kathryn imani, founder AND director
Kathryn Imani began studying piano at the age of 4. She started a small piano
studio at the age of 15. While completing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she studied piano performance and pedagogy privately with Lana Bodnar-Horton, and coached many of her students. After pursuing graduate work in San Diego, Mrs. Imani began teaching piano in a private school.Through contacts there, she was introduced to world-renowned teacher, Doris Koppelman, and the Suzuki Piano Method. She studied Suzuki pedagogy with Mrs. Koppelman for ten years, both as a teacher and a Suzuki-mom. Since 1989, Mrs. Imani has taught Suzuki piano to hundreds of children in San Diego, Orange County, and in Solvang, California where she resides with her husband and two sons.
In addition to private teaching, Mrs. Imani has taught K-5 classroom music in both public and private schools, is founder and director of PINK and HOT PINK, a chorus for 4th-9th grade girls, collaborates with local musicians as accompanist and ensemble player, and has been music director for community summer theater productions of the Music Man, Willie Wonka, Grease, Bye Bye Birdie, Guys & Dolls, and Crazy for You. She has studied voice privately with Michel Marc Gervais, head of the choral department at UC Santa Barbara and the Conservatory of Music in Geneva. In 2012, she developed the Valley Broadway Seniors/Juniors show choir program offered through Arts Outreach. Mrs. Imani is the music director of Santa Barbara Teen Star 2012/13/14/15 and a board member, Arts Outreach.
studio at the age of 15. While completing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she studied piano performance and pedagogy privately with Lana Bodnar-Horton, and coached many of her students. After pursuing graduate work in San Diego, Mrs. Imani began teaching piano in a private school.Through contacts there, she was introduced to world-renowned teacher, Doris Koppelman, and the Suzuki Piano Method. She studied Suzuki pedagogy with Mrs. Koppelman for ten years, both as a teacher and a Suzuki-mom. Since 1989, Mrs. Imani has taught Suzuki piano to hundreds of children in San Diego, Orange County, and in Solvang, California where she resides with her husband and two sons.
In addition to private teaching, Mrs. Imani has taught K-5 classroom music in both public and private schools, is founder and director of PINK and HOT PINK, a chorus for 4th-9th grade girls, collaborates with local musicians as accompanist and ensemble player, and has been music director for community summer theater productions of the Music Man, Willie Wonka, Grease, Bye Bye Birdie, Guys & Dolls, and Crazy for You. She has studied voice privately with Michel Marc Gervais, head of the choral department at UC Santa Barbara and the Conservatory of Music in Geneva. In 2012, she developed the Valley Broadway Seniors/Juniors show choir program offered through Arts Outreach. Mrs. Imani is the music director of Santa Barbara Teen Star 2012/13/14/15 and a board member, Arts Outreach.
vahid imani, CO-DIRECTOR, HEAD OF GUITAR STUDIES & GUITAR INSTRUCTOR
Vahid Imani, Director of Guitar studies & Guitar Instructor
Guitar instruction is under the direction of Vahid Imani. Utilizing the Suzuki method, Vahid teaches Guitar Fundamentals, Classical Guitar and Flamenco Guitar. Vahid is registered through the Suzuki Association of America and has had specialized training in teaching Suzuki method guitar. Vahid has studied Guitar, Music Composition, and the Suzuki approach with masters such as Dr. Lily Afshar, Dr. Daniel Robbins, Michele George, Frank Longay, Mychal Gendron, David Madison and Robert Boyd and among others. He started his classical guitar study in Teheran Conservatory in 1975, and continued his studies in music composition and guitar in Eastern Washington University, Cal. Sate Long Beach, Pasadena Conservatory and the Longay Conservatory of Guitar.
Guitar instruction is under the direction of Vahid Imani. Utilizing the Suzuki method, Vahid teaches Guitar Fundamentals, Classical Guitar and Flamenco Guitar. Vahid is registered through the Suzuki Association of America and has had specialized training in teaching Suzuki method guitar. Vahid has studied Guitar, Music Composition, and the Suzuki approach with masters such as Dr. Lily Afshar, Dr. Daniel Robbins, Michele George, Frank Longay, Mychal Gendron, David Madison and Robert Boyd and among others. He started his classical guitar study in Teheran Conservatory in 1975, and continued his studies in music composition and guitar in Eastern Washington University, Cal. Sate Long Beach, Pasadena Conservatory and the Longay Conservatory of Guitar.
carl johnson, composition instructor
Carl Johnson is an Emmy-winning composer of music for film, television and stage. Carl has recorded his music with symphonies around the world, conducting in London, Canada, Japan, Los Angeles, and Bulgaria.
After graduating with honors from the University of Kansas in music composition, Carl was accepted into the USC film-scoring program and after completing his studies there began writing music professionally. Carl has written music for numerous feature films, including Disney's Piglet's Big Movie, Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and Winnie the Pooh's Grand Adventure. Carl has also composed over 48 hours of music for numerous television projects, including Animaniacs and Batman: the Animated Series for Warner Brothers, Gargoyles and The Mighty Ducks for Disney, and Invasion America and Toonsylvania for DreamWorks SKG. Among his accolades are Emmy Awards for his musical scores for Invasion America and Aladdin: the Series, as well as three other Emmy Award nominations.
After graduating with honors from the University of Kansas in music composition, Carl was accepted into the USC film-scoring program and after completing his studies there began writing music professionally. Carl has written music for numerous feature films, including Disney's Piglet's Big Movie, Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and Winnie the Pooh's Grand Adventure. Carl has also composed over 48 hours of music for numerous television projects, including Animaniacs and Batman: the Animated Series for Warner Brothers, Gargoyles and The Mighty Ducks for Disney, and Invasion America and Toonsylvania for DreamWorks SKG. Among his accolades are Emmy Awards for his musical scores for Invasion America and Aladdin: the Series, as well as three other Emmy Award nominations.
ELLEN S. BECKERMAN, FLUTE & CELTIC HARP INSTRUCTOR
Mrs. Beckerman has studied flute with Ilene Richards , Frederick (Fritz) Baker and Susan Stockhammer for eleven years and has studied Celtic Harp with Deborah Friou, Ellie Choate and Laurie Rasmussen for about 16 years. In addition to a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Ms. Bckerman has two Master degrees, one in Fine Art from Claremont Graduate School and the other is Clinical Social Work from USC. She was a much loved and highly respected teacher at Ballard Elementary school for 9 years. She is a member of a Celtic Trio and The Misty Isles Consort music groups. In addition to flute and Celtic harp, Ms. Beckerman also plays the alto flute, a variety of world flutes, piano and the Swiss hang drum.
sarah spisak, electric guitar & drum instructor
Sarah is the author of Metal Riffology- The Art of the Metal Riff and Melodic Principles for Rock Guitar DVD courses from Metal Method. She has worked closely with Doug Marks and virtuoso progressive guitarist Michael Angelo Batio to create a catalog of lessons for students at all skill levels. Sarah has also worked as a professional guitar transcriber producing highly accurate transcriptions of recorded works. Guitarists around the world have studied with Sarah and benefited from her vast knowledge of the many genres of electric guitar music. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Mills College.
Serving the Communities of Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Buellton, Lompoc, Vandenberg, VAFB, Los Alamos, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Arroyo Grande, .
