Shine on Stage - Expert Performance & Audition Prep

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Josh started playing piano at age 8 and picked up guitar at 15. While earning his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, he took a formative course called Music and Identity at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, which deepened his love for music theory and self-expression through sound. Josh has over three years of experience teaching traveling music lessons to beginner and intermediate students, covering everything from Arabesque to The Beatles to Ode to Joy. As a passionate and patient instructor, he’s committed to making sure every student gets the most out of their musical journey.

Matt Kniffin is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music teacher who studied at Berklee College of Music and has spent years helping students of all ages find their footing on their instrument. He teaches piano, guitar, bass, and drums, shaping each lesson around what the student actually wants to play and where they want to go.

Jacob is a local musician with experience in guitar, bass, and vocal performance, in addition to formal training in piano and songwriting. He is familiar with a wide variety of genres from hard rock and alternative to shoegaze and musical theater and is always looking for ways to broaden his horizons. He’s had a passion for performing his entire life, channeling it into choir, theater, and performing with several local bands throughout his career including Honey and the Hivemind and Sorry in Advance.

Jacob is completing his degree at the University of Colorado Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Music and is excited to share his knowledge and passion for music.

Ashley was adopted into a musical family at the age of 5 when she started her piano journey. She grew to love music at a young age with a dedicated mother as her teacher. She acquired her first student at the age of 12 since she was already at an early advanced stage in piano performance and sight reading skills.

Mars Garber is a Denver-based Audio Engineer and multi-instrumentalist. He graduated from CU Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineering and a minor in Music Business. Mars has been sharing his passions, instructing both youth and adults alike in Colorado for over 9 years.

Callahan Montano is a sound engineer who has worked as a private instructor for many years, primarily teaching guitar along with piano, drums and percussion, and music production. He has strong troubleshooting and adaptability skills, as well as leadership and management experience from both employment and ensemble work, and has handled equipment management for events, traveling performances, and venues. His performance background is mostly in jazz ensembles, with additional experience in indoor percussion, marching band, symphonic band, pit orchestra, rock, metal, and folk music.

Makenna Flint is a musician from Pennsylvania who moved to Denver two years ago. She is a Fine Arts public school teacher as well as a private piano, voice, percussion, and music production teacher. Makenna attended Liberty University where she studied music education, piano performance, and elementary education. While she teaches many instruments, piano is her primary instrument, and she has been playing for 15 years.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Josh started playing piano at age 8 and picked up guitar at 15. While earning his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, he took a formative course called Music and Identity at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, which deepened his love for music theory and self-expression through sound. Josh has over three years of experience teaching traveling music lessons to beginner and intermediate students, covering everything from Arabesque to The Beatles to Ode to Joy. As a passionate and patient instructor, he’s committed to making sure every student gets the most out of their musical journey.

Matt Kniffin is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music teacher who studied at Berklee College of Music and has spent years helping students of all ages find their footing on their instrument. He teaches piano, guitar, bass, and drums, shaping each lesson around what the student actually wants to play and where they want to go.

Jacob is a local musician with experience in guitar, bass, and vocal performance, in addition to formal training in piano and songwriting. He is familiar with a wide variety of genres from hard rock and alternative to shoegaze and musical theater and is always looking for ways to broaden his horizons. He’s had a passion for performing his entire life, channeling it into choir, theater, and performing with several local bands throughout his career including Honey and the Hivemind and Sorry in Advance.

Jacob is completing his degree at the University of Colorado Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Music and is excited to share his knowledge and passion for music.