Austin Baugh - Brass & Piano

Austin studied Horn Performance at the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, IL. He was able to study from members of both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well the Lyric Opera of Chicago. During his time there he performed in many orchestras and chamber groups, including the Chicago Symphonic Winds and 20+. Austin began his studies on the trumpet and didn’t make the transition to the horn until high school. This gives him an expertise in working with students on the changes that are experienced in what can be a challenging transition that many horn students will face in middle and high school.

Since moving to Arizona, Austin has worked with many students on developing a strong theory knowledge and an ease of playing on brass instruments and piano. He has taught after school group piano courses throughout Mesa, Chandler, and Queen Creek in addition to the private lessons to all ages of students. Austin believes the key to success in learning anything is that practice does not makes perfect, but that “perfect practice” make perfect. Students learn to set long and short term goals. They then work together to learn the the steps and work ethic necessary to achieve them.

Travis Blum - Piano, Drums & Percussion

Travis is a music educator that enjoys teaching and performing. He has a lot of patience and feels proud that all of his students can say they have excelled at their instrument throughout the duration of his instruction. With much experience teaching students of all ages, needs and skill levels he focuses specifically on the most important skills and concepts a student needs to be able to play proficiently and musically. This is accomplished through the use of proper technique and providing clear information of the fundamentals.

Travis has been involved in numerous playing situations throughout his schooled training. Studying under great industry professionals has helped him to be well versed in all styles of music and make him a well rounded player and an exceptional teacher. He has performed in a number of different groups that include many diverse styles of music and has performed, toured and recorded with various artist in the mid-west and on the west coast. Now, settled in Arizona, he enjoys teaching at Blackbird where he gives private lessons Monday through Saturday. He has dedicated his time to teaching piano and drum lessons, along with any other percussion instrument. In his teachings he improves the students technique and creativity while introducing many important concepts that have influenced modern music as we know it. He continues playing with various artist and is involved in many community events.

"I love to meet the needs of my student to enhance their growth through music."

Kalynn Fleischman - Piano

Kalynn is a piano teacher and composer with over seven years’ experience composing music and over a decade studying piano. He has participated in numerous composition competitions and his works have been performed in both Europe and the United States. He has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Grand Canyon University (GCU). He studied under Dr. Mark Broder (Music Theory) and Dr. Jelena Vladikovic (Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy) while pursuing his undergraduate degree.

At GCU he studied Music Theory I-IV, Counterpoint, Orchestration & Arranging, Private Piano, Piano Pedagogy, and various other music courses. For one and a half years he taught music theory at the University level as a GCU Learning Advocate (LEAD). He has experience with music education, digital music production, MIDI keyboards, recording, video game composition, as well as composition for various styles, genres, and ensembles.

As a piano pedagogue, his primary goal is to give students a strong musical foundation and to grow their overall understanding of music. Unlike many instructors, his approach is to teach students how to practice, why different pieces are performed with certain nuances, and how to approach all the different building blocks that go into each piece. He recognizes that musical education is proven to improve almost all other areas of education and significantly boosts each students’ development. He helps students form a solid understanding of music rather than have them just learn how to read and play notes. He teaches through asking questions which causes students to form conclusions on their own. Students then develop better problem solving skills, creativity, and musical expressivity."

Jalyn Lunt - Piano and Voice

As a vocalist, songwriter, and pianist, Jalyn has been studying her instruments for more than 25 years and been writing music for 10 years. She has also taught music lessons for 8 years. She is entering a career in commercial music and will be graduating with a Music Business degree this year.

She has studied music both independently and through school. She has experience in both classical and popular music styles. Areas of emphasis include singing, piano, songwriting, lyric writing, writing music for video and film, audio production, recording, miking, mixing music, and making a living in the commercial music industry.

Through her years of study, she has been part of hundreds of productions – including performing, directing, choreographing, and accompanying in shows ranging from music theater, choirs, symphonies, solos, ensembles, variety shows, revues, weddings, and funerals. She has also won awards for her vocal talent including 1st place in NATS and 3rd place in Music Theater NATS.

Jalyn has worked with people of all ages – kids, teens, and adults! She focuses on creating a well-rounded musical student, teaching technique, consistency, musical expression, personal connection to the piece, finding your artistic voice as a musician, different styles and genres of music, sight-reading and sight-singing, ear-training, and music theory. She also teaches how to practice most effectively at home so you don’t waste time!

