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Dave Janssen's School of Music
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Name: Dave Janssen
Specialty: Guitar/Bass (All Styles)
Background/Experience: GIT Graduate,
UCLA Music Business,
Toured with Danger Zone (X Vanilla Fudge/Mark Stein),
(X Badlands/Greg Chaisson),
Leo (X Black Sabbath/Dave Spitz), Rocknee.
Have done Session/Studio work as well.
biographies:
Dave: guitar/bass
Name: Derek Silbermann
Specialty: Piano (All Styles)
Background/Experience: CSUN Graduate (music) Derek
has performed on Harpsichord, Organ, Synthesizer,
Electric Piano, Harmonium and Melodica, just to name a
few.  Though over the course of time he has experimented
with many instruments ranging from the violin, trumpet,
French horn, recorders and all manor of pitched
percussion, but always his passion for keyboards shines
through.
Derek: Piano
Name: Jeremy Skinner
Specialty: Guitar (Rock/Metal)
Background/Experience: Playing for 8 years.
Influences: Paul Gilbert, Luca Turilli, Vladimir Cochet,
Dave Mustaine, Ron Vento, Luc Lemay, Dan Swanö
Jeremy: guitar
Name: Ron J Avant Jr
Specialty: Piano (Jazz, R&B, All Styles)
Background/Experience: Berkley College in Boston,
Musicians Institute, Taught at MGRAY Music Academy in
North Hollywood,  Currently playing in the group Next
Level, Playing for 13 years.
Influences:
Ron: piano
Mark Bourdeax
Ernesto Moreno
Steven Langenhorst
Michael Montanez
Mike: drums
Mariana: voice
Name:  Mariana Ramirez
Specialty: Voice
Background/Experience: Has been teaching for eight
years and has performed for more than 15 years. BM
degree in Vocal Performance, and studied intensively
with Carlo Bergonzi in the Bergonzi Masterclass
Workshop in 2006. Vocal styles taught are classical,
musical theatre, pop, rock, jazz and folk. Mariana has
performed leading roles including Musetta in “La
Boheme” at Townsend Opera Players', Zerlina in
“Don Giovanni” at El Dorado Opera Company, Adina
in “L’elisir d’Amore”, Nannetta in “Falstaff”, Adele in
“Die Fledermaus” and more. She has also sung at
the Hollywood Bowl with Wynton Marsalis and with
Berry Manilow at the Kodak Theatre in the vocal
ensemble
Christopher: drums
Name: Christopher Schnack
Specialty: Drum Set (Rock, Funk, Blues, Jazz and Latin)
Background/Experience: Graduate of Musicians Institute.
Playing/performing for 10 years and teaching for 3 years.
Jonny: guitar/bass
Name: Jonny Papa
Specialty: Melodic/Classic Rock, (All Styles)
Background/Experience: Graduate of Musicians
Institute. Playing/performing for 8 years and
teaching for 3 years. Currently in "Lights"  The
Premier Journey Tribute band. Currently endorsed
by Vox Amps and Shure microphones.
Influences:  Van Halen, AFI, Thrice, 30 Seconds to
Mars, Radio Head, In Flames, Bjork, A Perfect
Circle, Journey, Jimmy Hendrix,  Tool, The Cure,
Killswitch Engaged, Justin Timberlake, Mozart,
Bruce Springstien, and The Beatles
German: guitar
Name: German Schauss
Specialty: Modern Rock Guitar Techniques, Fusion,
Rock, “Shredding”
Experience/ Background: B.A. Berklee College of
Music, Boston MA
As a composer, performer and educator, German has
participated in various music projects from musicals
to a funk band, his own solo projects to teaching at
Berklee College of Music, writing articles for MelBay
and developing an advanced Rock Guitar course on
“Shredding Techniques” for the National Guitar
Workshop’s online school “WorkshopLive.com.” As
an endorser of Parker Guitars, Laney Amplifiers,
DiMarzio, DR Strings Maxon, Rocktron and Morley,
German plays clinics and concerts at international
music fair and trade shows such as Musikmesse
Frankfurt, the NAMM Show, and other shows around
the world. He has also been awarded in 2004, 2005,
2006 and 2007, the ASCAP Plu$ Award from the
American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers.
Mark: guitar/bass/Mandolin/Banjo/Ukulele
Name: Mark Grundhoefer
Specialty: Rock, Jazz, Bluegrass/Acoustic, and
Classical Guitar
Background/Experience: Over 10 years
performing/touring experience; 5 years teaching
experience.  Graduate of Florida State University -
Bachelor's Degree in Music (Classical Guitar).  
