Chad Hunley

Berklee College of Music (Major: Performance/Professional Music). Blair School of Music (Major: Orchestral Percussion). Over 25 years of teaching experience. Chad started his career at just 14 years old with Tommy Cash, younger brother of country music legend Johnny Cash. He has also toured with
Lonnie Mack, Denny Jiosa, Kirk Whalum, Pat Coil, and Clay Davidson.

What do you love about teaching?
The challenge of starting a new student from the beginning regardless of his or her background is very rewarding at the end of the day. I have had many students that have become professional musicians over the years and this is what makes teaching so enjoyable for me.

What is your favorite musical style, band or song?
All styles would best describe what I like, from Jazz to Latin, funk, and hard rock. Favorite album: would have to be “City Nights” by Allan Holdsworth.

Please describe your teaching style. What can a parent expect their child to learn?
I usually gather an individual’s personal musical interest, and then we set certain goals based on their level. For drum set students, I focus on teaching all styles of music, starting out with four way coordination, getting the correct sounds from the drum set, and ultimately developing good time and feel.
Expect to learn all styles, such as Funk Grooves, Afro-Cuban styles to R&B, and the polished studio grooves of the 80s and 90s. For more advanced students, I like to focus on specific things that might be of
interest, or, need improvement, such as, sight-reading, linear drumming, and rhythm and meter studies.

Regardless of what level a particular student may be, I enjoy the musical journey in making them the very
best that they can be.

For Lessons:

• (615) 838-8289
• Monday
• Email Chad

John Alvey

University of Louisville (Major: Jazz Studies) Marching percussion: W.G.I and P.A.S.I.C finalist. Over 10 years of teaching experience.

What do you love about teaching?

I have a few students that I have taught for 7-8 years, and in that time I have seen them grow and mature and come to love not only music, but also to become more confident, goal-oriented people. It is a personal joy to watch this transformation.

What is your favorite musical style, band or song?

Album: Bill Evans “Sunday at the Village Vanguard.”

Please describe your teaching style. What can a parent expect their child to learn?

I was fortunate to have great private music teachers and mentors, and they did the central most important thing that all great teachers do: Their enthusiasm for music became a shared enthusiasm and ultimately became my own enthusiasm for both music and the creative process.

Although the technicalities and challenges of learning to read and play music are at the center of my teaching process, I hope that every student will take with them a love of being a creative person; of the importance of focused discipline in achieving this, and that each student will have a new skill that he or she can use to enjoy art and ultimately bring that joy to others.

For drum set students, I focus on teaching all styles of music, differentiating between them, and expanding beyond the strictly rock drumming foundation that most drummers start from. Expect to learn blues shuffles, jazz phrasing, Afro-Cuban/Brazilian styles and a lot of Motown and R&B of the 60s and 70s.

For Lessons:

• (615) 430-2641
• Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
• Email John