Posts in Spec: Jazz
Matt Blanks

Bio: Matt Blanks originally hails from Olney, Maryland, and taught and performed in the Chicagoland area for the last 10 years. A graduate of Peabody Conservatory and Baldwin-Wallace University, he has appeared as a young artist with Opera Southwest, Tri-Cities Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. Most recently, he held positions as Director of Music/Organist at Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia and Adjunct Professor of Music at both North Park and Dominican Universities.

Phone: 301-221-0068

Email: matt.blanks.tenor@gmail.com

Web Site: SoaringSounds.as.me

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Weaverville, Marshall

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Adults

Offering Other Lessons for: Voice

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Religious

Performers’ Occasions: Accompanist, arranger-for-hire

Address: Alexander

Kimberly Cann

Bio: Kimberly is a mother of two toddlers; wife of a double bassist & self-taught master of many trades; Eastman-trained professional concert pianist; sister of concert pianist Michelle Cann; director of Piano Lab Studios; and President of the AAPF 2012-2014 and 2017-2018. She loves Asheville and plans to retire here...but that's a long time from now. :)

Email: kcann98@gmail.com

Website Address: PianoLabAsheville.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Hendersonville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Canton, All of Western NC, Fletcher

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Young Children, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Religious

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition, Voice, Strings, Percussion

Jason DeCristofaro

Bio: Dr. Jason DeCristofaro is the Director of Creative Arts & Events and Music Faculty at Warren Wilson. An active music educator, multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger based in Asheville, NC. Jason has performed nationally and internationally at many jazz festivals, and is in demand as a clinician, having presented clincis, masterclasses and performances on jazz improvisation at many colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Email: jdecristofaro@warren-wilson.edu

Website: www.youtube.com/jasondecristofaro

Phone: 828-273-8254

Jenna Jaffe

Bio: Jenna Jaffe graduated cum laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Music Degree in Vocal Performance in 1992. She was also accepted into two Masters of Music programs at the renowned New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Jenna has been teaching private piano, voice, and general music for over 28 years. She specializes in teaching beginning to advanced voice and beginning to intermediate piano students. She is currently accepting new students in her private studio in East Asheville. Jenna is also a passionate performer of dance, performance art, singing in most genres, as well as playing several different instruments. In addition, she is a certified teacher of ESL at Asheville Buncombe Community College and regularly studies languages in her spare time.

Email: jenna.jaffe@gmail.com

Phone: 828-273-2605

Website Addresses:

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Studio: All of Asheville and online lessons

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Young Children, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical, Popular, Jazz, Improvisation

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition, Voice, Percussion, Music History, Improvisation, Recorder, Composition Arrangements, Diction, Drama Coaching, Energy Healing with Voice

Other Music Related Services: Vocal and Piano Performance for any Events

Address: Asheville

Marilynn Seits

Bio: B.S. Music Ed. piano major, U of Illinois; In New York City: Jazz piano and composition studies with Sir Roland Hanna & Jimmy Guiffre; Electronic music studies with Steve Reich & Philip Glass in Steve Reich's NYC studio and on original Moog module synthesizers in Gershon Kinglsey's studio in NYC; Jazz pianist; composer; BMI Publisher & writer; Church organist; 12 jazz and New Age recordings on the CMR Records label; Currently an Adjunct Teaching Faculty member at Mars Hill University working as collaborative pianist in the Vocal Department and with jazz instrumentalists.

Email: marilynnseits@mac.com

Phone: 561-719-4106

Website Address: mseitsmusic.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Hendersonville, Weaverville

Offering Jazz Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Young Children

Teaching Styles: Jazz, Popular, Reading Big Band Charts and Lead Sheets

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory and Composition

Other Music Related Services: Jazz Duo or trio available for parties and events; Church organist; BMI Publisher; original music, original children's songs; recording demos; making CD copies & CD graphics

Address: Asheville

Richard Shulman

Bio: Keyboardist/composer Richard Shulman creates music as a positive influence for himself, audiences and society. -- Richard has recorded 28 of his own albums and collaborated on dozens more. Trained in the classical and jazz fields, he has developed a heartfelt language in these genres while focussing much of his output on music for meditation, healing and inspiration. Shulman has performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the UN, and numerous venues in North America and Europe. Shulman has composed for jazz groups, chamber ensembles, choir, and symphony orchestra and creates Musical Soul Portrait recordings for individuals, couples and groups.  

