Ariel Morris is a Lawrence-based coloratura soprano. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying under soprano Alice Hopper. Ariel performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Atlanta...
Instruments
Lucas Munce
Lucas Munce is currently a freelance musician based in Lawrence, Kansas. Prior to moving backto Kansas, he served as Assistant Professor of Clarinet and Jazz Saxophone at The University ofLouisiana at Lafayette. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Woodwind...
Joe Pickett
Joe Pickett is a passionate and versatile mandolin instructor with a deep love for music and a dedication to sharing his knowledge with students of all ages and ability levels. Joe believes that music is a universal language that has the power to connect...
Robin Rebecca Reed
Robin started piano at age 5, violin at age 9, guitar at age 12, and ukulele and bass as an adult. Shehas been songwriting as far back as she can remember. Despite wanting to enter the field of musicin university, she was strongly influenced by her parents to enter...
Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones is a percussionist residing in Lawrence, KS. While pursuing a B.A. in Music at Fort Hays State University (2015-2020), Brandon performed often with the FHSU Jazz I Ensemble on drum set and vibraphone as well as serving as drumline coordinator and playing...
NATALEE THOMAS
Natalee Thomas started playing piano at age five and violin at age nine. She earned her degree in Violin Performance at Fort Hays State University. She currently plays with the Lawrence Community Orchestra. Her previous ensembles include the Hays Symphony Orchestra,...
HOLLY O. TAYLOR
Holly O. Taylor is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, with an emphasis in both music therapy and percussion performance. She has maintained her board-certification in music therapy forover 20 years, serving in schools, private...
JOSEPH ARMETTA
Joseph has been playing guitar professionally for many years, in New York, Montana, Missouri and Colorado. For over 30 years he has been performing, recording, arranging, teaching, studying and composing. He has also composed for television, radio, stage and small...
MARTIN FARRELL JR.
Martin Farrell Jr. is a musician, songwriter and producer living in Lawrence, KS who has been working on his craft for over 30 years. He plays guitar, piano, pedal steel, banjo, bass, mandolin, harmonica and several other instruments playing with bands spanning from...
Cristina Adams
Cristina has been playing the piano since first grade. Thanks to the patience and grace of her piano teachers, she slowly discovered her love for playing the piano, and eventually even majored in music in college (BA in Music Ministry from the University of Sioux...
Rachel Allai
Rachel Allai moved to Kansas from St. Louis to study wildlife biology at Baker University. She studied classical violin with the Suzuki method during school and found bluegrass fiddle while attending university. She is continuously inspired by the natural world...
Trey Durkin (virtual)
Music is a wonderful thing to have in our lives, and it has always been my biggest passion. Working with beginners is one of my favorite things because I love sharing the gift of music and introducing others to the thing that has brought so much joy to my life. I...
Alison Mahal (virtual)
Meet Alison! We are so excited to welcome this accomplished voice, piano and early childhood music education dynamo to our teaching ranks at Americana Music Academy. Alison has experience both in the public education classroom and teaching private, one-on-one lessons...
Vineel Mahal (virtual)
Vineel is an award winning actor, singer and professional performer with appearances at opera houses and theaters from Hong Kong to New York to Cincinatti to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Trained at NYU and with experience teaching at that prestigious university in New...
Kendra Switzer
Kendra Switzer is a coloratura soprano from Joplin, MO. New to the Lawrence area, she is pursuing her second masters degree in Musicology at the University of Kansas. She graduated with her first masters degree in Vocal Music Performance from Pittsburg State...
Greg Pelligreen
P. Allen Macfarlene
Allen Macfarlane started playing the lap dulcimer in 1980 and the hammered dulcimer in 1997. He’s been giving workshops to beginner through advanced players since the mid 1980s at music festivals, club meetings, and other events across the Midwest. He’s recorded two...
Ven Bergdall
A lifelong musician, Ven grew up in Huntington, IN and has been teaching piano and horn since 2000. Since then they have had the opportunity to work with students of all ages in individual and group settings. Ven studied composition at Oberlin Conservatory, jazz piano...
Chad Buck
Chad grew up in Lawrence and started his musical journey on the tuba and then electric guitar. He immersed himself in the vibrant local music scene, playing rock n roll and attending many all-ages shows at the Bottleneck. In high school, he picked up the banjo sitting...
Jim Krause
Jim has been playing guitar since his teens, and fiddle and banjo since the early 1980s. He has performed and toured with such groups as The 97th Regimental Stringband and The Euphoria Stringband. Jim specializes in finger-picking guitar, old-time contra-dance style...