Madison Mayer

Roles: Instructor, PT Office Assistant

Areas: Voice, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Songwriting, Theater, Choral Ensembles

Teaching days: Mondays

Born and raised on Cape Cod, Madison Mayer has been performing from Provincetown to Cotuit for the past 16 years.

Since beginning her theatre career, Madison has gained experience in almost 60 productions. She studied tap dance at the Academy of Performing Arts as well as voice with various Cape local legends.

Madison enjoys a wide range of artistic topics including Musical Theatre, Voice, Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, Music Theory, Music Production, Tap Dance, and Audition Skills.

In addition to her role as a private instructor, Madison will be a part-time office assistant for the school as well as working to establish Steeple Street Music Academy’s new theater program. 

Fun Fact! Madison currently owns and operates Cape Cod Charcuterie Company @capecodcharcuterie.

mATT wIEnCKE

Areas: Piano (all levels), Voice, Choral Ensembles

Teaching days: Online

Music has always been a major part of Matt’s life since he was very young. His father played viola and had a natural talent for music. He could pick up his viola, join a string quartet, and manage quite well. He was a fan of classical piano and we would listen together for hours to records of Beethoven piano sonatas and Bach preludes and fugues, and he would point out details such as how a pianist shaped the end of a certain phrase.

With his parents and three siblings, he sang and played musical instruments: violin, viola, flute, clarinet, trombone, and piano. He took private lessons with John Koch, a wonderful teacher, concert pianist, and composer who coached me on Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. They worked through Paul Hindemith’s Traditional Harmony and Matt learned the beauty of all the different chords, and how chords can flow, one into the other.

At St. Olaf College, Matt learned a whole new way of making the piano sing. He learned how to pay attention to your breath when you play. He learned how to understand music in terms of large units, how to feel where music is going and how to express that. Music was no longer just notes on a page. It had purpose. College was a breakthrough in his own musical growth, through Beethoven, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff. 

At St. Olaf, he studied piano with A. DeWayne Wee, voice with Anton Armstrong, and music theory and composition with Charles Forsberg. He later studied music counterpoint and composition with Jon Appleton, and voice and conducting with Melinda O’Neal, at Dartmouth College.

Since then, Matt has played in a variety of venues. He has played chamber music and accompanied singers and choruses throughout New England. He was pianist for the Bel Canto Chamber Singers and pianist for the Thetford Chamber Singers.

Matt has also worked in theater for over ten years. He was music director, producer, pianist, and actor for Wild Swan Theatre. Productions include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Our Town, and I’ll Be Loving You Always at the Boothbay Playhouse. He also served as pianist at Williamstown Theater Festival, Northern Stage, and Moonlighters Swing Band.

His roots are classical music which he continues to play and perform. Some of my favorites include Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier and English Suites, Beethoven’s “Tempest” and “Waldstein” sonatas, Brahms’s Piano Pieces op. 118 and 119, Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau, and Rachmaninoff’s piano sonata no. 2 in B minor.

Zack Johnson

Area: Voice (specializing in Opera & Theater), Theater

Teaching days: Mondays

Originally from Eastham, Zack has established himself in the theater scene on the cape as a talented vocalist. And, coming from a family of teachers, Zack has a natural gift for educating students of all ages and abilities.

Zack earned his Bachelor of Music from New England Conservatory of Music, going on to earn his Masters of Music and Musical Arts at Yale University.

He has experience as an audio engineer, youth theater music director as well as a voice teacher and coach at Yale University. In 2014, he earned the first place award in “The National Association of Teachers of Singing” singing competition.

Zack will be teaching private voice lessons in addition to offering valuable instruction in Steeple Street Music Academy’s new theater program.

MATTHEW PATREI

Areas: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Music Production

Teaching days: Tuesdays, Thursdays

Sarah Jeremias

Area: Classical Violin (all levels)

Teaching days: Saturdays

Sarah began her studies in music and violin in 1998, participating in a project created by
the municipal government of her hometown in Brazil. Thus, her passion for music
began. Over the years, as a member of the Volta Redonda String Orchestra, she
traveled throughout Brazil playing in renowned concert halls and theaters in her country,
such as Sala São Paulo, Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Sala Cecilia Meireles,
etc. 
 
