New York City Guitar Teachers

Liz Hogg

Liz Hogg is a piano and guitar instructor from NYC. She has taught private and group piano lessons throughout NYC and in Long Island to various ages and skill levels. She has taught freelance and at Brooklyn Musical Arts, Treblemakers Music School, Poppenhusen Institute, Montessori Progressive Learning Center and  Dr. Jun Fu Music Learning Program. She enjoys exposing students to music theory, improvisation and the various eras in music history, as well as teaching students how to play songs they already know and love.

Ms. Hogg is also an accomplished guitar instructor. She has taught at Sunset Park School of Music, Staccato Music Center, Hosh Kids and Melody Time Music Center. Performing as a soloist, she has toured nine countries, playing numerous festivals and concert halls. Awards include the Lanciano International Guitar Festival fellowship, Mannes School of Music’s Dean Award, the Maurice Kagan Memorial Scholarship Award for Excellence in an Orchestral Instrument and a Fulbright-García Robles Scholarship semi-finalist. In her hometown, Ms. Hogg has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brookfield Place, Morgan Library, and the Italian Academy, and internationally at venues including Portugal’s Casa da Música and Mexico’s Tlaqná Concert Hall. She has also performed live at radio stations including WFMU, WNYC and WHFR and has been a featured artist at festivals Internacional Camerata 21, CMJ and New Sounds Live. As a composer and performer/singer of her own music and in various groups, Liz has recorded eight full-length albums and eight eps, self-released and released by Don Giovanni Records, Mouca and Acuarela.

Steve Williams

Steve Williams is an Upright Bassist, Guitarist, a Composer from Dallas, Texas. With a melodic and rhythmically intricate approach to the upright bass, he has been breaking barriers as a jazz musician since his arrival in New York City. Steve is vastly eclectic, merging the styles of his favorite bassists, Scott Lafaro, Paul McCartney, and Larry Grenadier, into one set of hands. Since he picked up the upright bass at age 16, Steve has worked diligently on fusing different styles into jazz to create a broader foundation meaningful to him. Steve moved to New York City to study Contemporary Improvised Music and Anthropology at the New School, and began studying bass privately with Harish Raghavan. 

Steve has performed all over New York City and Dallas, in notable locations such as The Jazz Gallery, The Bar Next Door, Shapeshifter Lab, The House of Blues, and the Bern International Jazz Festival 2017 in Switzerland. He has performed with Vijay Iyer, Okkyung Lee, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Aaron Parks, Adam Rogers, Kendrick Scott, Tom Rainey, and many others. Steve was also commissioned to write a piece for the New York Public Library in honor of notable Jazz legend Charles Mingus that premiered in December 2017.

Kevin Hailey

Kevin Hailey sas born in Canberra, Australia in 1975. During high school Kevin began playing the electric bass and in 1991 took up the double bass and commenced jazz studies at the Canberra School Of Music where he earned his diploma. While in Canberra Kevin received lessons from the likes of, Lee Konitz, Mark Murphy, Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Mike Nock.

In 1998 Kevin moved to Sydney and began working, primarily in the jazz scene. Accompanying artists such as Dale Barlow, James Morrison, Galapagos Duck, Sydney all star Band, The Australian Girls Choir, The Hailey Bros, Matt Baker, Jane Irving, Bobby Gebbert, and singer Jeff Duff, with whom he has recorded two albums, as well as performing seasons at the Opera House and Adelaide cabaret festival.

Other projects have included hip-hop group Story, tracks on the 2000 gay&lesbian mardi gras CD, A trip to Banff, Canada as a participant in the Banff Centers International Jazz Workshop under pianist Kenny Werner (2000), a seven month stint with Princess Cruises across the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Tahitian islands (2007) Performances at Darling Harbour, Thredbo, Noosa, Manly and Launceston Jazz Festivals and numerous recording credits including Jimmy Somerville, Jimmy Little, Glen Skuthorpe, Craig Naughton and Rodric White.

In December of 2011 Kevin moved from Australia to New York City where he has been living in Brooklyn, making a niche for himself in the jazz scene, working with artists including Ron Affif, Carol Sudhalter, Marianne Solivan, Marion Cowings, Jason Yeager and Daniel Bennett.

In 2015 Kevin was the recipient of the Hot House Magazine Jazz Fan’s Decision award for Best Bass. Recording credits include albums for Danny Lipsitz, Ali Carter and Steven Blane.

