Meet The
Guitar, Bass, & Ukulele Instructors

“ Alyssa Stanley has been a guitarist for nine years and has spent two years as a founding member of her own jazz band. She has cultivated a special passion for genres such as jazz, funk and electronica. Alyssa has dedicated her time teaching in various subjects and is now honored to help usher in the new era into the joys of music.”

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Instruction offered on Wednesdays

Youth Guitar Ensemble Coach

John has a B.A. Degree in Music from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, and he has over 35 years of experience teaching students to play the bass guitar. John has used the knowledge he has gained from his experience at teaching literally thousands and thousands of students over the years to put together this book EADG 4 in a format that is concise, easy to follow, and gets straight to the point of giving the bassist the tools needed to become a great bassist/musician.

John was awarded The 2005 Ronald Reagan Republican Gold Medal by The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) for EADG 4.

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Instruction offered on Mondays & Tuesdays

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Adult Jam Band Coach

Franks has a B.A. from Roosevelt University. He has been entered in the Rich Central High School Hall of Fame for music and teaching. He has been teaching at Melody Mart since 1976 and has become a local legend of a guitar.  He enjoys rock, blues, and Jazz

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 Instruction offered on Monday -Thursdays & Saturdays

Adult Jam Band Coach

Slide Guitar & Pedals & Amps 101 Instructor 

Ahren spent almost ten years as a student of various instructors at Melody Mart and credits the wonderful experience she had with her instructors as the reason she became one herself. Ahren believes that music should be accessible to everyone and that learning to play music is one of the greatest joys a person can experience. She enjoys the challenges that come with finding new ways to reach her students and takes pride in helping students find their confidence when they play.

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Instruction offered on Mondays & Tuesdays

Family Ukulele Coach 

Uke Jam Coordinator 

Seth has studied music extensively since the age of four, concentrating on guitar, piano, and music theory. He enjoys classical and contemporary styles in addition to rock and jazz. Seth has been teaching privately for many years and has enjoyed every moment of it. He also teaches our full-band rock schools at Melody Mart.

 

Instruction offered on Wednesdays

Youth Jam Band Coordinator & Coach

Jordan is a former Melody Mart student. He has played bass guitar professionally for several years. He is pursuing a degree in music education and performance. He enjoys playing and teaching different genres of music.

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Instruction offered on Thursdays & Saturdays

Adult Jam Band Coordinator & Coach

Casey Knoop has performed in various styles and groups throughout her college career. Casey’s goal is to keep lessons fun and to modify teaching techniques that are unique to each individual’s style of learning. She does this in order to keep students inspired, and never bored of material that they are working on. Casey also incorporates music theory into all of her students’ lessons so that they are able to understand scales, chords, inversions, and progressions that translate throughout every genre of music. Casey is also a multi-instrumentalist and has experience with the flute, guitar, percussion, and ukulele. 

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 Instruction offered only Remotely

Adult Jam Band Coach

Mike started playing the guitar at age 13 and has been hooked ever since. Mike's many influences include The Beatles, Paul Gilbert, Stevie Wonder, Nuno Bettencourt, and King's X. Mike has played with several top Chicago bands and is on stage right every night for The Walk-ins.

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Instruction offered on Thursdays