FIND A TEACHER

Maria Ongkit Arce

Piano | Oxnard

Contact Maria Ongkit Arce by phone at 986-8191 or by e-mail at ongkit5214242@aol.com.

Joy Asenas

Piano | Fillmore | Makes House Calls

Joy Asenas began her piano study at age 5. Principle teachers were Peter Yazbeck...

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in high school and Earle Voorhies in college. Joy earned a bachelor of fine arts at California Institute of the Arts. She has been involved in teaching piano for 43 years and is a member of the MTAC. Positions in MTAC include past president, festival chairman, and Certificate of Merit chairman. A previous piano instructor at the Thacher School, Joy actively teaches in Fillmore and does in-home lessons in Camarillo. Joy greatly enjoys judging in Certificate of Merit, Bach Festival, Guild, and other festivals. She is also a recitalist, accompanist, and a church musician. Joy teaches all ages and styles of music. Contact Joy Asenas by phone at 524-0878.

Zarema Barnes

Piano | Ventura | Makes House Calls

Contact Zarema Barnes by phone at 644-9009 or by e-mail at zarema101@yahoo.com.

Molly Brown

Music | Camarillo

Fred Beerstein

Oboe | Thousand Oaks

Contributory Member

Fredric Beerstein, oboe instructor at California Lutheran University, is currently a member of

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the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic and the New West Symphony as well as the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra. Teaching experience includes 17 seasons at the Summer Program of the Idyllwild Arts Academy, Ventura College, Operation Oboe and a large private studio.

www.fredbeersteinoboe.com.

805 625-2616

Linda Fern Fay

Organ | Piano | Oxnard

Fern Fay is a teacher, pianist, organist and entertainer who enjoys performing a wide variety of music from classics to jazz.

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She is on the piano faculty at Ventura College and performs regularly in recitals and concerts, as well as restaurants and hotels, is organist at First Presbyterian Church of Oxnard and accompanist for the Channel Islands Choral Association/CSUCI choir. Fern holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano pedagogy from Eastern New Mexico University and a Master of Music degree in piano performance from Pacific Lutheran University, where she served on the faculty. She serves on the board of the Pleasant Valley-Ventura Branch of the Music Teachers' Association of California and the Ventura County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She is active in the American Federation of Musicians, the Dominant Music Club and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Visit Linda Fern Fay's website at http://www.fayproductions.com

Contact Linda Fern Fay by phone at (805) 985-0405 or by e-mail at fernface@roadrunner.com.

Celine Gietzen

Cello | Music Theory | Camarillo | Openings Available

Celine Gietzen attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, one of the most prestigious conservatories in the nation, with a merit-based scholarship as a student of Alan Harris.

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In 1997 she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance and was elected to the Dean’s List. She received a Master of Music degree from UCLA on full scholarship in 2009 as a student of Antonio Lysy. One of her most influential teachers has been Dr. Richard Naill of the Colburn School of Performing Arts. Mrs. Gietzen has performed professionally in many orchestras and chamber groups. She has been engaged to perform solo and chamber music recitals by many organizations including the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC), the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, the Arrowhead Arts Association, and the Classical Encounters Foundation. She has also performed alongside such popular artists as Harry Connick Jr. and Donna Summer. Mrs. Gietzen has been teaching since 1986, and she currently has a full studio of private cello students in Camarillo. She is also a faculty member of the Junior Chamber Music program. Her students have been awarded college scholarships, have won competitions, have received honors in the Certificate of MeritTM program, regularly achieve principal chair in student orchestras, and have been chosen to perform in the MTAC state convention. She has adjudicated for competitions, scholarship auditions, and the MTAC Certificate of MeritTM program. Mrs. Gietzen published a series of 48 music theory workbooks for violin, viola, cello, and bass entitled Core Music Theory for String Players. These are being sold throughout the United States. She is an active member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California, The American String Teachers’ Association, and The Suzuki Association of the Americas. Mrs. Gietzen performs on a cello made in 1990 by Hans Benning.

Visit Celine Gietzen's website at http://celinegietzen.com/

Contact Celine Gietzen by phone at (805) 484-4721 or by e-mail at celine@celinegietzen.com.

Ruth Johnson

Piano | Ventura | Openings Available

Ruth Johnson is an experienced piano teacher with 35 years teaching experience.

She holds a Master of Music degree from Boston University.

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She retired in June of 2020 from Ventura College, where she taught in the Music Department for many years. She teaches students of all ages, from beginner to advanced. She enters students regularly in the MTAC Certificate of Merit program as well as in other MTAC recitals. She is also a member of the National Piano Guild and her students participate in the Guild auditions every year. Ruth has a studio in Ventura near Ventura High School, and she also teaches in Camarillo.

Contact Ruth Johnson by phone at 653-1689 or by e-mail at roojohnson@sbcglobal.net.

