INSTRUCTORS
Congratulations to our instructors on their nominations and wins at the 2010 Detroit Music Awards!Jill Jack
Outstanding Acoustic Artist/Group – Winner
Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Vocalist – Winner
Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Recording – Winner
Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Instrumentalist ( guitar ) - Nominee
Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Songwriter – Nominee
Outstanding Live Performance – Nominee
Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter – Nominee
Emily Rose
Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Songwriter – Winner
Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Vocalist – Nominee
Damon Warmack
Outstanding Jazz Instrumentalist ( bass ) - Nominee
Billy Brandt
Outstanding Folk Artist/Group – Winner
Outstanding Country Songwriter – Winner
Outstanding Country Artist/Group - Nominee
Outstanding Country Songwriter - Nominee
Drums
Gayelynn McKinney
Styles Taught: Jazz, Fusion, Pop and more
Students: All Levels - Master Classes ONLY!
GayeLynn McKinney's drumming style is electric; transitioning from jazz to latin to rock to funk, she is a woman with many facets. Her signature style of drumming can be seen through her uncanny improvisation, power, speed and an always-present deliberate control. McKinney is a founding member of the Detroit based, Grammy nominated all female jazz group STRAIGHT AHEAD. McKinney is also a talented saxophonist and singer and a member of a musical dynasty, which helps to explain her powerhouse style! GayeLynn was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, her father, the legendary Harold McKinney, was a formidable jazz pianist and composer; her mother Gwendolyn McKinney a renowned singer and vocal instructor. She began playing the drums at the age of two and has had ample exposure to the creative music scene since birth. McKinney received much of her musical training on the Detroit Jazz scene, but she also obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Oakland University. At the university she was a part of the Meadowbrook Estate a world-renowned show choir and a member of the university jazz band. At Oakland University she learned and mastered music theory and composition. GayeLynn is an active member of the Detroit jazz scene, performing workshops for novices, serious musicians, elementary, junior & senior high school and college students. She has also appeared at many local famous nightspots including the renowned Bakers Keyboard Lounge. Her hometown advantage has given her the opportunity to play with many famous jazz notables including Aretha Franklin, Carlos McKinney, Marcus Belgrave, Geri Allen, Harold McKinney, Regina Carter and many others. Among GayeLynn McKinney's many awards, she was presented with an award for outstanding musical performance during Music Fest, USA where she won best drummer beating out over nine thousand participants. McKinney was recently awarded the 2004 Motor City Music Award with her group Straight Ahead for best jazz group. GayeLynn McKinney's diverse drumming style has given her the opportunity to travel extensively and play at many famous jazz shows including Montreaux-Switzerland Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Boston Globe Festival, the Kennedy Center, Jamaica Jazz and Heritage Festival-Montego Bay and the 1996 Olympics. She also did an extensive tour in Japan where she was the drummer for Speech of Arrested Development. McKinney is an extraordinary all around gifted drummer and percussionist. Her lifelong love of music allows her to stir the soul with her broad-based knowledge of music in general. She is an instant showstopper, and is a musician to keep your eye on.
Roger Pietrantoni
Styles Taught: Rock, Pop and more
Students: Beginners
Bio coming soon.
Guitar
Jill Jack
Styles Taught: Pop, Folk, County
Students: Beginners
Bio coming soon.
Emily Rose
Styles Taught: Acoustic Folk
Students: Beginners to Intermediate
Emily Rose is an independent singer-songwriter home-based in Metro Detroit. She is also a guitar/songwriting/and vocal coach. She has cultivated a sound described as emotional, soulful, and unique matching rebellious, thought-provoking lyrics. In 2009 she won the Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Acoustic Songwriter, at the age of 23, the youngest to be nominated in all her categories. In 2008 she embarked on two self-promoted U.S. tours and opened for Nationally renowned artists, Amos Lee and Matthew Good. Her full length, self-released album “Cocoon Stew” has been migrating around disc players and newspaper articles since it’s emergence in the fall of 2008. Emily is passionately involved with eating disorder awareness, and inspires her peers with forthright honesty, sensitivity, and artistic expression.