Read the full bio at https://richheartmusic.com/about/richard-shulman

Email: richheartmusic@frontier.com

Phone: 828-658-9604

Website: https://richheartmusic.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Weaverville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Intermediate, Advanced, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition

Other Music Related Services: Musical Soul Portraits, Jazz performances, composing, arranging, recording

Address: Asheville

Michael Jefry Stevens

Bio: Pianist, Composer and “Steinway Artist,” Michael Jefry Stevens is currently on the music faculty of ETSU and the Asheville Music School. He has released over 100 cds and has performed and/or recorded extensively with many of the top names in Jazz, including Dave Liebman, Oliver Lake, Dave Douglas, Matt Wilson, Han Bennink, Mark Feldman and many others. He was the “Margaret Lee Crofts Fellow” for 2000-2001 at the MacDowell Colony, was a Centrum Arts composer fellow (2004) and is currently on the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s Touring Artist Roster. 

Email: mjsjazz@mac.com

Phone: 917-916-1363

Website: www.michaeljefrystevens.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Black Mountain

Offering Piano Lessons for: Middle/High School, College, Adults, Lessons in your home

Teaching Styles: Jazz, Popular

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition, improvisation

Address: Black Mountain

Laura Chu Stokes

Bio: Laura Chu Stokes, a nationally certified teacher of music, has been a pianist and music educator for more than forty years. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in piano performance, Laura has taught hundreds of students in her private studio and as the director-instructor at Appalachian State University’s Community Music School (CMS). She is a contributing author to the Alfred Music blog https://www.alfred.com/blog/ and Coordinator of the Hayes School of Music Piano Competition for pre-college pianists each fall. As a performer, Laura has been a staff accompanist at ASU and collaborative artist with her husband, trumpeter James Stokes. She has performed numerous recitals, both solo and chamber, and been featured as a soloist with the Columbus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras. Laura also enjoys serving as an adjudicator at MTNA state competitions and performance festivals. Since 1989, Laura has conducted hands-on workshops for www.e-znotes.com, a full line of music learning tools developed by her mother, Lucy Chu. She has been invited by professional music teacher associations and music dealers/retailers nationally as a clinician and featured speaker.

Phone: 614-657-6685

Email: eznotespianostudio@gmail.com

Web Site: eznotespianostudio.com; e-znotes.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Boone NC

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Offering Other Lessons for: Theory, Pedagogy, Mentoring

Offering Other Piano Services: Music Educational Learning Tools

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular

Performers’ Occasions: Recitals, Jazz Events

Address: Boone

Judy Sullivan

Bio: Dr. Judy Sullivan is an active piano teacher and accompanist in the Asheville area. Joining the AAPF in the fall of 1994, Judy has served on the Board of Directors for five years, as President for three years and Member Activities Chair for two years. She currently works with membership for the Forum. Judy's education degrees are from James Madison University, the University of Virginia, and The College of William and Mary.

Email: jsullivanpiano@gmail.com

Phone: 828.298.8037

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Canton

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults, Lessons in your home

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Religious

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition

Address: Asheville

Brian Turner

Bio: Brian Turner is a pianist who has been thrilling audiences throughout North America for 30 years. From solo concerts to an arena tours, he brings a unique passion to playing piano. Brian began performing at age 12, earned piano degrees at Ohio University, and  relocated to Asheville, NC, where he performs and teaches privately. His compositions have been featured in podcasts, online radio, and film and he has shared the stage with KISS, Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett, Cheap Trick, Jason Bonham, Michael Anthony, Meat Loaf's Neverland Express, Michael Bolton, Clay Aiken, Caleb Johnson, Warren Haynes, Cliff Williams and others. 

Email: brianturnerpiano@gmail.com

Phone: 828-279-9729

Website: www.brianturnerpiano.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Hendersonville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Canton, All of Western NC

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Young Children, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Specializations: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Religious, Theory, Composition

Other Music Related Services: Performance as soloist or group