Hi there friends,
My name is Tanner Stuppy and I’ve been sliding around as a trombone player for over 11 years. A Middle Tennessee native I grew up competing in honor bands my entire middle school and high school career. I moved to Bowling Green in 2016 to start my higher education at WKU as a musician and recently graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in December of 2020. During that time I had the honor to be in the top collegiate jazz band and orchestra in the state through KMEA. I also teach marching band at Barren County high school since 2016 as the low brass staff.

I’ve had a love for brass starting at a very young age, growing up I was a avid listener to Tower of Power, Parliament Funkadelic, Prince and many more iconic artists with heavy horn in them. That music has fed into what I do now as a instrumentalist playing with groups around town such as Billy the Droid, Fat Box, and the Menagerie. My love for music simply can’t be contained and I would love to share, help, and grow your musical mindset!

Hello, my name is Max. I’m a multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer with a passion for recording music. I’ve always been interested in music, but started pursuing it seriously at 12 years old. I began my journey with the acoustic guitar, and quickly found myself branching out and playing bass, ukulele, drums, piano, banjo, and mandolin. Learning this variety of instruments helped me to realize that I really enjoyed the learning process, and that I wanted to share that with others. 

By 14 years old, I’d been playing with a band for a couple years and I wanted to try recording our music. It didn’t take long to realize how difficult recording can be, but I didn’t let that discourage me. For the next several years I continued to play and record as much music as possible, learning everything I could in the process. 

I continued my studies at Middle Tennessee State University pursuing my bachelors degree. I majored in Audio Production and minored in Entertainment Technology. I began a freelance recording career and became an engineer at Thunder Sound Studio in Franklin, KY.  I was shortly thereafter approached by a student looking to learn audio production, and thus began teaching in 2019.

I really enjoy helping students of all types to find their individual paths to music, and I aspire to share my knowledge in fun and approachable ways. I typically teach beginner to intermediate instrumental lessons (all ages welcome), and audio production from beginner to advanced levels. My focus is not necessarily on creating virtuosos, but rather to show students that music can be fun and available to them. I look forward to all the people and opportunities that come into my life through teaching and I’m happy to share my skills to help people pursue their own dreams!

Hello ~ My name is Yan Garza and I couldn’t be more excited to become a part of the Rock Band Academy! I’m a local musician, private lessons instructor, avid listener, and occasional photographer. I grew up in San Miguel de Allende, México, and eventually ended up in Kentucky at the age of 16. I’ve been lucky enough to have been constantly engaged with music since I can remember.

At a very young age, I started playing music through my first instruments, piano and violin, which I studied through the Suzuki method; although, I eventually picked up the drumset, which has been my main instrument ever since. Whether it was attending and participating in chamber music festivals, simply listening to my mother teach violin while I played videogames, actively making cassette mix-tapes, or having the casual jam session in the garage with my friends, music and music pedagogy has always been a driving force in the forefront of my life.

Ever since I landed in the US, I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to play with a flurry of different groups and ensembles. Including highlights like playing at the Nissan Stadium for an NFL game with the MTSU marching band, playing with the KMEA Intercollegiate Jazz Band, and with the BCHS Concert Band at Carnegie Hall. As well as the wide variety of concerts I’ve had the pleasure of performing in during my studies at WKU. Since my early teens, I’ve been teaching music to students of all skill levels, as well as other academic subjects professionally at a tutoring center. It goes without saying that teaching and helping students overcome their obstacles is a big passion of mine. My music interests can be anywhere from jazz, hip-hop, country, funk, rock, afro-cuban, classical, electronic, and many more. So, whatever music you’re interested in learning, I’d be happy to work with you!

Howdy folks! My name is Steven. I’m a fiddle player/violinist and card magician out of the Kentucky/Indiana/Tennessee region. I teach all ages and levels of violin. I also teach many different genres including classical, bluegrass/folk, blues, country, and rock.

I’ve been playing the violin for 22 years, and have been playing professionally for 16. I studied music at WKU and have toured up and down the eastern coast of the USA playing music, as well as toured internationally with the WKU Symphony. In my professional performance life, I’ve had the privilege to open for artists including Chris Stapleton, Tracy Lawrence, Marty Stuart, Russell Moore, Dan Tyminski, and Michael Cleveland. Currently I play in a bluegrass band called Kentucky Shine and various artists across the state. As well as performing live, I also do recording work. Kentucky Shine is up to release their second album later in 2022 so be in the lookout for that!

Outside of my performing life, I have a deep passion for teaching. My younger students boast achievements such as holding concert master and section leader positions in youth orchestras and school orchestras, placing top 5 in the Kentucky State Championship, making the symphonic and commonwealth KMEA All-State orchestras, and being accepted into multiple collegiate music programs. I’m looking forward to being added to the BGRBA family! See you there!

Hello, my name is Jordan Riehm. I love the banjo. I love bluegrass. It’s my thing. I fell in love with the music and culture after attending a bluegrass festival. That festival was ROMP, a yearly event that’s put on by the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

        I didn’t grow up with bluegrass, although I do plan on growing old with it. Musically, I began with guitar. I learned from great instructors in the area. Todd Coop helped me learn all my favorite classic and southern rock songs and solos on electric guitar. I later learned improv from the great Bobby Baldwin. I’ve also studied classical and music theory independently.

