Meet the Buford Music Teachers:
Enter the category for this item: Piano, Voice
Yelena Ayzenberg, Piano & Voice
Ms. Ayzenberg graduated from Rimsky-Korsakova College of Music, Mogilev, Belarus and received the “Diploma o Nepolnom Visshem Obrazovanii”. She also received a Specialist Diploma in Culture and Education from Kult-Prosvet College of Music, Mogilev, Belarus. Ms. Ayzenberg has over 20 years of teaching and performance experience and she joined our faculty in 2005.
Enter the category for this item: Drums, Percussion
Joey Baggett, Drums & Percussion
Joey has taught and performed extensively on a wide variety of styles ranging from Jazz & Rock to Country & Rudimentary Drumming. He attended Truett McConnell & Gainesville Colleges for his education, and later taught at the Atlanta Institute of Music. Joey started teaching at NSM in 2001.
Enter the category for this item: Guitar, Bass Guitar
Ron Cook – Electric, Acoustic, Classical, & Bass Guitar
Ron received a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Guitar Performance from Augusta State University. He has taught private guitar lessons to students of all ages and has been performing professionally for over 20 years. His goal is to make guitar playing fun and easy for the student by balancing basic music theory with current music that students hear on the radio. Ron specializes in Rock and Classical Guitar.
Enter the category for this item: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Mandolin
Eric Denton, Guitar, Bass, and Beginner Mandolin
Eric graduated Atlanta Institute of Music in April of 2002. His experience includes teaching private lessons to beginner and advanced students in guitar technique and music theory. He also performs regularly at local venues. Eric enjoys all styles of music but particularly excels in Rock -N- Roll.
Enter the category for this item: Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano
Gabriel Feurdean, Violin, Viola, Beg. Piano & Cello
Mr. Feurdean is a native of Romania. He started playing violin at the age of six, and graduated from Gheorghe Dima music academy in Cluj Napoca. He has been part of many professional orchestras both in the US and Romania. Gabriel teaches students of all levels and ages, and he is proficient in classical music as well as jazz. His students enjoy being part of the musical experience and many hold positions in Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra, Fulton Youth Orchestra, & Carrollton Youth Orchestra.
Enter the category for this item: Clarinet, Bassoon
Debra Hogg, Clarinet & Bassoon
Ms. Hogg received a Bachelor of Music Ministry from Ozark Christian College. As a music major, she studied clarinet at Pittsburg State University as well as piano, bassoon, and other woodwinds. She directs and actively assists with the music at her church including the youth orchestra and woodwind quintet. Ms. Hogg has taken lessons on multiple instruments since third grade and has performed in numerous community bands and orchestras since seventh grade.
Enter the category for this item: Bassoon
Michelle Hung, Bassoon
Ms. Hung attended Taipei National Univ. of the Arts and Tunthai Univ. in Taiwan and received a degree in Bassoon Performance. Michelle started performing on the piano at the tender age of 6. She later began study on Bassoon and excelled to principal chair of various groups that performed extensively in Asia and Europe.
Enter the category for this item: Guitar
Evan Krupa, Guitar
Evan received his degree from Atlanta Institute of Music. He plays with a local band and can be found at local venues. He teaches all styles but particularly enjoys Jazz & Blues.
Enter the category for this item: Voice, Piano
Lauren Lundberg, Voice, Piano
Lauren graduated Cum Laude from Shorter College with a Bachelor of Music Education. She is an energetic teacher of both piano and voice who uses positive reinforcement and carefully lays a solid foundation of music theory for each student.
Enter the category for this item: Double Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin, Piano
Lauren McCombe, Bass, Cello, Violin/Viola, Beg. Piano
Ms. McCombe received a Master of Music Perf. from Valdosta State Univ. and Bachelors of Music Education and Music Theory from UGA. She gained experience as an Orchestra Specialist and private teacher throughout her education. Lauren invites students to choose pieces they like to play in order to keep them engaged in the lessons. She also emphasizes a deeper understanding of the working parts of the instrument as well as an understanding of music theory and history.
Enter the category for this item: Voice
César Augusto Restrepo, Voice, Singing Lessons
César received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Truett McConnell College. His vast repertoire of musical styles ranges from Jazz & Opera to Praise & Broadway. César believes that proper vocal technique should be implemented with all singing styles, and then more focus may be applied to tone, dramatic effect and text.
Enter the category for this item: Piano, Voice
Chelsea Slemp, Voice & Piano
Chelsea received her Bachelor of Music Education from Belmont University in TN. She encourages students to become comfortable with their own voices while adhering to proper vocal technique. Chelsea is well versed in Jazz, Country, RnB, Contemporary Christian, Pop, Theatre and Classical music.
Enter the category for this item: Piano, Voice
Rick Smith, Piano & Voice
Rick received two Bachelors of Music in both Education and in Church Music from Shorter College. He co-founded New School of Music in 1997 and continues to own and operate 3 locations in NE Atlanta. Rick is a music minister at his church and is also the choral conductor of the Gwinnett Symphony Chorus.
Enter the category for this item: Flute, Piano
Teodora Stoyanova, Flute & Piano
Ms. Stoyanova received her Bachelors and Master degrees from the National Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. Teodora equally enjoys teaching and performing. As a soloist and chamber musician she has toured Europe. After moving to USA she has performed with the Atlanta Flute Ensemble, ‘Aulos Winds’ & DaSalo Solisti Chamber Orchestra. She is principal flutist of Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. Her teaching experience of over 15 years includes all ages and levels, from beginners through professionally trained adults.
Enter the category for this item: Piano, Violin
Kim Stice, Piano & Violin
Kim received a Bachelor of Church Music in Piano Perf. with a minor in Violin from the Univ. of Mobile. She has worked and volunteered in all aspects of church music, and has taught private piano and violin to students of all ages, levels, and abilities. Kim believes students should gain an under- standing of basic, music fundamentals as well as a feeling of accomplishment with each lesson.
Enter the category for this item: Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone, Euphonium, Tuba
Wesley Turner, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone, Euphonium, Tuba
Wesley is studying Brass studies at Gainesville State College under professional tubist Donald Strand, to earn a degree in Music Education. He has been playing brass instruments for over 12 years, and is personally proficient in tenor and bass trombones, Bb Tuba, Euphonium, Baritone, and Trumpet. This year is the third season in a row he has acted as the marching style and brass Instructor for the Marching Knights of Johnson High School, under the direction of band director Dr. David Jones. He wants students of all ages to understand that the beauty of a brass tone takes dedication, practice, and the desire to make some loud noise!
Enter the category for this item: Guitar
Brian Ward, Guitar
Mr. Ward received a Music Certificate from the Atlanta Institute of Music and has over 8 years of teaching, performing and recording experience. He joined our faculty in 2004.
Enter the category for this item: Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Baritone, Tuba, Saxophone, Flute
Craig Stephens, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Baritone, Tuba, Beg. Sax & Flute
Craig received his Bachelor of Music degree from Georgia State University with a dual concentration in Music Education and Orchestral Performance and he holds a Master of Science in Educational Technology from Nova Southeastern University. He has over 18 years experience in music education as a band and orchestra director at the elementary, middle and high school levels. He is the founding director of the Atlanta Youth Jazz Orchestra and has served as guest lecturer for the University of Tennessee Music Education Department. As a trumpeter Craig has toured internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, performed with Natalie Cole, Four Tops, Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Atlanta Symphony and been a guest artist at the Montreaux Jazz Festival.