Find Music Lessons

Nazmia is a coloratura soprano and multi-instrumentalist who received a Voice Performance degree from Western Connecticut State University. While at WCSU, she took on lead roles in the opera ensemble and sang soprano in the University Choir and Chamber Choir for four years. She had the pleasure of being the assistant conductor of the University Choir during her last semester. Nazmia was awarded First Place three separate times in the Furman Honors Recital competition. She also had the privilege of attending the Patti and Allan Herbert Frost School of Music Program in Salzburg, Austria; a once-in-a-lifetime academic and musical experience this past July. Although Nazmia’s heart lies in performance, she is devoted to music education and sparking a genuine, lifelong passion for music in her students. 

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Eastern Nazarene College. While there, she studied voice with Jean Danton. She has performed nationally and internationally with the ENC A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Timothy Shetler. She also was a member of the ENC Symphonic Winds and Jazz Band ensembles, the latter of which she was the lead alto saxophonist. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Outstanding Senior Music Major award as recognition for her numerous academic and extracurricular achievements as a part of ENC’s music program. She has also performed with other various community ensembles including the Satuit Band, the Pilgrim Festival Chorus, and South Shore Conservatory’s Opera by the Bay. Rebecca has taught music for several years both in schools and in private lesson sessions, and is passionate about helping her students - regardless of their age - find their musical potential and their own love of music.

Alex is a graduate of SUNY Purchase with a degree in classical trumpet performance. While at SUNY Purchase he had studied under Tony Kadleck and Graham Ashton. Alex has experience playing in orchestras, jazz bands, chamber groups, brass ensembles, parades, opera pits, and rock bands. During his musical career, he has had the experience of performing solo works in both festival and recital settings. Alex has been teaching since 2019 in both one on one, and group settings. Alex is dedicated to making sure that each student has enjoyable lessons while working towards achieving their musical potential.

Yvonne began her piano studies at the age of seven, later adding flute and violin.  She chose to pursue a degree in Psychology and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science, but music has always been at the center of her life.  Yvonne retired from her career with the U.S. Federal Government in 2016 and returned to college to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at Western Connecticut State University, Magna Cum Laude. Her studies have focused on both piano and viola. She is a recipient of the Ruth Ann Leever Memorial Scholarship and Award of Musical Achievement. Yvonne has been a member of the Danbury Music Centre’s Community Orchestra since 2015. She has served as piano accompanist for the Danbury Music Centre’s Summer Strings Program since 2017, and was a featured piano soloist in the Music Learning Center’s Faculty & Friends Concert in 2018. She is a member of several professional organizations including the Music Teacher's National Association. Her goal is to instill a lifetime joy of music!

Anthony studied classical violin at Western Connecticut State University and was a recipient of the Rose Londa Heyman Scholarship. He has performed with several local groups including the Danbury Community Orchestra, the Danbury Symphony Orchestra, and has participated in the Chamber Music Intensive hosted by the Danbury Music Centre.  Additionally, he has performed in the orchestra for several musicals and operas at Western Connecticut State University, including: The Merry Widow, The Gondoliers, A Little Night Music, Melancholy Play, Sweeney Todd, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Magic Flute, and L'elisir d'amore.

Antonette holds her L.R.S.M. (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music) in piano/organ teaching, and piano performance. Her past teaching experience includes the Zimbabwean College of Music where she taught piano in the Teachers' Training College to elementary school through college age students. Antoinette was a lecturer and accompanist to the South African National Defense Force Army Band. From her own piano studio in South Africa she prepared students for international examinations, concert performances, competitions, arts festivals and charity concerts. She has also directed choirs and helped voice students prepare for roles in a range of different musical productions, She is a member of several professional organizations including the Music Teacher's National Association and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. 

Crystal made her role debut with Taconic Opera as Blondchen in Die Entfürung aus dem Serail and Lauretta from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.  In 2022 she performed with Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC for the world premiere of Rhiannon Giddens’ and Michael Abels’ new opera, Omar, as well as a featured soloist for their concert series. Since its premiere, it has received rave reviews from NY Times and Wall Street Journal. During her collegiate career, she has performed major vocal works by Verdi, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff at Carnegie Hall in NY and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, PA under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. During her graduate study, she performed several piano recitals in Greenfield Hall and other concert venues in the New York City area. Crystal has been a recipient of prestigious awards such as Manhattan School of Music Vocal scholarship, Westminster Choir College Voice Award in 2011 and second Place in 2013, Five Towns Music & Art Competition, and Harlem Opera Theater Competition. In recent years, Crystal has served as a studio artist at New York Opera Conservatory, CoOPERAtive in Princeton, New Jersey, Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance, New York Summer Opera Scenes in New York City and Le Chiavi di Bel Canto in Houston, Texas. In addition to performing, Crystal has enjoyed teaching for seven years in both Connecticut and New York. She teaches voice and piano for a wide range of ages and ability levels, from as young as 4 years old to adult. Crystal is capable of working with her piano and voice students in a variety of musical styles, including classical, musical theater and popular. Crystal holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ and a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, both in Voice Performance. 

Rhianon studied music at the University of North Wales and privately with Marjorie Clementi at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Hartford, Hartt School of Music where she studied with Paul Rutman and Alexander Farkas.  Rhianon has been teaching private piano lessons to children and adults for more than thirty years.  Rhianon also has served as an adjudicator at piano competitions, including the Connecticut State Music Teacher Associations’ Spring Festival in Hartford, CT and the Audrey Thayer Piano Competition in Hartford. Rhianon actively performs as a piano soloist and accompanist.

