Stephanie Biello

Piano, Music Composition, Music Theory

Stephanie Biello holds a Master of Music Degree from Purchase College in NY and a B.A. from Western Connecticut State University in Music Education. Stephanie is an experienced performer, piano instructor, composer, arranger, and a founder and co-owner of The Southbury Music Studio. You can find her playing solo piano at local venues, fronting her original band, or performing with No Big Deal.

Stacie Caparella

Woodwinds, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute

Stacie is an accomplished music educator and performer. She received a Bachelors of Music in flute and saxophone performance from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvannia. Ms. Caparella has attended dozens of clinics and masterclasses, including with world renowned flutist Julius Baker. Stacie has over six years of teaching experience, and has played in the Harrisburg, New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford Symphonies.

Stacie currently performs throughout the tri-state area, including in the in the Naugatuck Community Band, and with the Swing Cats Jazz Band.

Jerrod Cattey

Percussion

Drummer Jerrod Cattey holds his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Western Connecticut State University. While attending WCSU he was the two-time recipient of the James Furman Award, which is presented to the student who best exemplifies the highest level of musical performance ability, scholastic standing, and contributions to the music department. He has studied drum set with Jeff Siegel, Dom Famularo, and Justin Foley, as well as classical percussion with Dave Smith and Brazilian percussion with Zé Mauricio and Daniel Oliveira.

Jerrod leads his own jazz trio and freelances with a variety of artists in the Northeast. He has performed with Maurice Brown, Lee Shaw, Rich Syracuse, Don Miller, Arthur Lipner, Jeff Ciampa, Peter Tomlinson, Peter Einhorn, Dave Scott, Matt Finley, Nicole Zuraitis, The NYC Mass Metro Choir and others. He has also performed as the opening act for The Derek Trucks Band, Chick Corea, Joe Lovano, The Young Rascals, John Legend, Eric Benét, and Smokin’ Joe Kubek. He plays regularly at Connecticut clubs and has performed as a musical guest on the children’s show “Zoom”. Jerrod has also performed live on Connecticut radio stations 99.1 WPLR and 105.9 WHCN.

As well as being an in-demand performer, Jerrod is a well-established educator. Jerrod has been teaching privately at his home and local schools since 2002. Jerrod has been serving as the Instrumental Music Teacher at The Forman School and the Jazz Band Director at Northwestern Regional High School since the fall of 2008.

Jerrod is an active and contributing member of the Vic Firth Private Drum Teacher Program.

Victoria Chiera

Voice, Beginning Piano

Victoria Chiera graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She has sung major roles from the operatic repertoire that include the Mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and the Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. In 2007, she traveled to Rome, Italy to perform in two fully staged operas. In 2009, Victoria placed 2nd in the National Teachers Association of Singing competition. While she was a student at WCSU, Victoria was a recipient of the Friends of Music Scholarship and the James Somers Opera Scholarship, which is awarded to a talented opera student as recommended by the music department. Victoria has been teaching private voice lessons, musical theatre and acting classes since 2008.

Alex Faulkner

Guitar, Rock Ensembles

Alex Faulkner holds a bachelors degree in Guitar Performance from Western Connecticut State University. He has been a performing musician since the age of 13, and has professionally studied jazz, rock, and classical music. Alex has taught guitar full-time throughout Fairfield County since 2002, and he is a founder and co-owner of The Southbury Music Studio. Alex can be heard performing throughout Connecticut with No Big Deal and original rock and jazz groups.

Jake Habbeger

Piano, Percussion

Jake Habegger is a graduate of Western Connecticut State University where he received his Bachelors degree in music performance. He began his musical journey when he was nine years old by taking piano lessons with Julie Cook. When he turned 13, Jake’s interest shifted to the drums and he took up lessons with Gary Michaud and later Bill Rotella. He currently studies with Jeff Siegel and Patrick Smith at WCSU.

Jake has been teaching privately since 2007 and has performed with many jazz and rock bands in Connecticut and New York. At WCSU, Jake had the great opportunity to perform with jazz legends John Scofield and Rufus Reid. Jake is an experienced drum set player, percussionist, and also a skilled pianist.