Crystal Speros

Crystal Rose Speros is a vocalist, songwriter, and music teacher with a keen ear for intricate sounds and movement in melodies. Her style reflects music from R&B, Folk, Pop, Jazz, and Brazilian music genres. She is currently in her last year of studies at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and has been performing in variety of musical settings (large cover bands, solo shows, jazz trios) for the past 9 years. She is very grateful to have been able to study with a variety of vocalists, musicians, and artists, where she has focused on aspects of vocal technique/freedom, the Alexander Technique, Pandeiro (Brazilian Percussion), guitar, and piano.

The voice is a direct connection to who the singer is and what they feel. It is Crystal’s goal to help students tell their own personal stories by developing creative and deep connections to the songs that they may sing. By focusing on developing a healthy vocal technique and constructive habits, the singer becomes free and flexible to interpret songs in the manner they wish.

Crystal enjoys singing a wide variety of music, but her specialties include Jazz, R&B/Soul, and Pop. Crystal loves to teach songwriting/guitar, and to help songwriters strengthen their own unique voice.

Pat Brennan 

Pat Brennan began playing guitar at the age of 10. With the encouragement of his father, who is also a guitarist, Pat began to listen to and practice jazz. While in High School Pat was chosen to be the guitarist in the  2008 Connecticut All State Jazz band. After High School Pat attended the New School and then the City College of New York, receiving his undergraduate degree in 2014.

In 2015 Pat was selected as a semifinalist in Wes Montgomery International Jazz Competition. Recently, Pat finished graduate school and received his Masters in Jazz Performance from the City College of New York. Currently he is busy playing around the city and teaching undergraduate students guitar lessons through the City College of New York.

Prawit “Wit” Siriwat

Brooklyn based guitarist and composer, Prawit “Wit” Siriwat, is endlessly dedicated to creating soundscapes that reflect the emotional momentum of our times. Whether it's through the simple yet natural beauty of acoustic strings or the bloopy-bloop filled electro-sonic worlds, Wit has a meditative approach to creating his musical pallet. 

Siriwat’s new compositions and songs can be heard live at venues throughout New York as he leads groups of incredible musicians that help him to actualize his progressive jazz-rock creations.

The guitarist/composer is currently working on a duo record with his long-time musical partner, bassist and composer, Daniel Durst. The album will reflect their musical collaboration over many years of playing together through completely improvised explorations based on their collective experience of music making.

Wit’s unique approach to guitar has given him the opportunity to work with many songwriters and bands. He is currently a sideman for singer/songwriter Bianca Muniz and guitarist in the indie-alternative band, RVBY MY DEAR. His guitar playing and textural contributions can also be heard on Emanu’s debut indie/rock/soul EP, Sing Me a Song.

Colin Leeds

Colin Leeds is a trained multi-instrumentalist, performer and music teacher. Originally form New Jersey, Colin discovered his passion for music at a very early age and has been pursuing his love for the art ever since. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2014, Colin began teaching private lessons for students of all ages as well as teaching and performing at local pre-schools. As a seasoned educator, Colin has turned absolute beginners into gigging musicians. When not on playing music, Colin loves to play basketball, bike, swim, read, write and laugh!

Colin is thrilled to be a part of Henderson Academy of Music and beyond excited inspire his students.  Whether you want to become a rockstar, pop-star, or just want to have fun, Colin is a firm believer that everyone has the ability to learn an instrument. Let's get together and play some music!

Antoine Thouvenin

Born in Nîmes (France), Antoine starts his musical studies at age 5 with the violin in the class of Jacques Nottelet before starting horn lessons at 8 in the class of Guy Durand. He successively graduated in Montpellier Conservatoire, in the violin class of Marie-Laurence Rocca and the horn class of Olivier Brouard.

His stammering with Jazz universe started at that period with the horn, when he integrated the Jazz department of Montpellier Conservatoire with François Thébèrge, Peter Giron and Pierre de Bethmann among others. He left afterwards for Switzerland in 2000 to work with Gregory Cass at the Haute Ecole de Musique of Geneva (HEM) before entering the class of Claudio Pontiggia in Fribourg to enhance his Jazz skills and start the guitar under the guidance of Francis Coletta.

From 2007 to 2008, he followed the Vorkurs curses of the Bern Swiss Jazz School (SJS) before leaving to Geneva to progress at the very heart of the Jazz school-association of the A.M.R. Encountered with artists such as Maurice Magnoni, Nicolas Masson, Vinz Vonlanthen, and Christian Graff enriched his musical path.

He graduated Bachelor cum laude in June 2013 both in music pedagogy and guitar.

In 2015, Antoine moved to New York to study at Queens College in Michael Mossman, Antonio Hart and David Berkman's classes where he graduated in May 2017.

