A music school built for you!

Meet our Staff!

A photo of Bruce Anderson
Bruce Anderson

Owner, Director of the Music School
Keyboard Instructor, Band Coach

Bruce Anderson has over 30 years experience in music education, management and performance. Bruce graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Theory and Composition. Bruce was a product specialist and education consultant for the Education and Keyboard Divisions of Yamaha. Bruce was a Vice President and Director of Education for Jordan Kitt's Music and managed their music education programs from 1995 to 2011. Currently as owner/director of Lutherville Music School, Bruce will teaches the Yamaha Music Education System classes and other specialty programs. Bruce has been the organist for the Washington Capitals for 20 seasons and won an Emmy in 2014 for his work in a special segment for Caps Red Line.

Drew Wright
Drew Wright

Director of the Rock School
Guitar/Bass/Drum/Recording Instructor, Band Coach

Drew attempted to play the piano as soon as he could walk. In elementary school, he took lessons on piano and eventually the trumpet. During a rough patch in middle school, he began playing the guitar, discovered the therapeutic nature of music, and felt called to pursue it as a career. He started a band, Asbestos, with long time friend Erik Davis to achieve this goal. Asbestos released 3 CDs, and toured throughout the country over the course of their 10 years as a band. A few years after earning a dual emphasis Music Composition and Recording Technology degree from UMBC, Asbestos split up, and Drew began working at Lutherville Rock School. He discovered a passion for helping students follow their own dreams in music, while providing them something to help negotiate the type of adolescent turbulence he had experienced. He continues this work today as the Director of Lutherville Rock School. In addition to teaching, Drew leads the Motley Choir and Bell Choir at Calvary Baptist Church in Towson and plays with The Nuffs as well as various side projects and collaborations.

Noah Pierre
Noah Pierre

Director of Guitar Studies
Guitar/Bass Instructor, Band Coach

Noah Pierre joined Lutherville Rock School as a guitar/bass instructor. Noah has a background in various genres of music and graduated from Towson University with a degree in jazz commercial performance. He currently performs in various bands doing various styles, both on guitar and bass, throughout the Baltimore area.

Jasmine Brion (Administrator, Band Coach, Keyboard Instructor)
Jasmine Brion
Jasmine Brion

Administrator, Band Coach, Keyboard Instructor

Jasmine Brion is a former student of both Lutherville Music School and Lutherville Rock School. She currently attends Towson University. At the age of 9, she started taking piano lessons at Lutherville Music School. She also plays bass guitar, acoustic guitar and drums. She was a member of the band “If You Could”, which was one of the first Lutherville Rock School bands to play in 2013. The band continuously played together for 7 years and was inducted into the "Band Wall of Fame" in 2019. Jasmine was also awarded the Scott Fisher Award in the same year, which recognizes students who exemplify excellence, talent and dedication. In addition to coaching bands and performing administrative duties at Lutherville Rock School, she has been a worship leader for the Church of the Nativity Student Band in Timonium since 2014.

Justin Brion (Administrator, Band Coach, Keyboard Instructor)
JustinBrionBioImage
Justin Brion

Administrator, Band Coach, Keyboard Instructor

Justin Brion has been a part of the Lutherville Music School family for over a decade as a former student. He first took piano lessons when he was 7 years old and now he shares his passion for music by teaching private piano lessons and serving as a coach for the rock school. Justin is also part of the administrative staff and works on many behind the scenes activities. He is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he is further pursuing his musical studies. He is proud to be one of the original rock school bands which formed in 2013 called “If You Could” and was inducted into the “Wall of Fame” in 2019. Justin is a recipient of the Scott Fischer Award which was awarded to him in 2019 by the rock school and is only given to a select number of students during the Winter and Spring Showcases. Aside from Lutherville Music School, Justin is worship band leader for the student band at the Church of Nativity in Timonium, MD. Justin strives to educate, motivate and most importantly inspire students to bring the power of music into their lives.

