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Glenn Smith (he/him)
Glenn’s a Michigan boy turned Seattleite dad and husband. He loves metal, long walks on the beach, singing loudly, and playing guitar, bass, keys, and drums. A lover of all music types, Glenn's playing focuses on rudimentary grounding more than being flashy. His solo metal act is Freeze, plays bass and sings in the band Slothrider, and he does musical soundtracks as Glenn Aaron Smith.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Lauren Hepburn (she/her)
Lauren was born and raised in the great Northwest and has taught clarinet, saxophone, and flute in the Seattle area for several years. A grad from the University of Washington she received a Master's in Music Education, where she studied education and conducting with Dr. Steven Morrison and Tim Salzman, and jazz saxophone with Greg Sinibaldi. She received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Central Washington University where she studied with Larry Gookin, Mark Lane, and Joseph Brooks.
Before going to UW, Lauren was hired by Seattle Public Schools and taught band and orchestra at Broadview-Thomson K-8 and then orchestra and choir at Whitman Middle School. Lauren maintains a busy schedule performing in semi-pro and professional bands around the area playing saxophone and clarinet.
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.
Spencer Johndrew (he/him)
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!
John Anderson (he/him)
John has been playing the drums since 1999. He started out playing rock music in high school, and since then, he has played in various bands and open jam sessions in the Seattle area. One of his most memorable musical experiences was hosting community jam sessions in Tecate, México in 2016.
He is fluent in Spanish, which he studied at the University of Washington and the University of Salamanca in Spain, and taught for about five years at bilingual immersion schools in Seattle and Tacoma.
Some of John’s favorite musical genres are death metal, surf rock, and psychedelic cumbia. In addition to being a music educator, he is also a visual artist and enjoys painting murals and building sculptures.
Michelle Dodson (she/her)
Michelle Dodson is a young freelance musician and private music teacher specializing in cello performance. She performs and teaches a range of music genres spanning baroque, classical, jazz, and modern. She has played cello for 19 years.
She began her music degree at age 16 at University of Missouri St. Louis, and she transferred to DePaul University in Chicago after graduating high school, where she earned her liberal arts degree, a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in cello performance, and a minor in economics from the Driehaus College of Business. While living in Chicago, she taught at the Music for Kids non-profit project. She also performed with the Chicago Composers’ Orchestra, City Lights Orchestra, and the funk-fusion band Pyzow! for their debut album in 2018. She also worked closely with modern composers to world-premiere eight new pieces.
Upon moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2018, Michelle became involved in the recording industry, being a featured artist in soundtracks and recording two solo albums of baroque and modern music respectively. She currently performs in the Seattle area with Everett Philharmonic, various string quartets, and substitutes in a variety of ensembles. She is passionate about working with local artists to create multidisciplinary art events to make classical music accessible to more members of the community.
Michelle currently specializes in teaching piano and cello, emphasizing an understanding of music theory, interpreting musical ideas, and developing instrument technique to communicate the musical ideas. She, her dog, and her cat love to go on hikes or walk around town when she is not playing music!
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @michelledodson19 / Paypal michelledodson19@gmail.com / Cash App $connecttheDODS
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
Beatrix Hauth (she/her)
Beatrix Hauth is a talented musician and educator hailing from The Evergreen State College. With a deep passion for music, she has dedicated her life to creating and sharing her artistry with the world.
Her musical journey began when she embarked on a West coast tour with the band Arc Over Light in 2014, captivating audiences with her performances. Inspired by her experiences on the road, she decided to form her own band, Beatrix Sky, where she continues to push the boundaries of her creativity and connect with listeners through her unique sound.
Beyond her accomplishments as a performer, she also finds passion in teaching others. As a piano and voice teacher, she has been able to share her knowledge and expertise with aspiring musicians, nurturing their growth and helping them unlock their own talents.
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
Kelli Frances Corrado (she/her)
Kelli Frances Corrado is a 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 Romani 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, BBC Radio 6 London and many more. She has released four albums. Her current album, Tuff Feathers was released on non-profit label Grimalkin Records. And recently wrote her first film score for documentary, The Last Act, out this fall.
Kelli has been a teaching artist for over 14 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
Nimm Lefcourt (they/them)
Nimm Lefcourt is a classically trained vocalist who has been singing and training for 13 years. They graduated with a Bachelor's of Music in May 2021, and have experience singing various kinds of music. Half of their BA was done through the lens of musical theatre, where they performed in various musicals and recitals, and the other half of their BA was done with a focus on opera and modern classical composing. Now, alongside practicing opera, Nimm enjoys learning different renditions of video games and movie scores on the piano. They also enjoy writing music for tabletop role-playing games, and will often do custom themes and songs for various characters. Their interests outside of music are video games, animals, and crystals.
Nimm’s hope is to always help students enjoy music as much as they do, and make sure they are always excited to learn more. They always endeavor to strike a balance between learning music the student has an interest in, and focusing on the building blocks of music. Nimm is also always open to changing their teaching style based on the student’s needs, goals, and learning style.
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @Nimm-Lefcourt
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.
Andi Ridings (she/her)
Andi grew up just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, where she was inspired to pursue music by the hip hop and R&B bursting from the city around her, by the film scores of the movies she pored over at home, and by the creativity of her family. After years of playing with a toy violin, at age 10 she joined her elementary school orchestra, and was gifted a real violin by her school. With a single mother and four older sisters, resources were stretched thin, and Andi will always be grateful for the opportunity this gift gave her to pursue her passion. In high school, Andi competed and performed in the Festival of Gold and MSHSAA District and State Music Festival on the violin, earning a handful of awards nearing her graduation.
After graduating high school, Andi received her BM in Violin Performance from Southeast Missouri State University. During college and after, Andi freelanced by arranging and performing music for concerts, weddings, engagements, parties, and banquets, and acted as a ringer for the Paducah Symphony Orchestra. She has also picked up several instruments along the way, including piano, guitar, viola, mandolin, ukulele, and voice. Music has taken Andi to some amazing places, like the 2013 Italian chamber music festival Festival Suoni D’Abruzzo, and the SEMO Concerto and Aria Competition, where she won the chance to perform as a soloist to a full audience with a full symphony accompanying her!
Andi has been teaching music lessons for over ten years. As a teacher, Andi’s technical background allows her to set her students up for success with a solid foundation in music theory. Andi’s teaching approach differs by student, as she knows that each student has their own unique talents and light to share with the world, and that they need more than a cookie cutter teaching approach to be successful. She always prioritizes keeping the student’s spark for music alive and thriving. In her free time, Andi loves to karaoke, thrift shop, roller skate, backpack, and paint with her boyfriend while they listen to their record collection together.
Tip Your Teacher! Venmo @ridingswritings
Lonnie Williams (he/him)
Lonnie Williams grew up in Beaumont, Texas, where the recording of Cannonball Adderley on the jukebox at his family’s barbecue restaurant inspired him to take up the saxophone at a young age. Starting as an alto sax player in his school band, Lonnie practiced every day and eventually moved to Seattle where he was inspired and embraced by the city’s jazz scene. In the years since, he has played with such legends as Eddie Harris and Joe Henderson, and in venues all over the world. Considered a legend in the Pioneer Square jazz scene, Lonnie hasn’t let success get in the way of his calling to teach, which he has followed since he began tutoring other kids in his school band in junior high. He encourages his students to learn through his own mantra of “practice practice practice!” but also believes strongly that music should always be fun. He hopes to inspire his students to find as much joy in the saxophone as he has for so many years.