Songwriting Teachers

Andie Ades (they/she) is a musician hailing from Kent, Washington and based in Central Seattle. She has been singing since she could talk and storytelling since she learned to write.

They are a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, where they studied vocal performance and creative writing. From singing in operas, theatrical productions, choirs and acapella groups, to performing with rock n roll bands, jazz bands, and producing independent synthpop projects—Andie has experience with a broad variety of music and is thrilled to share her knowledge and love for music with the brilliant and brazen younger generation.

Outside of singing and composing, Andie makes collage art, embroidery and enjoys reading short fiction.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @AmandaAdes8

Spencer Johndrew is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, and record label co-owner. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, he started his music journey playing guitar at the age of 9. After taking guitar lessons for a few years, he taught himself how to play bass, drums, piano, and ukulele before moving to Tacoma, Washington to attend college. It was there that he started playing in local bands and created an independent record label with his best friend (Youth Riot Records). In the years since graduating and moving to Seattle, Spencer has been lucky enough to tour the country (and Canada!) playing guitar and drums with his bands Hell Baby, Titanic 2, and Scorn Dog. Outside of his music career, he also has 6+ years of experience working in Seattle Public Schools, where he managed a variety of after-school enrichment programs for elementary and middle school students.

Spencer has a strong passion for learning and playing music, one that he gained from his guitar teacher as a child, and one that he hopes to be able to share with his students. This passion is based around the idea that playing music is something that should be thought of as a hobby, not an obligation. Music is something that feeds all of us and tapping into those feelings of joy and fun is a key focus for Spencer in his music lessons. Learning from every student’s unique musical preferences and tailoring his classes to those preferences is important in helping each of his students establish their own connection with playing music. Spencer aims to create a fun, easygoing environment where students feel comfortable and inspired to explore their own passion for music!

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Spencer-Johndrew

Keira Hamalian was born and raised here in Seattle, Washington and has been surrounded by music since early childhood. Her passion for the arts led her to begin taking piano lessons at the age of 6 in West Seattle from Erin Rubin, now owner of Mode Music Studios and founder of Mode Music and Performing Arts (MMPA). She continued piano and voice lessons with Erin until she was 15 years old while taking advantage of performance opportunities at Mode sponsored community events, recitals, and their all-ages open mic at The Skylark next door. The creative foundation Erin and Keira built together allowed her to explore other musical mediums on her own such as songwriting, collaboration with local musicians, and independent instrument study. She recently participated in Seattle Theater Groups, 22nd annual More Music at the Moore program along side 14 other musicians where with the help of music mentors including Grammy award winning writer and producer, Mike Elizondo, they put on a showcase. Other performance achievements of hers include her participance at this years Northwest Folklife Festival. 

Her goal is to pass on the lessons that she’s learned from mentors of her own to aspiring students. She’s confident in her ability to create a learning environment where students can bloom into the best version of themselves, ensuring steady growth, both skillfully and personally. 

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @KeiraHamalian

Kelli Frances Corrado is a experimental singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Growing up in Chicago, she would sneak out during school nights to see hip hop shows and spend weekends with her Czech grandmother learning prayer rituals. She has lived many lives before putting her heart in song: social worker, student, tap dancer, wanderer. This set a unique musical foundation giving voice to her spiritual beliefs and leading her to study voice, poetry, string arranging, ear training, beat making and producing. She received her first grant from The Grammy Foundation, who sponsored her first tour and has had her music featured in The Wire, Bandcamp Daily, NPR, BBC6, Dublab and many more. 

Kelli has been a teaching artist for over 17 years specializing in helping the beginner start. She started her teaching career at the Old Redmond Firehouse rock camps and it blossomed into a dedicated passion. Supporting her belief in the equity and accessibility of music and music lessons for everyone. She has taught for various schools and social justice organizations such as Willie Mae Rock Camp in Brooklyn and Delridge Neighborhood Developmental Association in Seattle. And is currently part of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Creative Advantage teaching roster. Her teaching philosophy is to create individualized lesson plans for each student based in theory, technique, ear training and student goals with an emphasis on creativity and personal empowerment. Kelli believes music is a language based on listening and personal expression. Whether you are 5 or 70 years old, she can help you.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @KelliFrances-Corrado / Paypal kellifrancescorrado@gmail.com / Cash App $KelliFrancesCorrado

Andi is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and performing artist that hails from the Saint Louis, Missouri region of the Midwest. She grew up with an inclination towards the arts: dancing to film scores, harmonizing with her family in the car, and sketching on the bed next to her older sister. Although Andi was raised by a single mother and finances were often tight, she came from a family of artists and musicians, and by the age of 9 was graciously gifted a school violin to play on in her elementary school orchestra. Later, she went on to pursue music full time, and earned her Bachelor of Music from Southeast Missouri State University, where she specialized in violin, performing with string quartets and symphonies across the Heartland, as well as on a larger scale in places like New York, Chicago, and Italy. 

