5 Instructors for Music Theory & Compositions
Spencer Hoveskeland: Both in-person & online lessons available
Spencer Hoveskeland (Bass, Cello, Guitar) Spencer's formal music education was at Western Washington University in double bass and classical guitar. He initially studied with bassist Chuck Israels (Bill Evans trio), violinist Peter Marsh (Lennox Quartet, Thornton Music School), cellist Barton Frank (Piatagorsky prodigy), cellist Walter Gray (Kronos Quartet, Seattle Symphony), and most influentially with clarinetist and conductor Arthur Bloom (Dorian Wind Quintet, NY Arts Council). His performance experiences include everything from arranging and composing to movie soundtracks, Broadway pit work, new music, symphony, chamber music, jazz, rock, metal, folk, conductor, humorist, and as soloist. He was the orchestra teacher, teaching violin, viola, cello, and bass, for Cedars Waldorf, Seattle Waldorf, and Eastside Community school from 2014-2022. He continues to be a para-educator in public schools and has been teaching private lessons since 1987.
Students have varying degrees of passion day to day with their studies. It is my will to meet the student where they are, whether it be playing just for fun or studying and working towards music as a profession, and hopefully, sometimes both!
Students have varying degrees of passion day to day with their studies. It is my will to meet the student where they are, whether it be playing just for fun or studying and working towards music as a profession, and hopefully, sometimes both!
Benjamin Gessel: Both in-person & online lessons available
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Mr. Gessel has been composing music since the age of 14 or so. After completing his BA in Music at Central Washington University, he completed a part time, 2 year film scoring program with the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program, led by Hummie Mann and Tim Huling. He has composed music for many different instruments and ensembles, and specializes in late romantic classical and film/media/easy listening music. Some of the most influential composers and songwriters for Mr. Gessel have been John Barry, John Williams, Leonard Rosenman, Lalo Schifrin, Jerry Goldsmith, Sir Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan-Williams, Sergei Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Ravel, John Rutter, Syd Dale, Heinz Kiessling, Stelvio Cipriani, Burt Bacharach, Lex de Azevedo, Jon Schmidt and Michael McLean. He is passionate about helping composers further their abilities, and is open to teaching beginners through very advanced composition students. Composition students can expect to have very well-rounded music lessons with Mr. Gessel, as he is careful to include instruction in music history, ear training, chord/harmonic analysis, reading orchestral scores, music listening, and so forth.
Sviatlana Kebets: Both in-person & online lessons available
Sviatlana Kebets is a highly motivated professional with more than 20 years of experience in the field of Music Performance and Education. Born in Belarus, she graduated from Lida School of Music, Lida College of Music and Belarusian State Academy of Music with a bachelor's degree. Her experience includes teaching piano, directing instrumental ensembles, arranging, recording, participation in international competitions, and performing as an orchestra and choir conductor on different stages.
Since her arrival in the U.S.A., Sviatlana successfully continued her work as a piano and music theory teacher in Chicago, participated as a judge in RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) Examinations. In 2017, she moved to Seattle metropolitan area and continued her career in music instructions. Working with both children and adults, Sviatlana provides an enjoyable and optimal learning environment to maximize the students' unique potential. She also helps students who are preparing for RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) Examinations and other exams, certificates & competitions when students are ready to participate on them. Besides classical music, she incorporates and welcomes different genres in her lessons such as jazz, musicals, soundtracks, pop, ragtime, and folk.
In her free time, she enjoys, reading, watching old-fashion TV shows, barbecue, & fancy desserts. She is also enjoying decorating a new home that she and her husband recently bought.
Since her arrival in the U.S.A., Sviatlana successfully continued her work as a piano and music theory teacher in Chicago, participated as a judge in RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) Examinations. In 2017, she moved to Seattle metropolitan area and continued her career in music instructions. Working with both children and adults, Sviatlana provides an enjoyable and optimal learning environment to maximize the students' unique potential. She also helps students who are preparing for RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) Examinations and other exams, certificates & competitions when students are ready to participate on them. Besides classical music, she incorporates and welcomes different genres in her lessons such as jazz, musicals, soundtracks, pop, ragtime, and folk.
In her free time, she enjoys, reading, watching old-fashion TV shows, barbecue, & fancy desserts. She is also enjoying decorating a new home that she and her husband recently bought.
Jonny Akamu: Both in-person & online lessons available
Hawaiian/Northwest guitarist Jonny Akamu has been playing guitar for 15 years, learning and teaching folk, rock, blues, jazz, funk, classical, Hawaiian, and flamenco. He has played in bands from French jazz to folk to rock and has performed all around Seattle, including 6 times at The Triple Door main stage.
“He picks and strums so fast you’d think you were watching time-lapse photography of his clockwork hands” -KEXP Triple Door show
Jonny loves sharing music. As a teacher, he has taught over a hundred students and finds nothing more rewarding than seeing kids and adults discover and accomplish the guitar. Most importantly, Jonny believes music should be fun. He uses games to teach fundamental techniques so students can learn and play their favorite songs. Some of his former students are now performing musicians and have been semifinalists at the EMP Sound Off, a battle of the bands for teenagers. Jonny is also a songwriter and recently made it to the finals in the American Songwriter Awards. Please go to his website to read reviews and discover more about Jonny Akamu.
“He picks and strums so fast you’d think you were watching time-lapse photography of his clockwork hands” -KEXP Triple Door show
Jonny loves sharing music. As a teacher, he has taught over a hundred students and finds nothing more rewarding than seeing kids and adults discover and accomplish the guitar. Most importantly, Jonny believes music should be fun. He uses games to teach fundamental techniques so students can learn and play their favorite songs. Some of his former students are now performing musicians and have been semifinalists at the EMP Sound Off, a battle of the bands for teenagers. Jonny is also a songwriter and recently made it to the finals in the American Songwriter Awards. Please go to his website to read reviews and discover more about Jonny Akamu.
Jason Kuo: Both in-person & online lessons available
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Pianist Jason S. Kuo studied with Martha Wasley at the University of California at Berkeley and was later coached by Janet Guggenheim, whose worldwide concert credits included over thirty years of collaboration with the celebrated violinist Itzhak Perlman.
Dr. Kuo performed in public masterclasses of Richard Goode and the late Karl Schnabel while residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been teaching piano privately since 1991, and has been actively performing as an accompanist and a chamber musician. In the Seattle area, he frequently can be seen providing professional accompaniment service to students participating in festivals and competitions. Dr. Kuo also performs as the keyboard member of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and serves on the board of Orchestra Seattle and the Seattle Chamber Singers.
To find out more about lessons he offers, please visit his website, http://www.studio9509.com.
Dr. Kuo performed in public masterclasses of Richard Goode and the late Karl Schnabel while residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been teaching piano privately since 1991, and has been actively performing as an accompanist and a chamber musician. In the Seattle area, he frequently can be seen providing professional accompaniment service to students participating in festivals and competitions. Dr. Kuo also performs as the keyboard member of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and serves on the board of Orchestra Seattle and the Seattle Chamber Singers.
To find out more about lessons he offers, please visit his website, http://www.studio9509.com.