Staff & Teachers

Meet the team at Bach to Rock®, including our roster of local music teachers!

Staff & Music Teachers at Bach to Rock Tanasbourne

At Bach to Rock, we’ve assembled an amazing team of music teachers! Our instructors include classically trained musicians, as well as working professionals who tour and record with major artists. Meet our owners, our behind-the-scenes talent, and our music teachers for piano, guitar, drums, voice, and more!

Ken Bussell

Ken Bussell - (he/him) is the Assistant Director of Bach to Rock Tanasbourne. He began piano lessons at five years old and transitioned to guitar as his primary instrument in middle school. Along with extensive high school choir and band experience, Ken is a magna cum laude graduate of Indiana University with double majors in Marketing and Nonprofit Management and double minors in Economics and Music Technology. He is an accomplished vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter with over 2000 live performances. In addition to his Assistant Director position, Ken also works as a Music Director for both a local theater company and a church. Ken has been teaching private and group guitar and voice lessons since 2001 and has taught guitar, bass, drums, voice, piano, ukulele, and music production classes for Bach to Rock since 2019.

Eden H

Eden H - (she/her) is an early childhood music educator and piano teacher. At six years old, she began taking private piano lessons and has been playing for twenty years. She learned violin as well and sang in choir from middle school onward. In 2016, her a capella choir was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall. She graduated from University of Guelph with a Bachelors of Arts in 2021 and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts at Portland State University. Before joining Bach to Rock, Eden taught private piano lessons in the San Francisco Bay Area to students from four to fourteen years old. She likes to play a range of music, including video game soundtracks, Chopin, and Mendelssohn, but she also enjoys genres like synth-pop, chamber pop, and funk. When she began her own lessons, Eden found that what most inspired her to learn was exploration of her favorite songs and styles. She translates this to her lessons, teaching fundamental theory and technique while encouraging her students’ unique musical interests. Eden believes there’s no other gift like understanding music, and loves to see her students realize their musical passions.

Josue M

Josue M - "Josh" (he/him) is a multi-instrumental instructor specializing in guitar and also teaching bass, keyboards, and drums. He started playing guitar at the age of six and has been playing for over 20 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Colorado in Boulder with an emphasis on Jazz guitar. His two favorite genres of music to play are Jazz and Heavy Metal, and he also really likes Progressive Rock. Josh recently moved to Portland, Oregon from Colorado and is very excited to meet the music scene and do some gigging while continuing to write and record with his original project Animal Soup. About teaching, Josh says, "I think it is important to learn the music that speaks to you while also having a strong foundation in theory and technique. When I started learning guitar there weren't a lot of resources out there for Metal compared to now, so I know what it feels like to not have my own musical needs met and try to always keep my students' needs and musical passions in mind."

Mayri R

Mayri R - (she/they) specializes in alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, but also teaches trumpet, flute, ukulele, and voice. She’s been involved in music since birth but started to pick up instrumental music when she was 13. She plays mainly pop, alternative rock, and pep music with some classical sprinkled in, but much of their training is in jazz music. Mayri is currently a member of the Oregon State University Marching Band Alumni Band and is currently wrapping up their bachelor's degree in Human Development & Family Sciences with the Child Development Option. She taught beginning music groups in high school and has been teaching preschool-aged children since 2021. About music and teaching, she says, “I’m all about the human element of music; both the vibes and the science point to music being a universal language, and you're more likely to engage with it if you want to be there, which is why providing a strengths-based and positive approach to music is one of my main focuses in teaching. Music was such an expressive tool for me growing up, and the way it's able to help people heal and grow is the most fascinating and incredible phenomenon to me, so I'm very excited to share that with others!”

Phoenix M

Phoenix M - (he/him) is a multi-instrumentalist who teaches Saxophones, Oboe, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Mallet Percussion, and specializes in Piano. He started playing piano at five and learned a new instrument roughly every two years after that! He took private piano lessons until he was 10, private oboe lessons from 12-15, and currently has one semester of college towards a Music Education degree. About teaching, Phoenix says, "I think the best way to teach kids is to meet them at their level and show them why the things they are learning are valuable. I also believe getting kids to make their own music via writing/improvising is the best way to learn music because they learn how everything works from underneath the surface, everything else will fall into place."