Over the years, she carved out her own path by freelancing and arranging music of all genres for concerts, weddings, and banquets. She also picked up several other instruments along the way, including viola, cello, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, piano, and voice. Since relocating to the Seattle area in 2017, Andi has shifted away from her classical roots, and is currently co-writing her debut album with her fiancé in their band June Gloom. They plan to release their first album in the near future — so stay tuned!

Throughout her musical journey, Andi has taught lessons to all ages and backgrounds in every place she has had the pleasure to call home. Her goal as a music teacher is to keep the student’s spark for music alive and thriving, and to cater her teaching style to each individual student, as everyone has different styles of learning. When receptive to it, Andi likes to incorporate music theory, analysis, improv, and songwriting into her student’s favorite tunes to encourage them to dig deeper with the music her students already know and love. 

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @ridingswritings

Jared's love of music began in elementary school, always jumping at the opportunity for a solo, or auditioning for honor choir. His interests shifted to drums and percussion in middle school, where he found a position in his church's youth group band for a few years. Jared transitioned back to choir in high school. He joined honor choir, all state choir, and spring musicals, and eventually found a love for songwriting, which led him to Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Jared was able to take private voice, guitar, and piano lessons, enhancing his abilities in both songwriting and playing parts in studio sessions.

In 2010, Jared graduated with a degree in Music Business, with an emphasis on Songwriting. He released his debut album, The Maiden Voyage, two years later. In 2014, Jared signed an independent publishing deal with Catch This Music. Between 2015 and 2020, he was performing between 100 to 150 tour dates a year, building towards dreams of owning his own studio and space. His newest releases include The Last Gemini in 2017 and This Week-Last Year in 2020.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @JMandTW

Natalie is a Pacific Northwest Native who honed her crafts at Central Washington University where she earned her BFA in Musical Theatre. Natalie has also studied with The Actor's Movement Studio Conservatory in New York City.

Natalie has performed in award-winning theatres across the country, most notably, Village Theatre and Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre. More recently, she embarked on AIDA Cruises (Carnival), a German cruise line, where she performed 10 various shows, (some of which were in German and Italian) all over the world for 7 months. Natalie has also gone on tour in Bulgaria and Italy with Varna International in the iconic opera: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).

Natalie most recently released two original singles on all streaming platforms and is excited to help students with their own compositions if they have an interest in composing! Natalie learned to play the piano from her mother at a very young age and has taught and been around education for most of her life. Natalie’s teaching style is warm and inviting and allows for vulnerability. She is passionate about making a safe space for growth and development. “Let’s make mistakes and make it big! Sometimes there’s nothing scarier than baring your soul, but we can build a space together to create safety; that is my top priority for my students.”

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Natalie-Colvin / Paypal @NatColvin

Blake Madden is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing and making his own music since he was 13 years old. His primary instruments are bass and guitar.

Blake grew up in Miami, Florida, but has also lived in South Africa, Japan, and New York. He began his music career with six months of guitar lessons and then was mostly self-taught and self-developed for the next 15 years, playing bass in punk and avant bands and making extensive home recordings on cassette 4-tracks.

After feeling the limits of his skills and knowledge in his late 20s, Blake began to seriously study music theory and composition through the Pacific Northwest Film scoring program, as well as studying electric bass with Todd Kovell at Seattle School of Strings (where he later taught).

In that ten year period, Blake was the bass player and musical director for Seattle's premiere Prince tribute band, Purple Mane, and the bassist, lead singer, and principal composer for his own noir pop group, Hotels. Blake has performed live on KEXP, and at Seattle festivals like Bumbershoot and Capitol Hill Block Party.

Now Blake is able to incorporate his two disparate musical paths into his teaching style, connecting with students first on a DIY 'I want to make noise NOW!' level, then easing them into theory fundamentals based on his own memories of how humbling and challenging it can initially feel. Blake's favorite teaching moments are when he can explain a musical concept in a more digestible, relatable way so that the 'lightbulb clicks on' for the student.

Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @soupislove

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