Meet our teachers!

Theo (Founder)

I've been playing music since I was ten years old, first the trumpet and later the guitar. Although I can teach a variety of genres, my passions include fingerstyle folk and jazz. I'm especially influenced by Adam Rafferty, Stephan Wrembel, Louis Armstrong, and John Coltrane.

I believe that if learning guitar is ever frustrating or unwelcoming to the student, the teacher has to take a different approach. 

My vision is simple: help the next generation express themselves through music. 

Andy

I have been playing guitar for nearly 15 years now. As a youngster, I also took guitar lessons, learning theory and lots of pop and rock songs. Nowadays, I'm more of a Soul, Jazz, Hip Hop, Indie, influenced guitarist. 

My favorite artists range from the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane, J Dilla, D'angelo, to Iron Maiden.  

 I love to teach! I make fun my top priority, and I want students to always walk away with a positive impression of music. I pride myself on being informative and direct while remaining very patient and relaxed. 

Emily

Emily is relatively new to Bellingham. She moved here late 2024 from Columbia, South Carolina after two decades touring with a handful of different projects in the Southeast US.

She's been playing guitar for 15+ years with additional experience in drums, piano and voice. She considers herself a songwriter first, and a guitarist close second. Her music knowledge includes folk, indie, rock, americana, pop and alternative.

She's played banjo in a bluegrass band and drums for a blues/rock trio. She believes music is healing, powerful and a place that everyone is capable of finding joy and meaning. 

Claire

I love so much music and my taste is all over the place! Some artists I love listening to and learning how to play include: Townes van Zandt, Joni Mitchell, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Motörhead, Thin Lizzy. 

I started learning guitar and piano as a teenager, and have focused more on guitar as I’ve gotten older, but really appreciate the solid foundation in musical theory that piano gave me. I love working with kids and am super excited to get to have fun learning together!

John

It was a minute ago when I first started performing musically, as the lead boy soprano at a local church in Nebraska. Later, I became acquainted with the baritone horn and the electric bass, the guitar, and eventually the tuba. More recently, the piano and the flute have found their way into my musical life.

I’ve performed many different genres of music, and at many venues. I am most influenced by English and American progressive rock, American jazz of the 60’s and 70’s, Afropop and Romantic Symphonic music.

I believe music is innately accessible to everyone. It can sometimes seem as dauntingly complex as life; my key to teaching is to always try to bring it back to the experience, the purpose of music.

David

I have been studying the guitar for over ten years and recently graduated with a degree in music performance from Western Washington University.

I’ve had experience teaching all genres of guitar, and I specialize in Classical and Jazz. Some of my favorite guitarists include Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Roland Dyens, and Andres Segovia.

My goal with students is to help them develop a deep love for music, and give them the skills they need to pursue any style.

RJ

My name is RJ and I'd love to be a part of your journey in music! I have been a musician my whole life, coming from a very musical family I've had some sort of sound making device at arms reach since I was a child.

I've played in many bands, ensembles and theater productions, from Pop to Rock and Jazz, and studied Music Performance on Piano and Bass at CU Denver. I love all the performing arts, and I have a lifelong passion for bringing music and arts to my community through performing and education.

I focus on a music/song first approach with lessons, which caters to each individual’s goals and time - lets follow the fun and the rest will happen! I’m a full time musician and teacher, I write and record my own music with a few albums up at BandCamp, I’m a Partnered live streamer on Twitch, and in my free time I also enjoy camping and video games.

Some of my favorite bands and influences are Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips, Lena Raine, Beethoven, Herbie Hancock, They Might Be Giants, Stephen Sondheim, and Video Game Soundtracks. I teach Piano/Keys, Bass, Guitar, and Drums.

Brett

Brett Strizich is originally from Phoenix, Arizona and has been living in Bellingham for the last several years. Brett moved to Washington to pursue his dream of summitting peaks and climbing classic rock routes in the cascades. He earned his associates in music composition from WWU in 2020 and is currently working on a degree in business management. On the weekends, if you don’t find Brett recording various instruments in his bedroom or making music with his friends, he’s probably on his way to the mountains looking for the next adventure.

Brett combines the formal discipline of classical music education with a loose easy-going rock and roll spirit. The most skilled guitarists are the ones who know how to play their scales with their eyes closed, and at the same time know that there’s no such thing as “wrong” notes.