Rosalie F

Rosalie F - “Rosie” (she/her) is a singer, pianist, composer, and singer-songwriter. She is most passionate about singing and songwriting, however she loves every form of musical creativity and has since she began singing and playing piano at age four. Rosalie is a recent graduate from Eastern Washington University where she studied music technology, vocals, piano, composition, and entrepreneurship. She has been passionate about music since she was a little girl when she started writing songs, and she has been involved in many ensembles, bands, and musical projects since then. A few notable projects are the songs that Rosalie has released on streaming platforms and the rendition of “Going Home” she recorded for the TV show Portlandia. Rosalie is currently playing solo but would love to join a band and local choir to perform with. She enjoys playing and listening to many different types of music, including rock, indie, pop, and folk music. Above all, Rosalie loves having fun musically and exploring new creative possibilities. She has been working with kids and students for many years and believes that music education should be inspiring, fun, and accessible for all students. Rosalie is excited to inspire and teach a new generation of amazing musicians and people. 

Avery S

Avery S - (he/him) is a multi-instrumentalist instructor pursuing a Bachelors degree in Music Education at Pacific University who started taking guitar lessons at 15 years old. He teaches Guitar, Cello, Violin, and Piano. Avery enjoys helping students understand music theory and collaborating in live music productions. In his free time, he plays video games and Dungeons & Dragons with his friends.

Faris E

Faris E - (he/him) is a drummer/composer/song writer and lyricist who has been playing drums for 35 years and writing and performing live with his band Doors To Aspiration for 23 years. Mr. Faris has double majors in English Literature and Arts and studied how to play the drums at the House of Music in New York. He moved to Oregon over a year ago and likes to play and teach different styles because diversifying what you play and taking advantage of opportunities to perform, write, record, and rehearse all sorts of different styles of music makes you a better musician overall. But what inspires Mr. Faris most of all is the wonderful feeling he gets seeing students playing and having fun.

Mara P

Mara P - "Miss Mara" (she/her) teaches Kids and Keys, Rock City and Fun With Music here at Bach to Rock. She knows the power of early music exposure first hand—she can remember listening to the violin on “Fiddler on the Roof” cassette tapes in her childhood car at age six and thinking “I want to do that!” Early lessons on violin led to a desire to explore as many instruments as she could. Through high school she studied the French Horn, mellophone and trumpet; through private lessons and self study she gained skills in guitar, ukulele and piano. Her most valuable life experience came from marching the trumpet across the country with the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps in 2014, where she learned the true value of dedication. Not only was she involved in music growing up, she took part in many other art forms, including theater, dance and art. Previous to teaching music, Miss Mara worked as a camp counselor and teacher’s assistant in a Montessori school. She is a big proponent of using active engagement, movement and imagination to teach music. She makes sure to tailor the classes to the individual pacing needs of each student.

Margarita H

Margarita H - "Rita" (she/her) attended a music school in Belarus for 10 years and Sulzbach-Rosenberg College of Music after that, where she studied piano and violin performance. Upon graduation, she taught at several music schools as violin and piano instructor in Germany. After moving with her family to the United States, Rita furthered her teaching career in Texas and Oregon, where she taught at two music academies, providing lessons in a wide variety of genres and for all age groups. Rita enjoys performing on her worship team for her local church, and she loves the beautiful state of Oregon, with its wonderful people and amazing natural beauty.

Sam B

Sam B - (he/him) teaches bass, guitar, and drums, with drums being his specialty and favorite instrument, although he thoroughly enjoys teaching all three! He's been playing drums since he was around 3 years old when he got his first drum set before preschool. Sam studied music at the University of Portland where he was involved in the jazz program, private lessons, pit orchestra, and pep band. While he enjoys a variety of musical styles, Sam grew up learning rock and classical and has grown to appreciate many different genres over time. He currently performs with groups like Blaize Jenkins and Frolock, as well as collaborating with other musicians for gigs. About teaching, Sam says, "My teaching philosophy is all about making music both fun and engaging, helping students build a solid foundation while finding their own passion for music. Music has been a constant in my life, and I love sharing that joy with my students, helping them grow as musicians and individuals."

