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Meet the Teachers

​Meet Our Talented Teachers

Lynn Sher

Lynn is a talented music teacher, with over 7 years of experience supporting children and adults with their musical development.  Not only has Lynn devoted herself to teaching music in her career, she is also a seasoned musician, who has performed professionally since the age of 19.  

 

Her education began at Berklee College of Music as a piano and voice major, finishing her degree at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City with a BFA in Jazz Vocal Performance.  Lynn is well versed in all genres of music, from opera, classical and jazz, to rock, blues and musical theater.  Her main instruments are piano, voice, guitar and electric bass.  

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Lynn is excited to be part of the Music Junction teaching team and contribute to each student's musical journey!

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Sally Bates

Sally Rose Bates has been teaching Voice and Piano for over 20 years and teaches all levels up to advanced in both Piano and Voice at Music Junction.  Teaching is what she has an aptitude and passion for!  Sally is great with all ages of students, as young as 4 years old and up to adults of any age.

 

Sally teachers many styles including Classical, Broadway, Pop, R & B, Rock, Contemporary Christian and Jazz.   She’s been studying and teaching Piano since college, and is an accompanist for her vocal students as well.  Sally has taught preschool through 8th grade general music at private schools too.  She has been an adult choir director for numerous Churches.  Sally is a very positive and encouraging teacher who works together with the student to foster a lifelong love of music!

 

She earned her undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  She earned her Masters degree also in Vocal performance from Georgia State University.  Sally continued to do Doctoral studies in Vocal Performance at the University of California Santa Barbara.  She also did Masters level studies in choral conducting from Cal-State LA.

 

Sally has performed numerous lead opera and musical theater roles.  She has sung with the Santa Barbara Opera, Atlanta Opera, Madison Opera, Peach State Opera and Stoughton Opera companies.  Sally has even performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York with her voice students and noteworthy choir.  Sally was the winner in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Advanced Women category and also a previous finalist.  She was an American Traditions Competition and Pro-Mozart Competition finalist.  Sally sang in the Young Artist Program La Musica Lirica in Italy for three summers.  

 

Music Junction is honored to have Sally on our team.  Schedule your lessons with Sally in Piano or Voice today!  

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DeRock Tucker

Derrick “DeRock” Tucker is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Long Beach, CA. He began inspiring music students with piano, voice, guitar, ukulele and bass lessons in 2006, and teaching music has been his long-time passion ever since.

 

He received training in both classical and jazz bass at LB Polytechnic High and then continued on to the University of Southern California, where he pursued studies in vocal jazz and psychology, as well as piano & guitar. 

 

DeRock has performed and recorded with artists such as Yuna, Jhene Aiko, DJ Premier, Lauryn Hill, Deap Vally, Ikey Owens, Abra, and produces up and coming artists in North Hollywood.

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Adrian Bañuelos

Adrian Bañuelos is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer born in Los Angeles. He began his music studies in a rock and roll setting which eventually led him to study classical music at California State University of Northridge and California State University of Fullerton. He has been teaching music since 2010 and enjoys teaching what he’s learned over the years to students who share the same passion for music.

 

Adrian has performed in various types of productions such as rock bands, church choirs, operas, wedding and funerals; just to name a few. His passion lies in composing and performing new music. Adrian is a very talented and passionate teacher, and Music Junction is thankful to have him on the team!

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​Jack Krimmel

Jack Krimmel is very excited to be part of the Music Junction team! After graduating with a degree in Music Education in 2015 from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, Jack began his teaching career as a high school choir director in Loudoun County Public Schools (Leesburg, Virginia). For six years, Jack taught choir/musical theatre to students grades 9-12. He also served as Music Director for the award-winning spring musicals each year. In July of 2021, Jack moved across the country to Los Angeles to pursue more music performance/teaching opportunities on the west coast. In December, he sang with Kira Alvarez Productions as a Holiday Caroler.

 

In addition to his passion for music, Jack enjoys graphic design, writing, and trying out as many coffee shops in LA as he can.

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​Reese Massey

Reese Massey is a recent music education graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Having grown up in Los Angeles, Reese spent her childhood singing in every choir she could find. She started taking vocal and piano lessons at a young age, but soon learned that her passion was singing with others. At Berklee, Reese performed in countless shows as a soloist, background vocalist, choir member, and accompanist.

 

Additionally, she spent her time arranging a cappella music, songwriting, and directing numerous choirs. With vast performance experience, Reese enjoys singing and performing all genres from classical to jazz! However, her biggest passions lie in teaching music.

