Ms. Karen

Director
​Flute, Preschool Music Academy

A native of Washington, DC, Ms. Karen has performed and taught throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. She has played with orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Vancouver Symphony (Canada), and Orquesta Sinfonica de la UANL (Monterrey, Mexico).

​Teaching since 2000, her students have been known to place in honors groups, youth orchestras, competitions, and sit first chair in their bands. Many of her students have gone on to pursue professional careers in music at prestigious conservatories and universities.

She followed her passion to bring a community of high-quality music making and experiences to students of all ages and levels with the official start of Ztunes Music in 2016.

mr. taylor

Director of Operations
Piano, Brass, Composition

Taylor began playing horn at age 12, and piano at age 14. He received a Bachelors Degree in Music Composition and a Masters Degree in Horn Performance from Georgia State University. Since completing his degrees, Taylor has freelanced and taught private lessons, masterclasses, and sectionals throughout the local Atlanta area. He is currently a member of the music faculty at Georgia State University.

Taylor is passionate about private music instruction because he believes that a foundation in music enriches all other parts of your education and experiences, and instills an appreciation that you will take with you for the rest of your life!

Mr. alben

Piano, Guitar, Ukulele

​​Mr. Alben began studying classical piano at the age of 7 and guitar at the age of 15 at the Rhode Island Philharmonic School in Providence, RI. At the age of 14, he began studying under Dr. Irina Tchantceva, participating in various festivals and competitions around the New England area. In university, he studied under Dr. Sandra Hebert and Dr. Ralf Gawlick for performance and composition, respectively and graduated from Boston College with his B.A in Music with a concentration in Performance and Composition, as well as a degree in Political Science in May, 2019. 

Throughout his time in university he also found a passion in exposing people to the wonders of music, and began to give private music instruction in the Boston area. Moving to Atlanta after his undergraduate studies, he continues to follow his passion of teaching music, as well as striving to hone his skills as a performer/composer. His goal is to reach as many people as he can through music.

ms. analine

Piano
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Ms. Analine began studying piano when she was 11 years old in her native country of Brazil. When she was still a high school student she started teaching piano and fell in love with it. Analine has performed in many music festivals in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and the US. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from Universidade Sagrado Coração, and a Master's degree in Piano Performance from Valdosta State University.
A patient and dedicated teacher, Ms. Analine’s philosophy is that everyone can learn to read music and play an instrument. She believes that you do not have to be born with special talent, but that any inspired and dedicated student can succeed.
In addition to private piano instruction, Ms. Analine has maintained an active collaborative career, performing with singers, choirs, and chamber ensembles. She loves coaching instrument ensembles and always encourage her students to try new and fun ways of making music.

ms. anndrea

Administrative Assistant

Mrs. Anndrea is a visual artist who specializes in drawing, painting, and illustration. She graduated from Georgia State University in 2019 with a B.F.A. in Drawing and Painting. Anndrea works as a freelance graphic designer and as a studio artist in the Atlanta area.

Anndrea has been playing the horn since she was 12 years old and singing since she was nine. She loves being involved in the arts and feels they are a crucial part of education.

Mr. cain

Winds, Voice, Piano

Mr. Cain is a multifaceted performer and educator in Atlanta. He currently plays with the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra and is a tenor section leader and flute soloist at All Saints’ Episcopal Church. Cain regularly plays and sings in venues across the city with some of Atlanta’s most acclaimed organists, pianists, and vocal ensembles.

Cain is a passionate teacher of many musical styles and understands the importance of being a vehicle for conveying the art of sound. He believes that inspiring technique and dedication to practicing an instrument or voice is inevitable if the student is immersed in exciting instruction and a teacher’s vibrant playing examples. Cain teaches that the language of music is a universal form of communication and enriches the lives of all.

ms. carolyn

​Oboe, Piano

Carolyn began playing piano at 8 years old, and oboe at 11 years old. She holds a Bachelors from GSU, a Masters from New York University, and an Artist Certificate from GSU in Music Performance. Carolyn has previously performed in New York and the Southeast and currently freelances in the Metro Atlanta area. She has been teaching privately since 2010.

Carolyn believes music helps children learn responsibility, patience, and focus that they can apply to other areas or interests in their future, along with the instrument they are learning how to play. The most important factor, however, is having fun during lessons while gaining all those valuable skills!

mr. daniel

Guitar, Ukulele

Mr. Daniel is a professional guitarist, composer, and educator known for adapting to various genres of music; notably Jazz, Blues, Rock, Funk, R&B, Gospel, and Metal. Daniel graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. During his time at Georgia State he studied music overseas in China and played alongside the GSU Jazz Band with jazz greats Donny McCaslin, Joey Defrancesco, Paquito D’rivera, Bobby Shew, and Mike Abene. He currently performs all around the Atlanta area with the Ray Howard Band, CHOPS, Onstage Atlanta, Mr. Bighead, and plays Gospel on Sundays.