Trevor D

Trevor D - (he/him) teaches piano and drums and specializes in piano and composition. He started piano lessons at age six and continued through middle school and high school with additional private lessons for drum-set and classical percussion. During this time, he took advantage of every opportunity to play in bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles. After high school, Trevor earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon where he received training in composition, music theory, and jazz performance while continuing to hone his piano and drum set performance skills. Trevor loves to play classical piano, and his favorite composers are Chopin and Debussy. He finds jazz and funk to be a lot of fun as well! He does recording sessions on piano and drums and spends much of his time composing orchestral music in a film, game, and contemporary inspired style (John Williams, James Newton-Howard, Stravinsky, and Gordy Haab are a few of his favorite composers in this vein). About teaching, Trevor says, “I believe that music is a language, and like any language it has to be learned through immersing yourself in it. With my students, my goal is to teach them not only to play music, but also to understand it and be able to speak through it. This means being able to read and write sheet music. Through immersion in music, we enrich our lives and the lives of those around us.”

Zachary K

Zachary K - (he/they) specializes in Horn in F (French Horn) and also teaches trumpet, trombone, and baritone/euphonium. He has been playing brass instruments for 20 years and has a degree in Music Theory/Composition with a Horn performance focus (he also dabbles in most major instruments as well). He is classically trained but also loves modern music. Brass arrangements of popular music are REALLY fun. He also has over a decade of jazz experience on trombone and currently plays with the EMCMA's Community Concert Band in Gresham. About music, Zachary says, "I believe music is for everyone and doesn't have to be esoteric or inaccessible. whether it's Mozart, Muse or C418 (Minecraft), there's music out there for you!"

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Why Choose Us

The Bach to Rock Method

At Bach to Rock, we know that students learn music more quickly when they’re having fun! Our step-by-step curriculum keeps students engaged and rewards achievement at each level. Students get to choose which songs they play, learn from music pros, and perform with peers at live events!

Music Made Fun!

At Bach to Rock, students choose which songs and genres they want to play, making lessons more fun!

Band & Glee Programs

Through our Band and Glee Club programs, students get to play music with peers, a key skill for growing musicians!

Live Performances

Bach to Rock gives students the chance to perform live at local music venues, helping students build confidence on stage!

One-on-One Lessons

In private music lessons, our students learn one-on-one from some of the most talented music educators in the area.

Early Childhood Classes

Music is valuable for early childhood development! We offer programs for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary students.

Music Lessons, Camps & Parties

At Bach to Rock, we offer music lessons and group classes for kids and adults, plus camps and birthday parties! With our fun and beginner-friendly approach, it's never too early or too late to get started with music!

Lessons

Bach to Rock offers music lessons for all ages and skill levels. Our private lessons include piano, guitar, drums, voice, and a wide range of other instruments. We also offer beginner classes and ensemble programs like Band and Glee Club. Anyone can learn to play music with Bach to Rock — even if you've never played an instrument before!

Camps

Our camps are a perfect choice for students who love music! We offer full-day and half-day summer camps, spring camps, and winter camps for kids, plus camps on school holidays. Our camps are great for students who want to start learning music and see what it's like to perform!

Parties

Birthday parties at Bach to Rock give kids a chance to be rock stars for a day! With themes like Karaoke Birthday and Rock Birthday, partygoers get to perform and record songs by their favorite artists. We also offer birthday party packages for younger children and corporate teams!

Meet Our Music Teachers

A great music teacher can make a world of difference when learning to sing or play an instrument.

At Bach to Rock, our instructors include a mix of classically trained musicians and working professionals. Our teachers actively tour, perform, and record as independent artists or as backing musicians for other musicians and bands.

By working closely with students in one-on-one lessons, our teachers make it easy to learn music and build performance skills!

Wall of Fame

Standout Students & Future Stars

Discover talented students at Bach to Rock! Our Wall of Fame includes featured students and bands, as well as winners from events like Battle of the Bands.

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