music Production, Piano, Rock Band,

Register for lessons with Jason.

Owner Jason Nolen has been teaching guitar, piano and singing (voice) lessons in Fort Worth, Keller, Southlake, Watauga, Roanoke, Trophy Club, and the surrounding area for 8 years. He founded Stomp Music Studios and Music School in Keller, TX in 2008. Stomp Music School Keller, TX offers private guitar lessons, piano lessons, voice lessons, drum lessons, bass lesson, pro tools lessons, pro tools certifications, songwriting lessons, violin, viola, cello, music theory lessons, music production lessons, and electronic music lessons. Jason Nolen, founder of Stomp Music Studios Keller, TX, began piano lessons at the age of 5 in North Richland Hills, saxophone lessons at Southlake Carroll at the age of 12, guitar lessons in Keller at the age of 13, was a member of band, choir, and theater at Southlake Carroll High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Music from The University of Texas at Austin and also studied and performed at the University of Paris, France. Jason's senior thesis was a study involving artificial intelligence and music composition. Jason worked with internationally renouned sound engineer and composer Russel Pinkston at the University of Texas. He was written/cowritten over 300 songs and has recorded with more than 200 artists.

Patricia O'Keefe

style: All Styles

subjects: Music Theory, Piano, Voice (singing), Voice and Piano,

Register for lessons with Patricia.

A graduate of the prestigious GSTEP teaching excellence program at UNT, Patricia has many years of experience with students of all skill levels and musical styles. Awarded a full three year Teaching Fellowship she taught a private studio of 12-16 students per semester at UNT, the equivalent of a full-time faculty teaching load. In the larger DFW community she presently teaches vocal students at the Junior High and High School levels in Keller ISD. Her students have won spots in All-Region and TMEA All-State Choirs, top ratings at solo and ensemble contests, been admitted to music performance, music education and music therapy degree programs at TWU, UNT and TCU as well as performing in local bands and musical theater productions.

Patricia holds three degrees: Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance (UT Austin), Master of Music in Voice Performance (UT Austin) and Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance (UNT).
Her professional association memberships include: the Texas Music Educators Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the College Music Society and the National Opera Association.
Patricia is a polished professional singer who has performed in a variety of venues in the United States and Europe. She has studied with mezzo-soprano Inci Bashar (Turkish National Opera), helden-tenor William Lewis (Metropolitan Opera, La Scala), bass Nikita Storojev (Bolshoi Opera, La Scala) and sung under the baton of conductors such as Graeme Jenkins (Dallas Opera, Vienna State Opera), Stephen Dubberly (UNT Opera), Keith Clark (Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Orchestra) and Clinton Smith (Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera).
Recent solo performances have included: concert performances of “I Dreamed a Dream” and Éponine’s death scene from Les Misérables (Schönberg and Boublil), Stabat Mater (Pergolesi), Four Sacred Songs (Dvorak), the title roles in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) and Alcina (Handel) and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Mozart). Recent engagements include the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy and the Sankt Goar International Music Festival in Germany.

Urszula Rucka

style: Classical, Jazz, Traditional, Pop

subjects: Piano, Ukelele,

Register for lessons with Urszula.

Urszula will be accepting new students ages 6 - 16 on Saturdays only.

Urszula is a dedicated teacher with an individual approach to all her students from preschoolers to college students. She studied at The Arthur Rubinstein School of Music in Bydgoszcz, Poland, working with Dr. Ludmila Kasjanenko from National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kiev. At age 17, she moved to the Frederic Chopin School of Music in Warsaw, Poland, where she studied under Dr. Joanna Maklakiewicz and at Oklahoma City University from where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree, She was the piano instructor and piano accompanist at Oklahoma Conservatory of Music in Oklahoma City. Currently, she is a Master of Music student at University of North Texas.