James has earned degrees in percussion performance from Ithaca College and Northern Illinois University.  In addition to his work at MLC, James serves on the faculty of Keene State College in New Hampshire, teaching percussion and music technology, and directing the percussion ensemble.  He has a wide range of performance experience, including jazz vibraphone, pan (steel drums), drum set, hand drumming, and piano.  Locally, he has performed as a percussionist with the Ridgefield, Waterbury and New Britain symphony orchestras, and for over a decade has served as principal percussionist with the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra. He has toured Taiwan as a performer with the NIU Steel Band, a group which recorded his arrangement of movements from Handel’s Water Music for steel band. He has had articles published in Percussive Notes (the official publication of the Percussive Arts Society) and authored the “Expressive Jazz Techniques” column for Jazz Player Magazine. James has taught at Ithaca College, Northern Illinois University, and Elgin Community College, and has presented clinics in percussion performance at numerous schools including WCSU, SCSU, Kent State University, Keene State College, and The Hartt School. Additionally, he has appeared as a clinician for the Connecticut and New Hampshire chapters of the Percussive Arts Society. James also plays piano focusing on Jazz and popular music, including Jazz Harmony and improvisation, synthesizers, and sequencing. James has been teaching since 1990.

Premik is a composer, recording artist, instructor and accomplished multi-instrumentalist. He has performed and/or recorded with such greats as Sting, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, James Taylor and many others. Premik also composed the score for the award-winning documentary Living River, directed by Vinit Parmar, about the environmental challenges facing the Ganges River in India. He has also toured extensively in India & Bangladesh as well as throughout Europe and the U.S. and was a featured performer in the “One World, One Music” concert series with world-renown violinist Dr. L. Subramanium from India. Since 2008, Premik has been part of the house band for Sting & Trudy Styler’s Concert for the Rainforest at Carnegie Hall and Beacon Theater. Since 2010 Premik has also been the on-call wind player for Grammy winning producer Will Ackerman at Imaginary Road Studios in Brattleboro Vermont. As an instructor, Premik has been actively teaching private lessons on woodwinds in the New York area since 1994. He has taught well over 200 students during that time, including preparing students for the annual NYSSMA festival. (New York State School Music Association). A number of his students have been admitted to some of the top art-oriented high schools and colleges throughout the country. In his early years, under the tutelage of Joe Allard, director of woodwinds at both Juilliard and New England Conservatory, Premik received intensive training in both jazz and classical styles which have carried over into his own very successful teaching methods. He says, “I find that encouraging a student’s creativity and helping them discover their own voice on their instrument are key to a lifetime of musical fulfillment and achievement of their career goals”.  

Sara received her Master of Music from the University of Illinois and her Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College. She has been singing for audiences since she was 4 and playing piano since the age of 8 competing on both voice and piano in the NYSSMA program and winning a spot in the coveted NYSSSA scholarship for acting. Sara has performed leading roles with opera companies in the United States such as Glimmerglass Opera, Tulsa Opera, and di Capo Opera (NYC) and has either placed as a finalist or won several awards and competitions in the US and Canada including the Richard Tucker Competition, Florida Grand Opera, the National Association of Teachers of Singing Award, the NOA/Marjorie Gordon Award (St. Louis Symphony).  She’s been a featured soloist at R&B festivals, local arts council concerts and in her own concerts singing and playing the songs she has written (Singer/Songwriter style). Additionally, she performs with her husband (a mallet percussionist, drummer, and pianist) in their duo "James&Sara".  Sara is also the Music Director at The Meetinghouse (meetinghouse.life) Ridgebury Congregational Church in Ridgefield, CT.  
 

Zakhary received his Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees from Kiev State Conservatory (former Soviet Union). He has performed as a soloist and member of several symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the Soviet Union, and in numerous tours of Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In 1992, he immigrated to the United States with his family. Since moving to Danbury in 1998, Zakhary has been a member of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. He has also frequently appeared in concerts with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, and Westchester Philharmonic. In addition to teaching at the Music Learning Center, Zakhary teaches cello as part of the Visiting Artists Program at Newtown High School. 

Tom received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from Western Connecticut State University where he specialized in jazz guitar. His studies also included coursework in Music Education and performances with multiple ensembles on both guitar and electric bass.  While at WCSU, Tom had the opportunity to perform with a number of internationally renowned jazz artists, including Robert Glasper, John Patitucci, and John Scofield. He has been teaching guitar since 2011.

WALTER IS AVAILABLE FOR ONLINE LESSONS ONLY

Walter has studied piano from the age of four, instructed by Bruce Simons, the director of Yale Music School.  He has taught piano and music theory lessons since 1966 to students of all ages. In addition, Walter has performed at many recitals and concerts and is a composer of piano music (samples of which can be found on SoundCloud). He holds a degree from the University of New Haven in another field of study.

Dan obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Composition from Keene State College and his Master of Arts degree in Music Composition and Theory from Long Island University – Post. He enjoys working with students of a wide range of ages and musical interests. His college and university studies focused on the classical guitar, but he is also experienced in steel-string acoustic guitar, and electric guitar, in a variety of styles including jazz, rock, blues, popular, and more. Additionally, Dan has experience in singing and teaching voice in these genres. Dan has a special enthusiasm when it comes to teaching music fundamentals through singing for further levels of study, or advancing a singer-songwriter’s skill for higher levels of performances. Whether a student wishes to learn voice, guitar, or voice and guitar as a combination, Dan will tailor the lesson plan and musical materials, to put the student’s goals of success within reach. Overall, Dan takes a welcoming approach to his instruction, adapting the method of teaching individually to each student’s needs. Dan has been involved in numerous performances in front of professors, students, colleagues and other music enthusiasts throughout his life. He owes everything to his many fine teachers and role-models who guided him along his musical journey. Dan now strives to pass that knowledge of music along to his own students.