Graduate of GIT at Musician's Institute.  Toured the
Southeast with The River Bottom Nightmare Band,
The Uneven, and Tom Sawyer River Trash.  
Influences:  Yes, Rush, Pat Metheny, The Beatles,
Steve Winwood, Tears For Fears, Umphrey's
McGee, Allan Holdsworth, Steely Dan, Porcupine
Tree, Led Zeppelin, The Police, Eric Johnson
www.myspace.com/markgrundhoefer
Jenna: vocals
Name: Jenna Lynn
Specialty: Pop, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Modern Rock
Experience/Background: AA degree in Vocal
Performance. She has performed since the age of 6 in
over 10 school talent shows. Has 2 years of writing and
recording experience with a Hip/Hop group. She also
wrote, recorded, and toured for 1.5 years in an alternative
rock band. Jenna Lynn has played at venues such as
The Roxy, The Troubadour, The Derby, The Vu, The
Knitting Factory, King Neptune’s, The Avalon( San Diego),
The Cobalt Café, etc.
Influences: Heart, Christina Aguilera, No Doubt, Mariah
Carrey, Alicia, Bonnie Raitt
Ken: saxaphone
Name: Ken Moran
and technique
Background/Experience: Bachelor's of Music from Cal
State University, Northridge.  13 years of playing
experience, including over 5 years of big band and small
group jazz experience.  Three European tours with
various big bands and extensive experience in the
recording studio. In addition to being a sideman with
many different groups, Ken is currently playing at the
Beverly Hilton every Saturday and other venues in the Los
Angeles music scene with his contemporary jazz band,
the Ken Moran Group.
Name: Hui-Ping Lee
Specialty: Violin, Viola, Piano
Background/Experience:  Has been teaching for 10
years. Chamber music coach. Teaching student how
to play in the ensemble is very important. Masters
degree Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens
College of CUNY. Played in the Henri Mancini
Institute Orchestra on violin, 2006. Aaron Copland
School of Music, Queens College of CUNY, under the
conductor Maurice Peress, New York. 2002-2006
String Quartet workshop on viola in NYU. 2005.
Joined Philharmonic Moment Musical under the
direction of Chiang Po-Po, Taipei, Taiwan. 1995-
2007. One World Symphony, New York. 2005-2006.
Soochow University symphony orchestra, Taipei,
Taiwan. 1997-2001 Tour Southeast Asian countries
with the Taiwan Symphony’s Junior Orchestra under
the conductor of Cheng-Xiong Chen. 1997
Kuang-Ren High School Orchestra under the
conductor of Amy Chang, Taipei, Taiwan. 1994-1997
Hui-Ping: violin, viola, piano
Jon: dj
Name: Jon "DJ" Ortega
Specialty: DJ
Lynda: flute
Name: Lynda Martyn
Specialty: Flute
Background/Experience: Playing for 5 years.
Influences: Andy Vanhorn, Mary Predmore, Amanda
Compton, Kristin Lee
Level: Beginner Students
Shelby: clarinet
Name:  Shelby Fannan
Specialty:  Classical Clarinet (Bb, A, and Bass)
Experience/Background:  She has earned a Bachelor’
s Degree in Music from California State University
Northridge;  Playing for over 12 years, she has a lot of
ensemble playing experience, performing in concerts
throughout the U.S.; Currently performs with Center
Stage Opera and other orchestras; Teaches both
private and group lessons, with over three years
experience in teaching. As a form of music therapy,
she also enjoys playing other instruments such as
the Irish Flute, Native American Indian Flute, and
Classical Flute.
Shelby: clarinet
Name:  Shelby Fannan
Specialty:  Classical Clarinet (Bb, A, and Bass)
Experience/Background:  She has earned a Bachelor’
s Degree in Music from California State University
Northridge;  Playing for over 12 years, she has a lot of
ensemble playing experience, performing in concerts
throughout the U.S.; Currently performs with Center
Stage Opera and other orchestras; Teaches both
private and group lessons, with over three years
experience in teaching. As a form of music therapy,
she also enjoys playing other instruments such as
the Irish Flute, Native American Indian Flute, and
Classical Flute.
Claire: piano
Name: Claire Hui
Specialty: Piano
Background/Experience: Claire has been playing for
16 years,classical traind and contemporary styles
such as R&B,Pop,Rock Jazz,,Funk She also play
percussion.guitar and bass Education: Musicians
Institute in Hollywood, majored keyboard
performance and audio recording.Bachelor Degree
from Berklee College Of Music, contemporary writing
and production.she is currently playing in the bands
and freelance composing
Grom: drums
Name: Diego ‘GROM’ Meraviglia
Specialty: Drums
Background/Experience:  GROM is a highly respected
professional drummer in the international scene. He
has been  playing and studying drums for 16 years.