Nancy White (Keyboard Instructor)
Nancy White
Nancy White

Keyboard Instructor

Nancy White brings the unique gift of inspiring her students to learn and enjoy music in a fun, yet ultimately highly educational manner. Nancy studied with Peabody instructors and has shared her talents with hundreds of students for over 20 plus years of teaching. She is great with younger children and adults love her easy going, nurturing manner. Nancy is versatile in musical styles, knowledgeable in varying piano methodologies, and most important - has infinite patience.

Laura Combs (Keyboard Instructor)
Laura Combs
Laura Combs

Keyboard Instructor

Laura Combs brings over 25 years of teaching experience to her students. Laura grew up in a musical family and learned her craft through many years of performance and teaching. She is equally proficient in piano and organ and has an great understanding of electronic instruments and how to use them. Laura specializes in teaching standards, pop, jazz, and gospel styles. Laura teaches our Recreational Music Making classes for older adults - bringing her patient, warm and friendly style to these low-stress, high fun lessons. Laura is equally at home and active in teaching all ages, starting as young as age 4 (with adult present).

Greg Adams (Keyboard Instructor)
Greg Adams
Greg Adams

Keyboard Instructor

Greg Adams is a jazz pianist, composer, and piano teacher located in Baltimore, MD. He graduated summa cum laude from McDaniel College in 2008, earning his Bachelors in Music Theory and Composition. While at McDaniel, Greg studied both jazz and classical piano under the tutelage of Eric Byrd and David Kreider respectively. In 2010, Greg earned his Masters degree in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Piano from Towson University, where he studied with Tim Murphy and served as the teaching assistant for the Music Theory department. Greg's own jazz piano trio performs regularly around the DC/Baltimore region and was recently a headliner at the Baltimore-Washington Jazzfest. Outside of jazz, Greg is also a member of the eclectic rock/fusion band Turtle Buddy and pianist for Valley Brook Community Church in Columbia, MD. Greg has been teaching piano lessons professionally since 2008, and creates his own arrangements and lesson plans to suit his students' varying needs and interests. Whether teaching a Miles Davis tune, a Chopin waltz, or a Radiohead song, Greg is excited to help his students explore their own creativity through the study of music.

Bob Adams (Keyboard/Guitar/Bass/Ukulele Instructor)
DSC09533
Bob Adams

Keyboard/Guitar/Bass/Ukulele Instructor

Bob Adams has been giving private music instruction for piano, guitar, bass, and ukulele in the Mid Atlantic region for many years. He began playing the violin and piano at the age of six and was inspired by movie soundtracks and tunes on the radio before taking to the stage as a singing guitarist and keyboardist. His career as a band leader and performer include working with fulltime regional bands for 25 years and has performed for several world class recording artists. Bob wants to share his music experience with as many people as possible. His philosophy of teaching is: Every student has a different background, set of experiences, goals and desires. Each should be treated uniquely in those regards. Bob’s approach to teaching not only accounts for this range of ambitions and interests, but also the opportunity for the student to find and express their own unique voice. As a Music Composer, Audio Post Production Mixer, and Sound Designer for Discovery Channel, Bob has many television, radio, film, digital media and computer game credits. He was a 2011 Emmy Award nominee for Sound Design for a Series on the History Channel. Bob currently performs music at a variety of churches in the area.

Ian Fairweather (Keyboard Instructor)
Ian Fairweather
Ian Fairweather

Keyboard Instructor

Ian Fairweather trained in classical piano through the Australian Conservatory of Music. He commenced teaching over 30 years ago, specializing in improvising, arranging, and personalizing music. Ian has written and taught college courses for piano and guitar. He is also actively involved in church music, and has served as the Music Minister at several churches in Australia and the USA. Ian has worked as a professional musician and is also a piano technician, servicing and repairing pianos in the greater Baltimore area.

