Music Education
Charles Fox started his music education at an early age, finding an interest in arranging and composition. As a child he loved the opera and would go to as many shows as possible paying $2 for standing room. A chance encounter with a piano teacher led him to an experience of a lifetime studying...
Dan Miller grew up with music all around him and joined the school band the first chance he got. Dan was the first to admit how fortunate he was to have opportunities to go to many clinics in Chicago and meet some incredible and influential musicians. One of these musicians, Bobby Shew, became not...
Derek Brown is best known for playing the style of music known as Beatbox Sax. This way of playing the saxophone incorporates percussive playing techniques that were developed by Derek. He grew up in southwest Michigan and graduated from Hope College with a degree in jazz and classical performance...
Benjamin Scheuer is a musician and songwriter who specializes in combining his passions for all style of music and musical theater to express himself. He began songwriting at a young age and realized early on that it was what he wanted to do with his life. In 2014, Benjamin wrote and performed The...
Manel Punti is the Managing Director of Music Distribution, a wholesale business in Spain that his father established in the 1960s. Manel grew up in the music industry as well as a musical family. His father played the piano and encouraged his children (and later his grandchildren) to play an...
Sebastian Mariné was encouraged to pursue music by his parents. The roots of his passion for music go back to when he was a small child singing Gregorian Chants in his family’s church in Spain. Music has always been a spiritual expression for him, something he conveys to his students at the...
Consuelo Diez was strongly encouraged by her piano teachers growing up. One in particular suggested she focus on composition, which altered her career. As a composer, Consuelo wrote works for piano and full orchestras as well as electronic musical instruments. During her 2020 NAMM Oral History...
Claudio Cecere grew up in the music store his father established in Southern Australia. He learned to play drums at an early age and started giving music lessons while still in school. His part time job with the store expanded and he soon realized he wanted to make a career of it, working side by...
Smaragda Chrysostomou is a board member of the International Society for Music Education and serves as an advocate throughout the world in such organizations as the International Coalition during each Anaheim NAMM Show. Her dedication to music education runs deep and covers the concerns of general...
Joe Cecere established a small music school in 1967 in Southern Australia. As a teacher, he wanted to provide a safe and welcoming place for students at all levels to learn and appreciate music. Joe often provided meals for his students and even drove them to and from school so they wouldn’t miss...