It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
~ Einstein
Meet our Teachers
Stefan Barboza
Guitar, Ukulele, Bass, Piano
Stefan has 25 years of experience teaching guitar, piano, ukulele and bass guitar. Prior to moving to Grants pass, he taught at his private studio as well as teaching guitar classes through Music Matters, a program through the Young Artists Music Conservatory of Vacaville that provided on-site music lessons to students in Solano County area schools. His teaching incorporates all styles of music including classical, pop, rock, blues, country and folk.
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Stefan has been performing for many years in bands on piano, guitar, and vocals. He played guitar in his first band at the age of 15. Over the years he has performed in a variety of groups including Backstreet, The Marty Martin Band, the Sterling Silver Band, and Afterglow. Currently, Stefan plays keyboard for the local band Rock Steady. ​
“My ultimate goal for my students is that they are fully engaged in the fun part of mastering their instrument. I teach my students so that they have initial success without the necessity of reading music. At the same time, I work music theory into each lesson so that my students eventually master the foundational skills of reading music while still playing the music that they enjoy.”
Celesta Brown
Piano
Celesta began taking piano lessons in second grade and continued through high school. During those ten years of private instruction, she performed in recitals, competed in local competitions, and participated in the statewide Certificate of Merit program. In addition, she played for wedding services and accompanied a local kids’ choir for school musicals.
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Piano teaching was Celesta’s career aspiration ever since the age of thirteen. After high school, she pursued this goal by majoring in music with a piano emphasis at Simpson University in Redding, CA. She began teaching private lessons as a freshman and discovered that teaching was everything and more than she had hoped. After three years of being a full-time college student and teaching part-time, a family situation caused her to pause schooling and move closer to relatives.
Celesta now lives in Selma with her husband, Josh, and their son, Strider. Aside from her eagerness to return to teaching, Celesta is passionate about her butterfly garden. When she’s not practicing piano or gardening, she is often spending time with her family by playing board games, sipping tea on the porch, or going on a walk with their four goats.
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"The ability to play piano is a blessing that has deeply nurtured me throughout my life. From playing at weddings to memorials and everything between, I've learned that music is one of the most powerful gifts in this world. Thus, my life passion is to equip others in wielding it according to each student's unique individuality."
Performance Video:
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Simpson University Spring Concert
Jennifer Farrugia
Violin and Kindermusik
Jennifer is an experienced violin teacher and a licensed Kindermusik educator. She has been teaching violin over a span of 15 years and has performed in multiple ensembles including the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, The Rogue Opera, The Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, local theater productions, several bands (including bluegrass, Celtic, and Christian contemporary), and her church worship team. Currently Jennifer is the principal violinist of the Three Rivers Orchestra.
Jennifer lives in Grants Pass with her husband, son and two daughters. When she's not playing the violin, she enjoys cozying up with some reading and coffee, cooking, baking, knitting, and spending time with her family.
Music has been an important part of my life as long as I can remember. It's both therapeutic, and a way for me to continue to learn and grow. Sparking that interest in others, especially from an early age as I myself experienced, can have a wonderful, lifelong impact.
Joe Gomez III
Voice
Joe is an accomplished bass soloist well known in the Grants Pass music community. He studied music at Rio Hondo College in California followed by seven years of private vocal lessons with Joseph Klein and Dolores Davis. Joe has performed with the Los Angeles opera, at the Hollywood Bowl, in Europe, at the Oregon State Capitol, and locally as bass soloist for the annual Josephine County Messiah Sing-along.
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Joe has been teaching singing for over 30 years. Students and parents alike express their appreciation for his professional but friendly and supportive teaching style.
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In addition to singing Joe enjoys gardening and working on projects at home.
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Teaching singing is fulfilling for me. I feel that I am passing on what I have learned and therefore it is not lost. It is also gratifying to see my student's faces light up when they get it.
