MEET OUR TEACHERS
Our university trained team of highly qualified and dedicated music teachers excel both in the field of teaching and also in the field of performing. Below are just a few of the many teachers offering music lessons in the Conejo Valley and San Fernando Valley. Whether you are looking for beginner music lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, our instructors are ready to help you now!
We are serious about high quality instruction and bringing music to all lives. Our teachers hold at least one university degree in music. In addition, our instructors are carefully selected and we believe we have assembled the very best music teachers our community has to offer.
Each one of our Music School To Go teachers on staff receive thorough background checks and go through an extensive interview process. The safety and security of our students is very important to us — and it should be important to you.
FOUNDER
Jason Sulkin, Founder of Music School To Go
Guitar
Sonoma State University, B.A. in Music Performance
Born in Tarzana and raised in the Conejo Valley, Jason started playing the guitar at the age of 12. He continued to play guitar throughout high school and it wasn’t long before he developed a strong repertoire and a love for all styles of music. Jason went on to further his studies at Sonoma State University School of Music where he studied under the tutelage of Mel Graves focusing on jazz theory and improvisation and jazz composition. During his music training, he was a member of the highly acclaimed Sonoma State University Jazz Ensemble. He also studied extensively with renowned San Francisco Bay Area guitarists Steve Sage and Randy Vincent, two great guitar players and mentors who he credits for bringing out the discipline and skills he would need for a lifetime of music achievements and expression. Jason is a professional musician, educator, performer and recording guitarist. He works and performs with a variety of jazz groups and ensembles in Southern California and continues to indulge his passion for the guitar.
TEACHERS
Amanda
Voice, Piano, Flute
UC Davis, B.A. in Music and Vocal Performance
Amanda's love of music began at the age of five when she started playing piano. Her love of music grew even stronger when she began playing flute in her elementary school band. Amanda has a love for musical theater and was featured in choral works such as The Road Home, Amazin' Grace and Ives' Symphony 4. She has sung with the Chorus and San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow in the UC Davis production of "Carmen," as well as Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, and The Magic Flute. Amanda performs in Musical Theater and has played a wide variety of roles including The Wizard of Oz, Sweet Charity and West Side Story where she played the role of Maria.
Scott
Piano, Flute
Cal State Northridge, B.A. in Music
Scott was introduced to music at the age of seven when he started playing the flute. His love for playing music blossomed as he took up the piano at age 14. He received his B.A. in Music Education in 2000 and continued his studies at Cal State Northridge in the Credential Program. In 2007, he he received his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music. Scott is a prominent music educator in the Conejo Valley for more than 15 years and teaches flute and piano in private and group settings. He has worked extensively with students of all ages and has always seen himself as a music teacher, continuing to enrich the lives of children and providing them with quality music education.
Bill
Guitar
Berklee College of Music, B.A in Professional music
Born in Morristown New Jersey and raised in Boston, Bill began his musical journey on guitar at age 11. With one year of lessons under his belt, he started his first band and has not looked back since. While engaging in his studies, Bill worked as an audio engineer and session guitarist in both Boston and Los Angeles. After graduating from Berklee Magna Cum-laude, Bill moved to Los Angeles to continue his career as a session guitarist and audio engineer. Currently Bill works throughout Greater Los Angeles in both live and studio settings. He believes playing the guitar should be enjoyable and rewarding, and he hopes his students feel as passionate about playing their instrument as he does!
Will
Guitar and Piano
Berklee College of Music, B.A., Songwriting and Music Business Management
Born in the suburbs of Boston, Will began his musical journey at the age of 4, when his family bought their first piano. He really took to the instrument, becoming very passionate about not only learning the piano, but using music as a means of expression. Playing in many styles, but focusing specifically on Pop and Rock, Will transferred his education over to the Guitar at the age of 14. At this point, he concentrated not only on learning the guitar, but learning how to write songs. Will attended Berklee College of Music, in Boston, MA where he furthered his musical knowledge, focusing on Songwriting and Music Business Management. He teaches piano, guitar and songwriting with up-and-coming artists. He also writes music for TV, Movies and Documentaries. Will enjoys sharing his passion for music with new and current students, and helping them blossom into the musicians they want to become.
