Pfluger-Rock School of Music Staff

Go directly to instructors for the following: Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums, Violin Viola, Voice

Nita: Office Manager

Todd Barth: Guitar

Todd Barth is the founder of both Austin Academy of Music schools, Pfluger-Rock School of Music and Northwest School of Music. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and the Guitar Institute of Technology (G.I.T.) in Hollywood, California.

Todd has been playing for 35 years and teaching for 28 years. Locally, he has played lead guitar for Rick Trevino, The Debonaires, Texas Unlimited Band, Mark Winston Kirk, The House band at Coupland Dance Hall, Six Sanchez and Allie Danielle. Todd has extensive experience as a working and recording musician performing with many top bands in Texas and California. He has performed at concerts, nightclubs, dance halls, cruise ships, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe. He has played regularly with the band at Riverbend Church.

Todd's demo tape was one of only three selected from over 600 monthly submissions to be profiled in Guitar Player magazine's “Spotlight on New Talent,” a column featuring hot new up-and-coming players. He was also featured in the “Resume” column of Guitar for the Practicing Musician and in the “Hometown Heroes” column of Guitar World magazine. In college, Todd was chosen by audition to play with the University of Texas Jazz Lab Band and the Sam Houston State University Big Band.

Todd has designed a well-rounded guitar curriculum and uses an extensive checklist to track each student's progress. He also incorporates a large collection of recorded music, hand picked for its relevance to guitar instruction, into his lessons. Todd has worked as a teacher at nine different music stores, Sam Houston State University and at the Guitar Institute of Technology. Todd is also the author of a nationally distributed instructional DVD/Video and two CD/Books. His latest CD/book, Country Licks, is available from Carl Fischer music.

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Carlos Ufret: Guitar

Carlos E. Ufret-Vincenty was born in 1977 in Humacao, Puerto Rico. He was inspired to pursue music as a career from an early age. During his growing-up years, he enjoyed listening to his father’s classical records, to rock artists and folk artists, as well as the traditional music from Puerto Rico.

At age 17, Carlos entered the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music (CMPR). He graduated with honors in December 1998 with a Bachelors degree in music, receiving the string department medal. From 1998 through July 2000, Carlos taught guitar lessons at the CMPR's Extension Program. In 2000, he entered the guitar program at the Indiana University (IU) School of Music in Bloomington, IN, and received his Master of Music degree in May 2003. During his years of study there, Carlos served as an associate instructor of guitar for IU's guitar department, teaching guitar classes and lessons at all levels, including teaching undergraduate classical guitar majors and students minoring in jazz.

Throughout his years of study, Carlos has been chosen to play in master classes for some of the most distinguished names in the classical guitar world, including Pepe Romero, Manuel Barrueco, William Kanengiser, Andrew York, and Richard Savino. Carlos has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Roberto I. Ferdman Award from Pro-Arte Musical de Puerto Rico, the Olympia Barbera scholarship at Indiana University, as well as scholarships to attend the National Guitar Summer Workshop and The Domaine Forget Summer Academy in Québec, Canada.

At Pfluger-Rock, Carlos teaches his students both note-reading and tablature. His greatest satisfaction in teaching comes from witnessing a student’s progress.

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Nathan Campbell: Guitar

Raised in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Nathan has been playing guitar and electric bass for ten years. Learning from the rock and metal greats like Nirvana, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Metallica, he started playing in his own bands in high school. As time passed, he decided to continue his musical involvement with a band called Fatback Circus and moved from Stillwater to San Antonio. He entered the School of Music at The University of Texas at San Antonio as a composition major and studied with Dr. James Balentine, Dr. David Heuser, and Mr. James Syler. He was the recipient of many musical and academic scholarships, including the Reed Holmes Composition Award, Nathaniel Stokes Memorial Scholarship, Great Conversation Honors Scholarship, a UTSA Grant, Seldon Leavell Scholarship, Friends of Music Scholarship, and the Department of Music Academic Achievement Award (awarded to one senior for outstanding academic achievement). He received first place in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts Research Competition with the presentation of his piece "String Quartet No.1." Nathan's education in San Antonio helped him broaden his musical awareness beyond rock and explore the minimalist music of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Arvo Part. Having played bass in the Jazz Combos, he also became familiar with the jazz world. His favorite jazz composer is Charles Mingus. In order to graduate from the Honors College at UTSA, Nathan composed a work for full orchestra called "Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra" as his Honors Thesis project. The first movement was performed at his Senior Recital with the Eugene Dowdy, Dean of the Music Department, conducting.

