Albertson School of Music


The teachers at the Albertson School of Music are highly skilled musicians, but equally important is their ability to teach in an engaging manner. By focusing on the student's enjoyment of music, our teachers strive to build not only a knowledge of music, but a love of music which students can carry with them throughout their lives.
	INSTRUCTORS *Tim Doyle, Department Head, Guitar and Bass Guitar* With his engaging and fun personality, Tim Doyle finds real enjoyment in teaching and helping students succeed. Tim earned his Bachelor’s degree in guitar performance with a focus in jazz from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has been teaching for over 10 years and has been trained in the Suzuki guitar method. Tim teaches guitar and bass guitar and can teach classical, jazz, rock, R&B, improvisation and theory. He performs in several ensembles that range from jazz to Latin to funk. For Tim, being able to share something that he has such a passion for brings him great joy, and he seeks to surround himself with musicians and those who aspire to become musicians. *John Skoczen, Department Head, Percussion* A true force of nature, John Skoczen has an incredible passion for music and for teaching. John is the percussionist for the Mosaic Latin jazz group and the Cabo Bay Latin jazz group and is also the leader of both the Bokoso West African drum ensemble and the Afro-Cuban bata ensemble. John has a bachelor’s degree in music education and performance, and worked for 2 years as a public school music teacher. As a teacher of both percussion and piano, John guides each student to grow in confidence and pride as well as musically. John is in the process of publishing an instructional drum book, “Foot Coordination for the Conga Player.” *Christine Boone* A friendly and encouraging teacher, Christine Boone teaches both voice and beginning piano. Christine has a Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Indiana University and a Master’s degree in music theory from the University of Texas. Christine has studied pedagogy extensively and uses this knowledge to guide her students. She enjoys getting to know her students and helping them make the most of their talents. Christine has performed in many musicals, with her favorite roles being Anna in “The King and I” and Mabel in “The Pirates of Penzance.” She is currently working on her PhD and plans to become a professor of music theory. *Nick Nolden* Nick Nolden is a versatile musician, teaching electric and upright bass, guitar, voice and low brass. Nick is a graduate of Lamar University with a bachelor’s degree in music, cum laude. While at Lamar, Nick performed music of every style in every major performing ensemble. A teacher for over 5 years, Nick embraces the opportunity to share the best in art with young, excited minds as well as mature, appreciative minds. Nick plays with a regional funk/reggae band, “Champagne with Friends.” He also plays with a variety of jazz and rock bands both live and in recording sessions. *Sam Marshall* A specialist in electric bass, Sam Marshall also teaches guitar, drums, and piano. Sam has taught for four years and is currently pursuing a degree in bass performance at the University of Texas. With knowledge of jazz, rock, pop, and classical music, Sam is a versatile teacher. Thrilled with the idea of using his passion for music as a career, Sam enjoys making a positive influence on his students’ lives. Sam performs with the University of Texas Symphony band, the University of Texas orchestra, and the Austin-based rock band, “What We Know.” *Susanna Silvestro* Susanna Silvestro has studied piano since the age of 5, and has been fortunate to study with the late Professor Danielle Martin at the University of Texas. Susanna has her Bachelor’s Degree in music for the University of Texas and has taught piano and voice for 4 years. She enjoys working with people and uses her patience and perceptiveness to communicate music to others. Susanna is a church musician and was a member of the University of Texas Longhorn Singers and also attended Berklee College of Music studying jazz and popular music. Susanna hopes to be a recording artist in the future. *Leah Knight* A student of voice, piano, and violin since the age of three, Leah Knight has always had a passion for music. Leah has a bachelor's degree in voice performance as well as a master's degree in opera performance from the University of Texas. Leah has taught voice and piano for three years, and enjoys helping people fully develop their gifts. In her teaching, she blends enjoyment of the lessons with proper technique, finding students' "a-ha" moments incredibily rewarding. Leah combines a broad professional experience as a singer with a talent for verbalizing the subtle nuances needed to really bring music alive. Leah is an avid fan of the theater, not only performing in many shows, but also working behind the scenes with costuming. Jonathan Chaney Jonathan Chaney has been teaching guitar for over seven years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in music performance from Berklee College. Jonathan is trained in all contemporary guitar styles and both classical and contemporary theory. As a performer, Jonathan loves improvisation, jazz and blues. As a teacher, Jonathan seeks to inspire his students to