Taylor
Drums, Piano
Berklee College of Music, B.A. in Writing and Production
Taylor is a drummer, composer and producer from Los Angeles. He began playing drums at the age of 7 and was exposed to a wide variety of music from Jimi Hendrix to Miles Davis. Taylor holds a Bachelors Degree in Contemporary Writing and Production from Berklee College of Music.
Currently, Taylor is the drummer for the Karen Lovely Band and does freelance work in the LA area. Notable venues and shows Taylor has played include The Hollywood Bowl, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Monterey Jazz Festival and the Congac Blues Festival.
Paulie
Guitar, Voice
School of Visual Arts NYC, B.A. in Music Performance
Paulie has been a professional singer and guitar player for nearly 20 years. He has played arenas, toured the USA and even starred in his own TV show! More importantly, he is an educator who has been teaching guitar and voice professionally for more than 15 years. He has worked with children as young as 3 years old, as well as adults and even celebrities. Michael J. Fox was one of his guitar students.
Paulie's philosophy is that once a student is engaged, they can learn anything. He has a dynamic personality coupled with an academic mind. His focus is to always cater lessons to each individual student so that they are engaged mentally and emotionally. In each of his lessons, students learn the rudiments of music while applying them to pop/rock songs. He believes that you need to balance the academics with something fun that will draw the student in and keep them motivated.
Lucia
Guitar, Piano, Voice
Catholic University of Argentina, B.A. in Composition and Choral Conducting
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Lucia is a guitarist, pianist, singer-composer based in Los Angeles. At a very young age, she demonstrated extraordinary abilities playing guitar and singing. Lucia attended the Argentinean National Conservatory for piano performance and excelled in the fields of guitar performance and composition. Her studies culminated with a double Bachelors Degree in composition and choral conducting from UCA (Catholic University of Argentina). She enjoys the art of teaching and education in the fields of voice, piano, guitar and songwriting. For more than 10 years, Lucia has participated in jazz, musical theater and choral events and has toured throughout the United States, Canada, Central America, South America and Europe performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Teatro Colon in Argentina.
Ana
Violin
Humboldt State University
Ana was raised in a musical family. Her love of music came from her mother who was a violinist. Ana started playing violin at age 7. She had private lessons throughout her childhood and was mentored by Susanna Han, a student of Shinichi Suzuki. Throughout her musical career, Ana has enjoyed playing Bach Partitas and orchestral music concertos, as well as in quartets and small ensembles. Ana began teaching private lessons to her Mariachi students at the age of 22 and since then, has continued to share her knowledge and experience with others. She has worked with students of all ages and levels and is very proud to continue to inspire her students and watch them grow into aspiring young musicians.
Katie
Piano, Voice
University of Connecticut, B.A. in Music
NYU Steinhardt's Master of Music program, Vocal Performance in Music Theater
A recent transplant from the East Coast, Katie has been teaching piano and voice privately since 2008. She held a studio of 40 weekly piano and voice students, and has taught youth musical theatre courses and created unique performances for youth events and holidays. Holding both a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in music, she has extensive training in both classical repertoire and contemporary music theater. While at NYU and Uconn she studied vocal pedagogy and music education. A lover of cabarets and standards, Kate is also well versed in oldies, jazz, and popular music. While performing throughout the New England area and New York City, she has worked as Musical Director, Assistant Director and Production Stage Manager for multiple stage productions. Favorite past roles include: Eve – Children of Eden; Mrs Lovett - Sweeney Todd; Mother - Ragtime; Rona Lisa – 25th Annual…; Mdm Thenardier - Les Miserables; Petra- A Little Night Music; Irene Malloy – Hello, Dolly!; Maggie Mundy – Dancing at Lughnasa; Little Red and 2nd Knitter in Seymour Barab's Little Red Riding Hood & A Game of Chance.
Elyse
Piano, Voice, Guitar
Cal State University Northridge, B. A. in Music
Born in NYC and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Elyse began her musical journey singing from her crib. Her family was given their first piano and she banged out Broadway and Pop melodies as a young child. Elyse's parents are both musical; her father having gone to the High School of Music & Arts in NYC. Her Mother is an English teacher and Elyse combined writing and music to find her true form of expression through songwriting.