       I cater all my lessons to each student. I try to find ways to make the lesson material meet their needs, wants and abilities. The goal is to make the sometimes tedious and repetitive parts of practice interesting and enjoyable.

      I currently play in a few bands. I play banjo for Kentucky Shine. We’re an Owensboro based bluegrass band.  We’ve recorded one album in 2021 and are going back into the studio for another in 2022. We’ve played ROMP and opened up for legendary Bluegrass artists. 

      I recently just joined a group of young musicians in the band called Marmalade. It’s a jam, jazz, funk rock excursion! Several other members are also instructors at BGRBA. On top of all of this, I was recognized as the 2022 State Banjo Champion at the Bluegrass Festival in Owensboro. 

     I hope I can connect with you or you child in a way that encourages them and empowers them musically and personally!

Hey! I’m Kai, and I’ve wanted to play guitar since the first time I heard one. When I was a small kid in a tiny Ohio town, my dad and I used to sit on the floor with snacks and his boombox, listening to his CD collection- Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Sublime, and a lot more. I believe this began my love for music, and I treasure these memories. I joined the school band at the age of 10 and learned to play drums/percussion, which gave me a sense of rhythm and fostered my discipline for practice. When I was 14, I got my first guitar, and began taking lessons, practicing voraciously.

During high school, I started a punk band. We played at bars, cafes, and clubs in Pittsburgh, PA, Buffalo, NY, and all around Northeast Ohio. I recorded an LP at Mindrocket Studio in Sharpsville, PA, and many more in my basement at home, playing all the instruments. This time confirmed my love for music, songwriting, and performance. I needed more, so I rolled the dice and moved to Bowling Green, where my guitar hero, Tiger Merritt, lived, to study guitar and music theory at WKU. Under the instruction of John Martin, I was trained in classical, jazz, country, and blues music. I owe much of my musicianship to him, and I am thankful to have a Bachelor of Arts in Music. In 2017, I studied jazz and music theory with my friend and colleague, Spencer Woods, at Accademia Europa di Firenze in Florence, Italy. Under the instruction of many different virtuosic musicians, we performed at clubs and cafes in Florence, as well as the Jazzit Fest in Feltre, Italy. This experience was endlessly enriching and made me a much better musician.

I have performed with many different musicians and bands, including Cloud Ruler and The Rift, in Bowling Green, Nashville, Lexington, and more, in addition to writing and recording music at Erskine Sound and Nightmare House Productions. I love teaching guitar, bass, music theory, and ear training, taking a personalized approach to each student’s particular interests while emphasizing proper technique and music theory. I have years of experience with teaching, and I look forward to having years more. I am extremely thankful for music, and if I can help you achieve the same fulfillment music has given me, then I can’t wait to start.

Hey all, I’m Elijah. The art of performance is one that I’ve studied closely for my entire life. I’ve been performing in plays and musicals since 5th grade, and I’ve been playing saxophone for 9 years – 5 of which involved private lessons. I then went on to teach students at marching bands in Kentucky. I’m currently pursuing my BFA in musical theatre at WKU and will then move on to receive my masters in vocal performance. So whether you’re looking to get more adept with music theory, play the saxophone like you’ve always wanted to, or feel comfortable and confident singing, I’d be glad to help you out!

Hello! My name is Leslie. My favorite sound in the world is people singing. I am a firm believer that music is a language that connects us all, and I am so lucky to enjoy it and share it with our community here in BG.

As a kid, I listened to my dad play Willie Nelson on his 12 string, my grandmother play the piano in church as my grandaddy sang, and my step-dad and friends play bluegrass in the living room. I played piano and guitar mostly by ear with the help of family, but did not take lessons seriously until around 12 years of age when Sharon Law Whittinghill patiently took me on. The Fountain Square Players and Greenwood High School Choir gave me performing experience until at 18, I decided it was time to take the stage as a solo act. At Baker Street Cafe I opened for the legendary Pat Haney and killer band, The Galloots. I played locally until finally finding the band, The Pennyrilers, which took my playing to a new level. There is nothing like picking old time bluegrass with friends. The Pennyrilers brought me many opportunities at venues like weddings, festivals, and especially the local project, The Lost River Sessions, where I participated both with the band and solo. It also jump started my song writing, which was a long time coming.

After having 2 awesome children and building The Pennyrilers, I was given the opportunity to train in the international early childhood education curriculum, Music Together. Teaching for 4 years opened my eyes to the importance of involving the youngest members of our community in the joys of sharing music as a group. I am so excited to bring my experience to the Rock Band Academy and I look forward to sharing time and music with the young families of BG.

I‘m Miss Flora and I‘m so excited to be heading up BGRBA‘s new Pre-K “Tot Rock” program. I‘ve been working with children in different environments since 2008; starting with babysitting, working up to student teaching, and now offering my own children and family programs in town alongside my own littles! I‘ve been playing guitar, singing, and performing for nearly 20 years and have found insurmountable joy and inspiration in playing music with children. I love spending my time grooving with my kiddos during late-night dance parties!

When I‘m not hanging with my fam, you can find me connecting with parents and caregivers in our community in an effort to build lasting relationships and make the transition into parenthood a bit easier.

You can find all my programs and services at www.youandibgky.com! You‘re never too young to jam, so join me for Bowling Green‘s newest children‘s music program!