Music Lessons

Meet Our Teachers

Our multi-instrument teachers are professional musicians, composers and performers. Tell us your level, goals and preferred style, and we’ll pair you with the best instructor.

Jess Barbosa

Erin Rivero

(All levels) clarinet

Erin Rivero began learning clarinet in elementary school and went on to become a public high school instrumental and vocal music teacher. Her ensemble and classroom teaching experience includes jazz band, wind symphony, string orchestra, guitar, music theory, and women's choir. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Chapman University, where she was the principal clarinetist and concert mistress for the conservatory's chamber orchestra and wind symphony.

Erin's teaching practice focuses on student-centered goals, instrument-specific technique, literacy and sight reading, breath work, tonal development, repertoire expansion, and above all, learning how to enjoy both practice and performance so that music is neither a chore nor a cause for anxiety. As a lifelong musician and educator, Erin believes in balancing seriousness of purpose with not taking ourselves too seriously. In addition to the clarinet, she sings and plays guitar, ukulele, piano, and recorder. She is currently a librarian and engages in casual community performance settings including the Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra in Los Altos, CA. 

Laura Burnett

(All levels) Piano

(beginner/intermediate) ukulele, viola

I studied both piano (Classic) and viola (Suzuki method) from age eight through eighteen. For piano, I completed Certificate of Merits, received the National Guild of Piano Teachers High School Diploma, and competed in Bach Festivals.

In viola, I played in the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra through High School. In undergraduate, I played viola on the UCSD Symphony Orchestra and received a minor in music performance. I am self taught in guitar and ukulele. I’ve been teaching over 10 years.  

I love teaching music and it has turned into the most enjoyable second career for me. I love finding exactly how to help each student overcome something with which they are struggling. I also work very hard to read my students in order to provide the optimum learning curve to avoid frustration or boredom. Additionally, I enjoy working with each student to choose pieces that keep them engaged as they develop their skills and talents. 

Richard Stuverud

(All levels) drums, keyboard, vocals

Known for playing in several bands in the Seattle scene, his first was the punk rock band The Fastbacks.[3] Through the mid-90s, Stuverud played in the bands Three Fish and Tres Mts.,[4] both side projects of Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament.[5] Three Fish released the albums Three Fish (1996) and The Quiet Table (1999), through Epic Records. The album Tres Mts. (Three Mountains), with Doug Pinnick of King's X and guest guitarist Mike McCready, was released in 2011. Pearl Jam's 2011 box set, Vitalogy, includes the previously-unreleased demo version of "Nothingman" with Stuverud on drums. Richard also works on his solo material.

Owen Kelley

(All levels) ukulele
(beginner) electric bass, and guitar

Owen began playing guitar at age 11, going on to study jazz and classical guitar at the Capital University of Columbus, Ohio. As a teacher, Owen strives to balance fun with learning new concepts like sight reading, theory, chord progression and improv. He loves all rock and pop music, but holds a special place for modern rock, blues and jazz. Since moving to Oakland, in 2010, he has performed locally and nationally, and currently appears in the bands Cash Pony, Talkies, and Fine Points. In addition to his tutelage at Mountain Music, Owen accompanies voice classes (guitar/piano) at the Studio Grand Group.

Jeff Tamelier

(All levels) guitar

Jeff Tamelier is a renowned guitarist, producer, educator and author. He recorded and toured with Starship and Eddie Money. He is known globally for his work with Tower of Power, not only as a guitarist and songwriter, but as a clinician for Fender and Dunlop. His critically acclaimed Hal Leonard-released book, Funk Guitar featuring Jeff Tamelier of Tower of Power, remains in print 20 years later and selling worldwide. He has had an acclaimed instructional video on Arlen Roth’s Hot Licks catalog. Since 2007, Jeff has served as president and CEO of Track Shack Recording Studios and Productions, in Sacramento, where he continues to produce music of all genres. His production on 2010’s Gigatone Music’s parody release “Barracks Greatest Hits“ was Grammy nominated.

Gabe Katz

(All levels) drums

Gabe has been drumming for 30+ years and teaching for 15+ years. He has an alternative teaching style that caters to the individual needs of his students. He has a fun approach to teaching and focuses on techniques to bring out personal style. Gabe’s musical background is mostly in rock, punk, and avant-garde, and he incorporates elements from many genres to help students find their voice. Gabe enjoys drumming and loves to share that joy with others. 

Marzuki Grinage

(All levels) Voice, piano, guitar, bass, music production & beat making

Marzuki has over 20 years combined experience studying and teaching the world-renowned Speech Level Singing Technique created by Seth Riggs (used by Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, Ozzy Osbourne, Barbra Streisand and over 135 Grammy Award Winners.)