Playing in many styles, but focusing specifically on Pop and Rock, Elyse began playing guitar at age 18 and hasn't looked back since. After graduating, Elyse has been making music with her band, Elyse + the Aftermath, teaching, co-writing songs with other up-and- coming artists, as well as writing music for TV and Movies. Elyse loves to share her passion for music with new and current students, and lend her knowledge to the new generation of musical expressionists.
Jesse
Guitar
Ventura College, Applied Music
A Ventura County native, Jesse has always had a love for all genres of music. He picked up his first guitar in high school and excelled quickly and hasn't looked back since. Jesse immersed himself in the Applied Music Program at Ventura College where he studied classical guitar performance with Carlos Gonzales, Master Guitarist. From the beginning, Jesse was inspired by the learning process and knew he had a lot to offer as a teacher and educator. While attending VC, Jesse began teaching music as well as performing regularly throughout Ventura County. Jesse has taught a variety of instruments to students from age 6 to 86. He currently divides his time between performing and providing private lessons on acoustic and electric guitar. He teaches students what they want to learn, including classical to rock guitar and everything in between.
Natalie
Piano & Voice
Musicians Institute
Born and raised in Camarillo, Natalie found her passion in music and performing arts at the young age of 2. She began flute at 6, voice at 7 and piano at 12. She is classically trained by graduates of prestigious music schools such as Julliard, Berklee College of Music, San Fransisco Music Conservatory and University of Rochester. At the age 17, she was awarded the highest Talent Scholarship available from Musicians Institute where she also earned her Certificate from LA's renowned MI. Natalie has been mentored by and/or written with top industry producers and songwriters such as Ron Harris (Credits: Christina Aguilera, Usher) Rizzo Grey (Credits: Chris Brown, Iggy Azalea) Brett McLaughlin (Credits: Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull) and more. She is currently sharing her love and passion for music teaching students of all ages and writing and producing her contemporary/EDM album.
Julian
Piano, Guitar, Bass & Voice
As an artist and professor of music, Julian is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter/producer who is passionate about instilling inspiration and engaging with others. Proficient in piano, guitar, bass & voice, he is well versed in styles ranging from Classical, Jazz, Rock, Funk, R&B, Hip Hop and more. Since earning his Degree in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Performance from San Francisco State University, Julian works professionally as an educator and freelance musician in Greater Los Angeles.
As an educator, Julian believes it is extremely important to tailor his teaching methods based on the individual needs and interests of the student. Establishing a solid musical foundation including technique, sight reading, harmony, theory, composition and learning songs, he finds that the more involved and engaged the student is about what he/she is learning, the more excited they become and the quicker they progress.
Kailey
Violin and Piano
Berklee College of Music, B.M. in Professional Music: performance, music business, songwriting, recording. Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music
With a rock and roll keyboardist for a dad and a classical ballerina for a mom, Kailey was born into the arts. At age three, Kailey jammed with her father in what became her first song titled “Little John.” Kailey strives to bring a new musical voice to the industry with her exuberant stage presence and unique playing style. She is described as having an exciting and intense energy on stage that captures audiences with her talent and vivacious personality.
Her extensive classical training led Kailey to discover a passion that bridges technical elements to contemporary music. Kailey has the rare ability to bring an artist’s vision to life, while integrating her own individual style. In addition, Kailey can contribute with her ability to write, collaborate string arrangements, improvise and sing background vocals in live performances and recording sessions. Kailey’s live performance highlights are comprised of playing with artists such as Rod Stewart, Annie Lennox, Willie Nelson, Lalah Hathaway, Sharlotte Gibson, Jetro da Silva, Mario Castro Quintet w/ Strings feat. Dave Liebman, Nikolas Metaxas, Art Decade, Jesse Denaro, Animal Flag, Berklee Contemporary World Strings under direction of Eugene Friesen, and the Whitney Houston Tribute show. Her collegiate education includes the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music from 2008-2010 as a Violin Performance major and the Berklee College of Music, where she graduated with a B.M. in Professional Music in May 2013.