After some time, feeling more challenged and confident, she decided to move on and
join the Barra Mansa Symphony Orchestra, where in addition she played in many other
concert halls and theaters in Brazil some in Recife – PE, Porto Alegre – RS and several
cities in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. There then, she started her life as a violin
teacher for children, in the same way she started years ago. Her passion for teaching
began there in 2010. She studied with numerous renowned professors in Brazil, such as
Paulo Bosisio, Carlos Moreno, Ubirata Rodrigues and Maressa Carneiro, her most
recent teacher. 
 
She participated as a member of the Barra Mansa Symphony Orchestra in several
operas and ballets such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and The Corsair, all together with
the Bale of the Mariinsky Theater from Saint Petersburg in Russia. She was conducted
by internationally known and acclaimed conductors such as Alastair Willis from the
United States, Alexei Repnikov from Russia, Isaac Karabtchevsky from São Paulo, Apo
Hsu from Thailand etc. 
 
Although her background is more focused on the classical violin, she has experience
playing in various popular events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and
concerts focused on popular music. She ventures into songwriting too, even though it’s
not her focus as a musician, having composed arrangements for quartets and duets for
weddings as well. One of her passions is also playing at her local church, where she
can play more freely. Her priority as a teacher is to teach students the love of music and
the instrument. For her, it is necessary to understand that in addition to having
concentration and consistency in studies, the most important thing is to have fun and
know that no matter how many steps you still have in front of you, the most important
thing is appreciate where you’ve come so far.

Erin Deneen

Areas: Guitar, Singing-Songwriting, Music Production, Artist Development, Mandolin, Drums

Teaching days: Mondays, Wednesdays

After experiencing life and the world of songwriting down in Nashville, Erin has returned to her home of Cape Cod where she continues to play and do what she can to bring music to life. After years of listening to artists such as Whitney Houston, Cher, and more pop driven singers, during her time at Wheaton College, Erin began to fall in love with the country music world. Very quickly names such as Hunter Hayes and Lori McKenna were becoming musical influences.

Bret saylor

Areas: Piano, Composition (all levels)

Teaching days: Thursdays, Saturdays

Bret is an accomplished composer, arranger, teacher, and pianist. He attended the Julius Hartt School of Music from age 10, starting with classical piano lessons and music theory classes. He went on to earn a B.A. in Music Composition and Theory and a P.B. Music Teacher’s Certification from Westfield State College (now WSU). 

Bret has been performing solo piano and as keyboardist in rock bands here on Cape Cod since 1990 and is well versed in all musical styles. He has been passionately guiding piano students of all ages and varying interests in developing their skills, always bringing excitement, fun and discovery.

Among Bret’s many credits is his arrangement of “A Medley Of Gershwin Tunes”, scored for full orchestra with jazz quartet, featured at Pops In The Park 1996, Orleans, MA. He composed the music for and co-directed with Joan Spilman the musical drama “Why?” at Brewster Baptist Church, Brewster, MA 2005. He has given concerts of original works for piano, string quartet, sarode, and backing tracks and has done extensive composing and production work with Dani Dalinian, Nandlal Nayak, and Eric Raynaud (Fraction) and has developed a larch archive of totalistic, world, and computer based music, utilizing his own tonal systems and other unique devises.

Andrew Hellwig

Areas: Woodwinds, Brass, Beginner Piano, Jazz Ensembles

Teaching days: Thursdays

Andrew Hellwig is a modern day saxophonist, educator, and composer. Born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Andrew studied music under the direction of Andy Troyanos as well as Berke McKelvey. Andrew began playing gigs professionally at the age of 15 with the big band, Stage Door Canteen. Andrew followed his passion and received a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Rhode Island. At URI, he studied jazz and classical saxophone with Dr. Jared Sims, Bill Jones, Dr. Jon Amon, Dave Zinno, and Emmett Goods. Andrew’s playing is heavily influenced by a variety of jazz and classical artists including Chris Potter, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Garrett, Michael Brecker, Donald Sinta, Claude Delangle, John Sampen, and Nobuya Sugawa.

Andrew has had the incredible opportunity to perform with many distinguished and Grammy award winning musicians and groups including Mike Tomaro, Josh Evans, Steve Ahern, Geoff Vidal, Doug Woolverton, Bill Thompson, Jeff Galindo, Garrett Savluk, James Montgomery, David Hull, Marty Richards, Michael “Tunes” Antunes, Larry Brown Swinglane Orchestra, Stage Door Canteen, The Sultans, James Montgomery Blues Band and Gumption and Glory. Andrew has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, Navy Band Saxophone Symposium, Umass Saxophone Symposium, Truly Cape Cod Jazz Festival, The Met, Pumphouse Music Works, Courthouse Center for the Arts, Cotuit Center for the Arts, Cape Cod Conservatory, The Kowloon as well as many other venues. Andrew has also taken part in masterclasses with John Sampen, Dino Govoni, Adam Larson, and Greg Abate. He currently studies with New York saxophonist Geoff Vidal.

