One-Time Private Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, or Voice, Violin, or Banjo Lesson

This class is taught in English.

—--BIG UNIVERSE MUSIC TEACHERS—--

Amy Alvey 
– violin/fiddle, guitar, banjo –
Amy Alvey started playing in orchestras in Southern California twenty two years ago until she discovered old time and bluegrass fiddling while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since graduating with a Bachelor's of Music in Violin Performance, she has dedicated her summers traveling to different fiddler's conventions around the South East, winning ribbons at prestigious fiddle contests like Clifftop, Surry County Fiddlers Convention, Mount Airy and Galax. 

Annie Stokes 
– voice, piano, guitar, ukelele –
Annie Stokes is a a writer, performer, and music teacher based in Virginia in the USA. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Prism Reviews, Daytime Blue Ridge, and more. Raised on musical theater and her mom's oldies, Annie began writing poetry and short stories at a young age, and soon after started crafting her own songs to perform at local and regional venues.

Eli Taber 
– voice, guitar, harmonica –
Eli Taber’s world was opened up to the world of communicating emotion and feeling through music by picking up the harmonica as a child. This initial interest took Eli on a journey to the Blues, R&B, Motown, and Soul music, and eventually on to a degree in Early Childhood Education from Columbia College Chicago in 2013. Eli has spent the last decade touring and performing live music in the United States, Italy, Japan, London. 

Emily Erb 
– violin, viola, cello –
Emily Erb is a violinist, violist, and cellist with over 7 years of private teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education and is in the process of completing her Master’s Degree in Violin Performance from SUNY Fredonia. She is a passionate educator who loves sharing her love of string instruments with young musicians.  

Larry Cook 
– piano, guitar, ukulele, bass –
Larry Cook is a Grammy winning bassist and educator currently based in Nashville, TN. He has been an in-demand touring and studio musician for over twenty years on upright bass, electric bass, guitar, and keyboards. His performing career has taken him across the globe (from Sweden to Australia) numerous times, and he has shared the stage with artists such as Tony Trischka, Emmylou Harris, Mavis Staples, Brandi Carlile, and many other legends. His work can be heard on over sixty albums, and his orchestrations have been performed by the Boston Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, and many others.

Marye Lobb 
– voice, piano, guitar, ukulele –
Marye is a singer/songwriter who has shared the joy of music with students ages 4 - 94! She has opened for artists such as David Bromberg and Yo Yo Ma and has performed at venues around the world including the Stonewall Inn, The Birchmere and The Bitter End. Marye is a Berklee College of Music graduate and is currently producing her 4th album that is slated to release in Fall 2023. 

Melissa Wright 
– voice, piano, guitar, ukulele –
Melissa is a teaching artist and founder of Big Universe Music. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Melissa has performed all over the US in her Americana band Mink’s Miracle Medicine, performing at notable venues such as The Bluebird Cafe and Mountain Stage. Melissa’s work has been featured in American Songwriter, NPR Music, Noisey/VICE, and more.

Nina Menezes PhD. 
– voice, piano –
As an award-winning, internationally acclaimed musician, research scholar, and educator, I have had opportunities to collaborate with world-renowned performers, writers, and scholars. I have set and accomplished some of the most audacious goals efficiently and effectively.  As an educator and mentor, I have coached thousands of students to excel in what they do and live their best lives. I draw on my life's work and experiences to empower young people to stop living in the shadows of their lives and learn to live extraordinary lives. 

Schuyler Press 
– voice, piano, guitar, ukulele –
Schuyler Press is a native New Yorker currently living in Los Angeles to Attend California Institute of the Arts where she is majoring in Music Composition and Performance. She is a songwriter who performs all original sets on the guitar and piano. Schuyler is influenced by a wide variety of performers and music genres from folk to pop to musical theater to punk. Her guitar style features detailed chord progressions along with deft fingerpicking. She has opened for performers such as Ellis Paul and Loudon Wainwright III. Her first music video “Playground Museum” had its premier at the International Film Festival Manhattan and is a winner of the My HERO International Film Festival.

25 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.