Violin, Viola, and Cello Lessons

Bryan Johnson is an adept string instructor with nearly a decade of teaching experience. He has taught at several private music schools and served as a teaching assistant at the University of Georgia. His primary focus is in classical music, but is well-versed in bluegrass, fiddle music, and many other playing styles. As a teacher, he believes in a hands-on approach to learning and creating an environment that encourages students to grow both as musicians and people.

Bryan is an accomplished and active musician, playing with orchestras such as Charlotte Symphony, Greenville Symphony, Savannah Philharmonic and several others throughout the Southeast. He also has extensive experience playing chamber music. He previously served as the violist for the Hodgson String Quartet and was the principal violist for the ARCO Chamber Orchestra. He currently participates in community outreach programs that bring free string quartet concerts to venues outside of the concert hall.

When he’s not playing, Bryan likes to go running at local parks, cooking for friends, or staying home and playing Animal Crossing. Bryan holds a BM from Furman University and an MM and DMA from the University of Georgia.

Garrett Knighton is a lifelong musician and dedicated music educator with 7 years of experience teaching a variety of music genres. A versatile multi-instrumentalist proficient in guitar, mandolin, violin, piano, and flute, Garrett began his musical journey on piano and later excelled in school band and orchestra programs. He received guitar instruction from Terry Cantwell at Mercer University and Macon State before earning a B.A. in Music Performance from the University of Georgia, studying under John Sutherland and Philip Snyder.

During his studies, Garrett was active in the UGA Philharmonia and co-founded music projects that performed at festivals such as Bragg Jam, Kat Kat Phest, and Mighty Oak Festival. His bands have been featured in Athens Flagpole, Immersive Atlanta, The Blue Indian, and B-Metro Magazine. In 2017, his band received the Flagpole Upstart award and was nominated for a Vic Chesnut Songwriter of the Year Award in 2018. Garrett specializes in classical, folk, indie rock, and jazz, and has been focusing on expanding his knowledge of different pedagogical approaches to learning music.

Jordi Lara set foot on his musical path at the age of ten, picking up the cello for the first time in his school’s orchestra program. Since then, his passion for the instrument has only grown deeper as he’s explored beyond the world of classical music. While cello remains the staple of his career, he has dedicated practice to electric and upright bass, as well as tenor guitar. Jordi attended the University of Georgia where he earned his Bachelor’s in Cello Performance and a Minor in Jazz. Upon finishing his undergrad studies, he took to the Atlanta music scene, where he now resides as a sought-after performer, educator and studio musician. Jordi’s breadth of musical styles has equipped him to hold various roles in ensembles ranging from bluegrass and rock to jazz and world music.

Jordi is making his mark on the Atlanta music scene as an innovator of the cello, venturing outside of his classical foundation to take advantage of the instrument’s full range of melodic, rhythmic and harmonic capabilities. He has found his voice using a combination of traditional and extended techniques, occasionally employing electronics and amplification to expand his sonic landscape. Whether in his own music or that of others, Jordi believes in the spirit of serving music to its greatest potential.

This message is the same one he takes into teaching: to help his students serve the music and find the clearest way to express themselves. Jordi encourages his students to explore beyond the music of their classroom and hopes to inspire his students to branch out beyond the world of classical music, to break boundaries and to be creative. He encourages all of this while upholding the values of strong technique and passionate dedication. Jordi feels that the best way to grow in playing an instrument is to keep practicing and to keep loving music!

Josh Cowan is currently the Coordinator of Music and Worship Arts at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, GA. Josh began teaching private lessons while attending Texas Tech University, where he earned his Bachelor of Music in Education (2002). Following graduation, Josh moved to Houston, TX, where he started teaching full time as a middle school string orchestra director in the surrounding school districts. He moved to Atlanta in 2010 to finish his Master of Divinity at Candler School of Theology (Emory University, 2013) and has enjoyed continuing to teach privately, playing with several community and semi-professional ensembles, as well as staying active in church music.

Josh is originally from Texas and grew up in a family that loves making music! Of his earliest memories is singing in the childrens’ choir at church where his mother played the piano and his aunt played the organ. Josh’s family still gathers around the piano during holidays and other special events to sing and play music. His more formal training began in first grade on piano though he fell in love with the viola during a summer music camp experience after fourth grade. The viola has continued to be his primary instrument, and to that has been added trombone, bassoon, and bari sax! All these experiences have deepened Josh’s love of music and sharing it with others.

LaTonya Peoples was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas and began taking violin lessons at the age of five. At the age of sixteen she became a certified Suzuki Violin Instructor giving private lessons, and later graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Music Therapy from Howard University. LaTonya is a violinist, vocalist, DJ, songwriter, and the owner and operator of the Lpeop Recording Studio, LLC. where she writes, produces, and records music to be licensed for Film, TV, and video/gaming projects.

LaTonya has recorded and produced four original albums displaying a wide range in styles of music, including original songs, Jazz, Rock, Spirituals, Pop, Country, EDM, Dubstep, Singer/Songwriter, and Folk. She can be heard as a Violinist/Vocalist on recordings by India Arie, Co-Resonance (a pop/classical fusion string quartet), Ken Ford, Doria Roberts, JJ’s Swimming, and Left Eye Productions/TLC. And her music has been licensed by Love and Hip Hop, ‘How Black Mothers Say I Love You’, acclaimed Playwright Trey Anthony, and most recently, her vocal rendition of Wade In The Water was featured on ABC’s hit Television Series ‘Scandal’ – Season 6 / Episode 3. 

In addition to her recording career, she has performed in ensembles opening for Gladys Knight, Michelle NDegeocello, Angelique Kidjo, and Alice Walker; and has performed with such organizations as Sister Harriet, Sistagraphy, KMC, ZAMI, Charis Books, ALCI, and The Feminist Women’s Health Center. She has toured with UniverSoul Circus, visiting 26 major cities as a featured Violinist and Vocalist, was a featured performer with the LA Women’s Fest, and traveled to Osaka, Japan to perform for the Kansai Music Conference. LaTonya has been featured on BET’s Jazz Central program with Hue, a Jazz Trio and has been heard on National Public Radio’s Wade in The Water Series featuring Sweet Honey In The Rock, produced by Author Sonja Williams.

LaTonya has given workshops and in-services on Songwriting, Jazz Improvisation, and Music Therapy, as well as classroom teaching experience as an Orchestra Director. She has also worked with several populations including Special Education, AIDS, and psychiatric patients as a Music Therapist. 

Rachel Ofotokun is a composer and pianist from Lilburn, Georgia. Rachel comes from a musical family and has been engaging with music and composition since age 6, starting with piano lessons and adding cello to the mix in middle school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music composition and African studies from Emory University. Rachel enjoys classical, experimental, pop, jazz, gamelan, and afro-influenced music. 

Lessons with Rachel are incredibly flexible and goal-oriented. She focuses on building (and reaching) long and short-term goals based on a student’s desires and working as a team to achieve them in the most fun way possible! Rachel believes music lessons should be an outlet and safe space where students can spend time pursuing something they want for themselves. As is our mission at Eclectic Music, Rachel works to decolonize the music classroom. 

Outside of the studio, you can find Rachel crocheting, tending to her plants, redecorating her apartment, and sipping tea. She looks forward to making empathic connections with her students!

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.”