Daniel is very passionate about teaching and strives to find ways to excite creativity and curiosity in his students. He believes retaining the mind of a beginner and always striving to learn and hear new things is the key to being a successful musician. 

ms. erin

Low Brass

Ms. Erin is a graduate of the University of Georgia Hodgson
School of Music with a degree in Music Education. A former middle school band director, she is an active performer and educator throughout the metro Atlanta area. As a performer, Ms. Erin leads an eclectic career performing with groups such as the Atlanta Chamber Brass Quintet, US Beat, Georgia Brass Band, and Atlanta Opera. Erin has performed at GMEA, the Eastern Trombone Workshop, the International Trombone Festival and internationally at the Jungfrau Music Festival in Switzerland. 
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​When not performing or teaching, she enjoys kickboxing, swimming, and cooking!

ms. katie

Clarinet
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Since finishing her enlistment with the United States Premier Coast Guard Band, clarinetist Katie Curran, has been an active freelance musician and clarinet instructor in the New York City area. Recently, Katie became a member of the New York Philharmonic Teaching Artist Faculty. She has performed regularly on Broadway, with the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, as well as several orchestras and ensembles throughout the U.S. 
In addition to her performance career, Katie has been a private instructor and outreach clinician since 2001. Katie held faculty clarinet positions at both Emory University and Agnes Scott College before moving to New York.

ms. makeena

Voice, Piano
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​Ms. Makeena has been studying piano since age 5, and voice since age 10. Since
receiving her BA in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2012, Makeena has been performing all over the world with a variety of luxury cruise lines, and has held numerous artist residencies throughout Asia & the Middle East. Most recently, Makeena held the Associate Musical Director & Keyboard 1 Chair for Broadway’s “Jersey Boys”, as well as the Assistant Musical Director & Keyboard 3 Chair for the Donna Summer Musical First National Tour.
Ms. Makeena believes that music has the ability to transform and enrich the lives of
everyone, no matter their skill, ability, or level of expertise. She hopes to inspire a joy of learning in her students, which will not only help them cultivate a life-long relationship with music, but will also inform and enhance all other areas of their lives.​

mr. michael

Strings, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele
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​Mr. Michael is a professional classical violinist performing regularly with the Virginia Highland Church Choir as well as several string quartets across the Atlanta metro area. He began playing guitar and piano at the age of 8 before picking up the violin at the age of 10. He received a 4 year music scholarship to Butler University, and continued on performing for the Bergen Symphony Orchestra and Bergen Opera (Bergen, Norway), the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, as well as many other symphonies across Indiana, Tennessee, and Georgia.  Alongside his professional performing career, Michael has been teaching private lessons since 1977.


Michael’s passion for music is integral to his livelihood, and many of his students have continued on to successful music careers. He looks forward to helping each student excel in the world of music and performance.  

ms. Nicole

Flute, Piano

Ms. Nicole is a freelance flutist and teacher in Atlanta, where she has performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Albany Symphony, Augusta Symphony, and LaGrange Symphony Orchestras. Nicole earned an M.M. from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a B.M. from the University of Florida. She has enjoyed touring and recording with ensembles throughout the U.S., South America, and Europe.


As a passionate educator who has been teaching since 2008, Nicole believes in tailoring instruction to suit the needs of each individual student. Having studied privately herself from age 10 through graduate school and beyond, Nicole understands how weekly lessons can shape a student’s life and help them learn to express themselves creatively. Above all, she ensures students have fun in their lessons and love making music!

dr. paula

Winds, Piano

Dr. Paula is "a virtuoso saxophonist that possesses excellent technical attributes and a deep understanding of the music [she] performs" (Ovación). Based in Atlanta, Georgia she enjoys a career as a chamber musician, soloist and educator. In her previous appointment as Interim Professor of Saxophone at Universidade de Brasília, Dr. Paula was the first American to teach saxophone within the federal university system in Brazil.
 
In recent performances, Paula has shared the stage with Branford Marsalis and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional Claudio Santoro in Brasília and presented at the 2018 World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia. As a Selmer-Paris Artist and Clinician she has toured and lectured throughout Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Scotland, Ukraine and the United States.

ms. shannon

Violin, Viola

Shannon has been studying and performing music for 32 years. She began studying when she was 5 and graduated with her bachelors of Music Performance from Cleveland State University in 1999. She immediately began teaching classical violin studies out of her home as well as at schools such as The Galloway School, The Lovett School, Sandy Springs Music, and out of her home. Though she believes classical studies is a necessary basis for the mastering of the instrument, she has a profound passion for weaving the voice of the violin into other genres. Shannon founded and fronted her own Atlanta based rock band, Dynagroove, for years. In addition to her teaching duties she currently performs with local rock bands, classical quartets, and as a soloist around Atlanta. 

"I believe music is a vessel for self confidence, exploration, and communication. I have an insurmountable passion to introduce music to students that may not have anyone else in their lives to encourage them to explore the unknown, the less traveled. To encourage them to embrace their idealistic dreams and passions, that in fact, it is a gift."

ms. stephanie

Trumpet, Piano
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​Ms. Stephanie began her musical studies at age 6 on piano and began studying trumpet at age 10. She attended the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where she received a Bachelor of Music Performance in Trumpet under the instruction of Prof. Joey Tartell. She continued her music studies at the University of Michigan under Prof. William Campbell, and received her Master of Music Performance in Trumpet in 2013. 

    Ms. Stephanie has performed professionally with a number of organizations, including the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Saginaw Choral Society, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as a solo artist with the Dekalb Youth Symphony, and was invited to perform at the 2012 National Trumpet Competition. One of her most cherished accomplishments is the three seasons she spent performing with the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps, an organization to which she credits much of her current musical knowledge and personal motivation. Stephanie enjoys and has experience playing in a variety of styles, including orchestral, concert band, jazz and commercial music and is constantly looking to expand her musical boundaries.
    
Stephanie makes her living as a freelance player and teacher, and regularly performs with groups such as The Atlanta 13, 120 East, The Son Jazzy Orchestra, and the Outfront Theater Company.