WholeTone Music Academy

About Us

WholeTone Music Academy is a nurturing and rad place to Grow in Self & Sound! Our teachers will help you to develop into a joyful, soulful, skillful musician.

Now accepting new students of all ages, abilities, types, & stripes.

studio

We feel strongly about community involvement. Our school offers our students frequent performances in retirement centers, nursing homes, and other community venues. We are always working on making people of all types and stripes welcome, and consider ourselves an LGBTQA safe space.

Teachers

Nora Maynard - Voice & Violin

NoraNora has been developing her dynamic teaching style since 2009, while simultaneously gaining stage experience around the Boston area and abroad. She received her MM in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Longy School of Music.

Nora helps her voice students gain body awareness, ease of tone in the upper register, a bold chest voice, and a playful-yet-passionate attitude towards singing. For her violin students, she offers an economical left-hand technique, body-aware playing posture, and development of rich tone through balance and trust.

Nora feels called to bring the experience of solo and ensemble music-making back into community and family life. She herself grew up singing and playing everything from Elton John to Bach with her family. Whether you seek dramatic coaching to polish and refresh your operatic repertoire, are a karaoke connoisseur, or are trying to pick up music for the first time, Nora will work with you to enrich your experience of music making.

Von Bringhhurst - Voice & Piano

VonVon specializes in giving his piano students a direct connection to music theory through inventive exercises and repertoire. He assists his voice students in creating a healthy vocal framework for emotive and powerful singing. Von has been teaching music since the age of 16. He graduated from Longy School of Music with a M.M. in Vocal Performance in May 2012.

Von worked as Music Director and Cremona Player for the Illustrious Virginia City Players of Virginia City, MT for their 2010 season. He is currently a member of the choir of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Harvard Square. He has performed with many groups and recording projects across the area, and finds great enjoyment in performing music and in helping other to find and develop their own musical talents.

Samm Bahman - Guitar

Samm Samm has been teaching guitar in many styles including rock, blues, pop, folk, soul, reggae, and country since 2004. His father, an orchestral trumpet player around Cape Cod, started teaching him piano, trumpet, and music theory from the age of three. As a teen he transitioned to guitar as his primary instrument. Samm has studied guitar with Berklee's Lyle Brewer and jazz piano with Jazz theorist Bruce Abbott.

A seasoned studio musician and live performer, Samm has played in various bands for nearly two decades and has contributed to roughly a dozen studio albums. Samm can be seen performing with psychedelic/soul group Atlas Lab as well as other innovative music projects.

Alex Brander - Drums & Percussion

Alex Alex performs locally and around the northeast with psychedelic/soul group, Atlas Lab, as well as many other creative projects. His joyful sense of humor brightens the classroom and allows his students to relax into a groove. He has a degree in music education and performance from the University of NH.

Mariia Gorkun - Violin & Music Theory

Mariia Mariia is a compassionate and inspiring teacher, kind yet always urging her students to hold themselves to the highest standards. She is a violinist as well as bowmaker. Mariia is currently apprenticing in David Hawthorne's bow shop in Harvard Sq. She has her MM in Violin Performance from Longy School of Music, as well as a Masters Diploma of Music from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine.

Mariia has regular recitals and concerts with ensembles and orchestras in Kiev. She has toured in Ukraine, USA, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, Holland, Australia, Japan, and other countries.

Contact

Email us for a trial lesson or more info.

Located within the Department of Public Art at 312 Highland Ave, Somerville.

Phone: 617.544.7693

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