Billy Brandt - also teaches songwriting
Styles Taught: Folk, Rock, Americana, Focus on Finger Picking
Students: Beginners to Intermediate
Having spent decades in the music business supporting other bands and artists, Billy Brandt found his own musical voice and steps into the spotlight as a singer-songwriter for the first time in his amazing career. Influenced by the likes of Gram Parsons to Neil Young, he's molded his sound by creating his own unique guitar picking...creating a haunting melody which stays with the listener long after the song is over. His deep roots in alt-country have earned him a loyal following.
Jere Stormer
Styles Taught: Blues, Roots-Folk, Celtic
Students: All Levels
A 3 time Detroit Music award winner Jere embraces blues, a bit of Celtic and a helping of rootsy folk music and transforms them into a heady brew all his own. Fans of Richard Thompson, Kottke & Waits will spark to Jere. His goal in concert is to reward listeners with soul stirring music. Having played many different instruments for decades, his style is as diverse as his ability.
Steve Yim
Styles Taught: Classical
Students: Beginners to Intermediate
Bio coming soon.
Dan Belleville - Guitar, Scoring for Film & TV
Styles Taught: All
Students: All
Music education is also a true love for Dan. Since returning to Detroit from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he has taught in the Detroit area and has been involved as a Director and educator for Camp Jam. Dan is the sound behind many local independent movie productions and is the main composer for Superhouse Pictures. You will find him scoring original music for tv, video and new media, session work, final audio mixing and mastering. He is also an active member of the Detroit music scene backing local artists, playing pit orchestra shows and band leading in various churches and recording sessions. When called on, Dan turns up to 11 or employs the use of Sibelius Notation software for composition and Pro Tools for educational purposes and audio production.
Bass
Damon Warmack
Styles Taught: Funk, R&B, Pop, Rock and more
Students: All Levels
By picking up a bass guitar on Christmas Day of 1991, Damon Warmack embarked upon a journey that would take him from Detroit's east side to Asia (Japan), Europe (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Slovokia and Russia), Africa (South Africa), Canada, New York, Los Angeles and a few places in between. Early influences such as Earth, Wind & Fire, George Duke, Marcus Miller, The Brothers Johnson, Frank Zappa, Branford Marsalis and John Patitucci helped guide Damon through the seemingly unrelated worlds of Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Afro-Cuban and beyond. Damon has shared stage and/or studio with Fransico Mora Catlett, Pamela Wise, Wendell Harrison, Calvin Brooks, Stephanie Mills, Orchestra Fuego, Thornetta Davis, Vincent Herring, Shirley Jones (of The Jones Girls), Fred Hammond, Gary Thomas, Inohs Sivad, Kelvin Sholar's Esoterica, Bujo Kevin Jones' 10th World, Mathias, Q-Tip, Ronnie Cuber, Harold McKinney, The Edge, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Alyson Williams, Alexander O'Neal, Gayelynn McKinney and the McKinney Zone, Robert Bradley, Shelby-Brown, The Whitfield Music Group, Amp Fiddler, The Spinners, Brian O'Neal, Straight Ahead, Good Brother, Jean Carne, Martha Reeves, Lenny White, Carl Craig, Corey Harris, Johnny O'Neal, KEM, Bob James and Stevie Wonder just to name a few. He's also participated in plays such as Dreamgirls, Anne Of Green Gables, MasterMixx, Perlie, Unforgettably, The Great One, Menopause: The Musical, West Side Story, The Wiz, Strong Women Keep Coming and Black Nativity.
Flute
Anne Yambor
Styles Taught: Classical
Students: All Levels
Ms. Yambor holds a music performance degree from Michigan State University. She has played flute in various groups including a flute and guitar duo and a woodwind quintet. She performed in Los Angeles with the Beverly Hills Wind Trio. Prior to that, she held the principal flute position with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra. She has also performed in various musicals and operas while studying flute and art at Michigan State University. She is currently teaching and performing in a flute and violin duo. Ms. Yambor also has a master's in Library Science and enjoys bee keeping, gardening, reading, and hanging out with her husband and 2 year old son, Max.
