Bernard Wright is an American funk and jazz keyboardist who began his career as a session musician and later released several solo albums in the 1980s. Toured with Lenny White when he was 13, and he played with Tom Browne at age 16. GRP Records signed him in 1981 and released his debut LP, ‘Nard, tracks from which have been prominently sampled by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Skee-Lo,and LL Cool J among countless others. He followed with Funky Beat on Arista and Mr. Wright on EMI. The latter of these albums included his biggest R&B hit, “Who Do You Love” for which a video was made. Wright has also appeared on recordings by musicians such as Cameo, Bobby Brown, Pieces of a Dream, Charles Earland, Roberta Flack, Roy Hargrove, Stanley Jordan, Chaka Khan, Marcus Miller and Miles Davis.

Growing up in a musical family in Denton, Texas, where his dad played country pedal steel guitar, Brandon learned to play the classical guitar and other instruments while playing in bands and orchestras. He is currently finishing his B.A. in Music at U.N.T. and gigging with a reggae/funk group called Afro Deexy Axe. He has taught at HMPS for 4 years.

Instruments Taught: guitar, violin, piano

Teaching Philosophy: Improv or reading focus, depending on the direction of the student

Jessie has lived in Denton for the past 5 years and has been teaching music since she was 18. She was homeschooled, had voice lessons from the age of 8, and was classically trained for piano by a Russian teacher in the Russian School of Music. Her passion for writing and performing music led her to create the Jessie Frye Band, which has made a name for itself in DFW, regularly playing festivals and clubs.

Jessie has shared the stage with Pat Benatar, the Avett Brothers and more, and won a fan-voted competition to play Edgefest in 2014. She even met with Tori Amos backstage for an article in the Dallas Observer.

www.jessiefryeband.com

Teaching philosophy: Encourage individuality, work hard with each student to bring out the best of them in a way that feels natural and comfortable

Lessons Taught: piano, voice, guitar and songwriting

Interesting Fact: Tori Amos said of Jessie, “I know I’m going to be hearing about you. I’ve done this a long time, honey, and you’re a superstar.”

Proudly from New Jersey, Matt has lived in Texas for 20 years. He received a B.A. in Jazz Performance from U.N.T. and currently lives in Denton with his happy family of 6. He has been a performer, clinician and educator since 1989. A two-time Grammy-nominated artist, Matt has played with various international hard rock acts and been an invited drum clinician in Croatia, Denmark, New Zealand and locally. Impressively, he has played with over 100 groups in over 40 countries.

www.mattthompsondrums.com

Teaching Philosophy: Try to understand the student and what his/her needs are; push as hard as I can while still being positive and complimentary

Instruments Taught: drums, piano, guitar

Interesting fact: Matt is an avid fan and collector of all things Futurama, and his favorite literature is sci-fi short story.

Kaela moved from Sarasota, Florida to Texas 7 years ago. She received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies degree from U.N.T. with a concentration in vocal performance and a minor in music theory. She’s been playing piano since she was 8 years old and competed in her first vocal competition in the 4th grade. Kaela makes a full-time living as a musician: the last five of her six years teaching music have been at HMPS, and she’s also a studio singer for jingles and commercials. Kaela is a five-time winner of the prestigious Downbeat award, the Dallas Observer named her a 2014 Artist to Watch, and her album of original music has won multiple local awards, including 2013 Best Album of the Year by the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

www.kaelasinclair.com

Lessons Taught: voice, piano, songwriting, music theory, guitar, pop choir, all-girl ensembles

Teaching Philosophy: Use a combination of practical basics and music theory combined with creativity; use different tools, techniques; combine classical and contemporary styles to keep the student engaged; find out what motivates the student and teach to the individual