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Kelsey’s musical journey started at an early age. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the history and the roots of the musical culture were always present in his life.

 

At 13, Kelsey got his hands on a second-hand Fender Stratocaster and enrolled in guitar lessons at Gelb School of Music. His teenage years were steeped in music - he went on to study bass with local legend, Paul Baxter for 7 years, & started to play drums during that time too. At the age of 15, Kelsey joined a punk rock band called APA-35. After their first EP was released, Kelsey’s friends all went off to college and he went on tour with his band.

 

In the early 2000’s, Kelsey was hired as the resident sessions musician for the San Francisco recording studio Klepto Records, and was hired to record at iconic studios like Different Fur Studios, and gave demonstrations on recording and performing at Expressions in Emeryville.

 

In 2006, Kelsey joined the San Jose based metal band “A Life In Vain” and achieved some commercial success. Notable achievements include:  playing the west coast dates of The 2007 Warped Tour, sponsorship by Capital clothing, being a finalist in a Live 105 Battle of the Bands (featuring Dee Snyder as a celebrity judge), featured guest on the TLC show “Miami Ink”, as well as substantial radio airplay.

 

Kelsey decided to start teaching bass and guitar, as some fans of his band had inquired about lessons. He quickly learned that he had a penchant for teaching and thoroughly enjoyed it. In 2014, Kelsey put teaching aside and obtained his bachelor’s degree in literature with a minor in music composition, and then went on to attend Cal Western School of Law for a year. He realized that practicing law wasn’t in his destiny, so he turned back to music.

 

Kelsey’s style of teaching heavily emphasizes ear training as well as theory. From beginners to advanced students, the art of listening is an invaluable skill as a musician, and it is something that must be developed over time.

 

Matt Galli is a singer/songwriter and pianist from Roseville, CA. He enjoys playing and teaching all genres of music: including pop, rock, country, alternative, blues, and jazz. Matt discovered his love for music at the age of 11, when he started taking singing and piano lessons for the first time. As a teenager, he applied his skills to songwriting - which he still enjoys to this day. Matt received a commercial music: business degree from American River College in 2021, after studying under songwriter and producer Eric Chun. 

Matt likes to teach singing and piano by ear. His lessons are designed to help students learn the songs they love, while guiding them to improve their technique, performance, and improvisational skills. He focuses his teaching around melody and chords: the fundamentals of every genre. Learning music should always be a fun and exciting process for everyone!

 

STYLES

Modern Rock, Classic Rock, Metal, Modern Country, Alternative, Pop, Blues, Songwriting, Technique & Theory

Ryan began playing guitar at age 11 when his grandmother bought him his first guitar and several lessons. After learning “Rock You Like a Hurricane” on day one, he knew what he wanted to do with his life –ROCK! He began working in a local guitar shop at age 16 and now has nearly 30 years of experience working in the music industry, teaching full-time for well over a decade. This experience provided Ryan with great learning opportunities and exposed him to all varieties of styles and methods. Over the past thirty years, Ryan has studied with such notables as Mike Johnson (works with the Jimi Hendrix family developing educational material), Billy Raney (plays with Frank Hannon of Tesla), and Tommy Armstrong-Leavitt (performed with Wynch and Hurt, author of Chord Camp and Artist Relations Director for EMG pickups). He has also learned a great deal about musical discipline, recording, and song craft from his longtime friendship and collaboration with notable drummer Richard Shepherd (Cake and Cause & Effect). Ryan has also collaborated with some of his idols including Joey Allen (Warrant) and Scott Travis (Judas Priest). He has performed live with Claudeous Creamer of metal legends “The Possessed”, and other acclaimed artists which include Larisa Bryski, Tommy Armstrong, and Andrew Houston. Currently, Ryan writes and performs in the band EX AEGIS with Truefire artist Scott Allen and co-hosts the Rock Guitar Confidential Podcast, which explores all aspects of succeeding as a guitarist and professional musician.

METHOD

Each student is profiled during a first free lesson. Ryan focuses on fundamentals and the student’s individual needs and interests, relating theory to real scenarios. As a guitar teacher he emphasizes technique to make difficult passages easier to play. Ryan encourages his students to listen to their instincts while using logic and deduction to tackle musical challenges.