David Appelman - See bio under Saxophone
Piano
Anne Yambor - See bio under Flute
Students: Beginners
David Appelman - See bio under Saxophone
Students: Beginners to Intermediate
Bagpipe
Andrew Duncan
Styles Taught: Bagpipe
Students: All Levels
Andrew began piping at age ten and studied with John Cairns for over 18 years. As a nine year member of the Windsor Police Organization (1999-2008) he was a member of the grades one and two bands, pipe major of the grade three band, and the primary instructor and organizer for the piping school. While competing in grade two for five years the Windsor Police Grade Two band won three North American Championships, three United States Championships, two Canadian Championships, four Champion Supreme designations from the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario, and placed fifth, fourth, and third (on two occasions, one of which was marked by the pipe section being placed first by both piping judges) at the World Pipe Band Championships. Andrew Duncan was the Pipe Major of the Windsor Police Grade Three band (2005-2006). Under his leadership the band consistently placed in the prize list and won the U.S. Pipe Band Championship in 2006. Andrew is a past president of the Windsor-Detroit Branch of the Piper’s Society of Ontario. ?Most recently Andrew joined The Peel Regional Police Grade One Pipe Band. Andrew is in charge of the bagpipe program at Alma College. He also is the bagpiping coordinator for The Ohio Scottish Arts School. Andrew and his wife Jodie own and operate Duncans Highland Supply. Andrew won the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario’s Champion Supreme award for Grades II and I light music. Since his return to solo competitions Andrew has won several professional prizes in North America including the 2004 Winnipeg Knockout Championship and the 2005 John Ure Anderson Memorial Gold Medal for Piobearachd at Ligonier. He began competing with Grade I bands at age 15; including St. Thomas Police Pipe Band, Toronto Metro Police Pipe Band, and the 78th Fraser Highlanders. Andrew was a member of the highly successful Windsor Police Pipe Band Organization.
Mandolin
Jere Stormer - See bio under Guitar
Violin / Fiddle
Jere Stormer - See bio under Guitar
Banjo
Jere Stormer - See bio under Guitar
Saxophone
David Appelman
Styles Taught: All
Students: All Levels
As a well rounded reed musician (sax, flute, clarinet) who performs, writes, and teaches, David Appelman received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies for saxophone from Indiana University's School of Music in 1997. He was involved in many different ensemble settings while attending Indiana, such as the I.U. Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dominic Spera, and the I.U. Soul Revue, an ensemble established by the African American Art Institute. Currently, David is the Music Director of The Kidz Klez Band of Michigan, a Jewish Youth Ensemble comprised of 6th – 12th grade instrumentalists, and also performs with and writes for various music artists in the Metro Detroit Community.
Clarinet
David Appelman - See bio under Saxophone
Harmonica
Andy Mather
Styles Taught: All
Students: All Levels
Andy Mather has been playing harp since 1972. A long-time member and former President of the Paint Creek Folklore Society, Andy has given harmonica workshops for children and adults at the Rochester group's May Play Day. Larger venues have included the Original Dulcimer Players Club FunFest in Evart, and the annual Thumbfest in Lexington. While strong in both folk and blues, he is best known for his "tasty" accompaniment style. As part of the "house band" at Live! >From the Living Room coffeehouse in Pontiac he has backed up hundreds of local artists. He has contributed tracks to several locally produced CDs. Besides the harp, Andy plays guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, and pretty much anything else he can get his hands on. He has CD of original music, Unexpected, but there's no harmonica on it. "It was all one-take tracks," he explains, We'll do some multi-tracking on the next album.
Vocals
Polly Taylor
Styles Taught: All
Students: All Levels
Bio coming soon.
