Open for In-Person & Remote Lessons
Call us at 919-251-9401 or email us at lessons@highstrungdurham.com ​

Instruments

BANJO
Louis Landry
Billie Feather
​Craig Wiggins

BASS (GUITAR)
Louis Landry
Billie Feather
Michael Buckley

BASS (UPRIGHT)
Billie Feather

CELLO
Douglass Payne

COMPOSITION
Ingrid Knight
Michael Buckley

GUITAR (ACOUSTIC, ELECTRIC)
Louis Landry
Billie Feather
Michael Buckley
Craig Wiggins

GUITAR (CLASSICAL)
Billie Feather
Craig Wiggins

MANDOLIN
Louis Landry
Billie Feather
Craig Wiggins

PIANO
Louis Landry
Megan Stewart
Ingrid Knight

UKULELE
Louis Landry
Billie Feather
Michael Buckley
Craig Wiggins

VIOLA
Megan Stewart
​Gabriela Potter

VIOLIN
Megan Stewart
​Gabriela Potter
Sarah Grace Bindrim
​Helena Bandy

SUZUKI VIOLIN/VIOLA
​​​Gabriela Potter
Sarah Grace Bindrim

Instructor Bios 

Louis Landry :: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Mandolin and Banjo
 
Louis is a lifelong musician who has taught over 10,000 private lessons. Every one is unique, but share common threads on Big Topics like Listening, Breathing/Posture, Developing Good Practice Habits, Repetition/Rhythm, Being Heard, Gaining Knowledge, Controlling Technique and much more. His students can expect a well-informed, yet friendly and informal, guide through their musical journeys. Louis has toured internationally (drumming for Curtis Eller’s American Circus), and made music with Katharine Whalen, Ironing Board Sam, Grammy winner Ryan Bingham, and (on one remarkable occasion!) The Duke Ellington Orchestra. 
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Since 2007, Louie has taught music at Duke University, Wake Forest Montessori, Seedlings Preschool, Durham Community Preschool, and Red Leaf School of Music in Austin, Texas. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, and has taught at High Strung School of Music for the last decade. 

Louie continuously works to examine his own biases and re-evaluate his methods and materials, in order to provide a safer space for students of all ages, skill levels, races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and identities, to learn the power and joy of music.
More at www.LouisLandryMusic.com. 
Megan Stewart ::  Violin, Viola, Piano
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Over the last two decades, Megan has enjoyed teaching a variety of styles including Classical, Irish, Scottish, Folk, Old-Time and Worship. Students of all ages (ranging from beginner to intermediate levels) have enjoyed Megan's teaching style, which couples proper technique with heartfelt artistic expression. 

​Megan’s teaching philosophy is to support and encourage each student to achieve their own personal goals. Multiple teaching methodologies are utilized: the Suzuki method, Adventures in ViolinLand, the Mark O'Connor method, the Alfred and Faber piano series and more. 

Her ensemble experience includes playing in the string quartet Bows & Arrows, as well as the Enid Symphony Orchestra. She composes Contemporary Christian praise and worship music, and has a deep passion for improvisational piano and violin.
Michael Buckley :: Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Electric Bass, Ukulele, Composition 

Michael received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from UNC-Wilmington where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was the recipient of the Cape Fear Jazz Appreciation Society Scholarship. In addition to touring extensively both in the United States and internationally, Michael has ample experience in the recording studio and on stage playing with original projects across North Carolina. 

​Michael aims to give his students the necessary tools to play the guitar with good technique and have fun whether they want to learn covers, music theory, improvisation, or songwriting.
​All styles and age levels are welcome! 
Billie Feather :: Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele, Bass Guitar and Upright Bass
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Billie Marie Feather is singer/songwriter/guitarist/banjoist/double bassist who originally hails from Johnstown, PA. 
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Billie attended The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Classical Guitar Performance for her last year of high school and college. Since then, Billie has performed in a variety of genres all over North Carolina as well as the USA and Europe. While being a performer comes naturally to Billie, she also has a passion for music education (she founded a teaching studio in Winston-Salem) and instrument repair (worked at Separk Music, Wes Lambe Guitars,The Luthier’s Workshop & High Strung Violins & Guitars).  Billie, being a lifelong learner, completed a second bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central University in Jazz Guitar and is currently  continuing her education at North Carolina School of the Arts where she is working on her Master's Degree in Jazz Guitar.
Gabriela Potter :: Violin, Viola​

​Gabriela Potter is a professional violinist, violist, and registered Suzuki violin instructor residing in Durham. Since 2013, Gabriela has registered the following approved courses with the Suzuki Association of the Americas: long term teacher training for the violin books 1-10 with world renowned pedagogue Joanne Bath, Suzuki Early Childhood Education teacher training with Danette Schuh, Revisiting Book 1 teacher training with James Hutchins, and Every Child Can!.