Other experience includes being mentored by his father Bassist Les Grinage (Odetta, Taj Mahal, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Mingus, Bill Evans) guitar lessons with Nils Frykdahl (Acid Rain, Idiot Flesh, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Faun Fables, Free Salamander Exhibit) Music Theory at Laney College, Jazz Composition, Theory, Harmony, Arranging and Ear Training with Jim Grantham (Berklee College of Music, San Francisco State) Bass with Kai Eckhardt (John Mclaughlin) Drums with Alan Hall (Berklee, The Jazz School) Production, Engineering, Songwriting and Certification from The Music Recording Industry Program at San Francisco State University.

Marzuki’s highlights include performing and or recording with members of Santana, Sly And The Family Stone, Graham Central Station, The James Brown Band, The Wailers among others and Vocal Coaching Grammy Winner H.E.R. (Gabi Wilson) for her breakthrough performances of Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You” on the Maury Povich Show and The Today Show.

Paris King

(All levels) guitar, ukulele, music theory, sound engineering, modular synthesis, and songwriting

Paris formally became a music teacher in 2021, although he has taught music for 30 years. He specializes in guitar and ukulele. Paris believes the hallmark of a great teacher is that each of their students learns to play in their own unique voice. This is why in his teaching he emphasizes proper technique, as well as music theory and rhythmic studies. He also finds it important to expose students to historical musical styles specifically geared toward the student's areas of interest. As a student, he has studied North Indian classical music with Ali Akbar Khan, West African drums with Moshe Milan, piano with Gary Schwantes, music theory with Mondre Moffett, classical bass with Alex Glickman (formally of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra), and jazz guitar with Calvin Keys, Jack Eskridge, and Anthony Michael Peterson. Professionally, he has performed Carribean music as guitarist for Jr. Toots for 10+ years.

Pete Feltman (teaches at 5951 College Ave Oakland)
(All levels) banjo (all but tenor), guitar, harmonica
(beginner & intermediate) ukulele, voice & mandolin

A singer-songwriter, Pete loves to play, teach and talk about music, regardless of genre or tradition. He has been singing all his life, playing piano for over 30 years, and strings for 20. He strives to help his students discover their own voice, in melody and word, so they can express their ideas with confidence in tone and feel. He currently plays banjo with Westcoast Wildfire and The Gravel Spreaders. He also serves as the Director of Music Ministry at the College Ave Presbyterian Church.

Eli Streich - (All levels) Drums
Eli was raised in a family of musicians and educators. At the age of six, he began studying the drumset and has stuck with it ever since. He holds a diploma from Oakland School For The Arts with an emphasis on instrumental music, as well as a Bachelor of Music from Sonoma State University, with a focus on Jazz Studies. Aside from working as a music teacher and freelance musician, Eli also regularly gigs in the Bay Area DIY circuit with local art-rock outfit Gumby’s Junk. Eli’s goal as a teacher is to not only develop technical ability behind the kit, but to also foster creativity and enthusiasm for music!

Hannah Robbin - Piano, Violin, Viola (All levels) 

Hannah Robbins is a violin teacher throughout the bay area. She grew up on the East Coast where she studied violin with teachers at the Eastman School of Music, Hochstien, and the Kanack School of Music. She was the youngest member to be accepted into the Hochstein Youth Orchestra as well as the RPYO. She later moved to Nashville where she studied with teachers at the Blair School of Music/Vanderbilt before moving to San Francisco to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has also studied at MTSU and SJSU. She has soloed and perforformed regularly throughout her years. Her students are members of each level of the San Jose Youth Symphony, the California Youth Symphony, PACO, PYO, and the El Camino Youth Symphony. Numerous students hold leadership and concert master roles and are active in competitions (beginner to advanced) and participate in graded assessment programs such as The Royal Conservatory of Music Achievement Program and Certificate of Merit. Students have been accepted into professional level summer camps such as MPM, Brevard Music Festival, Interlochen and more. Her students participate in the California All State Orchestra. As well, multiple students of hers have gone on to continue studying music at college levels. Hannah focuses on a teaching style that combines the use of different methods and books with a strong emphasis on supplementary theory, ear training, proper technique, and overal musicality. Students are taught the importance of good technique and theory from the beginning with an emphasis on the importance of good tone, sound, rhythm, technique, and ear training for the best possible results in playing all while having fun and exploring the love of music. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, going to new places in the bay, and performing in ensembles with her friends.

Nora Free (All levels) all woodwind instruments (sax, flute, clarinet, oboe) and jazz improvisation 

William Brown - Trumpet, french horn (all levels) + trombone and piano (beginners and intermediate)

Will began taking piano lessons when he was seven years old. After a few years of piano lessons, he signed up for band class and became fascinated with the trumpet. In high school, he decided to take music seriously and began practicing for several hours every day. The effort that he put in paid off as he earned a spot in the California All-State Wind Symphony his senior year. Will went on to study music in college. In May of 2023, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. During his studies, he discovered his passion for one-on-one style music lessons; specializing in brass, piano, and music theory. Outside of music, you can probably find Will at your local coffee shop reading philosophy, or out running on the trails of Redwood Regional Park, training for his next ultramarathon.