Category: Teachers

Isaac Morales

Isaac Morales

Teacher

Specialization: Various

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About Isaac

Hailing from Bradenton Florida, Isaac is a classically trained violinist with a passion to share his love for music. Isaac also has studied piano, guitar, electric bass, and the ukulele

He obtained a Bachelor’s of the Arts in Music Studies from the University of South Florida. Isaac has gone on to perform at Busch Gardens, and teach general music to private schools. He has been teaching for 4 years alongside doing some production work with his YouTube channel.

Isaac has also traveled to Brazil, and Thailand. His dream is to travel around the world and see the beautiful world we live in.

Fun to Know

Inception

Yoko Shimomura

Tap dancing, playing the violin, watching movies and going to theme parks!

Tarah Thompson

Tarah Thompson

Teacher

Specialization: Various

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About Tarah

Hi, I’m Tarah Thompson. I am a current student at Liberty University. I have been involved in music my whole life. I started with music and vocal lessons in the first grade. Along the way I picked up Guitar, ukulele, and song writing which really fueled my love of music. I started leading worship throughout different campuses of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in my junior year of high school.

Fun to Know

“Back to the Future”
“The Sound of Music”

Kari Jobe,  Billy Joel, and Carrie Underwood

learning new instruments, songwriting, and exploring theme parks

Willie Lawson

Willie Lawson

Teacher

Specialization: Saxophone, Flute, and Clarinet

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About Willie

Willie Lawson has been a Teacher at Music Showcase for 23 years.  His specialities are Saxophone, Flute, and Clarinet.  He is 59 years young from Newark New Jersey.

He is a graduate of Brandon Senior High School c/o 1978 and attended both Hillsborough Community College and Florida State University.

Willie performed professionally with numerous bands in central Florida. He also is a sought after studio musician.

Will has been married 32 years to Deborah and they have one son, William Alexander.

Fun to Know

A Little Romance

Paul Desmond

Podcasting, Radio Broadcasting, Sports

Gregg Gascon

Gregg Gascon

Teacher

Specialization: Violin, Acoustic guitar, Classical guitar, Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Fiddle

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About Gregg

ABOUT ME
I have played violin since 1990 and guitar since 1996. I also do professional videography and audio recording, mixing, & mastering.  From Florida to California, I have worked in recording studios and on TV/Film productions as talent and behind the scenes.  I am always writing, performing, and recording music whenever I am not teaching.  I also volunteer with church music ministries either playing guitar, bass, drums, and/or singing.

ABOUT YOU
Yes, anyone can play!  After years and years of teaching all different types of people with different levels of experience and learning styles, I have figured out the fastest and easiest way to understand and play violin & guitar.  Whether you are just starting out or have been playing for a little while, I’ll create a lesson plan that will meet you where you are at.  I love playing and creating music.  I want to get as many people as I can to enjoy it as much as I do!

Fun to Know

Marvel Cinematic Universe 

Switchfoot

Everything Music

Jose Cochez

Jose Cochez

Teacher

Specialization: Drums and Bass guitar

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About Jose

José Cochez started playing drums at the age of 15 with Metal bands in his home country of Panama. During his early years as a musician, he started playing violin and viola, started composing music using MIDI, and became obsessed with the music of Frank Zappa. He soon turned his attention to Jazz, Fusion, and Modern Classical Music.

Pursuing musical studies, he enrolled in the University of South Florida, in Tampa. He studied Jazz Drums with Steve Davis, and Composition & Electronic Music with Paul Reller, earning a triple degree in 2009. Since then, José has been very active musician in the Tampa Bay Area, playing a range of musical styles as well as writing and arranging music for the projects he is involved with. He currently arranges and plays for “Credit: 0”, a band that performs live renditions of Video Game Music.

Besides music, José ’s other hobbies include: Video Games, Chess, and Yoga. He has been very involved in Tampa’s Retro Gaming community, and has been running a chess club for over 5 years.

Fun to Know

Spaceballs

Frank Zappa

Playing video games

Miguel Oquendo

Miguel Oquendo

Teacher

Specialization: Voice

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About Miguel

Miguel has been a part of Music Showcase for over 20 years. In his time at Music Showcase he has worked in the store, taught private voice and piano lessons and directs the the high school theatre group, Showcase Players.