reach their goals. In addition, he helps his students to hear what they are playing and make it as musical as possible. Jonathan plans to continue performing and teaching for the rest of his life. *Bryan Breaux* A multitalented musician, Bryan Breaux began studying drums at the age of 5, piano at the age of 9, and guitar at the age of 12. Bryan studied at the University of North Texas in music theory and percussion, and has been teaching drums, percussion, piano and guitar for over ten years. With his engaging personality, Bryan is a favorite of many students who eagerly seek to share his knowledge, passion, and love of music. Over the past twelve years that he has lived in Austin, Bryan has performed with over 70 artists across the musical spectrum: rock, pop, country, western, jazz and swing. Bryan’s goals in life are to perform and to pass on the joy of music to the next generation. *Chris Peters* Chris Peters has enjoyed studying and playing guitar for sixteen years. A guitar teacher for four years, he brings patience and thoroughness to his teaching. His favorite moment as a teacher comes when the student feels proud and happy with what he or she can play. In addition to music, Chris loves painting and drawing and worked for many years as an art teacher for children's camps. Chris enjoys writing, performing, and recording progressive music. *Wes Haynes* Wes Haynes has a love of all types of music. Classically trained, he turned his focus to jazz while at college. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, Wes graduated from the University of North Carolina with his Bachelor of Arts degree. Wes has been teaching for over 2 years and loves to help his students develop a love for music and grow as musicians. As a teacher, he excels in relating to the students and helping them express the subtle articulations of music. Wes enjoys working with various music groups and is currently playing with “Condiment Sandwich” and “The Skinny.” *Abby Albaugh* Abby teaches violin, viola, cello, flute, and piano. Her full bio is coming soon... *Katherine Wiggins* Katherine teaches piano and voice. Her full bio is coming soon... Tzu-Hsuan Ai Tzu-Hsuan teaches piano and holds a doctorial degree in piano performance. Her full bio is coming soon... Giovanni Mera Giovanni teaches guitar. His full bio is coming soon... Daniel Perez Daniel teaches guitar. His full bio is coming soon... Desiree DeVries Desiree teaches saxophone, piano and voice. Her full bio is coming soon... Greg Jones Greg teaches guitar. His full bio is coming soon... Joshua Keeling Joshua teaches saxophone and piano. His full bio coming soon... Kevin King Kevin teaches piano and voice. His full bio is coming soon... Ashlee Chao Ashlee teaches piano. Her full bio is coming soon... Katy Hampton Katy teaches violin and piano. Her full bio is coming soon... *Jesse Berkowitz* Jesse teaches guitar. His full bio is coming soon...
	FOUNDER Cyrus Albertson An extraordinary musician with a broad range of experience, Cyrus Albertson has had an amazing musical journey. Excelling early on as a pianist, he discovered the self-esteem boost that children receive when they can do something others cannot. Mr. Albertson began working as a church pianist and organist at the age of 14 and has been Director of Music as well as pianist for over 20 years at a large church in Austin. He has led the chancel choirs, children’s choirs and handbell choirs. He has composed and published numerous choral works for churches and instrumental works for chamber orchestras. Mr. Albertson is also an accomplished conductor, having conducted a number of large orchestras and big band ensembles. Mr. Albertson earned his Bachelor of Arts from Texas State University and went on to graduate studies in piano performance at the University of Texas. In addition, Mr. Albertson studied piano pedagogy (the art of teaching piano) with world-renowned Amanda Vick Lethco, creator of the world's most popular piano method, Alfred Piano Course. Since that time, he has spent numerous hours studying pedagogy to create his own method for successful teaching. In addition, Mr. Albertson is an international recording artist, and his recent piano recordings, “Classics by Candlelight” and “The Calling” have been warmly received by listeners as well as commercially successful. "Beautiful!" is how Woody Allen praised "Classics by Candlelight," portions of which have been used in Mr. Allen's Broadway shows. A certified teacher, Mr. Albertson taught secondary education in the Austin Independent School District and has an inate ability to create a friendly rapport with adults and children alike. As a performer, he has a wide range of experience, including dinner theater, private parties, weddings, restaurants, and jazz ensembles. He has been asked to play for many people, including former President and Mrs. Bush, former first lady Mrs. Carter, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and Mary Kay Ash, President of Mary Kay Cosmetics. In addition to Mr. Albertson’s musical education and experience, he has extensive business experience. He has held executive positions at a number of high-technology companies and has founded several successful businesses including Texas Magic Supply, Cental Texas' largest magic supplier. And his greatest honor is being the father of a beautiful little girl.