Emily Morningstar
Piano and Saxophone
Born into a family of musicians and artists, as a young child Emily could usually be found napping under the family piano as her mother played or sitting on the bench diligently waiting to perform her duties as designated page turner. As soon as she was old enough Emily began lessons with a local piano teacher. In the fifth grade she began her journey learning to play the saxophone. Thus began a life filled with music!
Having studied music at a community college, Emily completed her studies at Oregon State University where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Music.
Emily's experience as a music educator includes several years teaching piano lessons and a couple of years teaching high school music classes.
As a performer, Emily has played saxophone with a number of community groups including the Big Horn Jazz band and the Rogue Gold Jazz band.
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Outside of the music studio, Emily loves to paint and create art. She can also usually be found spending time in the garden or with her husband and new son.
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I have learned a great many things about music through all of my experiences, but most important is how much joy there is in making music, and how much fun it can be to create music and play in a group.
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Teresa Northcross
Cello
Teresa began studying cello in elementary school and began private lessons in high school. During that time played in many orchestras and chamber ensembles. After a hiatus to finish college, start a family, and begin a career as an elementary teacher and reading specialist, Teresa returned to cello playing and continued improving her cello skills through study with private teachers.
Now retired from public school teaching, Teresa has been teaching cello for over five years. She is currently the principal cellist with the Three Rivers Orchestra and has performed with many other local ensembles including the Three Rivers Chorale, the Josephine County Messiah Sing-a-long Orchestra, and the One Eleven Theater Company.
When not playing the cello, Teresa is reading, working crossword puzzles, walking her dogs, playing with her two cats, book-clubbing on zoom, and doing yoga. She enjoys spending time with her husband David and her sons Evan and Quentin.
I keep coming back to music. Music challenges, soothes, and energizes me. I love exploring the intricacies of cello playing and I love sharing music with others. I can’t wait to find out what I’m going to learn next! I am inspired by my students, and find working with other cellists expands my own appreciation and understanding of the instrument.
Deborah Pratt
Kindermusik, Piano, Guitar, Singing
Deb is the Founder and General Manager of Music4Kids. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Iowa - Stevens Point and a Master of Arts in Music Education plus Elementary Education certification from the University of Iowa. She and her husband moved to Grants Pass in June of 1999 and several months later she founded Music4Kids. In addition to teaching and managing Music4Kids, Deb worked as a substitute teacher in the local school districts for 12 years.
Deb has served as a church musician for many years and currently plays keyboard with the River Valley Community Church worship team. Her performance experience includes serving as a vocal soloist with many choral/orchestra productions including Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Choral Union, the University of Iowa Women's Chorale, and the Josephine County Sing-Along Messiah. As a conductor, she directed the pit orchestra for Grants Pass High School musical productions for three years and led the RCC Rogue Chorus for six years. In 2019 under her direction the Rogue Chorus was invited to join choirs from around the world to sing Handel's Messiah at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Deb and her husband, Jim, have three daughters and seven grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, walking, visiting the Oregon coast, and, of course, playing music!
The miracle of music for me is in the joy that it brings and in the ability of that joy to change lives. I feel privileged to participate in a life work that has such a powerful impact on the world. I treasure the relationships that develop with my students during our lessons and the time I get to share with each one of them.
Kristin Ryerson
Voice
Kristin holds music degrees from Iowa State and DePaul University. Shortly after receiving her Master of Music in Vocal Performance, she began her professional career as an apprentice artist with the Santa Fe, Virginia, and Utah Opera companies.
After completing her apprenticeships, she balanced performing with developing skills as a Business Manager in the Advertising Industry. During this time, Kristin performed with local and regional opera companies including the Chicago Opera Theater, Augusta Opera, Natchez Music Festival, New Jersey Opera Theater, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Kristin was also a featured soloist for Manhattan Concert Performance and MidAmerica Productions performing at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, as well as Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York.
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After 12 years in New York City, Kristin left her performance career and moved to Oregon to focus on her family. However, her love of music proved too strong to stay hidden. She began teaching private lessons in 2016 after she was invited to teach a Master Class for the Grants Pass High School Choir program. Recently, Kristin served as Music Director for One Eleven Theatre’s production of Matilda and as a vocal coach for their Summer Camp.