Juliana Marin (Voice/Theatre Instructor)
Juliana Marin
Juliana Marin

Voice/Theatre Instructor

Juliana Marin is a voice teacher and arts administrator. She is a graduate from Towson University with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and The Peabody Conservatory with a Master of Music in vocal performance. While at Towson University, she received the Music Department Talent Award and was the first-place winner of the Dr. Sydney Lieberman Music Competition.She is a recipient of a Peabody Career Development Grant the George Woodhead Prize in Voice. While at Towson she performed the role of Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and at Peabody, Clorinda from Rossini's La Cenerentola. She has previously been the music director of a production of Jason Robert Brown’s, Parade with Wildwood Summer Theatre in Bethesda, MD, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Drama Learning Center in Columbia, MD, and Pippin with Greenbelt Arts Center. Ms. Marin is very passionate about bringing music into the lives of young people. Knowing she has a part in fostering appreciation of the arts and skills that go beyond the music studio is incredibly rewarding! She wants students to have fun exploring the depths of vocal music and to be bold by allowing something as personal as their voice to be heard. When Ms. Marin is not singing, she can be found decorating, cooking or watching BBC's Sherlock and episodes of Doctor Who repeatedly

Tracy Hall (Voice Instructor)
Tracy photo bright (2)
Tracy Hall

Voice Instructor

Tracy Hall has an MM in Voice Performance (University of SC), an MLS in Library Science, and a BM in Piano/Choral Music Education (UNC-Greensboro), but some of her most valuable learning took place after her formal study. She scoured the country to find the best voice teacher for her, learning valuable insights from every teacher, and then studying with Amy Burton (New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera) for several years. She participated in many training programs that helped her develop her acting and onstage presence. And performed in operas, concerts, and church music. In more recent years, her focus has been on performing popular and folk/traditional music of the world, along with composing & songwriting. She is the Music Director at Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, where she plans music for worship, conducts the choirs, plays the piano, facilitates the drum circle, and coordinates special events like choir concerts and musicals. Also Tracy loves movement and dance, and she recently earned her White Belt in NIA Technique, a dance-based fitness and lifestyle system. Tracy enjoys helping every student explore and get the most beauty possible out of their vocal instrument, and she helps her students develop performance skills and confidence as well.

Chris Phillips (Drum Instructor)
unnamed
Chris Phillips

Drum Instructor

Chris has been teaching drums at Lutherville Rock School since 2013. He has played in many bands and performed at famous venues. Chris has also taught in Baltimore City Public Schools as a music and art teacher. Chris strives to turn his students into confident rock drummers.

Connor Murray (Guitar/Bass/Mandolin/Drum Instructor)
IMG_8796
Connor Murray

Guitar/Bass/Mandolin/Drum Instructor

Connor’s passion for music started at a young age. With both parents in performing bands, it wasn’t long before Connor picked up his dad’s guitar and started finding his own voice. After 10 years of playing, he found his love for bass and mandolin, driving him to become proficient in a wide array of musical instruments and styles. Connor realized his passion for teaching in college while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Jazz Performance from Towson University. He spent 2 years as a public school music teacher before joining touring bluegrass band, the Dirty Grass Players. While not on the road with DGP, Connor serves as the program director for the Widespread Hope Foundation and plays in Baltimore based bands MUNK and Young at Heart.

Anshuman Goswami (Guitar/Bass/Drum Instructor, Band Coach)
Anshuman Goswami
Anshuman Goswami

Guitar/Bass/Drum Instructor, Band Coach

Anshuman Goswami is an experienced Composer, Educator, and International Touring Artist. With 5+ years of Rock School teaching, a bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance, and an extensive background in Heavy Metal guitar and drums, Anshuman offers a practical and diverse approach to several disciplines of the guitar and the drumkit.

Brice Adkins (Guitar/Bass Instructor, Band Coach)
Brice Adkins
Brice Adkins

Guitar/Bass Instructor, Band Coach

Brice is a graduate of the Music Technology bachelors program at UMBC, and has over a decade of experience playing guitar, bass, and piano in a wide variety of styles including rock, jazz, and bluegrass. His most recent projects include performing with his group the Brice Adkins Trio, and releasing an EP of original music in which he wrote, arranged, performed, mixed, and mastered each track. Brice has a strong dedication for helping others to utilize their creative energy and tap into their passion for music.

