Kyle Rebecca Harper began piano lessons at the age of seven in New Jersey. She studied under teachers who taught the classics along with the important theory. After moving to California with her parents at age 13 she continued her musical education with Paul Dorian (Vienna school of Music) of Los Gatos CA. Paul Dorian was a marvelous teacher and introduced Kyle to a broad range of classical composers and the differences in their styles. He would always tell her something about the composer’s life and some of their history. In that way she learned there was a person behind the music. He would explain why some composers music was deep and dramatic and others playful and light. Kyle continues to share these stories with her students.

Kyle began teaching piano in college where she would teach all ages, beginner to advanced. Each student learns differently. She sees her job as job finding that difference and expanding on it. Theory and proper technique is just as important as playing the notes. She also believe in letting her students explore different genres of music. Their excitement is renewed when her students are introduced to them to the turn of the twentieth century rags, boogies and jazz. It’s all new with exciting beats to discover. She finds that her students also enjoy playing world music, as different country’s music styles and sounds are explored. Her personal all-time favorite is seeing her students progress and the confidence that comes with that learning.

After high school, Dave Holt began setting his poetry to music and this led to his move to California to try and make it as a songwriter. He played with several music acts in the Bay Area, toured the east coast and Midwest, and wrote music for the theater. When he left “the road,” he continued teaching adult beginners in the city of Santa Rosa and was pianist for a club/hotel band in the area for ten years. 

Dave received his formal education in classical music at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in harmony, theory, piano performance, composition, choir, violin and other subjects. He began instructing young adults in harmony, theory and piano when he was nineteen. Currently he teaches adults and youth, beginners and non-beginners alike in piano and theory, and also beginning guitar. He and his wife Chappell have collaborated on composing, recording, and performance since the 1980s. Currently they perform in clubs, house concerts, and studio recordings of their original songs and have toured the West Coast several times.

Hi! My name is Sophia Gonzalez. I’ve had a passion for piano since I was 5 years old and these many years of playing have allowed me to grow and achieve an advanced level of proficiency on the instrument. Besides winning several state competitions, my proudest musical achievement was winning the Delta Blues Festival / David Williamson Memorial Scholarship. As satisfying as winning those competitions were, it brings me even greater joy to serve my community through performing on the  piano. I frequently volunteer at Home Care Facilities, Convalescent Homes as well as many local churches. It is truly a blessing when others are touched by my playing.

For this reason, I wanted to teach at Gill’s Music. My desire is to encourage and inspire people

to love music as I do. My goal for my students is not only that they advance and achieve their musical dreams, but to also use it for others enjoyment. I want my students to know that it does not matter what age or level you are on piano. The beauty of piano is that everyone can learn, and most importantly it can inspire anyone. Music brings joy and comfort into people’s lives. This is what motivates me to teach others. That’s why I would love to guide and share your musical journey.

Hello, my name is Tiffany Stewart, known by my students as Teacher Tiffany. I’m a graduate of Patten University with a B.A. in music with a minor in ministry and an overflowing drive to teach voice. Born Daughter of Willie G. a long time Bay Area blues singer who has given me a front row seat and an appreciation of all genres and musical styles. I have performed seasonally in many classical operettas and was also the lead singer of a jazz band for four years.

My goal is to make learning the fundamentals of music fun, while aiming to develop the student’s awareness of themselves as a real instrument. Lessons are spent learning to read sheet music and using proper vocal technique in order to produce a good quality sound for singing. I help each student troubleshoot musical weaknesses until it becomes their strengths. I believe that learning music fundamentals are the vehicle that can drive any vocalist from karaoke night with friends to headlining in a major performance on a big stage.  

I am very honored to have the opportunity to share these fundamentals with my students and give them the tools they need to be their own voice.

Christian has 15 years of teaching experience and 25 years of performance experience in a myriad of styles.  He is also a member of the Vic Firth Education Team, the Hudson Music Teacher Integration Program and the Professional Drum Teachers Guild.  He is also in process of completing his Music Production degree with the Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA.

His passion for different styles of music has led him to diverse engagements including gigs in the styles of big band, country, rock and funk. Christian has performed with the band "Fast Times", the "Premiere 80's Party Band" and "Dezyre", a 10-piece R&B cover band from the East Bay. He also has appeared on "Good Morning Sacramento" with the Jessica Caylyn Band.  