Tara Kays

Music | Camarillo

Tara Kays was born and raised in Ventura County and grew up having music as a big part of her life. She started taking violin and piano lessons when she was seven years old.

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Tara graduated college with a BA in Music from Westmont College in 2010 and continued her education in grad school at Azusa Pacific University and received a Masters in Education with a Teaching Credential in Music Teaching K-12 in 2012. She has traveled to Europe for orchestral performances and choral performances and was a fiddler in a bluegrass band for many years. In classical violin, she completed the Suzuki Classical method. Tara also leads worship at her church in Camarillo and spends all of her free time with her loving husband Jeremy, her three kids Zeke, Etta, and Norah and her dog Penny.

Trina Manders

Violin | Camarillo |

Trina Manders has a BA in Music, Violin Performance from UCLA. Born and raised in Ventura County, she's taught young pianists and violinists for over 10 years.

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Trina has had the privilege of studying under Guillame Sutre, Melissa Phelps, and Diana Ray-Goodman. She currently resides in Camarillo and teaches a limited number of in-home private lessons.

Phone: (805)300-6614 Email: trinamanders@gmail.com

Kathleen McKinley

Music | Camarillo

Niccole Modell

Flute | Piano | Music Theory | Camarillo | Openings Available

Niccole Modell has an award-winning piano and flute teaching studio. She is also an active performer in the greater Ventura County area.
For music lesson inquiries, please visit www.niccolemodell.com For weddings and special event music, please visit www.justbrilliantmusic.com

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In addition to performing for weddings and special events she also performs flute with the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic. When not performing, Niccole owns and operates the Modell Music Studio, where she teaches private flute and piano lessons in Camarillo, CA. She is a professional member of the Music Teacher's Association of California (MTAC) and the National Flute Association (NFA). Niccole also serves as adjunct flute professor at California Lutheran University.

Niccole earned her Masters degree from California State University Fresno in Flute Performance, studying under Teresa Beaman. Niccole also earned bachelors degrees magna cum laude in both flute and piano performance from La Sierra University, and later completed the Performer Certificate program. While at LSU, Niccole studied flute with Dr. Martin Glicklich and Peter Sheridan and piano with Dr. Elvin Rodriguez. Her previous piano teachers include Vadim Serebryany and Edward Francis.

Visit Niccole Modell's website at http://www.niccolemodell.com

Contact Niccole Modell by phone at 279-0017 or by e-mail at niccole.modell@gmail.com.

Daniel Newman-Lessler

Piano | Ventura County | Openings Available

Teaches in Somis. Daniel Newman-Lessler started studying classical piano at age four and was taught by Peter Yazbeck from ages 8 to 18.

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During this time, Daniel performed as a Rising Star at the Ventura County Music Festival in 2006 and as a concerto soloist with the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic on three occasions; participated in summer music festivals at the Idyllwild Arts Academy and the Franz Liszt Piano Academy in Sopron, Hungary, where he studied with William Wellborn from the San Francisco Conservatory and Professor Adam Wibrowski from the Paris Conservatory in 2007; excelled in competitive circuits, winning the Anne George and Bernice Bernard Scholarship Competitions, the 2008 SYMF and 2009 MTAC State Concerto Competitions, and the State Certificate of Merit Panel Competition, which resulted in his receiving a master class from Steinway Artist Jon Nakamatsu. Daniel graduated magna cum laude, as a Discovery Scholar, and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Musical Honors Society with a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance with emphases in composition and conducting from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where he studied piano with Daniel Pollack. Additional teachers in performance, composition, theory, history, and orchestration include Morten Lauridsen, Frank Tichelli, Stephen Hartke, Donald Crockett, Erica Muhl, and Lucinda Carver. Daniel often performed the new piano music of fellow student composers and occasionally his composition teachers. As a member of the USC Concert and Chamber Choirs, Daniel sang Bach’s b minor Mass conducted by Helmuth Rilling and in performances with Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, David Foster, and Jennifer Hudson. He was a founding member of Remedy Through Music – USC’s musical therapy club that performs in hospitals and retirement homes in downtown Los Angeles. In 2011, Daniel participated in a summer music festival as a pianist and composer at the Landesmusikakademie in Ochsenhausen, Germany. Daniel has decided upon a career in conducting and to date has studied with Kenneth Kiesler at the first Los Angeles Conductors Workshop, Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival, Maurizio Ciampi from the Conservatorio Santa Secilia, Jo-Michael Scheibe, Christian Grases, and Michael Christ Powers. He is currently the pianist for the Oceana Trio and the Music Director and Founder of the Boys and Girls Club Choral Singers.

Visit Daniel Newman-Lessler's website at http://www.danielnewmanlessler.com

Contact Daniel Newman-Lessler by phone at (805) 407-5855 or by e-mail at dmnlessler@gmail.com.

