Meet the Teachers

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. Music Junction is excited to have DeRock on their team of well-qualified teachers and talented musicians!

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.

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!

Miss Grace's expertise in teaching are in the areas of performance, creativity, and theory. Grace's goal as a teacher is to guide her students in finding their passion for music, sustaining their excitement about their instrument, and giving them the confidence to try new things and grow.

As a String Coach at Glendale High School, she has guided students through rehearsals with Symphonic Orchestra and String Orchestra to prepare for upcoming annual festivals and competitions. While collaborating with fellow coaches and teachers, she prioritizes improving students’ technical and musical abilities. She earned her Certificate of Merit from the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) in both Music Performance and Music Theory to further develop her abilities on the piano and violin. She also received her Diploma in Social Music in piano performance from the National Guild of Piano Teachers - American College of Musicians (NFSM).

In addition to performing at several venues, including Colburn School Zipper Concert Hall, California State University Fullerton Recital Hall, and Cal State University Northridge, she was an active participant of annual Armenian Allied Arts Association competitions and American String Teachers Association (ASTA) events. She is a graduate of Woodbury University and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) – Management degree in June of 2020.

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

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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In 2014, Andrew relocated to Humboldt State University and received a Bachelor's degree in classical guitar performance. While there, Andrew performed regularly in the area, and received various academic and musical honors.

In May 2018, Andrew received a Master of Music degree in guitar performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Marc Teicholz. While at the Conservatory, Andrew had the honor of working with some of the top professionals in the field, including playing in master classes for Meng Su of the Beijing Guitar Duo and Gaelle Solal. He has performed alongside John Dearman of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and in studio recitals with Marc Teicholz. Andrew has been featured as a guest soloist with the LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble at San Francisco's iconic Palace of Fine Arts, and has performed widely in the Bay Area.

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.

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.

LESSONS

Liz is currently studying Music Therapy at California State University in Northridge with her primary instrument of classical voice.

GOALS

After graduating from Indiana University Michael moved back to the Northern Virginia area where he became involved in the Washington D.C music scene. There he was able to immerse himself in the prominent jazz scene; often playing hard-bop and bebop at the jazz clubs throughout the week. Michael also began teaching private lessons in his own private studio as well as institutions such as The Contemporary Music Center (Haymarket, VA) as well as the nationally known lesson studio Music & Arts.

In the Spring of 2022 Michael decided to take his career to Los Angeles, CA. Since then, Michael has performed and produced with many artists in the local scene; he currently works as a session musician, music producer, and song-writer. In addition to working with artists in the industry, Michael also performs with his own soul/rock trio in Los Angeles known as the Michael Paik Trio and has performed at The Rhythm Room as well as the popular flea market known as Melrose Trading Post. Music Junction is proud to have Michael on their team of well-qualified and talented teachers!