Instrument Teachers

Email teachers directly to arrange lessons

Christopher Beeson - Voice & Piano
cbeeson@woodscharter.org
Christopher is an experienced pianist and vocalist with a particular interest in composing and arranging music. When he isn’t teaching, he performs as a “piano man” in various venues and private functions throughout the state. His interest in music was spawned at the age of eight when he began Suzuki piano instruction. In his hometown of Hickory, NC, Christopher served as a church pianist and vocalist for several years. In addition, one of his most thrilling experiences came when he performed in the Georgia Dome to an audience of 21,000 at NCYC. In 2005, he attended the NC Governor’s School in the area of Choral Music. He produced the music for three musicals at the Hickory Community Theatre. At Elon University, Christopher was in the Elon Chorale and served as the Music Director for Elon Catholic Campus Ministries (2006-2008). As a baritone vocalist, he received vocal training under the direction of Dr. Gerald Knight. Christopher’s many creative talents led him to the successful all-male A Cappella Group “Rip Chord” at Elon. As Musical Director for 3 years, he arranged musical scores and organized many performances, produced two CDs, and helped with marketing the group. Currently, he is the Contemporary Music Director at Front Street United Methodist Church, in Burlington. Christopher has been teaching piano and vocal training since 2006 (references upon request).

Scott Bryan - Guitar & Flute
sbryan@woodscharter.org
Scott Bryan took guitar lessons in the late sixties when he was a child but quit when ”my teacher made a disparaging remark about the Beatles”. He continued to study guitar with ‘the Church Lady’ who was then studying with Bunyan Webb, musician in residence at NCSU. During this time he was introduced to Flamenco and Classical guitar. Scott played violin in his high school orchestra which was rated best in the region and was selected to perform and make a recording at the National Music Educators convention in Atlanta. After attending a summer music clinic taught by world renowned classical saxophonist James Houlik, Scott went on to study with him at The NC School of Arts. Scott studied with Jerry Coker (saxophone and jazz theory), a well known music educator in improvisational jazz, when Mr. Coker was musician in residence at Duke University. He also attended one of his summer music clinics on the UNC campus that included a staff of many prominent music educators from the University of Miami. Some of the many local bands Scott has played in throughout the years include - Folderol, Real Gone Cats, The Saxon Dogs, Just Jazz and The Hardtimes Jazzband. In these groups he played rock and roll, country, old timey, ragtime, blues and jazz contributing on guitar, piano, violin, saxophone, and vocals. Scott possesses a guitar pic given to him by Jerry Garcia. Scott is currently teaching private music lessons to motivated beginners and recording original music in his home studio in Chatham County. He lives with his wife, two children and black labrador along the Haw River. He enjoys teaching music and looks forward to teaching guitar at Woods and working with the students there to develop a greater appreciation for music. All kinds.

Kent Foss - Brass (Trumpet/Trombone)
kfoss@woodscharter.org
Kent Foss is an active trumpet performer and brass educator in the Triangle area. Recent performance highlights include two European tours as featured trumpet soloist with the Midwest Ambassadors of Music, a summer spent at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as principal trumpet of the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute Orchestra, and numerous solo performances throughout the United States and abroad. Kent earned his master's and doctoral degrees in music from Arizona State University where he served as a graduate teaching assistant under the internationally known trumpet virtuoso Regents' Professor David Hickman. Kent's undergraduate training is in music education, and he has taught music at the middle school, high school, and college levels. His students regularly participate in regional honor bands and all-state festivals, have been accepted to study at the internationally known Interlochen Center for the Arts, and have entered many well-known collegiate music programs.

Gregg Gelb - Woodwind (Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone)
ggelb@woodscharter.org
Dr. Gregg Gelb is a woodwind player who specializes on saxophone and clarinet. He is also jazz band leader, composer, and arranger. In addition to leading his 8-piece Swing Band, Latin Jazz Band and other small jazz groups, he is founder and director of the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Society, co-founder and player with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra and director of the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble. He is recipient of a Jazz Composers Award from the North Carolina Arts Council. He was a Visiting Artist in the North Carolina Community Colleges and he has taught music in universities and public schools throughout North Carolina. He often performs saxophone with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra. He has a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and a DMA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. www.gregggelb.com, www.carolinajazz.com

Leah Peroutka - Strings
lperoutka@woodscharter.org
Leah Peroutka is currently a freelance violinist in the Triangle area. Ms. Peroutka is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill (BM 2007) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (MM 2009). She performs regularly with the Carolina Philharmonic, Fayetteville Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony, and Durham Symphony, among others, as well as maintaining an active chamber music schedule. In addition to her performing activities, she maintains a private teaching studio with students ranging in age from 4 years old to 17. Ms. Peroutka also performs on Baroque violin throughout North Carolina, performing in masterclasses with the Academy of Ancient Music, Jordi Savall, and members of Apollo’s Fire, among others. She is a founding member of GEM Baroque, based in Greensboro, NC, and this summer, she will be participating in the Magnolia Baroque Festival. Her principal teachers have included David Updegraff, Richard Luby, and Joanne Bath, and in early music, Brent Wissick and Julie Andrijeski.

Matt Vooris - Drums/Percussion
mvooris@woodscharter.org
Matt is an experienced drummer, currently performing and teaching in the Triangle area. He grew up outside of Albany, NY, where he performed with the Empire State Youth Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, eventually winning the title of Principal Percussionist for the Empire State Youth Orchestra. After attending the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY for music education and classical percussion, Matt has worked in a wide variety of musical settings, including touring and recording with the original pop/rock quartet SNMNMNM. As that band moved from Los Angeles (trying to "make it") to Chapel Hill (trying to make it affordable), he began playing more with local groups and artists. Performance credits include The ArtsCenter House Band, The Diamond Cutters, A Rooster for the Masses, Tom Maxwell, Peter Lamb and the Wolves, Taz Halloween/Kittybox and the Johnnies, Mighty Lester, The Jazz Tones, and The Triangle Jazz Orchestra. Matt has also conducted masterclasses and clinics at Cary Academy, Northwood High School, Culbreth Middle School, Community Independent School, and taught private lessons on drum set, latin, and mallet percussion at The Village Music School in Cary, NC.