Dan Bonsignore (he/him)
Dan is a multi-instrumentalist from New York City. He relocated to the Seattle area back in 2016 to raise his 2 children in his wife’s hometown. Dan started playing guitar when he was 12 years old, eager to start a punk band with friends. While his earlier years as a musician involved mostly stringed instruments (Guitar, Bass, Ukelele), Dan has spent the last 14 years focusing solely on drums. He has played in bands consistently in the NYC local/DIY scene, hosted Open Mics, and has toured around the Northeast as well. Currently Dan is drumming in the Seattle-based 2-piece “Garage Folk” band BIRD BONES.
Having spent the last 20+ years working in the culinary field, Dan has now shifted his focus/career and is devoting his time to music education and live performance.
Dan’s goal as a teacher is to inspire and cultivate a passion for music with his students. He firmly believes that learning music should be a fun, engaging, and encouraging experience. As a parent he understands the needs of young learners and the importance of creating a safe and supportive learning environment.
Anna Mariko (she/her)
Born and raised in the Greater Seattle area, Anna has been an active part of the local music scene for over 15 years, performing as a drummer across various projects and bands. A Berklee College of Music graduate, she’s passionate about youth music education, with over six years teaching in Seattle and Boston. She also composes freelance commercial music and creates original work under her solo project, Prismia. While open to all genres, her style spans Rock, Pop, Funk, R&B, and Punk.
Bjørn Watkins (they/them)
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.
Ricky Hoyos (he/him)
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
Kevin Murphy (he/him)
Kevin Murphy picked up the guitar when he was 10 years old. At the age of 14, he formed his first band and performed around Seattle opening for established local bands, including Mudhoney. In 2006, Kevin formed the rock/folk band The Moondoggies which led to 4 full length albums on Sub Pop subsidiary Hardly Art. The Moondoggies have toured and performed alongside bands such as The Lumineers, The Cave Singers, The Head and The Heart, Blitzen Trapper and Dawes. Kevin has also shared the stage with legendary artists Robbie Robertson, CSNY, Brandi Carlile, Dave Mathews, and more.
Kevin’s teaching philosophy is based on learning the instrument in a fun, creative and personalized way connecting to each individual student and their own mode of expression. He believes there are songs to be learned and songs to be written. Kevin’s goal is to ignite a fire in one’s self expression and a confidence in playing that will remain with them during their whole life, whether it’s onstage or in their living room. He feels music is incredibly valuable to communicate the feelings we can’t always put into words and that it has the ability to rewire our brains for the better, especially in the minds of young students. Kevin is the father to two wonderful young girls, Sonnie and Zuma.
Brian Spenser (he/him)
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 Bermudez (he/him)
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