In addition, Christian plays every Sunday for a variety of churches including Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood and Fair Oaks Church in Concord. All his lessons are video videorecorded and an annual recital is conducted for friends and family members in a concert type of setting.

Jon Leonardy has been living in the Bay Area since 1969 when he moved from Florida to California at the age of 18. He earned a B.A. in Music from California State University Hayward in 1976 as a performance major on String Bass. He has played a wide range of styles and still maintains an active role in the local music scene.

Since retiring after many years in the tele-communications industry, Jon is devoting his full attention to teaching beginners and intermediate students how to play both the Electric and Upright Bass. Music theory, ear training and reading notes, will also be included as well as the bass players role in the rhythm section and relationship to the percussionist. How best to fit with the drummer and stay "in the groove".

Dave Schroeder has been playing the guitar and helping others learn how to play the guitar since 1985. He himself studied with two of the best guitarists in the United States, Stu Pearse and Ron Eschete. Additionally, Dave attended music programs both at Northern Illinois University and California State University Long Beach. After college Dave played eight years with a Jazz Trio in the LA area, in addition to performing with several big name players.

Dave still occasionally plays with various jazz groups around the Bay Area but is primarily focusing on performing his solo act and offering private guitar instruction. Dave has been teaching for 30+ years now and still very much enjoys the challenge of teaching. Dave has been able to get many of his students into the top music colleges, USC, Berkeley Boston and Berkeley California, to name a few.  These students have worked Dave’s curriculum, and along with that hard work came scholarship money, averaging $10-$15 per year!  Hard work pay’s off, even for guitar students. Many of Dave's students have gone on to become professional guitarists, something he is proud of. 

Dave is one of the best guitar teachers we have ever seen. If you love life and music then you will absolutely love Dave! Call the store to check availability for this very popular guitar teacher.

Don Hays is in LOVE with music and has been playing the guitar ever since early childhood. He cut his teeth on Rock-n-Roll and Blues in the 60's; opening shows for many popular bands of the day including: Cold Blood, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother And The Holding Company, The Elvin Bishop Band and The Tubes - just to name a few!! As a busy professional musician Don is still performing all over California and the Bay Area.

If you want to have fun and REALLY want to learn how to play the Guitar like a pro then Don Hays is a great choice! He'll use his 15+ years of teaching experience to gently guide you through the process of learning how to play the guitar. Ultimately, his hope is that music will enrich your life as it has enriched his.

Hi everybody! I am a working guitarist/vocalist currently playing in two different performing groups; a jazz/blues power trio and a classic rock band. I also LOVE teaching people how to play the guitar which I have done for over 21 years. Of course, advanced students are welcomed, but I especially enjoy helping intermediate and beginning students.

I have a background in formal music studies. I teach theory, improvisation, acoustic and electric guitar. I have taught all styles of music to all types of students of all ages. I enjoy teaching, and put the emphasis on teaching students the songs they want to know, and the theory behind those songs. The student therefore gets to play the music they want, but understand the hows and whys. I personally practice still, many hours a day, perform frequently, and am a disciplined player. I hope to get to know you and pass on my passion for playing the guitar.

Ryan Marawala is a student at UC Berkeley studying Music and Molecular and Cell Biology. Having been raised in Brentwood, he has been through the BUSD and LUHSD school system, and played in bands at Bristow Middle School, Heritage High School, and Los Medanos College, acting as a first chair player for 8 of his 9 years of playing. Ryan is also a member of UC Jazz Ensembles, where he meets weekly to play in a performance combo that rehearses for on-campus events. Prior to the shelter-in-place, Ryan was also co-leading a student-led big band for UC Jazz with some fellow music majors after learning that his school hadn’t had one in years. He has performed in various community bands, including pit orchestras for local theaters, the Brentwood Concert Band, and the Brentwood Big Band. He has received private instruction from Greg Albright, Ross Bronzan, and Zac Johnson, and studies during the school year with Bay Area saxophonist Sheldon Brown. 

Ryan has taught both privately and in group lessons. He was an instructor at the East Bay Saxophone Project (formerly Oakley Saxophone Workshop) from 2016-2018, and became Co-Director of the program during the summer of 2016. In this position, Ryan not only taught classes ranging from 5-20 students, but also designed the first jazz curriculum for the program. He believes in tailoring each lesson towards working on the individual needs of each student, and using these sessions to show beginning and intermediate students why the saxophone deserves their attention. Since Ryan has also been through the local K-12 system, he is familiar with what teachers want from their students, and hopes he can lead his students towards success in their classes.