Miguel is also the Chorus Director at Barrington Middle School where he has been for 6 years. Miguel loves to teach; teaching is his passion in life and sharing the love of music with his students.

Fun to Know

Miguel is a big fan of the Transformers movies

Miguel loves music in general and enjoys artists who seek to inspire through their music.

Miguel loves to watch football – Go Bucs!

Guillermo López

Guillermo López

Teacher

Specialization: Operatic Studies, Voice, and Piano

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About Mario

A spinto tenor from Sonora, Mexico, Guillermo López has been hailed as one of the promising voices in Mexico and the United States. Beginning his musical journey as a pianist before college, Mr. López decided to pursue a professional singing career after the quality of his voice was discovered. He has participated as a soloist in the International Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado in Álamos, Mexico.

In 2014 Mr. López performed in the world premiere of the opera Ilegal Alien by the Mexican composer Alfonso Molina. He also participated in the world premiere of the opera El pajecillo de Felipe V by the Mexican composer Antonio de María y Campos in Sonora, México.  He worked with the Hermosillo Opera company on the production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale as Ernesto.

In 2012 he was invited to perform Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata with the University of Arizona as an artist-in-residence. In 2011
he was selected to perform as a soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C major with the Bowling Green Philarmonia in Ohio. Mr. López has been recipient of prizes and grants, including 3rd place in the
competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing at the Great Lakes region and a grant given by the Mexican government of the Sonora state.

Most recently, he was selected as a soloist for the Anton Coppola’s 100 year gala and was a semifinalist on the first edition of the International Francisco Araiza Vocal Competition. He also performed Leandro in the Zarzuela La Tabernera del
puerto and Julián in La Verbena de la Paloma with Spanish Lyric Theater.

With Saint Petes Opera Mr. Lopez performed the role of Gastone in La Traviata and Parpignol in La Boheme with Opera Tampa.

Fun to Know

Shawshank Redemption

Nicolai Gedda

Skiing

Brian Schank

Brian Schank

Teacher

Specialization: Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, French horn

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About Brian

Brian Schank has been teaching beginning, intermediate, and advanced brass lessons at Music Showcase for almost 20 years. Brian Schank loves the chance to start beginning musicians, and expand the musicianship of aspiring musicians as they grow through middle school, high school, and off to college. Preparing students for auditions, performances, and solo performance is all a part of the lesson experience Brian likes to provide.
Brian was a band director for 30 years, 22 years at the middle school level. He worked in Pasco and Hillsborough counties, as well as teaching at a private catholic high school for 8 years.

Fun to Know

Back to the Future trilogy
My favorite rock artist is Journey and my favorite jazz artist is Maynard Ferguson.
My favorite hobby is listening to music

Alicia McMahon

Alicia McMahon

Teacher

Specialization: Trumpet, French horn, Trombone, Tuba, Baritone/Euphonium, Clarinet, Saxophone, Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon

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About Mario

Alicia McMahon grew up in a very small town in Northern New York and has now been living in Florida for 10 years.  Alicia graduated with her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Ithaca College in New York, studying with Clarinet professors Dr. Alan Woy and Dr. Richard Faria.

During both high school and college, Alicia participated in numerous NYSSMA solo and ensemble festivals, as well as many All County and All State festivals. She had had the opportunity during college to play a wide range of secondary/auxiliary instruments such as every size and model of Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax and even hand bells. Alicia has had the honor to perform with the Ithaca College Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, All-Campus Band and hand bell choir.

Since moving to Florida Alicia has had the opportunity to play with the Lakeland Concert Band and the Eastern Hillsborough Community Band.

Alicia has been teaching privately for 16 years and started by volunteering to teach underclassmen in high school, to help them better understand their instrument and music. It then grew to teaching lessons out of her home during her years in college. Alicia now has been teaching privately with Music Showcase for 8 years. Her primary instrument of study is Clarinet but having studied each instrument during college, she is proficient on and also able to teach: Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone, Trumpet and Trombone. Over the years Alicia has had students of all ages, ranging from 7-70. No matter your age, if you’re interested and willing to learn, it’s never too late to try. You may even find a hidden talent you never thought you had!

Fun to Know

Lord of the Rings Trilogy

My favorite musical artist is the band Shinedown

My favorite hobby is going to concerts. Anywhere from classical orchestral concerts through hard rock concerts!