Kailey is currently working on her debut album. In addition, she is committed to teaching violin, piano and music to inspire and empower anyone and everyone to step into their greatness and fulfill their dreams and goals!
Andrew
Guitar
University of Southern California, B.M. in Classical Guitar
Andrew is a passionate, multifaceted musician from Calabasas, CA. His mastery of the guitar spreads across multiple styles of music, focusing on classical and pop. Andrew has quickly built a career as a performing artist, guitarist, and composer. As a teenager, he was already in high demand with his band, Mysterious Bob. They were even invited to perform on the Sharon Osbourne Show. To date, Andrew’s performance experience is vast and includes performing concerts at Dodger Stadium, Universal City Walk, Whisky A Go-Go, Roxy Theatre and other notable venues.
While earning his Bachelors of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Southern California Magna Cum Laude, Andrew studied with and performed for some of the top classical guitarists in the world, including Pepe Romero, Scott Tennant, Andrew York, William Kanengiser, and Evan Hirschelman.
In addition to his studies and band experience, Andrew has taught guitar for many years, helping a wide variety of students achieve their musical goals. He has a true passion for teaching and loves to guide students of all ages in their journey to learn the instrument.
Shane
Piano
Wyndham Academy of Music, Piano Pedagogy and Composition
Shane is an accomplished pianist and composer. He began studying music at age 4, learning both the violin and piano. During his musical education, Shane performed frequently at various venues. Some of the venues included wineries, hotels, private gatherings, concert halls and several competitions.
Shane received a Certification in Piano Pedagogy and Composition from the Wyndham Academy of Music. After teaching in Oregon, he moved to Los Angeles to further his career in teaching and film scoring. Since then, he has taught at three schools with a wide variety of students and has had his compositions featured on Lifetime as well as several commercials.
While primarily schooled in classical music, Shane is also adept at teaching rock, blues, pop, jazz and ragtime. He believes that the method should always fit the student and remain relevant to their interests. His teaching method is to instill a love of music from the very first lesson so that music will never become a frustrating obligation, and always fulfilling source of joy and continuous exploration.
Carla
Piano/Keys, Voice, Songwriting, Music Composition
New England Conservatory of Music, B.M. Music Composition
Carla has been teaching and performing for more than 27 years. She holds a B.M. in Music Composition from the New England Conservatory of Music. Carla is just 8 credits shy of a Masters Degree in Music Education.
Carla has performed on the Chapman Stick with The Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theater in NYC. She has also toured Europe as a background singer with many artists and performed with a girl group revival show called The Party Dolls. In addition, she has performed with many corporate bands in the NYC area. Most recently she is performing the part of Christine McVie in a Fleetwood Mac Tribute named “Mirage.”
Carla has a passion for teaching. For more than 27 years in between touring and performing, she has always had a large studio of students. She believes that each student is different and learns at their own pace. If a student is interested in the music they are learning, they will be inspired to practice harder and thrive at their instrument. Her philosophy is that any song that holds a student’s attention is one we can learn from, whether it’s chords & basic theory from a pop song or Jazz Standard, to song structure from a ballad, to phrasing and poetry from a rap song or vocal pedagogy from a light Operatic piece! Music has something for everyone.
Valentina
Piano, Voice, Music Composition, Songwriting
Berklee College of Music
Valentina is a signed songwriter/producer/artist. Her music was most recently featured on "Pretty Little Liars," "The Vampire Diaries" and "Finding Carter." Networks such as ABC, NBC, MTV, The CW, A&E, VH1, CBS, PBS, OWN, ABCFamily, Freeform, Lifetime, Netflix & Hulu have all featured her music. She has taught private lessons for more than 10 years. Valentina specializes in Piano/Keys, vocals for the singer/songwriter and Production/Arranging (Logic Pro, ProTools). Valentina studied at Berklee College of Music and has a Certificate in Piano. She has a unique understanding of how to keep a student passionate about the instrument they are discovering while still having an extensive knowledge of music theory to provide a solid foundation for limitless growth.