Beverly Schmidt

Piano | Oxnard | Openings Available

I have been a member of the Pleasant Valley-Ventura Co. Branch of MTAC for 19 years. I served two terms as...

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branch president and 15 years as Certificate of Merit Chairperson and am currently the Certificate of Merit Chairperson. My students participate in the Certificate of Merit annual evaluation. They, also, participate in Bach Festival, and other branch festivals. They participate in National Guild Auditions and Federation of Music Clubs annually. I am an adjudicator for Certificate of Merit, Guild Auditions, and Federation of Music Clubs, Bach Festival, and other festivals. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from California State University at Fullerton, California. I was a piano studies major specializing in piano pedagogy and early childhood development. I have been a private piano instructor for over 30 years. If you are interested in piano lessons give me a call or send an email.

Contact Beverly Schmidt by phone at (805) 988-1764 or by e-mail at BevsPianoStudio@msn.com.

Mariana Smith

Flute | Music Theory | Winds | Ventura | Openings Available

Teaches flute, recorder, piano, chamber music, and music theory.

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Contact Mariana Smith by phone at 509-4895.

Becca Stankis

Piano | Camarillo

I have been cultivating my enjoyment of music since I was a youngster sitting beneath the piano bench listening to my siblings playing “Hot Cross Buns” and “Old MacDonald’s Farm.”

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I graduated from Pepperdine University with an undergraduate degree in Piano Performance and English Literature, and while there, discovered my affections for Russian music as well as Russian literary works. I am currently a student in the University of Oregon’s Graduate Music Program and enjoy it immensely! I am fond of hiking, playing chess, traveling, and I have a wicked sweet tooth. My favorite moments as a teacher have been when my students experience the "light-bulb effect." Phrases such as – "I FINALLY get it!!"; "Ohhhhh that makes so much sense!"; "Well now it’s easy!" – enliven the enjoyment and delight that music offers.

Contact Becca Stankis by e-mail at rlastankis@gmail.com.

Lily Starobinets

Piano | Camarillo | Openings Available

Lily Starobinets was born and educated in the former USSR.

She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Gnessin’s State Musical College.

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She also received her Master of Music degree from Gnessin’s Pedagogical Institute (Conservatory), a prominent music school in Moscow, Russia.

After she immigrated to the United States in 1988, Ms. Starobinets established her own piano studio in 1990. She teaches private piano lessons in Camarillo, California to students of all ages and levels from beginning through advanced.

Ms. Starobinets offers her students many performance opportunities throughout the year at Branch Festivals and Competitions, the Junior Chamber Music program, the Southern California Junior Bach festival, Master classes, studio recitals and the State Certificate of Merit exam. Her students have been awarded Gold medals and honor awards, including scholarships in piano performance competitions. Many of her students have received Branch and State honors in Certificate of Merit program and have been chosen to perform at the MTAC State conventions.

She is a member of the Music Teachers Association of California and has served on the Board of Directors of Pleasant Valley-Ventura County branch for many years. Her positions throughout the years include President, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Program Chair and Competition Chair.

Contact Lily Starobinets by phone at 805.701.7738 or by e-mail at Lily@starobinets.com

Shirley Tat

Piano | Ventura

Speaks Chinese.

Contact Shirley Tat by phone at 650-9968 or by e-mail at ShirleyTat123@gmail.com.

Hiromi Tilsner

Piano | Ventura

BFA , MFA from California Institute of the Arts in Piano performance. Piano accompanist for Ventura Music Festival Education Outreach school program.

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Tara Wallace

Voice/Singing | Camarillo | Openings Available

Tara Wallace founded The Hummingbird Conservatory in 2014. She is a dramatic soprano, musician and performer.

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She is comfortable in many different genres of song ranging from the classical stage to cabaret houses. Garnering dual Bachelors of Music from the Hartt School, where she attended on a vocal talent scholarship, Tara was a Vocal Honors Award winner, a National Choral Award Winner and a Port Jefferson Arts Council Award winner. She studies voice with Claudine Carlson and has coached with Rakefet Hak, Robin Buck, Barbara Dever, Rita Shane, Juliana Gondek and Kathryn Greene. She is the founder of the Hummingbird Puppet Opera Theater and Sing With Me Voice Lesson Channel on Youtube. Named the “Finest” Music Teacher in 2016 and 2017 by the Crescenta Valley Weekly, her students have performed in ensembles and as featured performers, both nationally and internationally at Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles Opera House, and Royal Albert Hall to name only a few. They have been accepted to such notable high schools as the Los Angeles County School for the Arts, the California School for the Arts, Chapman University, Loyola Chicago and the University of Southern California, among others.

Visit Tara Wallace's website at www.thehummingbirdconservatory.com

Contact Tara Wallace by phone at (310) 916-6797 or by e-mail at thehummingbird2015@gmail.com.