Becca Griffin Columbia Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, Voice, Song Writing.

Rebecca Griffin is a piano and guitar teacher. She loves to teach beginners and enjoys journeying with students as they learn their instrument. She enjoys finding the best way to teach each student – everyone is different!

Rebecca Griffin has been playing guitar since a young age and has teaching experience even before being trained and starting here at A Major Music. She minored in music and is currently studying to become a Music Practitioner, a practice that creates a healing environment in clinical settings for patients by responding musically based on the science of sound. She uses voice, guitar, and piano for this practice.

Rebecca loves playing and singing for special events and has worked as a professional musician since 2010.

Carter Moore Columbia Guitar, Piano, Bass, Voice, Ear Training, Music Theory, Ukulele.

Carter Moore was born into a very musical family and has been singing and playing instruments for most of his 26 years. He received his vocal training from Nollie Moore, and while getting his Bachelor of Arts in Music at Columbia College, he performed in various productions, including playing the role of Dickon in the college’s production of The Secret Garden, Fagin in Oliver!, as well as Jack in Into the Woods, and the role of Jesus in Godspell. Carter has performed in over 30 staged shows during his time in musical theater, starting from age 7 and continuing to this day.

While at Columbia College, he also advanced to the national round of the singing competition NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and placed 2nd in the musical theater category, while placing 1st in musical theater and 2nd in classical at the annual Mid-Mo NATS.

Moore plans to continue his education with a master’s degree in vocal performance and conducting. Carter also performs live around Columbia with the local band Outermind, where he is the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and a singer-songwriter for the group.

Connor Leib Columbia Guitar, Bass, Drums, Arranging, Music Theory, Improvisation, Song Writing.

Connor is a multi-instrumentalist based out of St. Louis, Missouri, who, at a young age, “caught the bug” (a musical awakening) after hearing Nirvana for the first time. At that moment, he devoted his life to listening, playing, and writing music. Connor got started right away with music lessons and also did the School of Rock as a young teen, learning how to be a musician, mastering his instruments, as well as learning about live performance. He loved it so much that, during the summers, he would help teach the summer camps there.

Connor used to admire musicians from afar, believing he could never be one himself. However, after taking lessons, he discovered that anyone can become a musician with dedication and practice. Through hard work, he developed his musical skills, which some might mistakenly perceive as “a knack” for music. Once he mastered his first instrument, he found that picking up additional ones became much easier, fueling his passion and growth as a musician.

Josh Golden Columbia Guitar, Bass, Drums, Ear Training, Music Theory, Song Writing, Ukulele, Mandolin.

Josh is a guitar player from O’Fallon, Missouri. He currently resides in Columbia and is working towards his Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at Mizzou. He has been playing guitar, drums, and bass for over 8 years. After starting his musical journey in 6th grade, Josh fell deeper into his love for music and played in bands throughout high school. This experience gave him what he needed to expand his taste and musical abilities.

Josh enjoys playing, writing, and listening to as many genres of music as possible. He's an expert finger picker! These genres range from Bluegrass, to Indie, to Metal, and everything in between. Josh is experienced in playing rhythm and lead guitars, as well as writing original pieces. He is always looking to refine his musical skills and knowledge. No matter the taste in music, Josh is sure to be able to assist students on their musical journey.

In addition to guitar, drums, and bass, Josh has taught himself to play banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and piano.

Madison Peters Columbia Guitar, Bass, Voice, Ear Training, Music Theory, Song Writing.

At the age of 10, Madison received her very first acoustic guitar, but without any guidance or instruction, it sat untouched in the corner of her room for two years. At 12 years old, she finally began taking lessons, and with the help of experienced musicians, she learned the basics and discovered her passion for playing. With this newfound support, she picked up that guitar and never looked back.

Learning to play guitar transformed Madison’s personality. Once the quietest kid in class, who avoided speaking in front of others, she blossomed into an outgoing extrovert who thrived in the spotlight. Gaining confidence with each performance, she grew into a skilled and self-assured musician. Madison has played across St. Louis, from Busch Stadium and Blueberry Hill to intimate backyards and vibrant skateparks. Today, she loves sharing her music live and spends much of her time writing original material.

Noah Schmitz Columbia Guitar.

Noah Schmitz is a guitar teacher from Kansas City, MO. He started playing when he was 14. Noah knows that anyone can learn and play music and he loves helping others achieve their dreams of becoming a musician! Noah would describe his teaching style as patient, accessible, and enthusiastic.

Noah started his musical journey at a young age by joining the ukulele club at his school. He fell in love with music and progressed so quickly that his instructor would have him help teach songs to the class. There he learned that playing music with others is one of the most fulfilling things in this life. Noah’s musical education is never finished, and he loves teaching others what he’s learned!

Phiya Kushi Columbia Guitar, Piano, Ear Training, Arranging, Music Theory, Improvisation, Song Writing.

At an early age his older musical sister taught him to read music and he was immediately hooked. By age 11 he spent hours on the piano learning every song and style he heard and loved. In his teens, he was gifted a classical guitar and quickly developed the ability to learn songs and complex chord arrangements by ear on the guitar. Although he loves playing and teaching all different genres, his forte is classical and finger styles.

Professionally, Phiya is a macrobiotic educator and has worked in the natural and organic foods industry his entire life. Through the years, in his spare time and as a hobby, he strove to advance his musical skills whenever he could, focusing more recently on jazz piano improvisation and expanding his Brazilian, Spanish and classical guitar. Through the years he has met and been inspired by many musicians who sees music as the universal language that brings people together.

Sage Cuebas Columbia Guitar.

Sage Cuebas is a nice, fun, and well-rounded guitarist hailing from New York City who specializes in heavy rock/metal.

Growing up in such a melting pot, he was exposed to music from all over the world at a young age, and that inspiration led him to start playing guitar at an early age.
He soaked up every music education program he could find, including classical guitar at university.
In time, he would come to take lessons from renowned guitarists Angel Vivaldi and Emil Werstler for a short time.

He played in various hard rock and heavy metal acts throughout New York State, eventually touring the country before landing permanently in Columbia, Missouri, where he began actively pursuing his project as a solo instrumental guitarist.
Since relocating to Missouri, he has branched out into a multitude of genres such as neo-soul, gypsy jazz, trap metal, and country, among others.