CW Bayer has played ragtime guitar since the folk revival of the early 1960's, performing for decades in concerts, upscale saloons and coffee shpos of northern Nevada before moving to the Santa Rosa area. He teaches old school ragtime guitar. Variously called “ragtime guitar”, “folk three finger style”, “ thumb picking” and “Travis picking”, it is a syncopated solo American guitar developed around 1915, blossomed during the '20s and '30s and underwent a resurgence during the “folk revival”. Lively and fun, it is ideal for performing a vast body of American standards, country rags and jug band songs from the period 1895 through the present day. See www.cwbayer.blue for videos.  

Hello, I am Brett Fenex and I have been in love with the guitar for thirty years! In that time I have studied classical, jazz, rock, folk, pop, funk and blues (not necessarily in that order). I am Musical Director for Alchemia, a non-profit organization serving the developmentally different community in the creative and performing arts. I currently perform with the West County Jazz collective as well as strange daisies, an original folk/rock band and as a solo artist. I recently won Song of the Year from the West Coast Songwriter's Association for my song New Year Blues. In my twenty year tenure at Bananas At Large I have nurtured a love of the instrument and music in many students who have become accomplished musicians in their own right. My curriculum consists of classical coordination exercises and sight reading in addition to improvisation and theory. Dull as this may sound, I make every effort to keep it FUN! I also devote a portion of the lesson to include whatever the student would like to work on, be it popular songs, soloing, improvisation or composition.

Most of all I seek to inspire a love of music in general and guitar in particular, to create an outlet for a lifetime of enjoyment and creative self expression.

Jennifer Wilsey—percussionist, improviser, composer, and educator—is a co-founding member of improvising ensembles Timeless Pulse (with Pauline Oliveros, Thomas Buckner, and George Marsh), The Bloom (with W. Allaudin Mathieu and George Marsh), and Gestaltish (with Rachel Condry, Gretchen Jude, and Jacob Peck). Jennifer’s projects have also included work with The Good Sound Band, Wrestling Worms, The Luna Ensemble, Petr Kotik and the SEM Ensemble, Stuart Dempster, Bernie Krause, and Anna Halprin, among others. Her recordings can be heard on the Deep Listening, Mutable, Cold Mountain Music, Public Eyesore Records, and Pitch-A-Tent labels. She received her BA in Music from UC Santa Cruz and MFA in Performance and Literature with Improvisation Specialization from Mills College (with the Margaret Lyon Prize), and is a Deep Listening Certificate holder. As an educator, Jennifer directs the Musicianship Program at Mills College, teaches percussion, percussion pedagogy, and directs the Percussion and Improvisation Ensemble at Sonoma State University, and teaches in the Deep Listening Online Certificate Training Program at Rensselaer. She offers workshops in Improvisation, Music Games, and Deep Listening, and individual lessons via her creative music studio in Santa Rosa and Oakland, California.

Michael Papenburg is a Bay Area native with over 35 years of teaching and performing experience. He has performed and recorded with many local artists including The Jerry Hannan Band, Matadore, Matt Nathanson, Brittany Shane, Orange, Penelope Houston, Lilyvolt, The Mad Cattle Ensemble, and Missile Harmony. He currently plays lead guitar for Petty Theft, a tribute to Tom Petty and he Heartbreakers.

Michael specializes in rock, alternative, slide guitar, blues, funk, country, and folk. His influences include Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Bill Frisell, Robin Guthrie, Daniel Ash, Mike Campbell, and many others. He is a very patient teacher with students ranging from beginning to advanced players. His teaching has a focus on playing technique, chords, scales, music theory, musicianship, and transcriptions of songs and solos in either tablature or standard notation.

