Skiles Kelley

Owner
Guitar Instructor

Aly Haddad

Director
Piano Instructor

Aly Haddad’s musical journey began at the age of 5, igniting a lifelong passion for piano. He graduated from the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, focusing on piano performance. He then earned his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Houston Baptist University, followed by a Master of Music in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation from Berklee College of Music, Valencia, Spain campus.

He has taught for many years and is able to mentor students at any learning level and create lasting relationships with them. Recognizing that music education extends beyond skill development, he is committed to nurturing well-rounded individuals through the transformative power of music.

Melissa Rangel

Office Manager

Melissa is a strong spirited mother with studies in cosmetology and pharmaceuticals. At an early age enjoyed music and dancing.

Her days off are spent on the football field with her family. She has begun her journey to combine her love of music and children to further advance her knowledge and passion for music and bringing people together. "When we nurture a child's whole being, we open the doors to endless possibilities".

Dan Barfield

Guitar | Mandolin | Banjo | Ukulele | Songwriting

Dan is a native Houstonian, attended the University of Houston and resides in the The Heights.

Inspired at 11 yrs old by his older brother, Mike Barfield, of the Rounders, The Hollisters, and Mike Barfield Band in Austin, TX. He played in rock bands at parties, dances and teen clubs starting in Junior high school with his brother and continues to perform to this day.

Dan studied music theory and guitar under Steve Coleman and Herbie Buzbie. In addition to leaning how to read music, Herbie inspired Dan by focusing on not only rock and pop music, but  jazz, blues, and R & B. A study program immersed in the Micky Baker Jazz Guitar methods and Ted Greene music theory books and many others.

Playing for over thirty years and teaching for 9 years. Dan teaches pop, R&B, rock, blues, Celtic, bluegrass, country, and more.

A teacher with good people skills, Dan profiles each new student and develops a teaching program to fit each student’s music objectives.

He is married and has two daughters who are talented musicians.

Joshua Elton

Drums | Guitar | Piano

Josh Elton is a professional musician based out of the great Houston area. Josh has been playing music on various instruments since he was in elementary school. After starting out on piano, he moved to guitar and other stringed instruments. Since then, Josh has been performing live at countless venues all over the country and has almost 15 years of experience playing music. He began privately teaching lessons in high school and has been teaching private lessons for about 10 years now.

Zack Frank

Voice | Piano

Zack Scott Frank is a Wisconsinite and baritone who received his BM in Music Ed. from UW-W and his MM in Voice from LSU-Baton Rouge. Recently, Zack has been performing regional mainstage roles, concerts, and outreach for Opera Louisiane, Shreveport Opera, Opera Leggera, and Lone Star Lyric opera. He looks forward to continuing to perform and teach in the Houston area.

Lara Horichenko

Cello | Violin | Piano

As one of the top talented Ukrainian cellists, Lara has established herself as one of the leading cellists of her generation. She has had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of prominent artists and composers, such as Toto Cutugno, Myroslav Skoryk, and Ruslana Lyzhychko.

Lara has also played in various orchestras around the globe, such as Lords of the Sound, Leopolis Chamber, Cossacks of Podillya, Khmelnytskyi, and Dnipro Philharmonic.

Hanna Hrybkova

Violin

Violinist Hanna Hrybkova has established herself as a world class young artist who has a beautiful sound full of color and temperament suited to the vernacular of composers. Hanna has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Belarus, Russia, Europe, and the United States. She has been a prize winner of international competitions, among which are the Manhattan International Competition, the Rudolf Barshai International Competition, Samuel Fordis Young Artists Concerto competition, Schwob School of Music Concerto Competition, and UCLA “All-Star” Concerto competition. She has recently appeared with the UCLA Philharmonic performing on the legendary “Duke of Alcantara” Stadivarius violin and has also recorded two world premieres on the CD with the VEM ensemble.

Scott Lee

Voice | Piano

A native of Statesville, North Carolina, baritone Scott Lee has been praised for his “...substance and velvety voice” by the Winston-Salem Journal. In recent years, he has performed with Merola (San Francisco's young artist program), Piedmont Opera, The Princeton Festival, Opera Theater of the Rockies, Magnolia Baroque, and Pensacola Opera as a Jan Miller Studio Artist (formally known as the Artists in Residence Program).

His recent engagements include Jigger in Carousel (Pensacola Opera) and Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Merola), where he was “The star of the evening... giving a silly, lovable, and vocally resplendent performance as Papageno... Lee kept the audience laughing without ever stinting on musical
values.”(The San Francisco Chronicle)
Lee also showed his dynamic range performing the role of Antonio in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix, where “singing such as Lee’s is still rarer not only in student production but upon all the world's stages.” (Voix des Arts)

In 2020, Lee received the Ron Payne Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Charlotte, N.C. Lee received his Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree from University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) where he studied music and vocal performance. In addition to performing, Lee is a seasoned teaching artist, having served as a member of UNCSA’s ArtistCorps, teaching in schools, and having his own private studio. Teaching ages from pre-k to people suffering from dementia and everyone in between.