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Kristin loves sharing her knowledge of music and finding each student’s “true voice”. Lessons are rooted in the classical model of breath support and a relaxed vocal tract. Her belief is that no matter what style of music you want to sing, starting with a supported, relaxed tone promotes versatility, longevity and consistency in a singer’s production.
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“I love helping singers explore their voice and unlock all the possibilities lying within. My greatest joy is when a student has that “A HA” moment and they create the beautiful sound they were looking for. I believe everyone can sing. We each have different gifts and different voices. My joy is in helping you find yours by exploring all the possibilities. I tell my students there are no ugly sounds…only sounds that can be used for different purposes. Every sound is a pathway to somewhere different. It is up to you to decide where you want to go.”
Mark Stever
Drums
With over 40 years of experience under his belt, Mark is a seasoned performer and educator. Throughout his career, he has honed his skills under the guidance of Daniel Glass. (A well-known drummer and music educator, Glass was twice voted one of the top five R&B drummers in the world by Modern Drummer Magazine readers.)
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In addition to performing with other musicians and groups, Mark led his own "little big band," for several years swinging through jazz festivals across the West Coast.
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Since moving to Southern Oregon in 2001, Mark has become a fixture in the local music scene, playing with various jazz, blues, and big bands. A personal highlight was sharing the stage with the iconic Bo Diddley on a New Year's Eve in Medford.
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Mark's passion extends beyond the stage to teaching. Mark believes that being a great drum teacher is about nurturing well-rounded musicians as well as teaching rudiments and technique. He fosters a deep understanding of rhythm, instills crucial musical concepts like dynamics and phrasing, and ignites creativity and listening skills in his students.
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Mark lives in Grants Pass with his wife of 32 years. When not performing and teaching, Mark is an avid hiker and loves baseball.
“There's nothing more rewarding than seeing the spark of rhythm ignite in a student's eyes. Teaching drums isn't just about technique, it's about sharing the joy of creating music together. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it."
Rachael Sandeen
Kindermusik
Rachael is a singer and acoustic guitarist whose love of music started as early as she can remember. She was singing and memorizing songs before she could talk, and she's carried that love with her throughout her life. Active as a volunteer educator in the classrooms of her three children, her youngest son is now a junior in high school. Her love for working with children prompted her to become a fully accredited Kindermusik Educator so she can share her passion for music and movement with the next generation!
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In addition to teaching, Rachael can be found at performing at local vineyards, restaurants, weddings and special events, where she has been serenading local crowds for decades. When she's not performing, leading worship at church, or teaching Kindermusik classes, she's probably snuggled up with her kitty on her lap reading a good book.
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Rachael has been married to her high school sweetheart for 25 years, and together they've raised three children, all of whom are musical!
I love teaching Kindermusik!
Heidi Sundin
Piano
Heidi is an accomplished pianist and accompanist. She began learning piano at the age of 3 from her Grandmother who is also an experienced piano teacher. She has served as pianist with many choirs including the 3 Rivers Chorale and the Rogue Community College Chorus. She has also played with local theater productions and church worship teams.
Heidi has been teaching piano for over eight years. An accomplished ballerina in addition to being a pianist, Heidi also has experience teaching ballet to young dancers at a local ballet studio.
After living in Europe and then Eugene, Oregon, Heidi and her husband moved back to Grants Pass to live closer to family. In addition to teaching piano and performing, Heidi works as a charcoal artist drawing commissions and selling her original art locally. She also enjoys reading, baking, dance, and spending time with her husband.
Music has been a part of my life since before I was born. I live in a family of accomplished musicians, and my love of music was instilled from a very young age. I believe music is such an important and integral part of development. It helps with coordination, timing, patience, and even learning other skills like dance, sports, and new languages. I love to help cultivate a love and appreciation of music for all ages.