OUR TEACHERS
ANGIE DAVIDS
VOICE, CLARINET, SAXOPHONE
Angie Davids is from a very musical family. With both parents having music degrees, music was a way of life. All of Angie’s siblings, including herself, sing and play piano and at least one other instrument well. Angie’s choice for the “other instrument” was the clarinet. She enjoyed playing the first chair throughout high school and directing the Indiana State Champion (class B) marching band as a drum major. Vocal training was obtained through her mother, whose degree was in voice, as well as Purdue’s Musical Organization. Now, she keeps her vocal cords active by leading worship at Faith Church’s Cedar Lake Campus and church choir. She loves hearing students grow in their musical ability and seeing them enjoy all the benefits music brings to their lives.
AARON HARRIS
GUITAR, BASS, TROMBONE, BEGINNER TRUMPET, UKULELE, FRENCH HORN
Aaron Harris has been performing, recording, and teaching in the Chicagoland area for over 15 years. He studied classical guitar at the University of Evansville, where he received his bachelor’s degree in music performance. In May 2013, he graduated with a master’s degree in music from Concordia University Chicago after studying jazz, composition, and classical guitar under some of Chicago’s top instructors.
Aaron is uploading most of his curriculum into an online database complete with videos to be made available to everyone who takes lessons from him. Aaron enjoys sharing his knowledge and love of music with his students and wants to ensure all of them have tools at their fingertips to help them on the path to success.
KRISTIN HILLEGONDS
PIANO AND HARP
Music has always been a part of Kristin’s life. Kristin studied piano throughout her school years. She played the clarinet or bass clarinet in a band, a marching band, and a wind ensemble. She also studied and is skilled at the harp. She has played professionally with the Silver Wood Trio for 15 years, all over the Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland areas. When she discovered the Simply Music approach, she knew she had the chance to share her love of music in a powerful way that really creates successful, self-expressed musicians.
As a certified and licensed teacher, she loves teaching and working with students of all ages and abilities. She feels that if she can help someone achieve success in music, it will help them succeed in other areas of life as well. She appreciates the opportunity to come alongside any student of any age to accomplish this!
NICOLE SITTER
FLUTE AND VIOLIN
Ann-Nicole Sitter is skilled at both violin and flute. She began playing the violin when she was 4 years old. She continued to study violin all the way into her college years. She picked up the flute in 4th grade and continued to study it through college as well. She performed with the Northwest Indiana Youth Symphony and the Protégé Philharmonic for many years. She now enjoys playing professionally with the Silver Wood Trio all over Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area. She serves on the praise band at Crossroads Community Church.
KEVIN BENDA
PERCUSSION/DRUM
Kevin started playing the drums at the age of 7. He is a graduate of Lake Central Schools, where he participated in all the middle school and high school band programs. He has won various Best Percussionist and Best Jazz Drummer awards in high school. He has played in various bands throughout Northwest Indiana, including his church's contemporary praise band. His teaching methods include focusing on how to read music and rhythms as well as teaching students how to use their ears to play various music styles, including Rock, Funk, Jazz, and Latin styles.
ABI LOPEZ
Abi Lopez was born and raised in Poland, Europe. She graduated with her master’s degree in music from the University of Paderewsk. She studied violin, piano composition and orchestra arranging. Abi has held positions of music director at various churches over the past 25 years where she has taught and led musical bands of multicultural backgrounds, choirs and individual voices and instruments. She has also taught private lessons for many years at various establishments and group classes at the Suzuki Music School. She is an orchestra and solo performer on the violin. She has many years of experience teaching violin, viola, piano, guitar, bass guitar, choir, music theory and vocal lessons that include ear training! She can teach traditional piano and is a certified Simply Music instructor. Abi has music in her heart and would love to help you meet your goals!
DAN CRANDALL
DRUMS
Dan Crandall is a graduate of McNally Smith College of Music with 20 years of teaching experience. He has over 25 years of performing experience with a variety of acts covering many different styles of music. He is also the published author of the drum instruction book “Drumdamentals”.
His teaching philosophy focuses on three primary subjects: Styles, Technique, and Theory. Styles explore a variety of grooves that can be applied to rock, pop, funk, country, hip-hop, R&B, disco, Latin, Jazz, and more. Technique explores the applications and rewards of proper technique. In Theory, you’ll be guided through a progressive yet thorough examination of music theory as it pertains to the drums.
James DiGirolamo
BASS, GUITAR and BEGINNER PIANO
James has performed professionally for more than 30 years, with extensive experience in
upright and electric bass and guitar. He studied at DePaul University’s School of Jazz Music
and privately with Larry Gray. James received scholarships from SIU and DePaul University.
For 19 years, James owned and operated Garage Band U where he developed rock bands of
children and adults, directing, rehearsing and preparing them for live public performances.
James has been teaching professionally for over 36 years.
As a jobbing musician, James has done radio and television jingles, studio session work, pit
work and orchestral performances at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and The Paducah Symphony
Orchestra. James has experience playing: swing, blues, classical, pop, rock and jazz and
has also played country, zydeco and rock-a-billy. Some of the groups James has performed
with include The Rhythm Rockets, The Willie Hayes Band, Pinetop Perkins, Barrel House
Chuck, The Big Guitars from Memphis, Nick Moss, Burnt Toast and many others. James
was nominated for a WC Handy Award with Nick Moss
James has professional endorsements with Bag End, Gallien Krueger and Lakland Basses.
Naomi Lopez
PIANO
Naomi has always had a deep passion for music and is thrilled to be sharing her love for the piano with others. Piano has always been in her life since she was little and as she grew older, she got more serious about it and grew a lot from taking lessons herself. Through the years, her love for the instrument kept growing and now she’s ready to share that passion with others. Music is in her blood thanks to her mother being a highly skilled musician. Growing up in such a musical environment has definitely shaped her journey. She is eager to pass on her passion and inspire her students, fostering a new generation of music.