Eniko Jonas

Beginning Group Piano

Eniko holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Music Education from the University of Bessenyei Gyorgy in Hungary. She experienced the Kodaly and Bartok heritage first hand during her school years. She studied piano, chorus music and music education through the Kodaly method. She has been working with children for over 20 years. She is a Certified Music Together teacher since 2006. She is the director of Little Voices Music Together. She currently teaches music together parent-child classes in Orange and Oxford, music and movement, and piano classes in preschools. She also teaches private and group piano and music theory classes. She is passionate about music education, and loves spending time with her two children Kalman and Emma.

Joanna King

Piano

Joanna has over ten years of experience in teaching music. She has been teaching piano privately for since 2001, and has been teaching general music in the Seymour School District for over four years. Joanna received a Bachelors of Science in Music Education for Western Connecticut State University, where she majored in piano. Ms. King is also a very experienced performer, and has performed in many solo recitals and concerts. Currently, Joanna is in her fifth year as the music director and organist at the Good Shepherd Church in New Fairfield.

Darren Litzie

Piano

Pianist/composer Darren Litzie holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance Degree from Western Connecticut State University. While attending WCSU, he was a three-time recipient of the James Furman award, which is presented to students in the music department who demonstrate the highest level of musical ability and academic prowess. In his final semester, he was also a recipient of the Music Department Chair’s Award, which is presented to one graduating senior each year. He has studied piano with Aaron Goldberg, Peter Tomlinson, and Dr. Rex Cadwallader. He has also studied jazz theory, improvisation, and composition with Jimmy Greene and Jamie Begian.

With over ten years of professional training under his belt, Darren performs regularly in and outside of the tri-state area at various public and private venues. He has performed with such artists as Andrew Strong, Dave Scott, Andrew Beals, Nick Biello, Dave Ruffels, Don Miller, Orly, Dani Elliott, and Nicole Zuraitis. He has also performed as the opening act for Cedar Walton and Danilo Perez. Darren is the touring keyboardist for singer Andrew Strong of the band/1991 film “The Commitments.” Stops on the tours have included the Regatta Bar in Boston, B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City, and Anthology in San Diego. Also an avid composer and arranger, Darren has premiered many of his original works in concert at WCSU and he is currently a member of the prestigious BMI Jazz Composers Workshop where he is studying with world-renowned composers Jim McNeely and Mike Holober.

Josh Meade

Brass, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone, French Horn

Josh is a graduate of Western CT State University where he earned a B.S in Music Education with a concentration in trumpet. He is a trumpet teacher for the Visiting Artist Program in Region 15 in Southbury, and holds a K-12 Connecticut State teaching license.

Josh has performed with the American Chamber Orchestra and the Connecticut Symphonic Band. In college, Josh performed with the WCSU Jazz Orchestra as lead trumpet for three and a half years. With the Jazz Orchestra, he was honored to perform with some of the greatest jazz talents in the world such as Slide Hampton, Paquito D'Rivera, Jimmy Heath, and Dafnis Prieto. He has also performed in many other ensembles at WCSU such as the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Chamber Brass Ensemble, and the pit orchestra for Cabaret.

Steve Pertesis

Bass, Guitar, Ukulele

Stephen Gregory Pertesis has been playing guitar for 23 years, gigging as a professional for 10, and teaching for 7. Steve studied all modern styles, classical as well as jazz & modern composition, modern arranging, and ensemble playing at the University of Connecticut and Berklee College of Music where he graduated with honors in 2004. After studying privately with Joe Tinari, Louis Romeo, John Wilkinson, John Baboian, and Bruce Bartlett he is proficient in rock, blues, jazz, funk, RnB, as well as basic reading skills, songwriting, and theory. As an original artist/bandleader performing under the alias “Steve Gregory,” he has 2 independent CD’s available on iTunes & CDBaby.com. This has lead to opening slots for numerous national acts such as Lifehouse, Los Lonely Boys, Elliot Yamin, Landon Pigg, and Teddy Geiger as well as winning various songwriting awards and honorable mentions. Currently, Steve plays weekly with local party bands such as the Groove Junkies, The Pickup Kings, Off the Charts as well as solo acoustic gigs which keeps his gig schedule quite full year-round.