Aside from performing, Andrew has taught privately for 9 years currently operating his own studio in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. His students placed top 5 in the 2020 RIMEA All-State in both jazz and concert band. Andrew is also a faculty member at “More than Music” in Wickford, RI. He has given clinics all across New England and was the saxophone mentor for the Paul Elfman Honors Band.

PETER DEFRANCESCO

Areas: Drums, Percussion

Teaching days: Fridays, Saturday morning

Peter is well known on the cape as an exceptional drummer and has even begun to produce his own original music.

Taught by the great Bart Weisman, the “Jazz Mayor of Cape Cod,” Peter went on to become All-State Jazz Drummer and accepted to numerous music schools — including Berklee.

Currently, he plays a number of different gigs and also plays drums in church worship settings.

Although young, he has proven to be wise beyond his years. He has a gift for teaching students of all ages and abilities, making the drums accessible for everyone.

To follow everything related to Peter’s music skills and projects, follow him @pjd.music.

Christopher keRINS

Areas: Cello (all levels), Voice, Beginner Piano

Teaching days: Wednesdays

skip king

Areas: Banjo, Music Theory

Teaching days: Tuesdays, Thursdays

Skip grew up in a musical family. He began playing guitar at the age of eight and was performing in musical theater and rock bands by the time he was 11 years old.

While in college, he became a part-time singer-songwriter, playing at Boston venues including the Nameless Coffeehouse and Club Passim. He continued performing intermittently in Vermont until 1987, when a career opportunity seized control of nearly all of his time, and his instruments began gathering dust.

Skip acquired his first banjo in 1989, but, by then he was living in northern Maine during pre-internet days and found no teachers. His instruments began to gather dust again.

Around 2003, he moved to the Portland area and found a banjo teacher with the idea that, if it stuck, he’d keep at it — and if it didn’t, he would get rid of the banjo.

It stuck.

Five years later, Skip had replaced his former instructor as a banjo teacher. He had also joined with jam friends to form ‘Cumberland Crossing,’ a bluegrass band that still performs regularly in Maine.

Skip’s teaching centers on beginner and intermediate level Scruggs and melodic-style banjo and has a highly student-focused approach to skills progression that uses classic Scruggs-style repertoire as the foundation for everything else. His goal is to instill solid right and left hand technique and basic knowledge of music theory, all with an aim towards getting students jamming with others as quickly as possible.

mia van de loo

Areas: Voice, Songwriting, Beginner Guitar

Teaching days: Wednesdays

Mia Van de Loo is a singer-songwriter and musician with a wide range of instrumental
abilities, a passionate desire to create and express meaning through music, lifelong
musical experience, and an ambitious and quick-to-learn attitude.

Mia is an active singer-songwriter in the area and has extensive experience developing her vocal range. She took private voice lessons in Chicago and participated in a number of choral groups in Minnesota, California, and New York. She’s self taught on the guitar and ukulele, and she has a history of learning piano as well.

In addition to all of this, Mia has been involved in musical theater throughout California. Notable productions
include the role of Gertrude McFuzz in ‘Seussical’ in Cupertino, California in 2016, and a production of ‘Curtains’ in
Sunnyvale, California in 2019 nominated for a Rita Moreno award.

Michael Dunford

Areas: Drums, Percussion

**Not accepting new students**

Michael began his professional music career in his teen years playing timpani and percussion with the Cape Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jerome Cohen and Royston Nash, and the Chatham Chorale, directed by founder Marjorie Bennett Morley. While in high school Michael studied with legendary Broadway drummer Dick Koff and later Boston timpanist John Grimes and Hartt School of Music Dean, Al LePak.

At the Berklee College of Music, Michael studied with Gil Graham, John Ramsey and Percussion Chair Dean Anderson. After graduating from Berklee, Michael performed with many notable Boston-area classical, jazz, blues and rock musicians, recording and touring throughout the U.S.

Now residing in Sandwich, Michael regularly performs in clubs, theaters and concert halls from Boston throughout the South Coast and is a sought-after drum instructor.