Rafael Lopez

Guitar | Bass Guitar | Voice | Piano | Violin

Born in Cuba, Rafael’s musical journey began even before birth as the firstborn of a popular keyboardist and a renowned opera singer. He studied violin extensively at the conservatory before transitioning to train as a baritone, following in his mother’s footsteps. He graduated with a golden degree for his academic achievements in Singing. Driven by his creative ambitions, Rafael earned a scholarship in musical composition, which led him to Sheridan College in Toronto, Canada, where he obtained his postgraduate degree. Now a skilled bass player specializing in Latin jazz and Cuban music, Rafael’s diverse background, formal training, and deep understanding of various musical disciplines make him an exceptional teacher. His unique blend of experience and passion allows him to guide students in exploring their musical potential with a rich, well-rounded approach.

Troy Nicar

Drums

Houston drummer and drum teacher Troy Nicar is a veteran to the music business and brings over 35 years of teaching, recording and performance experience into each lesson taught.

Troy learned music education at Blinn Jr. College and Sam Houston State University. He also took private lessons under Jerry Vanderbruenhorst and Chuck Corbett. Playing in the Sam Houston State University Symphonic Band under the direction of Dr. Ralph Mills is when Troy got his start as a drum teacher and began performing professionally to help pay for school. He played drums in country bands on the weekends (Tony Tolliver in Huntsville), and in the orchestra pit of Conroe Little Theater (Annie Get Your Gun musical).

Troy has experience playing internationally and working on numerous studio demos and singles in the Houston area. The middle to late eighties had Troy playing in soul bands and opening shows for such national acts as Sister Sledge (We Are Family) and blues great Johnny Taylor. From then up until the present, Troy has played in a wide range of styles in local Houston bands. He is currently playing in one of Houston's premier private party/corporate bands, 5th Avenue. On Sundays, Troy will get the occasional call to sub in the orchestra at Dr. Ed Young's Second Baptist Church.

Being in demand as one of the top drum teachers in Houston, Troy is well known for producing numerous first chair drummers for local middle and high schools in and 
around the greater Houston area. Troy's teaching style appeals to a very wide range of student from kids to adults, beginners to professionals. His roster has included high profile adult names such as Local 2 KPRC news anchor Dominique Sachse.

Jeremy Nuncio

Piano | Guitar

Jeremy Nuncio studied jazz piano at the Moores School of Music with New York jazz pianist, Robert Boston. He has since then been in the local jazz circuit. He also employed by Houston's most successful wedding band, Drywater Band. His longest professional relationship has been with Julia and The Standards in which Houston's  David Craig and Paul Chester are members.

Sara Ranjbar

Voice | Piano

Sara Zare was born in a family with musical interests in Iran. Growing up, she would always listen to her father sing professionally and she developed an interest in Persian classical music. She started her professional vocal training after graduating from her first degree in Iran. Her passion for singing was constantly growing until a point when she decided to pursue singing more professionally and enter an academic voice program. Due to the ban on female singing in Iran, she started to apply abroad and managed to get admitted into the music program of Georgia State University in Atlanta and continued to do her postgraduate studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.  Throughout her years of education she managed to win the 2nd and 3rd places in the NATS which is a series of competitions that celebrates the art of singing. She has not neglected producing her own music and has published eight single tracks so far which are available on all major music platforms worldwide. In January 2020 she won the silver medal of the Global Music Awards and is hoping for more outstanding awards and performing on more prestigious stages in the future. 

Kodey Saldaña

Saxophone | Piano | Drums | Woodwinds

Kodey Saldana is a Houston-based Saxophonist, Composer and Educator. Kodey Saldana is a Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Alumnus, and is currently studying for his Bachelors of Music with a specialization in music education at the University of Houston. Kodey has had the opportunity of learning and performing with many established artists and musicians such as Greg Fishman, Clay Jenkins, Paul Meyers, John Yao, Josh Allen, and Jesse Mcbride to name a few. Along the likes of these artists Kodey has worked and performed with many of the big names of Houston such as Tex Allen, Kyle Turner, Woody Witt, David Caceres, Harry Sheppard, David Craig, Marcos Varela, Jerome Gillespie II, and Armir Lee. Kodey is working to share his love of music through Composition, Performing, and Educating and passing it on to established and future generations to come. 

Tony Sessions

Voice | Piano

Tony has been a working musician in the Houston area for over four decades. Originally from Dallas, Tony studied music education and tenor voice at McNeese State University in Lake Charles then later studied piano with the legendary Don Holcombe in Houston.

Through the years Tony has performed in concert halls around the world, including New York's Carnegie Hall, London's Royal Albert Hall, the Liszt Academy in Budapest as well as numerous concerts in Mexico City. In addition to having performed over 900 concerts with the Houston Symphony Chorus, he is also its longtime music librarian, responsible for all music scores for Symphony Chorus members. Also, Tony continues to be a dedicated church musician.

Among the many reknowned conductors he has worked with are Robert Shaw, Mitch Miller, Roger Wagner, Christoph Eschenbach, Hans Graf, Leonard Slatkin and Itzhak Perlman.

He also has an extensive background working in the print music industry, as well as working as an editor and research assistant to Dr. Howard Pollack on a series of award-winning musical biographies, including the lives of George Gershwin, Marc Blitzstein, John Latouche and Samuel Barber. Their current project is a bio of Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch.

Tony is passionate about sharing his love of all forms of music and believes it is never too early or too late to begin lessons.