Oscar Sobkowicz (Guitar/Bass/Ukulele Instructor, Band Coach)
Oscar Sobkowic
Oscar Sobkowicz

Guitar/Bass/Ukulele Instructor, Band Coach

Oscar Sobkowicz has toured and played music for over half his life. He currently plays in a pop punk band called Kings of the Wild Things and has played with acts such as All Time Low, Reel Big Fish, Escape The Fate, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. He teaches guitar, bass, and ukulele and also runs bands for the schools band program. He is a sincere believer in putting on a good show while also playing good music.

Damian Silvas (Guitar/Bass Instructor, Band Coach)
FullSizeRender
Damian Silvas

Guitar/Bass Instructor, Band Coach

Damian played guitar for 14 years and has played in four working bands throughout his career. He is experienced in playing all genres, but typically writes, records, and performs modern metal. He is especially experienced in developing and drilling retention of picking styles, arpeggiation styles, scalar runs, chord study, amplified sound articulation, singing while playing, stage movement, and rocking hard.

Ben Kolakowski (Guitar/Bass Instructor)
DGPRamsHeadtavern01212022 4nwm
Ben Kolakowski

Guitar/Bass Instructor

Ben joined the Lutherville Rock school staff in 2021, and has been a private music instructor in the Baltimore area for over 12 years. Ben is proficient in playing and teaching a wide range of styles from Classic Rock, Jazz, Blues, Heavy Metal, Country, and Bluegrass. In addition to teaching he has been performing regionally and nationally with various bands since he was 16. For the past 7 years Ben has been touring and performing with Baltimore based bluegrass act The Dirty Grass Players.

Carl Hengen (Voice/Guitar/Bass/Theatre Instructor, Band Coach)
Carl @ Ottobar w MOTH
Carl Hengen

Voice/Guitar/Bass/Theatre Instructor, Band Coach

A classically-trained opera singer, Mr. Hengen has sung leading opera roles such as Ruggero in Puccini’s La Rondine, Ferrando in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte, Nemorino in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore, Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Additional credits include Gherardo in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi with Oberlin-In-Italy, and Benvolio in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette with Maryland Lyric Opera. He has also enjoyed performing with the chorus at Annapolis Opera in recent productions such as La Bohème and Rigoletto.

Beyond Classical Voice, Mr. Hengen enjoys playing guitar in many styles, not limited to rock and jazz. He studied guitar with Maryland Music Hall of Famer Tobias Hurwitz. Mr. Hengen currently serves as guitarist and vocalist for original prog rock group Bardic Compass. In the past, he has contributed to a number of Maryland local original bands such as MisEuphoria, The Silver Annex, Z’Roussette, and Migration of the Herd. He has enjoyed a career of performing in bands of various styles not limited to Jazz & Jazz Fusion, Rock, Metal, and in orchestras for musical theater productions.

Mr. Hengen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music in Voice Performance from the University of Maryland College Park, a Master of Music Degree in Voice Performance from Michigan State University, and the Graduate Performance Diploma in Voice from The Conservatory of the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University.

Siobhan Beckett (Voice/Theatre Instructor)
Siobhan
Siobhan Beckett

Voice/Theatre Instructor

Siobhan Beckett is an actor, singer, makeup artist and arts educator living and working in the Baltimore area. Siobhan studied Theatre with a special concentration in Acting at Towson University and graduated with her Bachelors Degree. Siobhan is a freelance actor, performer and vocalist, with professional stage experience ranging from acoustic unplugged bands and pop stylings, to musical theatre to opera to rock opera, and even metal vocals. Siobhan is comfortable singing everything from show tunes and arias, to Adele and Janis Joplin, to metal growls and screams. Siobhan draws on her experience as a performer in theatre and musical theater to help teach audition technique, full body vocal warm ups and stretches, and how to be an engaging, animated lead vocalist who doesn't just sing, but performs!

Siobhan focuses on Alexander Technique and Roy Hart Vocal Technique with her students, which emphasizes proper posture, breathing and diaphragm work and the versatility of the human voice as an instrument. Siobhan, also known as Shiv, encourages energy, imagination, individuality and finding your own inner rock star. Shiv teaches a range of vocal stylings and techniques. She specializes in hard rock and unclean vocal styling, like healthy screaming, as well as voice and body to mind connection training, and developing engaging stage presence techniques as a performer.

