Our Teachers
Mike Salow | Founder
Guitar, Piano, Drums, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Recording, Music Theory
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Mike Salow is a multifaceted, award-winning guitarist with over 20 years of playing experience. He graduated with honors from McNally Smith College of Music receiving a B.M. in guitar performance with a music business minor. Mike has been teaching music for over a decade and taught as part of the guitar department faculty at McNally Smith College of Music from 2013 - 2017. He currently teaches instrumental music at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, an arts focused high school in downtown St. Paul. You can find Mike sharing guitar lessons, tips, and tricks all over the internet via social media; most notably on Instagram where he’s amassed near 100,000 followers. To learn more about Mike go to www.MikeSalow.com.
Mike is a high-demand teacher and can only take on a select amount of new students each quarter. If you are interested in taking lessons with Mike please make a special request when signing up with Ideal Music Lessons or email Mike directly at mikesalowmusic@gmail.com.
Joe Lundy | Student Coordinator
Guitar, Piano, Drums, Percussion (Marimba/Xylophone/Bells), Bass, Ukulele, Songwriting, Music Production, and Guitar Maintenance
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Joe has been a musician for over 15 years and has been teaching for over a decade. He is a well versed guitar, piano, drums, percussion (marimba/xylophone/bells), bass, ukulele, songwriting, and music production instructor. He plays a variety of genres from funk/jam band to reggae to progressive metal. Joe graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at Saint Cloud State University and continued studying Guitar Performance at McNally Smith College. He has years of experience working with kids teaching private lessons, group classes, and directing several music ensembles. He has owned and operated the Kracker Jacks Drumline since 2015. No matter the time of the day, Joe can be found spreading the word: “Music is a language we all know how to speak. Some of us just don’t know it yet.”
Justin Brown
Piano, Trombone, Trumpet
Justin has spent the last fifteen years following his passion in music. As a performer, he has been the Principal Trombonist of the Fox Valley Symphony in Aurora, IL, been a member of the Kings Brass performing concerts and recording albums, was a free-lance musician in the Chicago-land area, and has composed and recorded multiple albums of his own music. As a teacher, Justin has taught all ages, worked as an Assistant Choir Director at middle schools and high schools, was a band director for fourth through eighth grade students, has adjudicated for All-State Band selections in Illinois, and has been an assistant trombone instructor at the University of Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp. Outside of music, Justin enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, Frisbee-golfing, and brewing coffee.
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Joe Barron
Bass, Guitar, Mandolin,
Drums
Joe Barron is a Twin Cities based Bass Player who can be found covering the low end in all different corners of the music scene. He studied Bass Performance at McNally Smith College of Music from 2011- 2015 and has been touring around the country playing anything from ska to bluegrass since his departure from the school. He specializes in playing the bass but also has experience with guitar, drums, and mandolin. Joe is offering Beginner to Intermediate Electric Bass lessons for 4 and 5 string bass, Jazz and Bluegrass lessons for Upright Bass and Beginner Guitar, Drums and Mandolin lessons.
David DeMoss
Piano, Bassoon, Voice,
Composition
David is a well-rounded musician, well versed in bassoon, piano, voice, and music composition. David has been playing the bassoon since he was in early high school, and was first chair bassoonist all four years of undergrad at Cornell College. During his time at Cornell, he collaborated with music faculty to develop an individualized Batchelor's degree in music, with a concentration in composition under the primary tutelage of composer and professor of music, Aaron Perrine. Piano is one of the first instruments David learned how to play, starting lessons when he was still in early elementary school. David has also been involved in choir since College, and was a member of the Cornell College choir. As a composer, David has composed multiple original classical compositions, ranging from choral works, to small chamber pieces. David also has experience composing more contemporary modern music in genres such as pop and jazz. David's experience teaching music and working with kids has been furthered in the past by his former role as a camp counselor at Adirondack Camp in upstate New York, where he primarily was both a fencing instructor (as in the sport, a hobby of David's), and a music instructor.
Jeremy Rosenwinkel has studied music at Walker West Music Academy and McNally Smith College of Music, where he earned a degree in Music Performance. He performs with a number of bands throughout the Twin Cities, and has an extensive jazz background, having been featured as a piano soloist alongside such artists as Felix James, Benny Weinbeck, Debbie Duncan, and Maud Hixson. His original compositions have been heard in a variety of theatre productions, most recently The Ghost Sonata at Concordia University, St. Paul. He has taught musicians of all skill levels for over a decade.
Jeremy Rosenwinkel
Piano
Tim Hanna
Guitar, Bass, Piano, Ukulele
Tim began playing guitar when he was 8 years old, and was gigging with a rock trio by the time he was in middle school. After several years of taking guitar lessons, his instructor asked him if he could take on a few of her younger students. He continued teaching lessons and performing throughout high school, before deciding to study Guitar Performance at McNally Smith College of Music. There he was able to hone his skills and broaden his understanding of music theory. Since then he has gained even more experience, teaching guitar professionally and playing with various local acts in the Twin Cities. He's comfortable in a wide variety of styles, and specializes in blues and fingerstyle guitar.
Caleb Geary |
Guitar
For the past 14 years, whether leading contemporary worship or playing lead guitar in heavy metal or indie-pop groups, Caleb has loved the variety of genres in which guitar can add depth to music. After receiving encouragement from his worship pastor at his hometown church, Caleb attended McNally Smith College of Music for Guitar Performance, growing in expertise and broadening his understanding and appreciation of various styles of music. Since then, Caleb has played in multiple local acts within the Twin Cities region, led contemporary worship, written and produced music, and professionally taught people from ages 6 to over 60 not only how to play guitar, but also to experience the joy that comes from it. While enjoying a wide range of styles, his main genres are contemporary worship, rock/alt-rock, heavy metal, indie, and folk. He also teaches beginner piano, drums, and bass.
Trenton Tejeda
Guitar, Piano, Bass, Drums
Trenton Tejeda is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He started playing guitar and trombone at age 10 and would go on to study at Berklee College of Music and The University of Minnesota. The ensembles he’s played in vary from rock bands, pit orchestras and jazz bands. In 2016, Trent started teaching at The Hastings Arts Center and since has taught throughout Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Trent specializes in guitar and bass, but also teaches ukulele, piano, and drums.
Mellisa has pursued her love of music from a very young age. "My ultimate goal as your teacher is to nurture a genuine love for music.” Mellisa specializes in music theory, composition, curriculum production, and online piano lessons. Her students gain a comprehensive background in the application of music theory, ear training, and repertoire. Mellisa excels in teaching late beginners to advanced students. Mellisa is most passionate about composing, theory, and creativity. Mellisa writes a lot of her own curriculum. She understands that each student has individual specific learning needs and shouldn't be boxed into one curriculum option. So, she often writes what the students needs!​ Mellisa teaches piano, flute, and group classes.
Mellisa graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Liturgical Music, with a minor in Flute Performance and Bible in 2007. She received her Master of Arts in Music Education with a concentration in Piano Pedagogy in 2013 from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, a member of the Music Teacher's National Association, and Minnesota Music Educators Association as well as a music education and business consultant for several music schools and private studios around the country and has performed in various countries.