 

Reese has a focused and engaging teaching personality. She strives to be genuine in everything that she does and believes her teaching reflects that. Being a preschool music teacher at Small World Child Care helped her to become comfortable teaching younger ages and meeting students where they were. She learned how to balance making music class fun while also making sure the students were learning important skills. Additionally, during her time at Berklee, Reese focused on vocal pedagogy where she learned vocal anatomy as well as how to communicate vocal concepts and techniques to a variety of different ages. She prides herself in her ability to teach the same concept in a multitude of ways, an essential skill for a voice teacher.

 

To Reese, teaching music is not a back-up, but her goal. The more she learned about music education and vocal pedagogy, the more she fell in love with teaching. In fact, Reese comes from a long line of music teachers. There has been a music teacher in every generation of her family starting with her great great grandparents! Reese truly feels a passion for teaching and showing children the joys of music as an art as well as sharing the socio-emotional benefits of music with her students.

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Thomas Graeff

Thomas Graeff is a multi-instrumentalist originally from the Pacific Northwest. He holds a Music Performance degree from Western Washington University after studying jazz with Chuck Israels and the tuba with Dr. Carla Rutschman.

 

Thomas has been teaching music professionally since 2011, and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn the guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, drums, and brass instruments.

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We’re glad you’re excited and want to get started!

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Oleksandra Slominska

Oleksandra Slominska is a multilingual music teacher originally from Ukraine, fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English. In 2016, she completed her degree at the Odesa National Academy of Music, specializing in Musical Art. She then began her career as a violin teacher at the National Theater of Opera and Ballet in Odessa in Ukraine. Her passion for teaching children has made her an excellent teacher, and she loves to share her knowledge and experience with them.

 

In 2018, Oleksandra furthered her studies and took private lessons with various musical professors in Europe, including Julia Bassler, Key Märkl, and Ingolf Turban. She has performed in orchestras in Germany, such as Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich, Munchen Symphoniker, Darmstadt Theater, and Ulm theater. She has also had the privilege of playing in Hans Zimmer and Thilo Wolf's orchestras. Despite her vast experience, Oleksandra remains committed to growing and developing in her professional field every day. Oleksandra's extensive musical background, creativity and sense of humor make her an exceptional and engaging teacher.

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Melina Ruais

Melina Ruais is a skilled voice coach and piano instructor with a strong passion for teaching young people. Her love for music began at a young age, and she has been performing live and in studio projects, refining her vocal and piano skills ever since. With more than 12 years of experience in vocal coaching and studio recordings, Melina has a comprehensive understanding of the art of singing and the techniques required to develop a person's vocal abilities. Her commitment to inspiring and teaching young people is evident in her work with students of all levels. Melina takes pride in helping her students develop their skills and motivation to achieve their musical aspirations.

 

As a musician, Melina is a talented singer-songwriter and music producer. She writes and produces her music, collaborating with other musicians on various projects. Melina's dedication to her craft and her passion for music are apparent in everything she does. Her goal is to help students discover their love for music and support them in unlocking their full potential.

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Liz Knickerbocker

Liz Knickerbocker is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter in Los Angeles, CA. She grew up studying violin at the Flint Institute of Music in Flint, MI, and started assistant teaching in group string classes at the age of 14. Liz has performed in orchestras, quartets, bands, and as a solo artist on tours in Ireland, France, and around southern California.

 

Liz has facilitated private lessons and group classes for violin, viola, cello, guitar, ukulele, voice, piano, trumpet, and trombone around the San Diego and Los Angeles areas.

 

Following her passion for helping children through music, Liz is currently studying Music Therapy at California State University in Northridge with her primary instrument of classical voice.

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Tyler Nuffer

Tyler Nuffer is a talented musician and passionate music teacher who loves to inspire children to explore the world of music. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Guitar from the University of Redlands, which has helped him develop a solid foundation in music theory and performance.

 

With over a decade of professional teaching experience, Tyler has gained a reputation for being patient, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. He teaches a variety of instruments, including guitar, bass, drums, piano, lap steel, and ukulele, and he is well-versed in many different genres of music. He knows how to make learning music fun and engaging for children, helping them develop their skills and confidence.

 

In addition to teaching, Tyler is also an accomplished freelance musician. He is particularly interested in mastering the pedal steel guitar, and has been studying Hawaiian and Country music in-depth. Over the years, he has collaborated with a wide variety of artists and musicians in Los Angeles and beyond, further expanding his musical knowledge and abilities.

 

When teaching young music students, Tyler's top priority is always to create a positive and nurturing learning environment that encourages children to express themselves through music. He loves to incorporate fun activities and games into his lessons, and he even knows how to play the lap steel music from the Nickelodeon television show “Spongebob Squarepants” - a talent that children always find amusing and engaging. Tyler's passion for music is contagious, and he is dedicated to helping children discover the joy of making music for themselves.

We’re glad you’re excited and want to get started!

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