Ralph Cetola is a multi-instrumentalist, teacher and band leader, playing and studying music since he was a child. Ralph began playing guitar at 12 years old and after taking formal guitar lessons for about 3 years ventured out on his own learning from such great players as Jorma Kaukonen, Jerry Garcia, Jeff Beck and many others by listening intently to their recordings and watching them play live. Ralph attended music classes at Laney College in Oakland and SRJC in Santa Rosa. Utilizing learning methods such as Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method and various materials from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Ralph has successfully taught 100's of students on Guitar, Bass, Violin, Mandolin, and Ukulele since becoming a full time music instructor in spring of 2000. Ralph is well versed in Jazz Improv and Jamband music. Ralph currently play's in 2 bands as the lead and rhythm guitar player.

Ralph was asked to begin the music lesson program at Sonoma Valley Music; has taught group classes and band class at Sonoma Charter School; was the assistant violin teacher at Woodland Star Charter School in Sonoma Valley; and has been teaching privately at home and through Banana's at Large for the past 6 years in Santa Rosa, CA.

Genres: Fingerpicking, Flatpicking, Slide Guitar, Banjo

Rik Elswit's first gig was at Little Pietro's Pizza Parlor, just off the USC campus, in 1965. He got free beer, a pizza, $10, and his career was set.

Sam Barry has been a professional harmonica and keyboard player for decades and has taught thousands of people how to play the harmonica. For 20 years he has led a monthly jam in San Francisco and now has settled in Marin and has discovered a wealth of musical talent, Sam plays regularly with the Kelly Peterson Band.

He is the author of How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons, coauthored Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now. As a member of the Rock Bottom Remainders Sam edited and coauthored the book Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All.

Learn Jazz, Blues, Rock, Country, Classical.

All ages welcome, beginning, intermediate and advanced.

I can teach you to read music and to play any musical genre, for example, classical, jazz, blues, rock and roll, country music, or salsa/latin.

If you’re brand new to piano, I have tried and true methods to help you get started. My students tell me I’m very patient and my lessons are fun.

If you already read music, I can help you improve your reading and sight-reading skills. I can teach you how to learn your favorite tunes off recordings by ear. You can learn how to read “fake” books (books with just melody lines and chord symbols) and play all the chords required. 

I started playing piano when I was eight years old. I played in blues and rock bands in junior high school and discovered Dave Brubeck when I was 13. I started playing professionally at age 19.

I have 40+ years of performing, recording, and touring experience. I have played all popular styles professionally, in small clubs, theaters, and stadiums. Some venues include Carnegie Hall and Oakland Coliseum. I worked with such artists as Jesse Colin Young, Country Joe, Norton Buffalo, and Magic Slim. I have recorded on more than 25 albums. I earned a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from North Texas State.

I currently play solo, duos, and jazz and swing band gigs. You can hear examples of my recording at http://www.stompyjones.com/aud<wbr />io.htm  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr />v=oEXDFr-9aJw

I look forward to working with you and helping you achieve your musical goals.

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” 
~Friedrich Nietzsche

Embodying that philosophy, Tim Cleary started playing guitar, saxophone, harmonica, and singing in his preteens and is still playing 45 years later. Tim’s extensive experience as a musician has encompassed a wide array of styles including classical, folk, rock, blues, pop, and jazz.

Individual lesson plans are created for each of Tim's students in order to fulfill their particular wants and needs. Tim is very comfortable and skilled at working with both children and adults and has been very successful in working with adults who are either beginners attending to an unfulfilled passion or who are returning to music after leaving it (perhaps after being turned off by earlier experiences). Tim has a relaxed, easygoing teaching style that will ensure that you have fun, while his ongoing study of the cutting edge of practice techniques, and brain plasticity, will ensure maximal results from your lessons and practice time.

Tim’s extensive playing experience includes playing at many festivals, events, and venues either solo or with other jazz musicians. He has also performed in the highly regarded group Afro-musicology presenting educational programs for local schools demonstrating the African influence on American music and dance. Tim’s several appearances at the Montreux/Detroit jazz festival were a particular career highlight.