Born in Italy, he has attended the CPM music
academy in Milan, Italy and is an AA graduate of
Musician's Institute in Hollywood. With roots that
dwell into rock, his specialties span across a wide
spectrum of genres, including all forms of rock,
metal, pop, jazz, blues and Latin. He has recently
relocated to Los Angeles after having successfully
carried through a 10 year career as a highly hired
drummer in the Italian and European rock, pop and
metal scene as well as a television VJ. He has
toured internationally, recorded vast amounts of
sessions and released over 13 albums with signed
bands he has been part of. He was the rhythmic
driving force behind metal blade records band
Ancient, as well as Hortus Animae (Sleaszy Rider /
EMI), Doomsword (Dragonheart / SPV) and Hate
Profile (Cruz Del Sur recs.) amongst many others.
Featured extensively on European press, since his
move to L.A. he has begun teaching privately and
online, writes for various magazines as well as being
an active session drummer. He is writing his first
educational book and is a featured PAISTE cymbals
and IDEAS FOR DRUMMERS sticks artist. He has
participated in numerous video clips and continues
to be considered as a rock solid and versatile
working drummer.
WWW.GROMDRUMS.COM
Melissa: flute and Piccolo
Name: Melissa Odle
Specialty: Flute and Piccolo
Background/Experience:  Melissa Odle has
performed flute and piccolo professionally with
orchestras such as the Channel Islands Chamber
Orchestra, the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony
Orchestra, the El Dorado Opera Company, the West
Los Angeles Symphony and the Center Stage Opera
Company, with whom she is currently second
flute/piccolo. She has won competitions such as the
Ojai Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, CSUN
Flute Excerpt Competition, in 2004, 2005 and 2006
and was named first alternate of the
Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Artists of Tomorrow
Competition. Melissa has recorded for Paramount
Studios; and the Christmas solo album of Kevin
Richardson (former Backstreet Boy) and  much
more...
Eric: vocals/guitar
Name: Eric McConnell
Specialty: Guitar and Vocals. Blues, Rock, Funk, R&B.
Background/Experience: Classical Theory Studies at
Montgomery College, GIT Graduate, East Coast
Champion of  The Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar
Competition. Has Opened for and Shared Stages
With: Robert Cray, The Fabulous Thunderbirds,
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gavin Degraw, Shine Down,
Breaking Benjamin, Velvet Revolver
,Kirk Fletcher ,Kenny Aronoff (Melissa Etheridge, John
Fogherty), Philip Sayce (Melissa Etheridge, Uncle
Kracker, JeffHealey), Buddy Miles (Band Of
Gypsys),Bill Cox (Band Of Gypsys), Haley Scarnato
(American Idol), Chris Ralles (Pat Benatar, Kenny
Logins, Michael McDonald) and Mick Mahan (Pat
Benatar, Alan Parson, Spencer Davis)
Name: Mike Thomas
Specialty: Rock/Metal/Hip Hop/Reggae
(Playing hard)
Background/Experience: Built my
musical/theoretical foundation playing
piano for 12 years. Drum training for 8
years. Toured nationwide and recorded
two albums with "Down for the Count"
over the course of 3 years.
Influences: Oh Sleeper, As I lay dying,
Between the Buried and Me, Muse,
Minus the Bear, The Used, Alkaline Trio,
The Human Abstract, Pepper, Rx
Bandits, Rebelution, Atmosphere, Dr.
Dre, Kanye West, August Burns Red,
Foo Fighters, Emery, Pantera
Justin: singer/songwriter
Name: Justin Bennett
Specialty: Singer/Songwriter (All Styles)
Background/Experience:
2006-2007-Universal Records new
label interest A2C from Hawaii
(major)/Background vocals
2006-2007-Csandra Simmons and the
Strength (indie)/Background Vocals
-BB kings Opened up for Chico Debarge
2006 -Co-wrote w/ “Bay Watch” song writer Robin Randall entitled “I still believe”
2006- Eric Carson for the Asian Cable Network (indie)/Background vocals
2006- The Twins, new artist of the Legendary Prince (indie)/Background vocals
2006- Gospel Legends Andre and Sandra Crouch (indie)/Background vocals
-Was asked to sing background in place of regular section leader during a 3 day meeting.
Sandra Crouch is quoted saying “Justin has the voice of an Angel!”
Whether its R&B, Gospel, Rap, Jazz, or even Country, Justin CAN sing it!
If you don’t know the words to sing…Justin CAN write it!