Tim Smith

Piano

Tim Smith graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a B.M. in Classical Piano Performance. Tim is an experienced accompanist and has performed with choirs, and has been a part of pit bands for musicals and operas. He also performed two solo recitals while at WCSU. Tim also plays the organ and is substitute organist at many churches in Connecticut. He also enjoys singing and playing French horn and was a part of WCSU’s chamber choir, Symphonic band, and Orchestra.

Caroline Strange

Voice, Beginning Piano

Born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, Caroline Strange made her singing debut at the age of seven. Since then, she has given literally hundreds of solo and group performances nationally and internationally. She participated in AG Fine Arts and Gospel Music Association Vocal Competitions for both her middle school and high school years, making Nationals three years in a row and top 20 in the nation at the age of 14. Caroline was an Assistant Director/Choreographer for the Young Alaskan's musical tours at the age of 17, and she had toured Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and 49 U.S. states by the time she was 18 while singing with the Continental Singers and the Jeremiah People for more than 13 months.

Caroline majored in Vocal Performance at the University of Alaska Fairbanks before transferring to the music department of the Western Connecticut State University in 2010, where she will complete her BM in Vocal Performance. She has been (and still is) a Talent Representative/Recruiter for the Continental Singers nationally and internationally since 2007, and currently teaches voice and music theatre classes in Southbury.

Hafez Taghavi

Strings, Viola, Cello, Violin

Hafez Taghavi is a violinist in the Danbury area. Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Hafez received his first violin training at the age of 6 in the studios of Martha Shackford and Ronda Cole. He later received instruction from David Strom. Hafez has performed over 100 solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts at many venues including, Strathmore Hall, Constitution Hall, the Kennedy Center, Ives Concert Hall, Ives Concert Park, The Hall of Americas, and the National Concert Hall of Bolivia. Hafez has also participated in several benefit concerts for Leukemia research, breast cancer awareness, homeless children in Bolivia, and Darfur. Recently, Hafez performed Vivaldi’s winter concerto in Ives Concert Hall, where the Danbury News-Times hailed him to be a “…promising, talented soloist.” Hafez is a member of the Ives Symphony and Ives String quartet as well as the Western Connecticut State University Orchestra. He is currently in his senior year at WCSU, studying in the studio of Eric Lewis. Hafez teaches at the Bethel, Southbury, and Music Learning Centers, as well as privately in the greater Danbury area.

John Tuohy

Guitar, Ukulele

Guitarist John Tuohy has performed with many groups across multiple styles and genres such as Reptillicus (multi-stylistic), Blanck Stare (jazz fusion), The Steve Gregory Band (modern rock covers) ,and his main group Mile Marker Zero www.milemarkerzero.com (progressive rock). He is equally at home writing progressive rock riffs or playing over jazz standards, and is an in-demand sideman in the New Haven area. John’s songs “A Thousand Nights” and “Laceration” with Mile Marker Zero are available for download on the game “Rockband” for Xbox 360. John graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Connecticut State University with a degree in Jazz Performance in 2005. His work as a private guitar instructor and business owner for 11 years has given him unique insight into overcoming hurdles and challenges that come into play as a serious student of any instrument. John has also done session work for various artists and companies, such as “The Sonic Saints”, “Porter” and various cruise lines. He also has had musical equipment related feature articles done on him by Gearwire.com, as well as judging the “King of the Blues” contest at Guitar Center for 2 years. John cites a sample of his musical influences as Eddie Van Halen, Chick Corea, Porcupine Tree, The Eagles, Frank Zappa, and Bireli Lagrene .

Ashley Volpe

Cello, Viola, Violin

Ashley Volpe holds a Master of Education Degree from the University of Bridgeport and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the University of Connecticut. Ashley has played violin in the UConn symphony orchestra, various chamber ensembles, and the Danbury Symphony Orchestra. Ashley spent the last year working full time at Andrew Avenue Elementary School in Naugatuck, while completing classes at night for her Master's Degree. In January, Ashley will begin her student teaching at both Stratford High School and the Stratford Academy Elementary School. Ashley has a passion for teaching and is excited to be working at the Southbury Music Studio.

Tia Ward-de Leon

Strings, Viola, Cello, Violin, Beginning Adult String Quartet