Urszula has participated in multiple master classes with great Polish and foreign musicians like prof. Edward Wolanin, and prof. Krzysztof Jablonski, as well as world-famous harpists Isabelle Moretti (Italy) and Anneleen Lenaertes (Belgium). She has performed solo and ensemble recitals in great concert halls in Poland like the Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio, and philharmonic halls in Szczecin and Bydgoszcz. She also performed in the Concert Studio of the Czech Radio in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Urszula has won prizes at Duo Competition in Cieszyn, National competition for Young Instrumentalist in Bydgoszcz, and Concourse Musical de France in Cracow, as well as concerto competitions in Bydgoszcz, Warsaw, and Oklahoma City.

Karina Sim

style: Classical

subjects: Viola, Violin,

Register for lessons with Karina.

I started playing the violin when my family moved to Moscow in 1999. Since then my education
has been focused mainly on music.The first music school I attended was Gnesin Moscow State
Music School. From the beginning of elementary school I was required to take an additional
instrument on a performance level, and I chose the piano. I participated in different competitions
and festivals in Russia as a piano performer. After finishing the middle school I went to Moscow
State Academic Music College of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. As a violinist, I
participated in the college competitions and international festivals in Austria, Greece and Turkey. I
started my Bachelor's degree at the Moscow State Music Academy of Maimonida and after two years I
transferred to the Moscow State Musical Pedagogical Institute of Ippalitov-Ivanov. In 2011, I
participated in the International Competition in Ukraine for the young performers where I received
a diploma of recognition. The following year I won a second prize in the International Competition
in Italy "Music XXI century." During my undergrad, I was teaching at an elementary music school.
To pursue my Master's degree, in 2014, I came to United States to study at University of North
Texas in Professor Julia Bushkova's studio. In addition, I have a TA position at UNT. Since my related
field is Early Music Instruments I have been performing several concertos with the Baroque
Orchestra as a soloist. In fall 2015, I won a Concerto Competition at UNT. In March 2016, I
performed Sibelius Violin Concerto with UNT symphony orchestra. For the next two years I will be
doing Graduate Artist Certificate at UNT.

Chet Stevens

style: funk soul pop blues fusion

subjects: Bass Guitar, Drumset, Guitar, Music Production, Music Theory, Songwriting,

Register for lessons with Chet.

Chet Stevens is an innovative musician. Combining funk, soul, pop, blues, and rock genres together forming a fusion of unique stylistic music.

Chet Stevens from Haltom City TX teaches Private Guitar Lessons, Private Bass lessons, Private Drum Lessons, and Pro Tools lessons at Stomp Music School Keller, TX. Chet is truly a student of the guitar and has been taking guitar lessons in the Dallas Fort Worth area his whole life. He has been teaching guitar bass and drum lessons in Watauga, Arlington, Keller, Haltom City, and Fort Worth for 7 years. He studied guitar at the University of North Texas and performs in Keller, Watauga, and around the Dallas Forth Worth area with several bands. Chet has been teaching guitar lessons at Stomp Music School Keller, TX for over 5 years and is one of the original members of the Stomp Music School teaching faculty. He makes private guitar lessons fun and exciting by teaching fun songs and mixing in music theory into the guitar lessons. Although guitar is his first instrument, he is an excellent drummer and bass player and teaches drum lessons and bass lessons at Stomp Music School Keller TX as well.

Easel Yoo

style: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Theater

subjects: Music Theory, Piano, Semi-Private, Violin, Voice (singing), Voice and Piano,

Register for lessons with Easel.

Easel is one of the rare musicians with perfect pitch. She is a gifted vocalist, pianist and violinist with extensive experience accompanying and preparing middle and high school choirs and bands at concerts, region and state UIL solo contests.

Trained in the classical voice and piano method from a very early age, she has a deep understanding of traditional methods of teaching including theory and sight reading and the Suzuki Method for violin.

Her extensive background teaching pre-K, elementary, and middle school students has allowed her to implement classical training with the younger students while still engaging them with more modern pop songs.

Easel is also currently a Praise and Worship Team keyboardist at Holy City Church, Carrollton, TX and has a diverse background in traditional Gospel and Contemporary Praise and Worship Music.

She is currently a Music Education Major at The University of North Texas, Denton, TX and a Tau Sigma National Society Member.