Instructors

Peter Mongaya

Guitar

Peter is one of Tampa Bay’s most in demand teachers and guitarists. A native of Denmark, he studied music at the Sankt Annae School and the Jazz Akademiet in Copenhagen. A graduate of The Players School 80 Week Music Program, Peter has also studied with Joe Pass, Mike Stern, Charlie Banacos and Fareed Haque.

Joe Porter

 Bass

Joe Porter received his bachelor’s degree in Jazz performance and double bass from the University of South Florida. Joe toured with Maynard Ferguson’s band until he returned to Tampa in 2003. Joe is one of the area’s busiest bass players and brings academics and musical experience to his students.

Mick Donner

 Luthier

Mick has been building stringed instruments for 35 years, having worked for Washburn, Gibson, Peavey, Parker, and Dean guitars. Association with these companies has afforded him the opportunity to befriend and build instruments for some of the greatest players in the world. He is currently working as an Asian Trade Consultant for the Music Industry as well as maintaining a private repair business.

Elias Tona

 Bass

Elias is one of Tampa Bay’s most in-demand teachers and bassist. A native of Venezuela, he studied music at the School of Jazz of Caracas. He is currently with Al DiMeola and has also played with Oskar Cartaya, Willie Colon, Jose Luis Rodriguez “El Puma”, Franco de Vita, Juanes and more.

Gumbi Ortiz

Latin Percussion

One of the most exciting Latin percussionists playing today!. Gumbi has been a member of guitarist’s Al DiMeola band for over 25 years. Gumbi’s classes combine stellar musical performance with street-wise playing and learning philosophy. His classes demonstrate rhythmic exercises that he uses and showcases thoughout his professional playing. Gumbi showcases through example .

Pat Close 

Drums 

Pat has been teaching all phases of drumming for over 40 yrs. He has played for world renowed musicians like Brian Bromberg, Jimmy Haslip, Glenn Leonard ( of the Temptaitions ), Kenny Drew Jr. and many more. Originally from Ohio, Pat has dedicated his life to teach, play and records nationwide. He is working on his 1st Instructional DVD for drummers which combines all his years of knowledge about technique and hand speed exercises. He also is releasing a solo CD which will feature some world renowned musicians.

Phil went on to tour and record with Arturo Sandoval, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Engelbert Humperdinck. Phil also composed for Spyro Gyra (“Planet J” on their album “In Modern Times”) and worked with with Debbie Gibson, Joel Rosenblatt, Rick Braun, Funk Filharmonik, Jeff Andrews, Guru, Lucky Peterson, Mario Cruz, Eric Alexander, Harvie Swartz, Dave Mann, Ernest Ranglin, Bruce Arnold, Teddy Kumpel, Butch Thomas, Richie Castellano, Gumbi Ortiz, Tony Janflone Jr, Paula Atherton, Gil Parris, Bobby Rondinelli, Terry Silverlight, Ed Calle, Mary Wilson and Lew Soloff, among many others.

Austin Vickrey

 Horns 

Austin is a saxophonist and music educator in the Tampa Bay Area. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Utah and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. He has performed and recorded with: the Nelson Riddle and Cab Calloway orchestras, Al Martino, Kenny Garrett, Conrad Herwig, Curtis Fuller, Joshua Redman, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Lou Rawls, The O’Jays, and Bootsy Collins. Austin performs throughout Florida and is one of the most in-demand saxophonists in the area.”

Rob Silverman

Drums

Rob Silverman is the president of Autumn Hill Records, the worldwide leader in instrumental music. He is a drummer, recording artist, author and clinician. He wrote the best selling book “Music Marketing in the New Music Economy” as well as five drum instructional books for Mel Bay Publishing.Rob has sold eight mIllion songs and has over two billion streams to his credit. He has recorded music that has appeared in HBO’s “The Leftovers,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and many other TV and film productions.He is the drummer for Bach to the Future and the Eric Marienthal Band, and has recorded with Jeff Lorber, Randy Brecker, Steve Smith (Journey), Dweezil Zappa, John Patitucci, Jimmy Haslip, Jay Oliver, Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson), Dave Weckl and many others. Rob’s seminar focuses on taking advantage of all of the career opportunities that music has to offer such as teaching, performing, recording and selling your music in the digital age. Rob has a Bachelor’s Degree in music and communication from The University of Missouri St. Louis.

 

 

Alfredo Olarte

Voice

 

Studied voice and music in the Prudencio Esaa Conservatory in Caracas. He also studied with the renowned  baritone Francisco Kraus. In New York City, he studied singing with baritone Franco Iglesias, repertoire with Glenn Morton and Douglas Martin, conductor. Opera debut was in Caracas singing the Duke of Mantua, Verdi’s Rigoletto with soprano Carmen Moreno. Alfredo Olarte continued his Opera studies at the  Juilliard School of Music in Boston with maestro Vincent La Selva of the New York Grand Opera. Voice with Joyce Mc Clean and piano with Julie Jordan. In 1993 received a Scholarship from the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture CONAC to study in Germany with the legendary baritone Josef Metternich, and with American Tenor James King at the prestigious “Muenchener Singschule Prinzregenten Theater”  in Munich.

Recitals and opera performances: Rodolfo, La Boheme, Sunstate Opera production with soprano Julia Coulmas, and conductor Charles Harvey, Largo, Florida, an Opera Gala,  Teatro Municipal, Caracas, House of the Angostura Congress with Famicanto Opera, Ciudad Bolivar, Vzla, Recitals in New York, Tampa. Saint Petersburg.  Broadway from Terrence McNally, in the role of tenor Tony Candolino, in Poughkeepsie NY with Daniel Shaublin.

Repertoire: Rigoletto,  l’ Elisir d’amore, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Traviata, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Tosca. Operas in study: Don Carlo, Norma, La Forza del Destino Aida and Turandot.
Mr Olarte has been a voice teacher since 1999 in New York city, Minneapolis, MN and Saint Petersburg, FL.  Language and voice teacher for Saint Paul Public Schools, MN, after school hours and Summer Program. Fluent in Spanish, Italian, English and German.