Through keeping a mistake-happy environment where students feel comfortable trying new things, Jalyn encourages students to have fun as she treats them with gentle care and respect, moving them forward towards their goals with a variety of tools and techniques to help them improve, while pointing out their innate strengths to build confidence and inspire them to overcome weakness. As seen time and time again, with dedication to practicing, learning, and having fun, before they know it, students surprise themselves with how far they’ve come!

“I want everyone to have the chance to experience the joy of music in their life.”

Robb Smith - Drumset, Hand Drums & Percussion

Robb Smith has a Bachelors of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond Virginia) in Percussion Performance and a minor in Music Education. While residing in Richmond, he was a regular performer with the Richmond Symphony as well as a percussionist for many traveling Broadway musicals at the Virginia Museum and Carpenter Center. He was a member of the 1986 Percussion Art Society’s Mass Marimba Ensemble and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Robb was the winner of the Virginia Music Educators Concerto competition and performed as a soloist with the New River Valley Orchestra. While based in Nashville, TN and Los Angeles, CA he has performed with numerous bands and has toured the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. In 1993 he performed with a featured band at the Disneyland - Paris Far West festival.

Robb has over 20 years of teaching experience and in that time has taught hundreds of students ranging in age from 4 to 84. Some students have gone on to receive scholarships at colleges and universities. As an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community college, he taught college percussion majors drumset and percussion as well as class lessons in percussion. He was a hand drumming clinician for the Virginia chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He has coached numerous high school and middle school marching band groups and was a guest judge for many local and state marching band competitions. Robb Smith also has his own percussion mallet label, selling professional mallets worldwide as well as being the owner of Blackbird Music & Art Center.

Bob Gontarz - Guitar and Bass

Bob came to Arizona in 1974 and lives near the beautiful Superstition Mountains. He began playing guitar at 14 taking lessons in a music store in Scranton, Pennsylvania. For his HS graduation, he received his first professional electric guitar, a Guild Starfire III, which he still plays today.

Bob played guitar mainly in garage bands while holding electronic engineering positions in corporate aerospace avionics. He holds an AA degree in Engineering Science and continued his studies at Arizona State. In the late 1990s, Bob attended Mesa Community College as a Jazz Guitar Performance major. He was a staff guitar instructor at the former All Star Music in Mesa for 3 years. After All Star Music was sold, Bob worked at AZ Music in Phoenix as an amplifier repair shop supervisor.

Bob has been a recording musician with Ragpickers Studio in Mesa since 2005. He has credits on multiple CDs including two personal projects.

Today, Bob plays in an urban gospel band backing up a 15-member choir in his church – Holy Temple COGIC.

Jessica Moffitt - Voice, Violin, and Piano

Jessica studied Music at Stanford University concentrating in Vocal Performance. Vocally, she has performed classically and in the musical theater genre at Stanford and around the Valley. Favorite theatrical roles include Cunegonde (Candide, Stanford Opera Workshop), Madame Herz (The Impressario, Stanford Opera Workshop), Laurie (The Tender Land, Interlochen Arts Camp), Amy (Little Women, Valley Youth Theater), Young Fan (Hale Center Theater), Mary Rogers (Phoenix Theater Follies, Phoenix Theater), and Annie (Annie, Valley Youth Theater). Jessica also studied solo voice in Salzburg, Austria in the University of Miami Vocal Soloist Studies Program and in the Vocal Soloist Studies Program of Interlochen Arts Camp. She has won many awards in voice including Stanford Universtiy Music Performance awards, 1st Place in NATS Musical Theater and Aria divisions, and 1st Place in the Arizona Young Artists Competition. Jessica also loves choral arts and has soloed and travelled around the world with the Stanford Chamber Chorale and the Phoenix Girls Chorus. Beginning violin at age 4, she since has been a part of many chamber groups and orchestras, including the Phoenix Youth Symphony, and was concert mistress of the Southwest Regionals.

Keith Rogers - Guitar & Harmonica

Hailing from Virginia & active throughout the Mid-Atlantic States for a number of years, Keith's many musical styles include all forms of "roots" music. He has fronted blues, rockabilly & country bands & is just as comfortable doing swing, '60's soul or jazz standards. He has performed with the likes of Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Bob Margolin, Tom Principato, Bill Kirchen & even members of the LA/Moscow band the Red Elvises.

