Our Teachers
Beatrice Blumenthal
Bebe loves to teach students of all ages and levels. She is passionate about making lessons comfortable and engaging, and wants her students to feel excited for their practice.
Brenda Padilla
Brenda Padilla is a total ray of sunshine! Kids of all ages will enjoy taking basic piano and ukulele lessons from this awesome child focused Music Teacher with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education
Bryan McDowell
Bryan’s brings extensive performance experience to the studio, where his goal is to meet students where they are and guide them to a high level of enjoyment and understanding of the music they play.
Ellen Gira
Ellen enjoys teaching in a variety of styles, from Classical to Scottish/Irish music and Old-Time, covering a wide range of skills including tune playing, backing, arranging, and tune composition.
Erik Sharar
Erik Sharar has been teaching students of all ages in a variety of musical styles, including classical, pop, rock, Latin, flamenco and jazz in the DC area and internationally for almost twenty years.
Gabby Cameron
Gabby is an excellent banjo player, singer, songwriter and devoted teacher. She is an Artist in Residence at Strathmore while pursuing her PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland.
Henry Meade
Henry brings his composition and playing experience to the studio, where he teaches piano and guitar in a variety of styles.
Howard Parks
Howard Parks has been playing the diatonic harmonica for about 45 years. His teaching is informed by his experiences as a harmonicist and musician, yoga teacher, and tai chi teacher. He helps optimize the physical aspects of playing as well as getting comfortable with the music.
Ian Riggs
A seasoned teacher and performer, Ian fosters fun yet focused environment, guiding students on what they’re currently learning/playing while also reinforcing concepts on how to practice efficiently without stress or anxiety.
Jake Askarinam
Jake Askarinam is a Maryland native who plays drums for a variety of groups in DMV. He graduated from The Peabody Institute with his master’s degree in Jazz Performance.
Jonathan Vocke
His rich knowledge of old-time and bluegrass tunes will add to the repertoire of any aspiring bluegrass or old-time player. Jonathan teaches guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and ukulele....
Justin Heath
Justin is a passionate teacher and loves to help students achieve their goals in music. With a focus on technique, mindfulness, repertoire, theory and listening, Justin enjoys exploring a variety of styles including bluegrass, jazz, classical, latin and more.
Luke Chohany
Luke specializes in bluegrass, jazz, country, and old-time music, and is comfortable teaching in just about any style....
Manuela Osorio
Manuela has a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the University of Maryland and teaches violin primarily under the Suzuki Method.
Mari Carlson
Mari Carlson has been playing violin since she was only three years old. After 25 years living in the Minneapolis area, Mari plays with “whatever-grass” band Cherry Blossom Special with 2 other SMT teachers, and some other fabulous musicians.
Nick Cameron
Nick Cameron is a prolific mandolinist and three-time vocal finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Student Competition.
Noah Bowman
Noah is a multi-instrumentalist musician with deep roots in the old-time tradition. He’s known for his unique fiddle interpretations and great facility with clawhammer banjo and old-time guitar...
Noah Gitlis
Noah studied guitar at the Berklee College of Music. Noah is also an active session player, with special expertise in composition and improvising....
Perry Cowdery
Perry is a musician, teacher and composer originally from Centreville, VA. They grew up inspired by a wide variety of music, from Motown and Musical Theater to Funk, Metal and Jazz. As an active performer, Perry draws on these diverse influences and their eclectic musical experiences in everything they do.
Seth Kibel
Seth Kibel is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists, working with some of the best bands in klezmer, jazz, swing, and more. Wowing audiences on clarinet, saxophone, and flute, Seth has made a name for himself in the Washington/Baltimore region and beyond.
Todd Baker
Todd is a dynamic player and devoted teacher of violin and fiddle. His tone, timing, and creativity make him exciting to listen to, and his friendly, down to Earth personality make him a really fun person to play with and take lessons from.
Valarie Miles
Valarie teaches voice and piano to ages 3 focusing on developing the whole musician. Her lessons encompass sight-reading, ear training, music history, and performance preparation, with particular attention to stage presence and artistic confidence.