Born and raised in East Contra Costa County, Greg had his professional debut at the age of 15. He also was a featured performer with the award winning LMC jazz ensemble in the 1970's. With strong influences in jazz and R&B, as well as in rock and classical music, Greg has written and recorded with original members of the Latin bands, Santana, Malo, and Sapo, as well as performing with members of The Starship, Albert King, Elvin Bishop, and Montrose. Greg currently serves as sax man/horn arranger/producer of the Steely Dan tribute band Aja Vu which plays all over the United States.

Greg has that unusual combination of being an excellent player while also being a very encouraging teacher. And he has a passion for helping brand-new sax students who are just getting started on their instrument. In fact, it will amaze you how fast Greg can help a young student become successful on their new saxophone!

Born in Antioch, California, Marchetti grew up in Tokyo Japan where he started at age two on violin before switching to trumpet at the age of 6 years old. Marchetti took to the trumpet quickly. "I found I had a natural ability for playing the trumpet in the upper register at an early age." Marchetti credits his father and first trumpet teacher, Romano Marchetti for molding his natural abilities into practical working skills.

In 1978 Marchetti’s father put him in the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corp where he was a member for 6 years. In 1983 Marchetti went off to Michigan to attend the prestigious High School “Interlochen Center for the Arts”, Interlochen, Michigan. This opened the door to his college education where he studied at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fl. and received a bachelor’s degree in Studio Music where and Jazz Performance. In 1988, Marchetti landed the lead trumpet position with the Clouds of Miami Latin Pop Band. This quickly paved the way for his touring career that started with Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. His diverse musical ability to play screaming high trumpet parts and instantly turn around and play pretty melodic solos gave him the reputation of an all-around player who can do it all. This led him to move on to tour with such notables as The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Tony Bennett and Wynonna Judd to name just a few. As a sideman, Marchetti's list of CD credits reads like a who's who in Latin jazz and pop, running the stylistic gamut from Willie Charino, Oscar Deleon to Celine Dion and Faith Hill. Other stellar names include Take 6, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, Sandi Patty, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Crystal, Gayle, Sammy Davis Jr, Liza Minelli and America just to list a few. Marchetti has worked on jingle sessions such as Ford, Eckerd Drugs, Coors and PGA Golf Tournaments.

In 1990, Marchetti decided to get off the road and moved to Orlando, FL. to work as a musician for Walt Disney World however in 1994, Marchetti found a his real calling to play music and joined the US Air Force where he spent a career of 20 years and held the position as the Lead Trumpet in the US Air Force Academy Jazz Band “Falconaires”. During his military career he circled the globe many times performing and was deployed 7 times around the globe including the Middle East and Asia. In 2012 Marchetti was named the winner of the “Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award” which was an award for being the top outstanding musician in the entire US Armed Forces Military Music Program. Marchetti retired from the US Air Force in 2014 and now lives in Oakley California. He’s a top first call musician in the San Francisco Bay Area in both live music as well in the studios plus teaches. He feels through teaching, it’s now time to pass on his knowledge and experience to the next generation.

Maria is a wonderful violinist who is extremely well rounded and a great musical role model. In addition to the traditional classical style that most teachers offer, she also plays fiddle, mariachi, pop and swing - and she loves to play and teach them all!

Like most kids Maria started playing classical violin in her school orchestra. After graduation, she continued playing the violin in various groups all around San Francisco. After a long stint with a working mariachi band, Maria moved on to other styles including Western Swing fiddle. She is currently playing professionally with a Bluegrass band called Spinning Wheel and another band called Bonafide Americana.

Maria teaches students of various levels and backgrounds, from beginners to advanced students, in private or group lessons. She covers the basics quickly and thoroughly. You will learn to read music and eventually be able to pick up a music book and just play. How cool is that? Learning by ear can also be fun and very useful in your playing with other groups or attending jams. You will also learn how to improvise which is really not a big deal once you get started. Maria says, "One of the most important goals for me is to make learning fun and very enjoyable!" Call us today for more info on lessons with Maria.