Faculty

	Rick Austin studied percussion under John V. Mazza of the John Phillip Souza Band. Rick has 3O years experience playing all styles of music. He has played and recorded with Amgems Recording artist Barry Richman. He has played with Derrick St. Holmes of Ted Nugent fame and countless others. Rick has taught for the Gwinnett School of Music for more than five years.
	Kelly Bowlin has a Bachelors of Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Georgia where he studied with John Sutherland. Kelly has performed in master classes with Christopher Parkening and Jose Thomas. He has owned and operated The Gwinnett School of Music since 1984.
	Chris Case is a student of Georgia State Universities Jazz program where he studies composition and performance with Dr. James Lyke. Chris has been active in the Atlanta Jazz scene where he has performed with the Fellowship Jazz Trio for 6 years. He is a recording artist with Chicago's Hefty Records and specializes in Jazz Theory and Improvisation.
	Fanchon Charnigo Ms. Charnigo holds a MME in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma and a B.M. in Piano Pedagogy from converse College. She has over 8 years of private and group teaching experience, and is currently teaching music theory at Clayton Sate University. Fanchon's energetic and creative teaching emphasizes musicality alongside technique and is effective for all ages and levels.
	Maria Clark has a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School Of Music and a Vocal and Performance degree from Florida State University She has studied privately with Sharon Stephenson Esther Hinds and Barbara Ford. Ms Clark has participated in Master Classes with Richard Miller, Martin Katz and Betty Allen. She has performed with the Atlanta Opera, the Dekalb Symphony, the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, the HB Playwright Theatre and many more. Ms Clark has received numerous awards including: the Winner of the American Traditions Competition. Finalist in the D'Angelo Voice Competition, and Finalist in the Mobile Opera Competition.
	Gerald Cripps has a B.A. in Music from the Boston Conservatory, in Boston MA. In addition, Mr. Cripps studied Jazz Arrangement at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA. A skilled veteran of teaching instrumental music, with 32 years of experience teaching grades 5 & 6 and 4 years of experience teaching grades 7 through 12.
	John Daniel has a Master of Church Music in Violin/Music Theory from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Music Theory from Georgia State University. John was Choir Director at the First Baptist Church in Gate City, Virginia where he served as the Associate Pastor for Worship. In addition to the violin, John also is accomplished at piano, viola, guitar, bass and banjo. John is currently an Instrumental Music Instructor in the Dekalb County School System.
	Dominic DeSantis has been a part of the Atlanta music scene for over 15 years. Dominic fronted the popular progressive rock band Awaken and performed as an acoustic soloist at the Center Stage Theatre, Rupert's, the Bluebird Cafe and more. Dominic currently plays with the popular duo Alias Smith and Jones. Dominic is the Director of the Gwinnett School of Rock and has taught guitar privately for over 15 years.
	Samantha Fair holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia with a concentration in piano and minors in both voice and French horn. Always keenly interested in learning instruments, Samantha is proficient on sixteen instruments and is blessed with perfect pitch. . Samantha has eight years of combined teaching experience in classroom, band and studio
	Wes Freeman has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Composition from Ashbury College. He graduated with honors in the Guitar Musicianship program from the Atlanta Institute of Music. In addition to session work, Wes performed with the Asbury College Jazz Ensemble and is a current member of the Alpha United Community Baptist Church Band. Wes has taught privately since 1998.

