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Lotus TheVibe (they/them)
Lotus TheVibe is a recording artist from eastern Washington that is trained in classical and jazz performance. Their current vibe is something they would define as experimental lo-fi. Lotus has a history in slam poetry as well as numerous other art forms. Lotus is also a land back activist outside of their artistry, they teach indigenous plant life restoration and visual art as well as music. Lotus has been singing for nearly two decades. You can find their music on YouTube.
Andie Ades (they/she)
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
Alyssa Mulholland (she/her)
Growing up in the Puget Sound area, Alyssa has had a lifelong passion for music. From a young age she was drawn to the piano, but it wasn’t until she taught herself how to read music and play a contemporary New Age piece that her parents took notice and granted her piano lessons. In school she gravitated toward cello, and as a teen performed with a group known as Pontiac Bay Orchestra. Her fondest memory with the group is of a performance where they provided the soundtrack for a Buster Keaton film as it played live for an audience. After college, she worked at a local piano shop, helping people find pianos they loved. Nowadays, Alyssa enjoys improvising new pieces on the piano. She is excited to teach her beginner students the joys of music!
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @ajm1822
Adrian Michael (he/him)
From a small town in Ohio, Adrian has been drumming since the age of 5, playing on pots and pans as a toddler until eventually owning his own kit in his early teens. Wanting to play with others and gain experience, he then started playing for the church he attended as well as playing with small groups around his hometown for several years until pausing his musical endeavors after high school to join the Air Force. After serving his term, and moving around for a little while he ended up in Los Angeles, California, to attend Art School until ultimately deciding to continue his musical education at Musicians Institute for Drum Performance.
From there, Adrian has toured and worked in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area with artists such as Green Jelly (Bass), 9Theory, Hannah Ureste, and Darryl Swann, among others. Adrian believes self-expression is key in any artistic endeavor and wants to empower others to believe that they are far more capable than they may have been told or believe about themselves.
Always pushing forward and seeking self-discovery, he’s constantly seeking to learn from new teachers, peers, and students. Most importantly he wants everyone to remember that regardless of your level of study, music and artistic expression is fun and freeing.
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Adrian-Michael-2
Kyle McAllister (he/him)
Born and raised in the Seattle area, Kyle is a classically trained trumpet player and the lead vocalist of the acclaimed local Indie band, Apology Wars. He was born into a musical family and inspired to pursue music by his grandpa, who was a jazz music teacher in Kirkland for 40 years. Kyle started learning trumpet in 5th grade. In college, he played first trumpet in Western Washington University’s 2:00 Jazz Band under Chuck Israels of the Bill Evans trio, and graduated with a multidisciplinary studies degree with a focus in Music Theory and History. Since then, he has sung the national anthem at a Mariners game, performed and recorded with multiple bands, and noodled through Kurt Cobain’s amp while recording with legendary producer Jack Endino at Soundhouse studio. His music has been featured on radio stations KEXP, 107.7 The End, and KISW, and in musical publications such as American Songwriter and Ballard Vox.
As a teacher, Kyle aspires to reinforce his students’ creativity and curiosity in a non-judgmental space tailored to each student’s needs. As a neurodivergent person with ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome (the twitchy kind, not the sweary kind), he has found music to be an unparalleled therapeutic tool, both for stress relief and a tool for creative expression. Kyle excels at teaching musical fundamentals, music theory, ear training techniques, sight reading, musical literacy, songwriting, lyric writing, and is skilled at diagnosing gaps in musical knowledge and technique.
Hudson Steere (she/her)
Hello, my name is Hudson Steere. I am a Seattle-born college student pursuing a Music Industry degree at California State University of Northridge in LA. I am a vocalist, guitarist, and bassist in the pop-rock girl band THEM, which started in Mode itself years ago. I am super passionate about learning, writing, and performing music, and am looking to share my excitement and knowledge with future students!