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon (Voice/Keyboard Instructor)
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon

Voice/Keyboard Instructor

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon is a singer-songwriter, Towson University alumnus, and 2019 American Idol finalist. Jeremiah graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in classical vocal performance in 2019 from Towson University and now works independently as a nationally known, touring singer-songwriter. When Jeremiah isn’t playing shows, writing or recording, he works as a vocal coach, as well as an artist mentor. His expertise is helping other aspiring artists and writers find their creative niche and develop their own unique voice to share with the world.

Alex Berman (Banjo/Guitar/Bass/Mandolin/Voice Instructor)
Berman shots 2 nwm
Alex Berman

Banjo/Guitar/Bass/Mandolin/Voice Instructor

Alex has been a regular gigging musician since 2012. From playing solo gigs around the DC/Baltimore area, to performing in the nationally touring bluegrass band The Dirty Grass Players. He has been a private music instructor for 7 years now. As an instructor, he has developed and implemented progressive lessons for children and adults ranging from beginner and intermediate, to advanced.

David Wilson (Drum Instructor)
Bardic Compass
David Wilson

Drum Instructor

David Wilson joined the Lutherville Rock School in 2022 as a drum instructor. As a drummer, he's had the experience of working in 15+ bands throughout the DC Metropolitan area. David has worked as both a touring musician as well as a studio drummer for bands spanning a wide variety of styles. With 17 years of drumming experience and more than 150 live performances under his belt, his area of expertise ranges from pop to rock to jazz-fusion with almost everything in between. David graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, after earning his Associates with a focus in Jazz Performance. In addition to drumming, David has experience in writing, recording, and producing music both as a solo artist and in collaborative settings. Prior to joining LRS, David had a couple years experience providing private lessons to students one-on-one out of his home.

Jack Jahries (Guitar/Bass Instructor)
unnamed
Jack Jahries

Guitar/Bass Instructor

Jack Jahries is an experienced local musician who grew up in Lutherville! He primarily teaches guitar and bass. Jack performs in a handful of bands across Baltimore and leads The Luvable Idiots, a local rock band. He offers a practical approach to guitar/bass and extensive experience navigating the highs and lows of "making it work" in a band setting!

Tom Starr (Guitar/Keyboard Instructor, Band Coach)
The Tom Starr Trio
Tom Starr

Guitar/Keyboard Instructor, Band Coach

A versatile singer-songwriter, musician, and performer, Tom has been playing the guitar since he was six years old. Tom also sings, plays piano, and writes his own music. Tom has performed all across the country and in 2022, he performed roughly 150 shows up-and-down the east coast. Tom has lots of experience playing solo acoustic concerts and duo shows with a variety of other performers, as well as performing with his rock and roll trio, The Tom Starr Trio and with his touring rock band, YUTZI.

Quinn Rehkemper (Keyboard Instructor)
IMG_2613
Quinn Rehkemper

Keyboard Instructor

Quinn Rehkemper has been playing and performing music since he was 4-years old and it is the true passion of his life. He has had seven years of classical piano training and has been playing saxophone for six.

Quinn is a third year student at Baltimore School For The Arts studying saxophone performance under the tutelage of Gary Thomas. He is a member of BSA’s Jazz Combo, Big Band Ensemble, Wind Ensemble and Saxophone Ensemble. In 2021, he was invited to join the Peabody Preparatory Wind Orchestra and has performed on the alto, tenor and soprano saxophone This year, Quinn was invited to participate in Towson University’s Honors Band program.

In 2021, Quinn was selected to join the exclusive Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz high school Peer-to-Peer program. In April of 2022, he performed as a member of the Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer All-Star Jazz Septet at the US Department of Education’s annual Jazz Informance, where he was able to meet and play with Herbie Hancock himself. 

Quinn began teaching private lessons in 2020 and is excited to join the Lutherville Music School staff. 

