HSSM is offering remote lessons! Please contact us by email (lessons@highstrungdurham.com) or call us at (919) 251-9401 regarding remote lesson opportunities. On-site lessons will not be offered until we believe it will be safe to have teachers and students in our studios together.
Thank you to everyone who voted for us. We are once again "The Best Place for Music Lessons in the Triangle"! We are proud of our great teachers, and proud to have earned your trust and confidence.
Instructors
BANJO
Louis Landry Billie Feather BASS (GUITAR) Will Postlethwait Billie Feather Michael Buckley BASS (UPRIGHT) Will Postlethwait Billie Feather CELLO Sara Lodico Wines COMPOSITION Jackie Fears Lorenzen Michael Buckley DOBRO (RESONATOR GUITAR) Mike Grigoni GUITAR (ACOUSTIC, ELECTRIC) Louis Landry Will Postlethwait Billie Feather Michael Buckley Robert Thornhill GUITAR (CLASSICAL) Billie Feather GUITAR (LAP STEEL/PEDAL STEEL) Mike Grigoni MANDOLIN Louis Landry Billie Feather Robert Thornhill PIANO Louis Landry Megan Stewart Jackie Fears Lorenzen UKULELE Louis Landry Will Postlethwait Billie Feather Michael Buckley VIOLA DA GAMBA Sarah Lodico Wines VIOLA Megan Stewart Gabriela Potter VIOLIN Megan Stewart Gabriela Potter SUZUKI VIOLIN/VIOLA Gabriela Potter VOICE Jackie Fears Lorenzen |
Instructor bios
Louis Landry :: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Mandolin and Banjo
Louis Landry is a musical instructor and performer with a Bachelors degree in Jazz Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. He teaches piano, guitar, ukulele, banjo and mandolin to students of all ages and skill levels. He has been teaching at High Strung for six years. During that time he has performed and recorded with The LL Orchestra, Curtis Eller’s American Circus, Katharine Whalen, Scott Solter, Ironing Board Sam, the Wiley Fosters, and many others. He has provided music for local theater works including Manbites Dog’s “The Best of Enemies,” Little Green Pig’s “Maccountant,” and Duke Theatre’s “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well.” He has also taught music at Durham Community Preschool and Wake Forest Montessori. Louis was previously based in Austin TX where he taught at Red Leaf School of Music, toured regionally, recorded extensively, and performed with Ryan Bingham, The Invincible Czars, Charlie Robison, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He writes and produces original music including the 2015 album “JJ vs the Digital Whale” which can be experienced in multi media at www.LouisLandryMusic.com. Will Postlethwait :: Guitar, Electric Guitar, Ukulele, Upright Bass and Electric Bass
Will Postlethwait brings more than ten years of teaching experience to High Strung, with the versatility of both bass and guitar instruction. Will holds a degree in music from UNC-Greensboro, and has been a section player in the Greensboro & Winston-Salem Philharmonic Symphonies. His enthusiasm for teaching is coupled with a proven ability to create and adapt his curriculum to meet the needs of the individual student. His students always seem to leave their lessons, smiling! Megan Stewart :: Violin, Viola, Piano
Megan teaches students from beginner to intermediate. She primarily teaches classical style, but also fiddle/folk style of playing. When teaching Megan emphasizes the importance of using proper technique. She uses several different methods of teaching including the Suzuki method. Although focusing on proper technique, she also facilitates heartfelt artistic expression. A recent transplant from Oklahoma, Megan has solo and ensemble performance experience playing in the string quartet "Bows & Arrows" and the Enid Symphony Orchestra. She is also a composer of solo piano music and contemporary Christian praise and worship vocal music. Jackie Fears Lorenzen :: Piano, Composition, Voice
Jackie teaches students of all ages. She began piano lessons at the age of 7 and voice lessons at the age of 14. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Meredith College with a primary study of composition and secondary studies of piano and voice. She was a member of the Meredith Vocal Ensemble and Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity. Jackie has 3 years experience teaching music in the elementary school system, 5 years teaching private piano lessons, and 2 years teaching voice lessons. She loves teaching and also composing music. 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
Billie Marie Feather is singer/songwriter/guitarist/banjoist/double bassist who originally hails from Johnstown, PA. 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. Sarah Lodico Wines :: Cello, Viola da Gamba
Sarah Lodico Wines is a cellist and historical strings specialist who moved to Durham in the summer of 2018. She holds a masters degree in historical performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Historical Performance Institute and a Bachelors of Arts in Music from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her many performing experiences include performances with the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra, Mallarmé Chamber Players, and appearances in the Bloomington Bach Cantata Project and on the Berkeley Early Music Festival. She has participated in several summer festivals throughout the United States and Europe, and has served as faculty at the Madison Early Music Festival. She loves teaching students of all ages and levels and is happy to tailor her teaching to the goals and interests of her students. 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 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 alum of the East Carolina University School of Music, serves as Secretary of the North Carolina Suzuki Association, and performs with the Tar River Orchestra in Rocky Mount and the Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach. She is thrilled to be joining the High Strung School of Music faculty and is looking forward to gaining new members of her musical family. Robert Thornhill :: Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar
Robert, a guitarist and mandolinist born in Alabama, started his musical studies in classical music, but knew he had to move to NC to learn bluegrass. The following quote from Robert explains his approach to music: “Bluegrass has such an irresistible charm. I was and still am mesmerized by Bach’s violin partitas, which - by the way - sound better on mandolin than violin(!). My thought is, why not try them together? I bet Bill Monroe and Bach would’ve been friends!” By day, Robert is a high school science teacher. By night, he grades papers and plays music. You might even see him around town in the local music scene. Robert currently performs with Counterclockwise String Band; Alan Barnosky; and Hank, Pattie & the Current. |