Matthew Crissey (he/him)
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
Neftali Kirkland (they/them)
Although Neftali’s musical journey started on the guitar, they have spent most of their adult life branching out from strings and finding the musicality in many more sounds and art forms. Before finding their way behind the kit, Neftali developed a love for rhythm in middle school when they and their best friend at the time started teaching each other how to break dance. That led to building a crew in high school of kids all looking to express, to learn, and to find a safe space to be themselves through the arts.
On the stage, in the community, and in battles, Neftali started honing their skills as an MC and also as a teaching artist as the head of their high school hip-hop club. In breaking, every dancer is a teacher and everyone has something to share of their style and from their experiences. Neftali has carried this as one of their core principles as a teacher: any learner who is passionate and is ready to speak in their own voice and listen has something valuable to share with us all! Around the same time, Neftali started making beats, encouraging their friends to rap/sing on them, and taking music classes at school such as guitar and marching/concert band.
After high school, Neftali continued their education at Cornish College of the Arts where they received their BFA in Film Directing/Writing. After departing from dancing during college, Neftali started to find a place among some of the punk musicians in Seattle where being on the drums gave them a very natural outlet to fill the space that breaking created for them. Finally having a space to practice on acoustic kit, Neftali started jamming and playing with anyone who would take the time to with them. This eventually lead to them joining one of the bands they currently play in called The Molly Sour.
They have played with groups such as Hell Baby, OK Bucko, and singer/songwriters such as Ron Gallo. Neftali is excited to work with kids of all ages and helping them all find their voice to play through. Neftali believes that music is a great resource for finding and building community which is a great skill to develop through something we all love.
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Neftali-Kirkland / Paypal NeftaliKirkland@gmail.com / Cash App $NeftaliKirkland
Mallory Hansen (she/her)
Born and raised in Tacoma, WA, Mallory (she/her) started her musical journey playing violin for several years in her school orchestra. In middle school Mallory found the local music scene, discovering a love for punk, hardcore, and metal music. Her violin playing and early interest in singing led her to Cornish College of the Arts, where she completed coursework in musical theater.
Along with her instrumental background, Mallory is an experienced singer, audio engineer, producer and is currently studying audio production at North Seattle Community College. Mallory is an experienced karaoke DJ who creates a welcoming and supportive singing environment for every type of singer.
Mallory’s teaching style heavily depends on each individual student. Mallory believes anyone can play music, with the right approach. Mallory enjoys creating a safe and enriching environment for all students to learn and grow in. Teaching stage presence and confidence is one of her main goals as a teacher. Mallory is dedicated to helping students find joy and confidence through violin, voice, and piano lessons.
When she is not teaching, Mallory participates in the Seattle Womxns Music Producer Meetup group, and produces her own music. Along with her interest in music, Mallory also loves animals and traveling.
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @DJ_MALZOR
Keira Hamalian (she/her)
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
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
Nik Singleton (she/her)
Nik Singleton was born and raised in the Southwest, and has been singing since early childhood. She discovered her love for harmonies at a young age, and spent most of school singing in choir. When she graduated high school, she took her singing out of the classroom and onto the stage, playing in a multitude of bands over the past 15+ years. Specializing in harmony work, she also has many years of experience in the studio and as a session singer and producer.
She has worked with a wide range of projects across multiple genres, sung on many records and live streams, and appeared on season 13 of “The Voice.” She has over 15 years of performance experience, resulting in an abundance of practical application knowledge for live performance, both on stage and in the studio.
Her goal is to instill confidence and expand skill in her students, and encourage artist expression and joy. She aims to create a comfortable space for exploration of the voice, including expanding knowledge of vocal health practices. She has much knowledge to impart on the topics of harmony singing, stage presence, and wants to help you discover you own personal sound and confidence as a performer.
She loves the ocean, and is an avid surfer and scuba diver. She loves to cook, and is happiest when she’s connecting with and meeting new people.
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @NikSingleton / Paypal singnikkising@gmail.com