Alongside his studies, Antoine has over 15 years of professional musical experience as a music educator, performer, author and composer/arranger. He taught for two years at the Montreux Jazz music school as private guitar teacher, at the E.P.I Geneva as ensemble teacher and at the "A.M.R/Conservatory Jazz club". He also taught for one year in an after school music program at the "Centre des Loisirs de Marignac" before moving to New York.

Currently teaching as private instructor Guitar/Violin through the Brooklyn based school "Music_on_the_Go", he recently joined "the Harmony after school program" of the CUNY of New York as violin teacher. Through this program, Antoine is mastering his pedagogical skills with training formation, seminaries and workshops such as the Suzuki method and with the guidance of Nancy Shamkman, former Director of Music for the New York City Public Schools.

Justin Michael

Justin has been playing and studying the guitar since he was 13. Now 26, he graduated from Rutgers University, cum laude, and studied under the tutelage of jazz guitar master Vic Juris, in addition to an all-star faculty. 

Justin is comfortable playing various styles of music on multiple instruments, performs regularly throughout the tri-state area and has been sharing his love of music through teaching since 2011.

Michael Sanders

Michael Sanders is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and teacher based out of Brooklyn, NY. He has taught guitar, piano, bass, drums, voice, songwriting/composition and music theory to students of all skill levels. Michael puts an emphasis on teaching to the needs of the individual student. Whether the student is interested in rock/pop, jazz, classical, or any other style he will come up with a strategy catered to the interests of the student.

In the past Michael has been known to create original arrangements of music requested by students fit for their current skill level. If a student is not interested in learning to read music, a more "by ear" approach is used.

Michael can be seen performing around New York with his current bands King Jane and Jenna & the Janes. As a performing member of a band he has been on full U.S. tours with multiple groups. As a studio musician he has recorded on several albums, most recently this summer with his band King Jane at the world renowned Power Station recording studio in Hell's Kitchen.

As a composer, Michael's music has performed by a wide range of ensembles ranging from piano trio to orchestra. He is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he obtained his undergraduate degree in music composition from Louisiana State University, studying with Dinos Constantinides.

In 2018 he completed his masters of music in New York City at the Mannes School of Music at the New School, studying with Lowell Liebermann.

Dana Carmel

Dana Carmel started playing guitar at the age of 13 after being gifted a guitar by her grandmother. Her love of music started at a young age and her talent was encouraged to be expressed. She turned her love of playing music into writing songs of her own. Dana is an award-winning songwriter and her songs have been featured on TV.

Bands like Pearl Jam, the Beatles and Lenny Kravitz were initial influences while the range includes everything from classical to hip hop. 

Dana believes that music is the universal language and that expressing yourself creatively is essential to learning more about yourself. Playing an instrument is a great skill to have. With Dana you will learn your favorite songs, analyze what makes a good song and even write your own if you feel called to do so.

Spencer Rudolph

Spencer Rudolph studied music performance at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music, earning his B.A. in 2013. A classically trained string player, Spencer started playing violin at age four, later learning viola, cello, piano and guitar.

Since graduating from SUNY Purchase, Spencer has composed original scores, performed in a wide range of musical venues and taught private as well as small group lessons to students of all ages. Spencer enjoys teaching students of all levels and ages but particularly excels in working with young students with learning differences. Believing that a passion for music lies within all of us, Spencer explores each student's interests, creating individualized lesson plans that might include anything from a discussion of complex music theory concepts to a rendition of Darth Vader's Theme Song. 

Seán van Doornum

Traditionally trained in classical guitar from the age of 8, Seán ventured out to learn jazz, blues, country and rock. He completed his AMEB Classical Guitar exams in High School and shortly after he undertook a Bachelor of Composition Degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music during which time he performed in and composed for the Conservatorium Chamber Choir. Seán was awarded second place in the 2006/2007 Allan Zavod Jazz/Classical Composition Award. In 2010, he was awarded the ArtStart Grant from the Australian Arts Council and in 2011 was a finalist in the APRA Professional Development Award.

After re-locating to New York City in 2012, Seán began working as an Audio/Mix Engineer, Producer and Studio Coordinator at Atlantic Sound Studios where he worked with Grammy Award winning acts such as Snarky Puppy. Seán also performs regularly around NYC at renowned venues such as Joe's Pub, Rockwood Music Hall and Cameo Gallery with several bands and artists as well as his own psychedelic-folk-rock band, eüsh. He also composes regularly for theater and film such as the award-winning premier of Stephen Jefrey's play The Libertine through Sport For Jove Theatre Company.

Seán thoroughly enjoys teaching all things related to music and is passionate about introducing students to new and exciting ways for them to develop both their personal playing techniques and styles, but also to help students build their curiosity for exploring music from all ages and styles.