Tony Kelly (Keyboard Instructor)
tony
Tony Kelly

Keyboard Instructor

Tony began his musical instruction with piano lessons at the age of 5. Along the way he also picked up the guitar and the bass, as well as the organ and the accordion. He continues to play keyboards in the funk band Freedom Enterprise and also performs regularly with his sister Baltimore singer & songwriter Cara Kelly. In addition to being a teacher and performer, he is a professional audio engineer, working as both the recording engineer and the mixer in his studio Titanic Bluebird.
https://titanicbluebird.com/ 

Patricia Hengen-Shields (Voice/Theatre Instructor)
patricia
Patricia Hengen-Shields

Voice/Theatre Instructor

Mezzo-soprano and Baltimore native, Patricia Hengen has performed in numerous venues in the Mid-Atlantic region. Earlier this year, she was seen in Annapolis Opera’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro, and she represented the North Carolina region in the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. Recent roles include Aunt Dee/Drosselmeyer (The Nutcracker), Florinda (Into the Woods), Annina (La Traviata), Le Prince Charmant (Cendrillon), and Dreite Knabe (Die Zauberflote). Other productions include La Boheme, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, South Pacific, Hairspray: In Concert, and Tosca. She has appeared a soloist with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, the Baltimore Symphony, the Harford Choral Society, and the City Choir of Washington under the direction of Grammy award-winning conductor, Robert Shafer. Ms. Hengen is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory, and a member of the Voice Faculty at the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Nathan Shumakrr (Clarinet/Saxophone Instructor)
The Recher
Nathan Shumakrr

Clarinet/Saxophone Instructor

Nathan's passion for music began at a very young age. He grew up in a household of two musical parents that gave him a strong foundation in the fundamentals of music, leading him to years of performance at his Father’s church and then to the saxophone at age 10. He would go on to graduate from Towson with a degree in Jazz and Commercial performance. While there he began to play Clarinet and Flute, allowing him to play in a variety of pit orchestras. Nathan has background in Jazz, Blues, R&B, and Classical music and currently performs alongside a variety of jazz and pop bands.

Imam Hamdani (Guitar Instructor)
imam-hamdani
Imam Hamdani

Guitar Instructor

Hasan Imam Hamdani is a composer, educator, and dedicated guitar player currently based in the United States. A master’s in music production and performance from Berklee College of Music, Imam brings a decade of experience in an array of guitar styles, (blues, popular music, jazz, West African, and Indian classical) and an accumulated eight years as a music educator.

Imam’s expertise lies in improvisation techniques that capture the world of diverse musical traditions (World music) and delivering specialized courses in music theory, (encompassing harmony, composition, and ear training) and music production.

As band leader, Imam composes, and arranges for his ensemble "Imam Collective," a diverse community of musicians from around the world. Notable collaborations include performances at prestigious institutions such as the Reina Sofia Conservatory in Madrid, Les Arts in Valencia, and Qalandar Arts in London. 

Anthony Shields (Violin Instructor)
Headshot (1)
Anthony Shields

Violin Instructor

Born into a musical family in Baltimore, Anthony C. Shields started playing the Violin at the age of eight. Throughout the early years of developing his craft, he began studying with a number of noted teachers in Maryland, such as Rhadi Santos, Linda Molina, and Matthew Horowitz-Lee at the Peabody Conservatory. Anthony Shields went on to receive his Bachelors in Music Performance at the Shenandoah Conservatory, where he studied with Akemi Takayama, Concertmaster of the Roanoke Symphony, and Oleg Rylatko, Concertmaster of the Washington Opera.

After graduating from the Shenandoah Conservatory in 2014, Anthony went on to serve as a Section Violinist for the National String Symphonia, a fully professional symphonic string orchestra under the baton of David A. Fanning. He would later perform along with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony in 2015 as a Section Violinist under the baton of Maestro Julien Benichou.

When there are no performances, Anthony Shields is also an avid and passionate teacher of violin as well as Viola. With over 5 years of teaching experience, Anthony strives to share his knowledge of music with students of all ages, privately, as well as in group settings of all levels, from beginner to advanced in the Harford/Baltimore County area.