Lessons
Mike's Music and Sound is proud to offer area students private lessons right here at our store. Lessons taught include Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Violin, Piano, Voice, Woodwind and Brasswind. We have a wide variety of teachers that are sure to match up with your style. Give us a call or email us your contact info to get signed up today!!
Teacher Bios
Guitar
Steve Moser - Steve has enjoyed teaching guitar for 25 years. He enjoys playing and listening to a wide variety of music styles from folk rock to jazz, classical and contemporary. 6 string acoustic guitar has been his instrument of choice, but he also plays and teaches 12 string, classical and electric guitar.
His specialties are basic music theory, basic-intermediate note/TAB reading, flatpicking and fingerpicking techniques along with accompaniment styles and solos. He thoroughly enjoys all aspects of teaching from preparing lesson plans to the special relationships with students and families.
He has also had the opportunity to perform music in a wide variety of public and private settings. Currently he is with a 4 piece acoustic classics/variety/originals band called "Rings". They've recorded two cd's and are planning a third.
Teaches Monday - Wednesday
Derrick Kroener - Derrick has been playing for 27 years and teaching for 15 of those years. He studied music theory at the Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee. Derrick has taught a vast number of students over the years ranging from beginner to advanced levels. He specializes in a wide array of scales and arpeggios incorporating alternate, sweep and hybrid picking techiniques. When not spending time with his kids, Derrick enjoys playing in his band and furthering his guitar skills. Teaches Thursdays.
Stuart Rossiter - Stu has been with Mike's for over 7 years now. Mainly a rock and roll guy, he's got excellent technique and is great with his students! Also an excellent bass player and instructor. Currently teaching Fridays and Saturdays.
Scotty Meyer - Scotty has been with Mike's since 2004. A great performer with teaching skills to match. Currently teaching on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Mike Bautz - Mike has been around the store since 2005 with his all around excellent style and technique. Teaches everything from metal to classical. Currently teaching Monday - Friday.
Byron Trammell - Byron Trammell, an instructor with Mike’s Music since May of 2006, offers instruction in varying styles of guitar, beginning banjo, and beginning to intermediate mandolin. Playing since age 14, and performing since age 17, he has developed an eclectic taste for music and an understanding for the subtle elements of many styles, including rock, country, bluegrass, fingerstyle acoustic, and jazz.
Trammell holds a M.A. in Humanities from Western New Mexico University, and spent 15 years as a secondary and post-secondary instructor of English composition and literature. In addition to other teaching duties, he taught a class in guitar at the prestigious Colegio Maya, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. During his time in Guatemala, he was a regular guest with Luis Fernando Quijivix’s Q-Jazz Quartet. Over the years, Trammell has performed with a number of groups and featured artists at jazz festivals, including artists like Rich Matteson, Ed Shaugnessy, and Chris Vadala. While still in New Mexico, he spent two years as bassist for German pianist Joe Haider’s quartet.
Since moving to Wisconsin, Trammell has performed frequently as a guest with the Oshkosh based Jazz Orgy, and as a member of the Fox Valley group, the Jazz Market. Since 2009, he has fronted the guitar bassed jazz trio Water’s Edge. Trammell continues to play freelance in both solo and small group situations.
In teaching, Trammell stresses a balanced of musical literacy, proper physical technique, and an appropriate understanding of the music theory elements that underly the music being studied. He goes for a low stress approach in the belief that, ultimately, a student’s motivation to excel comes from within. Currently teaches Monday-Thursday and some Saturdays.
Levi Harris-
Percussion
Scott Elford -
Scott Elford earned his Bachelor of Music, Percussion Performance, from Northern Illinois University in 1995 where he studied under Rich Holly and Robert Chappell. At NIU Mr. Elford was the principal percussionist with the award-winning NIU Wind Ensemble under the direction of Steve Squires and played auxiliary percussion with the NIU Jazz Ensemble, including performances with the late Tito Puente.
Since college graduation Mr. Elford has established the highly regarded Scott Elford Percussion Studio in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin where he has maintained a studio of 35-40 students from 1998 to present. Mr. Elford’s students study all aspects of percussion including: mallets, tympani, snare drum, drum set, auxiliary, ethnic and hand percussion. Mr. Elford’s students have numerous exemplary soloist awards at state competitions, have been members of the state honors project, and later have gone on to be accepted into the percussion programs of; DePaul University, University of Indiana, Luther College, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Along with his private studio, Scott is the adjunct percussion instructor at both the University of Wisconsin Fond du Lac and Fox Valley extensions, and Marion University.
Mr. Elford is the principal percussionist with the Water City Chamber Orchestra (Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra) and is a section member with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Fox Valley Orchestra. He has also performed with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, Pamiro Opera Company, Ann Jillian Breast Cancer Benefit, Wisconsin All Star Orchestra, Sandwich Theatre Company, and was a featured marimba soloist with the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band. Mr. Elford has performed on drum set, conga and auxiliary percussion with various Chicago based funk and pop bands, Mr. Lucky Swing Syndicate, Swinging Jump Cats, Downtowners, Spin, Casting Cleos, and Billy Shears. Presently Scott is also a member of the worship team at Lighthouse Christian Church in Fond du Lac, WI.
Teaches Monday - Thursday.
Joe Brandenburg - Joe is a recent addition to the Scott Elford percussion studio. Mainly a drum set guy. Teaches Fridays and Saturdays.
Piano
Margaret Matysik - Although new to teaching at Mike's Music and Sound, Maggie has been an active pianist in the Fond du Lac community for many years. She has experience playing in a variety of settings-school, church and theatre. She enjoys accompanying students for Music Festivals and concerts, she is an active part of the music ministry at Community Church and she regularly accompanies Community Theatre productions.
Maggie serves on the Board for the FDL Community Theatre and the FDL Children's Chorale- being a big supporter of theatre and music in our community. She also enjoys being a part of the FDL Chamber Singers- a local vocal ensemble. Maggie was raised here in Fond du Lac and loves living here and raising her own family. She and husband John have three teenagers- all musicians of their own.
Violin
Steve Schani -
Voice
Kate Staley-Hamm - Kate was raised in the Fond du Lac area. She began her music career early, at age 7 with violin lessons. Brought up in a musical familey, she began voice and piano lessons at age 14 with Madame Ada Lombardi, a vocal teacher from Italy. This formed the basis for her current teaching method and vocal guide book, "Pure Voice".
After attending Marion College, Kate moved to Chicago and began a professional singing career. She attended the Chicago Conservatory, furthering her studies in voice; French, German and Italian diction; piano; and music theory.
Currently teaches Monday through Wednesday.
Woodwind
Dan Gilgenbach - Dan is part owner and manager of Mike's Music and also teaches saxophone. With a performance degree from UW-Oshkosh, he's got all the chops you need to accelerate your sax playing skills. Teaches Tuesday - Thursday.
Gail Zimmerman -