Tim graduated with Honors from The Musicians Institute (GIT) in 1993. He studied music theory, arranging, composition and improvisation with the esteemed Dr. Morris Lawrence, Jr. in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Tim has also studied privately or attended master classes with many notable musicians including: Jim Hall, Mimi Fox, Mick Goodrick, Mark Levine, Kai Eckhardt, and John Stowell. Tim has been performing and teaching in the Bay area since 1994.

Tommy Rickard is a musician born and raised in Northern California. He is a singer/songwriter, drummer and guitarist, currently rooted in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. He started playing drums young and spent his early days in local punk bands, opening shows for the likes of Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Sea Hags, Victim’s Familyand Agent Or-ange. A restless search for new challenges, combined with a knack for playing just what songs need, eventually landed Rickard on the road and in the studio with Vain, Linda Perry, Eric Martin, Ronnie Montrose, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and many others, as well as a long list of independent singers, songwriters and producers. All the while he kept at his studies with Bay Area teaching legend, Chuck Brown. While working with Perry, Tommy recorded her Grammy winning song “Beautiful,”which became a #1 single for Christina Aguilera. In 2010 he completed a successful tour of Europe with his bandmates from Vain. As well as playing on the critically acclaimed, 2011 Vain release, Enough Rope. In 2010, and 2012, Tommy also toured the US with former Stone Temple Pilotsfrontman, Scott Weiland. Most recently Tommy is working on recordings for a new album. Here’s a link to his previous release, “Dream California.” He just finished tracking drums for Todd Herfindal’s upcoming album. He is also co producing, and co directing The Hard Road; a documentary style TV show that is focused on musicians and artists, and their lives journey’s, in pursuit of their creative passions. Tommy Rickard approaches teaching in a fun, creative, and inspiring yet disciplined way. Creating a lesson plan that engages students with their favorite songs, introducing Motown grooves and instilling a solid foundation including snare solos written for drum corps. Each lesson plan is uniquely crafted for the student’s individual personality, talent and desires. 

Yonat Piva, MA, brings a lifetime of deepening self-awareness to her practice as a vocalist, facilitator and performing artist.  Yonat holds a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology and has professional training in music and performance. She is a singer, songwriter/guitarist and performs and records her original soul-folk music. She has recorded and performed as a backup singer for groups ranging from folk-punk to funk to reggae. She is currently singing with Sonoma locals Midnite Sun.

Born in Milwaukee, her original musical role models were rooted in blues, jazz and American folk. She is also deeply influenced by Jewish prayer and liturgical music. Yonat completed undergraduate coursework in music performance at the Rimon School of Music in Israel and also trained extensively in the art of Indian Classical vocal music under renowned North Indian vocalists. Her teaching style blends holistic principles, vocal anatomy and popular technique to bring out the unique presence in each student’s voice. She brings heartfelt empathy and a passionate, candid voice to nurture honest vocal exploration and expression. 

Zachary Morris has always enjoyed teaching and shared his twenty-plus years of drum findings with students of all ages and skill levels. With implicit knowledge from re-building and repairing drums, Afro-Cuban and world music/percussion, and experimenting in electronic composition and jazz, Zachary is a well rounded instructor. He has a gift to find out what his students need in the moment and long term skills to help them progress in their music journey. He has been a successful teacher to hundreds of students over the years. He teaches students of all ages and skill levels and abilities. He enjoys using class instruction books like Stick Control and Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. 

Zachary has an extensive performance list from local to international stages. Some notable concerts include “A Tribute to Sun Ra” with trumpeter and ambassador of Jazz, Eddie Gale. One of Gale's early projects opened up to a sold out crowd with hip-hop legends, Run-DMC. Zachary has also studied the art of jazz drums and improvisation with masters such as Wadada Leo Smith, Charlie Haden, Dave Roitstein, Joe LaBarbera, Mike Clark, and Aron Serfaty and the California institute for the Arts in Los Angeles. During his time there, his composition, “Hunting Accident”, was chosen for the Capitol Records recording project out of over 50 other submissions.