	Ron Hannett attended Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, MI and Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI where he majored in music. Ron served as the Asst. Band Director at the Tri-Valley Academy, as Instructional Assistant at the Wesley School and as the Assistant Band Director at the Muskegon Heights Public School. Ron has also served as the Minister of Music at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
	Patty Schaffer-Joiner holds a Bachelors of Music-Vocal Performance from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and a Masters of Music-Vocal Performance from Georgia State University. Patty's performance experience covers numerous genres from opera and musical theater to gospel, and R and B. Some of her leading roles include Mother Abbess in 'The Sound of Music', Adele in 'Die Fledermaus', Stella in Les Contes de Hoffman, and most recently LPN in Bluebeard's Waiting Room, which she premiered at the National Opera Association Convention in Los Angeles, California. She is currently involved with The New Opera Company based out of Atlanta.
	Keeye Kim has a Masters in Piano Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and a Bachelors in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati. Keeye was the 2nd place winner in the Gordon Scholarship award at the University of Cincinnati in 1995 and 3rd place in 1997. She also was a participant in the Horowitz Piano competition in Kiev in 1995.
	Jeanne Leamer studied music at Moody Bible College in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Leamer was a private student of published musician Wendall Babcock. She has performed in various settings as a soloist and accompanist in both secular and sacred settings. Ms Leamer has taught private piano lessons for over 15 years.
	Rick Lawrence is currently a Classical Guitar Performance major at Kennesaw State University where he is studying under Mary Akerman. His secondary major is Jazz Guitar. In addition to his studies at Kennesaw State Rick has also performed in Master Classes with Christopher Parkening, Oscar Ghiglia, Roland Dyens and Adam Holzman to name a few. Rick has played guitar and banjo in local bluegrass folk bands for seven years and won the Mars acoustic guitar competition in 2001.
	Carol McCurdy majored in Music Education at Miami Dade College and Florida International University. She has taught at the Junior High and High School level and has taught privately for over 17 years. She specializes in voice, violin and general music.
	Celesta Parker has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Columbus State University and a Master's Degree in Music Education form Georgia State University. She placed in the top 20 in a National Fine Arts Competition and was awarded a full piano scholarship to Gordon College and Columbus State University. Celesta has been a public school music teacher for 7 years and has taught piano for 14 years.
	George Powell is a 1980 graduate of the prestigious University of Miami School of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Music in Performance on saxophone. He also plays flute (C concert and Irish keyless), piano, bass (electric and upright), and guitar. George has been a professional musician for thirty-five years, and has performed with numerous groups ranging from jazz trios to rock quintets to nine-piece horn bands. He also holds a law degree from Georgia State University, and has experience with legal matters in the music industry such as contracting, copyright, and trademark. You can also check out George at http://www.myspace.com/georgepowelljr.

	Laura Nadine Reynolds is an award winning violinist with 25 years of stage experience. At age nine, Laura began private violin lessons with Stefanie Graef Rollins at the Gwinnett School of Music. She furthered her studies with Norman E. Bernal, Dr. Alexander Ross, Brad Stewart, Juana Alzaga and David Arenz. Laura has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra,, the Rome Symphony Orchestra, the Parkview Orchestra the Gwinnett Honor Orchestra and more.
	Melissa Gordon Rhine has accumulated studio, songwriting and performance experience for over 25 years. She began playing piano and singing at the age of 2! Trained classically, she has fronted and managed the local jazz ensemble, New Territory, for the past 20 years. She has appeared as "Miss Harmony" in the "town" of Crossroads at Stone Mountain Park as well as performed in the WXIA special "A Southern Christmas" hosted by Vicki Locke and Steve McCoy. She currently is offering classes in Beginning Voice and Piano.
	Wes Sheppard is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from the University of Georgia where he is studying with John Sutherland. He has performed in Master Classes with Daniel Wolfe, Mateo Mela and Jason Vieaux. Wes has been a performer and teacher of the guitar since 1998.
	Van Temple is an original member of the band "The Producers". "The Producers" have several regional hits as well as 3 Top Ten videos on MTV. The band has played with "Duran Duran", "U2", "The Kinks" and many more. Van remains a member of "The Producers" which continues to play and perform world-wide.
	Jody Worrell has been playing guitar for forty years, and teaching for thirty. A veteran of countless studio sessions comprising practically every style, he brings a great deal of real world experience to the table to help bring the subject matter into a clear focus for the student. Whether it's blues, jazz, country, or rock, Jody has a way of keeping the styles clearly defined while pointing up the fundamental knowledge that's ultimately common to them all. You can also check Jody out at http://www.myspace.com/jodyworrell