She has also attended Music Mind Games teacher training with Kristen Tourville. Gabriela is a proud alumi of the East Carolina University School of Music, and serves as Secretary of the North Carolina Suzuki Association. In addition to her afternoon teaching at High Strung, she also teaches morning violin classes at Morehead Montessori.

Gabriela believes that every child benefits from music, and that focusing on specific goals and working consistently leads to positive results and a sense of real accomplishment in her students. 
Sarah Grace Bindrim :: Violin, Viola
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Sarah completed her Bachelor's in Music Performance, and her Certificate in Advanced Performance Studies at East Carolina University in 2019. Studying under Ara Gregorian, Sarah Grace won the 2015-16 ECU School of Music Concerto Competition and was concertmaster of the ECU Symphony for four years. Through the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, she has performed with world renowned artists including Colin Carr, Zvi Plesser, Natasha Brofsky, and Xiao-Dong Wang.

She has performed in master classes for Miriam Fried, Zvi Plesser, Axel Strauss, Ida Kavafian, Ani Kavafian, and has attended Madeline Island Chamber Music, Summer Chamber Music Institute, the Luby Violin Symposium, Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, the Heifetz International Institute of Music, and Manchester Music Festival. 

​In 2021, Sarah Grace completed her masters degree at Indiana University studying under Grigory Kalinovsky. Upon graduating, she was hired as a private violin instructor for the High Strung School of Music in Durham, NC, and was awarded a fellowship teaching position at the West Side String School in Greenville, NC.
Ingrid Knight :: Piano, Composition

Ingrid, a pianist and vocalist from the mountains of Western North Carolina, started her musical studies at a young age. She graduated from Appalachian State University in 2015 with a degree in Piano Performance, and then went on to complete a Master's degree in Jazz Composition at North Carolina Central University. She has found the study of jazz to be one of the most worthwhile endeavors of her life, a fascinating window into America music and an opportunity to connect with a brilliant community of people. Her time as a student at NCCU thrust her into what will be a lifelong journey of musical discovery and creation as a performing jazz artist. 

Ingrid has also spent much of her younf adulthood studying and teaching the Alexander Technique, an educational method that enhances awareness of habitual patterns and promotes freedom of movement. She was first exposed to the technique as a young college student where it made a lasting impression and greatly heightened her ability to express herself as a musician. Over the past six years her study of the Alexander Technique has become intertwined with her musical performance and she uses the technique to help other musicians overcome mental and physical barriers. 

​Ingrid's top priority as a teacher is to help students find their own voice through the study of music. She emphasizes improvisation, composition, and ease of movement, guiding the student towards a holistic experience by tapping into their creativity. 
Douglass Payne :: Cello

Douglass began learning how to play the cello in 5th grade and followed her passion through college, studying under Brent Wissick and receiving a Bachelors of Music from UNC, with a second major in Psychology. She then earned her Masters in Teaching from UNC and taught publicly and privating for five years before starting a family. She happily returned to teaching (part-time) in 2020, and works full-time at the UNC Alumni Association. Developing a joy for the cello and can-do spirit during lessons is a strong focus. 
Craig Wiggins :: Acoustic, Electric, Classical Guitar 

Received the Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz and Studio Music from The University of Tennessee and the Master of Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance from The Universtiy of Memphis. He grew up in east Tennessee, where he began performing Gospel, Country, and Bluegrass in his youth. In his high school years, Craig performed with Rock and Jazz ensembles, and toured with a professional Rock ensemble managed by Young American Showcase for two years after graduation. 

He developed an interest in historical instruments in graduate school and began performing with Historically Informed Performance (HIP) ensembles, playing 14-string Italian theorbo, Spanish vihuela, 5-course Baroque guitar, and Renaissance lute. Craig has performed extensively in the Classical Guitar Duo and Classical Guitar and Flute formats, and as a solo Jazz guitarist.

Craig began teaching private guitar lessons at age 14, and during his college years taught private and group guitar at several institutions. He aslo taught Music Appreciation, Music History, and Guitar Literature as a teaching assistant during graduate school. 
Helena Bandy :: Violin 

Received both her BM and MM from Baylor University, studying violin performance with Dr. Bruce Berg and Dr. Eka Gogichashvili. For several years, she performed with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, the Abilene Philharmonic, and the Temple Symphony Orchestra and taught at the Cental Texas Strings Academy, Live Oak Classical School, and within her own private studio.

Helena recently relocated to North Carolina after winning an audition with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. She will also be performing with the Durham Symphony Orchestra and the Carolina Philharmonic. Helena enthusiastically uses her music to benefit her community and educate young musicians. She has worked for and performed at homeless shelthers, churches, nursing homes, elementary schools, and food banks across the country.

​Helena is a talented improviser, regularly collaborating and performing with jazz musicians in Texas, and hopes to do the same in the Triangle area.