Bio:

Tim Birkett has been playing music since he was ten, and teaches saxophone, guitar and bass guitar. Tim earned a BA and MA in music theory and composition from Western Illinois University, and has been teaching in Miami Dade schools for 16 years. He is also an active performer and composer in South Florida. 

​

Bio:

Desiree Jones has been playing piano since the age of 7.

She has taught elementary music, Keyboard, and Steel Drums with Miami Dade County Public Schools, for the past eighteen years.  Her specialty is Classical Piano Performance and Music Theory.

Bio:

Luis Diko teaches bass, oboe and beginning guitar.  He played music throughout middle school, high school and studied music at the University of Florida and Florida International University. 

Bio:

An educator and musician with over 10 years of music instruction experience. Alexis is currently a jazz performance major at Florida International University and has a liberal studies degree with an emphasis in education. Alexis enjoys playing jazz, Latin, fingerstyle guitar and Christian contemporary.

Bio:

Iliana Barcenas is a viola performance major at the Frost School of Music in the first year of her Master’s degree studying under Jodi Levitz. She serves as a Teaching Assistant for the STAMPS Program assisting Jodi Levitz and a fellow for The Henry Mancini Institute at the Frost School of Music. She graduated from the University of Michigan with her Bachelor’s in viola May 2022. Along with viola, Iliana has experience playing the violin since high school. 

Bio:

Bassist in the Unity Church band 2000-2020, he currently plays bass with Ricky Valido and the Hialeah Hillbillies.. Josh studies at Jazz at FIU. He teaches electric bass, guitar and piano/keyboard.

Bio:

Dexter has been playing music in South Florida for the last 15 years and is proficient in most styles and genres. He has studied Jazz performance at the University of Miami and continues to gig and teach locally. Available for drum-set and percussion lessons

Bio:

Sam Closius is currently a student at Florida International University majoring in jazz guitar performance. After having played guitar for over nine years, she plays and enjoys multiple genres ranging from rock and metal to jazz and also has experience performing live. While mainly teaching guitar, Sam also plays and teaches bass.

Bio:

Rachel Wresh is an American coloratura soprano from Dallas, Texas with over 13 years of onstage performance experience. Currently, she is a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance student at the Frost School of Music under the tutelage of renowned soprano Sandra Lopez-Neill. At the Frost School of Music, Rachel sings in the top choral ensemble and is a director’s assistant for Frost Opera Theater. This Spring, she will have her role debut with Florida Grand Opera’s Outreach Program as Sally in Stone Soup (Joe Illick). She received her B.A. in Vocal Performance magna cum laude from Texas Woman’s University (2019).

In 2021, Rachel was a voice, stage performance, and piano teacher at Rockstars of Tomorrow in Frisco, Texas, where she taught over 30 students ranging from ages 4-40. Rachel is passionate about nurturing students of all skill levels and genres. Her approach focuses on building musical foundations and teaching students how to be independent practicers and thinkers. Lessons are completely customizable to fit every student’s goals and dreams. Rachel is excited to be joining the team at Musician’s Discount and looks forward to working with students of the Miami area! 

You can follow her on Instagram @rachelwresh_music or check out her website www.rachelwresh.com to follow along on her musical journey.