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Our teachers
Anne Howard, Music Together® Teacher
Anne Howard is a community-oriented artist, educator, and humanities researcher with a penchant for fun. She is trained in modern dance, acrobatics, theatre, clown, singing, language, and cultural rhetorics. She holds a BA from Cleveland State University, and most recently earned her MA in English from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.
Anne has been performing and teaching for nearly 15 years across the U.S and abroad, and especially enjoys working with children and their families. Anne has been a Music Together® certified instructor since 2013, and has previously taught with Sing & Swing, LLC and North Coast Music Together. Let's sing, jam, and dance together!
Marcella Fogg - Instructor in Piano, Trombone, Music Theory, Jazz/Improvisation, Ear Training, Accompanying
Originally a California native; Marcella moved to the Seattle area in 2005 after studying a double bachelor’s degree in Piano and Trombone Performance at California State University Sacramento. Marcella started playing Piano at the age of 4 and Trombone at the age of 10. Marcella’s background consists of having grown up playing in multiple community and college music organizations as both a pianist and trombonist (Choirs, Musical Theatre, Opera, Chamber Music, Orchestra, Latin Band, Jazz Bands, Youth Symphony Assistant, Wind Ensemble, State and Local Music competitions, and other ensemble/solo combinations to name a few). Marcella has a diverse and eclectic background and enjoys teaching; she currently plays piano and arranges music with the Brazil Life group of Seattle, WA, under the direction of Eduardo Mendoca.
Marcella started teaching as a young teenager and offers studies and experience in all ages and all levels from preschool age beginners to retirement age music lovers. Marcella teaches Classical, Improvisation/Jazz, Latin, Accompanying, Ear Training, Performance Presentation and Rehearsals, Vocal accompanying, Music Theory, and music arranging.
Marcella’s Philosophy: The technique of learning Music is designed on an individual basis and takes account of how each person learns and grows with learning the art of music. Each lesson is customized to fit each student’s preferred learning strength. The true objective is to nurture the inner desire for music with the goal of sculpting the motivation within each and every music lover and those to be. Fun and Joy combined with learning makes students want to play their instrument more.
Glenn Guhr, Voice Instructor
Dr. Guhr is a singer, actor, and director who has worked in operas, operettas, musicals, and film. He is also an educator, with experience in private vocal instruction, lecturing on music history, and outreach performance programs. Glenn holds MM in Music History from Kansas State University and DMA in Vocal Performance from University of Washington.
Recently, Guhr acted as Tacoma Opera’s Production Manager during the Covid shutdown and subsequent reopening, arranging dozens of short, online recitals and directing several opera films for online viewing. Currently, Guhr is on the voice faculty of Pacific Lutheran University.
Jennifer Mayer, Voice Online Instructor
Ms. Mayer holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Here, she studied with Dr. Steven Rainbolt and Dr. Robert Muckenfuss to not only hone her craft as a singer and performer, but also to rene her skills as a teacher of voice.
In 2015, Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music and Communication Studies from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Jennifer has participated in masterclasses and coachings with mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, composer Jake Heggie, and dramatic soprano Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet, among others. Jennifer is the proud recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
As a voice teacher, Ms. Mayer’s priority is to guide students in understanding all aspects of their musicianship – as a singer, student, and artist. Her teaching rests upon a foundation of vocal pedagogy that employs traditional bel canto technique, as well as a modern, scientic understanding of the voice.
Storm Tucker, Guitar and Ukulele Instructor
Storm Tucker is a guitarist and a Tacoma native. Picking up the guitar at 16, he turned his love of the instrument into something more. In 2018, he graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a bachelor's degree in guitar performance.
A classically-trained guitarist, Storm has performed with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, the PLU Symphony Orchestra, the PLU Jazz Band, and the PLU production of Dido and Aenaes. In addition to the guitar, he also plays the ukulele and the lute.
Having been an instructor for 5 years, Storm has taught lessons for guitar, ukulele and piano for the YMCA, Music & Arts, and as an independent instructor. He teaches students of varying ages and levels of playing experience. Whether you're an intermediate who has hit a rut in your playing or have never picked up an instrument in your life, Storm is willing to teach you.
Willie Garza, Music Instructor in Piano, Jazz Piano, Afro-latin Percussion, Drum Set, Trumpet, Trombone, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Willie Garza is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, clinician, and composer/arranger originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. He specializes in Afro-Latin percussion while exploring other sounds of Arabic, Flamenco, Brazilian and Vocal-Percussion. Willie has been an active free-lance professional musician and recording artist contributing his talents to many regional and international artists throughout his music career.
Willie holds both his BM, MM with emphasis in Jazz Studies from San Jose State University where he studied composition, arranging alongside instrumental music pedagogy. Willie is also a graduate of the School for Music Vocations founded by jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Phil Mattson. Willie has been an active composer & arranger who has had commissioned works and arrangements performed by elementary to college university programs.
Willie believes that music can uplift the human spirit, and music education can help one find their place in society and cultivate humanity in the world. His goal is to assist on the journey.
Svitlana Smaga, Piano Instructor/Founding Director
Originally from Ukraine, Svitlana Smaga received her Masters degrees in Piano Performance from the Donetsk State Conservatory and Mariupol Music College, taught at the School of Arts in her hometown of Mariupol and performed as a soloist and collaborative artist.
After relocating to California in 2005, she served as a piano instructor and staff accompanist at the College of the Siskiyous. Svitlana also enjoyed a professional career as a collaborative pianist for Tacoma Opera. Svitlana is a registered Music Together® teacher and a guest pianist for the internationally acclaimed Rimsky-Korsakov String Quartet.