Keith was very active in the Richmond, VA music scene & has shared the stage with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dwight Yoakam, the Doobie Brothers, Wayne Hancock & many others.

He played in countless bands, performed solo & duet gigs. He is currently in the JUMP BACK BROTHERS, a swing/jump blues group and also performs with the DIRT MUSIC EXPRESS, an acoustic roots music act.

Dan Folland - Strings

Dan received his Masters degree in violin performance from the University of Minnesota in 1988. He worked as a violinist with the Winnipeg Symphony for six years. While in Winnipeg he also taught violin at the University of Manitoba and subsequently moved to Minnesota where he took a full time teaching position in Red Wing. He currently lives with his family in Queen Creek and teaches strings in the Gilbert Public School district.

Erika Wueschner - Voice and Piano

Soprano Erika Wueschner is a rising young star to follow. Ms. Wueschner recently debuted with the Savonlinna Festival as Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin under the baton of Maestro Philippe Augin, a role which she also covered for Los Angeles Opera. A signature role for Ms. Wueschner, the Los Angeles Times remarked that she posseses a “touching command of Elsa’s character” (from a concert of Lohengrin excerpts sung at the Broad Stage in Los Angeles, with Maestro Domingo conducting). In 2011 Ms. Wueschner also sang the role of Helmwige in Wagner’s Die Walküre at the Berlin Staatsoper, with Maestro Daniel Barenboim conducting and reprised the role in the 2012 new production of Die Walküre with Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich under the baton of Maestro Kent Nagano. In response to her most recent debut last season in Das Rheingold at the Liceu in Barcelona, El Periódico expressed, “Erika Wueschner was brilliant as Freia."

Ms. Wueschner was a Domingo-Thornton young artist with Los Angeles Opera during the 2009-2010 season. During this period, she was cover for Carlotta from Schrecker’s Die Gezeichneten, Helmwige in Wagner’s Die Walküre, as well as Third Norn and Gutrune in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. She was hand selected that season to participate in the Young Singer’s Project, at the prestigious Salzburg Festival, as an understudy to the role of Chrysothemis from Strauss’ Elektra.

Equally at home singing concert and recital repertoire, Ms. Wueschner has been heard in concert on many stages which include Sibelius Hall in Helsinki, Carnegie Hall, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Broad Stage in Los Angeles. Ms. Wueschner has appeared as soprano soloist with the Hong Kong sinfonietta for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and also performed excerpts from Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg. She has been featured as soprano soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C at St. John’s, Smith’s Square in London and heard in concert throughout Finland as a Savonlinna Festival Artist. An avid recitalist, Ms. Wueschner was on the roster of the Piatigorsky Foundation for 11 years, during which time she performed a myriad of recitals in cities across the United States.

Ms. Wueschner holds a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, where she was a recipient of the Alice Tully, Raymond-Cryder and Lorber memorial scholarships. She is also a New York City district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is a recent recipient of the coveted Nillson Prize of Maestro Domingo’s Operalia competition.

Joseph Wolves Kill - Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Dobro

Joseph Wolves Kill originally from Houston Texas. He began his music career at the age of nine when he joined Mr. Brooks fifth and sixth grade big band orchestra. It was there that he learned how to read music and how to properly play the trumpet and saxophone. In High school he joined the drum line for a year, then began to study the electric bass guitar. At sixteen he bought his first bass guitar and joining up with local Houston bands, he began playing around the Texas and Louisiana area. While still at a young age he was on the road performing.

In 1985 he visited the Musicians Institute in Hollywood California to learn more about the music business and the electric bass guitar. That short visit instilled in him a passion to become a better musician. In the Spring of 1987 he left Texas and returned to Hollywood to attend the Musicians Institute as a student where he took class for BIT.

After graduation, Joseph became and MI instructor and also worked as a stage tech and staff security member.

While in Los Angeles Joseph was fortunate to meet and work with some of the great musicians at the time such as Tim Bogert, Buddy Rich, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Pass and Joe Porcoro. Joseph also toured the US with 80’s bands Stealth, Electric Fence and War Babies. Since then Joseph has performed on the same stage with Quiet Riot, Warrant, Shark Island, Slaughter and Mr. Big to name a few.

Joseph currently lives in Arizona where his is active in the music scene working with Grammy nominated Aaron White and the Blue Stone Project. In the last few years Josephs interest has expanded to learn dobro, electric guitar and banjo. He is currently writing and recording his original music.