TEACHERS
CLICK NAME TO SEE TEACHER BIO
CONTEMPORARY VOICE
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CLASSICAL VOICE
GUITAR
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BASS GUITAR
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PIANO
DRUM & PERCUSSION
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OUR TEACHERS ARE PROFESSIONALS. EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE.
MARCELLE GAUVIN
Marcelle is an internationally recognized jazz recording artist and music educator. With two albums to her name, The Edge of the Pond and Faces of Love, as well as multiple collaborative projects within the jazz community, she is an experienced recording artist. Currently, she is faculty at Berklee College of Music where she serves as the resident voice re-trainer for vocalists experiencing vocal dysfunction. Marcelle was also head of the UMass Dartmouth jazz voice department until 2017, when she retired. She has been teaching privately in the
Bristol County area for the last 18+ years.
KELSEY JACOBSEN
Kelsey is a respected voice instructor who has studied under Marcelle Gauvin and Jeanette LoVetri. She is level III certified in Somatic VoiceworkTM, the LoVetri Method, which specializes in all contemporary commercial music styles, including rock, pop, r&b, jazz, musical theatre, country, and folk. She also has years of experience coaching bands in sound development and stage performance. Kelsey performers regularly with her own two bands, The Moldy Suitcases, a 1940s style jug band, and Snotty Pippin, a contemporary cover & original band. http://kelseyjacobsen.net/index.html
DAVID ALVES
Dave is a classically trained pianist native to Dartmouth, MA, who began studying at the age of six. He has accompanied choral groups, brass/woodwind ensembles, orchestras, jazz bands, musicals and solo performances. Dave went on to study music theory and composition at UMass, with a focus on jazz piano and voice. While there, he also developed his understanding of electronic composition. He has been performing his original compositions as pianist, vocalist, and guitarist around the New England area. His private instruction consists of an equal focus on classical training, jazz improv, music theory, and performance.
CHRISTOPHER CARDACI
Chris is devoted to performance and education with an emphasis on drumset and steelpan. Mr. Cardaci has had a broad range of musical experiences in the world of Funk, Rock, Be-Bop, Metal, Pop, Classical, Jazz, Folk, Musical Theater, Steel Orchestra, as well as non-Western music traditions, particularly Javanese Gamelan and West African drumming. Holding a bachelor’s degree from UMass Dartmouth and a master’s from Eastern Kentucky University in Percussion Performance, he brings a wealth of knowledge and fosters a well-rounded approach in his students.
GRACE COOPER-HALL
Grace is a pianist, keyboardist and singer from Lincolnshire, U.K. She received instruction for classical piano starting at 8 and continued until her late teens. Grace used this classical training to explore popular music, and eventually started performing with multiple bands as well as solo across the U.K. She moved to the U.S in 2019 before marrying her husband, the founder of Railroad Park Recording Co. Grace has completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music at Newcastle University, U.K and a Masters Degree in Music Industry Leadership at Northeastern University, Boston. She is currently a member of the New York based pop-rock band Karis Owen, in which she plays keys and vocals.
JOHN FERNANDES
Guitarist John Fernandes graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree with a concentration in jazz guitar performance. Since 2000 he has taught Guitar to all ages and levels of students in areas of Rock, Pop, Jazz, and Blues while focusing on note reading, chords, and music theory. He performs professionally, in a variety of styles with a number of musicians across New England.
OWEN FLANAGAN
Owen is a Southcoast based Guitarist and Educator. In 2021 he graduated from UMass Dartmouth with a degree in Music with a concentration on Education. A DESE certified Music teacher in the State of Massachusetts, Mr. Flanagan has both taught and assisted in K-12 classrooms in New Bedford and Seekonk public schools. Mr. Flanagan has been playing guitar since he was 11 years old, and studied both Jazz and Classical styles in his time at UMass. In his spare time Mr. Flanagan enjoys running, cooking, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
MILLISA HENDERSON
Hailing from Muskogee, OK, Millisa has been a guitar enthusiast and avid performer since she first picked up the instrument at the age of 11. She joined multiple bands and played throughout the Midwest, eventually forming her own solo project. At 15 she became a volunteer for Rising Star Productions, Inc. which gives young artists a chance to perform and brings music to charities and underserved communities. She was nominated and ultimately awarded the full-tuition Lollapalooza Scholarship to Berklee College of Music. In Boston, Millisa has been an in-demand side-woman and session player. Her experience has ranged from wedding bands to the NAMM show to gigs in Europe. She graduated from Berklee with a dual major in Guitar Performance and Professional Music with concentrations in music production, music business, and songwriting.
DAVID VALERIO​
Dave stared playing music professionally and teaching at the age of 16. He received his Bachelors from Berklee College of Music, and is extremely comfortable starting his students young, with lots of experience in preschool, elementary, and secondary public schools. Dave is a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, organ, bass, sax, tin whistle and accordion on top of the full range of drum set and percussion. Dave enjoys writing music and recording and serving as his church's organist and choir director.
BRIANNE VIEIRA
Brianne, a Violinist/Violist & Vocalist, has trained classically and non-classically, having studied at Hofstra University and UMass Dartmouth. She has performed with New Bedford Festival Theatre and, over the last 5 years, has recorded two albums with the group Hemlok. She has also made many guest appearances with a number of local artists.
