Bass Teachers

Bjørn started writing music and performing with bands when they were 15 at local teen centers and all age venues, largely thanks to the Vera Project. After high school they interned at a local recording studio (fastback recording studios) and have been pursuing music ever since.

They perform in the pnw monthly with several groups, toured the west coast with Catch Rabbit, and to date have composed for films that have gone on to be shown at the historic TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, the Film Academy Museum in LA, and the Smithsonian Museum of the American Latino in DC.

Bjørn also spent 5 years working as a paraeducator and deeply values making music education accessible to all neurotypes and learning styles.

Stephanie is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who lives in West Seattle. Stephanie began studying classical and playing piano in elementary school and started playing guitar in college, when she also began busking and playing in bands. She is active in the Seattle music scene with her band Overripe, playing indie rock music infused with emo and grunge influence. Her writing approach is based around considering the whole band, with guitar and bass working together to establish harmonic movement while leaving space for lyricism. In addition to her musical experience, Stephanie’s background includes extensive study of geophysics, which was the focus of her undergraduate and graduate education. Her scientific experience manifests in her love of effects and production, and she is endlessly fascinated by how mathematical tools like filtering are integral to scientific data analysis and music production.

Stephanie teaches guitar, music production in logic, piano, and bass. Her approach emphasizes melodic thinking that follows the ear, with music theory acting as an important tool to communicate and describe music but not as a template or rulebook. She believes that jamming is an integral part of learning to play music, and that becoming comfortable with improvisation and exploration helps form the basis of successfully playing with other musicians. In her teaching, she aims to help students grow as musicians and achieve their goals, whether they be on the stage or in the studio, while always centering whichever aspects of music bring a particular student joy. Stephanie is particularly enthusiastic to teach students who want to express themselves by writing their own music.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @stephstrums

Hello, my name is Hudson Steere, and I’m a Seattle-born college student currently pursuing a Music Industry degree at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in Los Angeles. With a deep connection to the vibrant Seattle music scene, I’ve spent years immersed in the city’s diverse and evolving music culture. As a vocalist, guitarist, and bassist, I’m also part of the pop-rock girl band THEM, which was formed in the creative heart of Seattle's indie scene at Mode itself and has since grown into an exciting and dynamic project.

My passion for music extends far beyond performing—I'm deeply dedicated to learning, writing, and creating in all aspects of the industry. Whether it’s crafting new material, collaborating with other artists, or exploring new genres, I’m constantly driven by the power of music to connect and inspire. As I continue to grow in my studies at CSUN, I’m also committed to sharing my knowledge and excitement with others, especially those looking to learn in an engaging and accessible way.

I offer online music lessons that emphasize practical skills in both performance and music theory, along with navigating the evolving music industry. Whether you’re a budding vocalist, guitarist, or bassist—or someone looking to dive into the behind-the-scenes aspects of music—I'm here to guide you in developing your voice and building confidence as an artist. Let’s explore music together and take your skills to the next level!

Matthew Crissey is a multi-instrumentalist and engineer from Kent with the bass being his primary instrument. He has always loved music, with one of his earliest memories plucking a guitar which he had assembled from a tissue box, paper towel tube, and a rubber band as a young child. Music would go on to become Matthew’s most fierce passion and primary focus in education. He first picked up the bass around 2012 and adopted it as his main instrument while continuing to explore interests in other instruments such as guitar and piano.

Later, Matthew would study music at the University of Washington, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Studies in 2022. He currently teaches and remains active as an on-call musician in the Puget Sound area, also exploring personal-creative endeavors from his home studio in Renton. There, he is in the late stages of production of a solo bass album featuring his writing, arranging, playing, recording and production techniques, and a few ensemble explorations, which he is excited to release. Matthew also can be found taking the stage with Seattle-based jazz-rock-pop group The Outtatowners.

Matthew’s teaching philosophy is one of holistic perspective; he believes that, while we train students to be instrumentalists, we first aspire to develop musicians, and before that, to cultivate artists. We as musicians strive to bring out our most creative selves, and that purpose should at no point be obscured by strict method or technique. Matthew’s approach is student-based, where the direction of instruction is determined by the interests and desires of the student.

Away from the studio and the stage, Matthew enjoys time spent practicing and competing as an amateur disc golfer, as well as more leisurely activities, such as playing old Pokemon games and hanging out with his cat Tiberius.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @matthew-crissey

Ricky Hoyos was born in Seattle, but moved to Naples, Florida at a young age. Ricky started playing music at the age of 14, inspired equally by Metallica and his cousin’s local band Vega Under Fire. Music education opened his mind to all different genres, with a particular emphasis on classic rock and metal, as he took drum and guitar lessons, joined his school drumline, and attended any music-based after school programs he could find.

After graduating high school, he sought any chance to perform around Naples, particularly as a guitarist. He played in cover bands, and worked as the lead guitarist at multiple churches. When he began teaching guitar and drums at the YMCA, he discovered that his passion for music extended to a passion for teaching music to others.

Ricky enjoys teaching basic theory, technique, songwriting, and tips and tricks he likes to do on his instrument. He strongly believes in the importance of keeping lessons engaging and fun, so that students are inspired to continue playing their instrument.

In 2018, Ricky moved back to Seattle to pursue his dream of being part of the historic local music scene. In 2019, he formed a band called Tio Nacho’s House, and the band released their first EP “Here’s to You” in 2022. He and the band play venues all around Seattle, and he’s so excited to fill his life with music through playing live, recording, and teaching the next generation of musicians here at Mode.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Ricky-Hoyos

Scott is a multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of experience on drum set, mallet percussion, hand percussion, piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, and various percussion instruments. A native of Bremerton, Washington, he was exposed to music early in childhood, thus developing a deep familiarity with music from day one. After high school, his musical passion led him to Washington State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music: Percussion Performance with a Jazz Emphasis degree.

After a year teaching and performing in the countryside of central California, Scott returned to the Puget Sound to continue pursuing his career. He’s been an instructor for the Northwest Percussion Festival, a clinician at the Northwest Percussion Project, and a clinician for the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho. He has played throughout the northwest with The Gods Themselves, Purple Mane, Nowsterday, Halley Greg, and Trick Candles, as well as freelance work.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @ScottLangdonMusic / Cash App $ScottLangdonMusic

Gianni Aiello is a Burien-born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and performer. He is driven by a strong musical curiosity which has taken him from learning Beatles tunes on the piano as a child to touring across the country in his rock band Naked Giants. In addition to his bass work with Naked Giants, he has played guitar and piano with Car Seat Headrest on such stages as Madison Square Garden, the Tonight Show, and Primavera Sound in Barcelona, and he also plays drums in the Seattle-based band Pablo’s Legs.

The desire to be a lifelong student of music keeps Gianni reaching for the next steps, and he believes that the same desire can be found in anyone. His lessons focus on exploring what excites each student about music - whether it’s personal expression through songwriting, intellectual development through theory and analysis, or just the sheer fun of jamming! While basic techniques are fundamental to any field, Gianni seeks to create a low-pressure learning environment where a student’s progress is determined not by their technical skill but by their enthusiasm for music.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Gianni-Aiello / Paypal gianniraiello@gmail.com

Brian is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who grew up in Seattle. He has been playing drums since he was 8, and learned from legends including Michael Shrieve and Jerry Garcia. He has been touring for a dozen years with bands including Isenordal, Impulse Noise, Endorphins Lost, Wilt, and Asymmetric Warfare, among others. Brian volunteers at local all-ages DIY venues and loves encouraging and empowering young people to build their own joy, freedom, and culture through the egalitarian DIY approach that has always been so important to him. He is fun-loving, non-judgmental, and has worked with students from the ages of 4 to 64.

A lesson with Brian usually focuses on a song (or some parts of it) that the student has identified or expressed interest in. Brian loves the opportunity to help students connect not only with what an artist played but also the music theory and culture that informs how and why they played it that way. During lessons, he often makes quick observations about the theoretical structure or cultural tradition of the song so his students are able to naturally pick up important music theory concepts from multiple different examples without feeling lectured. Brian has great success relating to and working with students who have attention disorders or learning disabilities.

Brian has a broad taste in music ‒ he likes everything from Brutal Deathgrind to Funeral Doom. Sometimes he even listens to music that isn't some obscure subgenre of heavy metal! Actually, Brian loves all kinds of music and is happy and able to dive into any style students are interested in. Some of his favorite styles include post-punk, black metal, '70s jazz fusion/prog, and modern opera.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Brian-Spenser / Paypal brian.spenser@gmail.com

Brandon has been a working musician, producer, and engineer in the Seattle/Tacoma area for the past decade. He regularly plays in and around the Seattle area and sometimes tours in other countries. Brandon frequently collaborates with many professional musicians in the area. Recently, he's played bass with prog-rock band Bone Cave Ballet and alt-rock band Starry-Eyed Samurai, and drums with both new-wavers Trick Candles and pop-fusion band Nitrogen Lion Society.

Brandon believes that consistency, versatility, and attitude are the traits that make great musicians. With his interactive-guidance teaching approach, the student controls the pacing of each lesson, which alleviates classroom anxiety and helps the lesson material become more comprehensible. With a heavy emphasis on creativity and technique, Brandon will improve their understanding of rhythm and the ability to perform in many styles of music by sharing his 20+ years of composition and performance experience.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Ezekiel-Lords

Ricky brings together his background as a tutor and paraeducator with his lifetime experience in music for an individualized approach to music education that focuses on memory, fluency, and music appreciation. As a working musician, he has spent time developing his skill by adapting and learning a variety of styles on piano and guitar.

In piano, he specializes in theory, memorization, performance, and improvisation has a deep knowledge of classical style, and teaches popular Baroque and Romantic repertoire. Ricky also teaches Blues, R&B, and Rock & Roll styles, and in general, encourages his students to explore a diverse range of music.

In guitar/uke/bass, Ricky enjoys teaching fingerpicking style, improvisation, and basic theory. He also teaches students who want to learn to sing, play and write their own music. He specializes in combining rhythmic and lyrical styles and teaches techniques on how to effectively memorize lyrics and changes in songs.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @rickytimesricky / Paypal ermarchantc@gmail.com