Classical guitar has been of big part of Nathan's education. He has played for the UTSA Guitar Ensemble and performed many concerts of his favorite composers, like Heitor Villa Lobos, Silvius Leopold Weiss, and Fernando Sor. He studied with Mr. Micheal Richter, Dr. Matt Dunne and Dr. Matthew Hinsley.

Nathan is well versed in classical, rock, metal, pop, counterpoint, composition, song writing, and music theory and is moderately familiar with jazz and eastern music.

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Matt Read: Guitar

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Carter Arrington: Guitar

Carter Arrington began playing guitar at the age of 12 and studying with various teachers in the Roanoke, VA area. At the age of 15, he earned one of 25 nation-wide scholarships from Berklee College of Music in Boston for the upcoming summer guitar sessions. Previously versed in rock and metal styles, his Boston experience led him to explore more avenues of music in an intense musical environment and a decision to pursue music as a career. At 17, he attended the Atlanta Institute of Music, a vocational performance music school specializing in preparing students to become successful working musicians. Atlanta also provided a large R&B and funk music scene, and opened up Carter’s musical doors to the likes of Prince, Earth Wind and Fire, and various other fusion artists that greatly enhanced his rhythmic sensibilities. Upon graduation, he taught various courses and levels at the Atlanta Institute of Music including scales, rock performance, jazz concepts, rock styles, and odd meter performance. Carter also taught private students independently, and as an instructor for Mars Music, teaching around 35 students weekly. He currently resides in Austin and recently completed his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Carter is versed in many musical styles ranging from rock, metal, funk, R&B, jazz, fusion, Latin, and some classical and finger-style guitar. Recent experience included a European tour that included performances at the North Sea and Montreax Jazz festivals, two of the most renowned in the world, various other gigs in Germany and Switzerland, and opening for The Headhunters. He gigs regularly in the Austin area and occasionally in Lubbock, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Local gigs have included groups such as the UT AIME ensemble, Groovin’ Ground, Larry, Apostrophe, The Palm School Choir, and currently enjoys various R&B projects. Carter has been teaching guitar for 7 years.

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Alex Adinolfi: Guitar

Alex has been playing guitar for more than 30 years. He has gathered experience in Italy and in the UK, deepening his knowledge of American music in Texas over the last 12 years, covering different styles. He has played for musicians such as Rick Trevino, Hal Ketchum, Kevin Fowler, Dale Watson, Cindy Cashdollar, Jason Roberts, and Haydn Vitera, among others. Alex studied music theory at Austin Community College and is currently the lead guitar player of the ACC Jazz Big Band, directed by Dr. Tom Husak, with which he performed at President Obama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. He also has extensive experience as performer, co-producer, and arranger for various recording projects, including albums and commercials. Alex lives in Pflugerville with his wife and young son.

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Matt Brooks: Guitar and Electric Bass

Matt has been playing and studying music his entire life. He started learning drums and piano at age five, guitar at age six, and upright bass at age ten. He has been in steady working bands since the age of twelve, and has been teaching guitar full time since 1987. Matt has been one of Pfluger-Rock’s busiest teachers for over five years.

Matt studied at The University of Northern Iowa, Northwestern College, and Bemidji State University, with a dual major in Art and Music.

As a live performer, he has played everywhere from weddings to nursing homes to 60,000 seat festivals. He has even played at the top of the World Trade Center! Along the way, he’s shared the stage with dozens of acts including Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Brooks and Dunn, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, and the Allman Brothers.

For four years, he was a member of an internationally touring Grand Ol' Opry band, backing artists such as Ray Price, Charlie Louvin, Del Reeves, and Tommy Cash. As a member of the Red Stallion Band, he was featured on the national video release ‘Johnny Counterfit Live’.

Matt was also a staff composer and musician at Metro Studios, in Iowa. He has played or added vocals to over 150 TV and radio commercials – both regional and national – as well as dozens of commercial and industrial films, winning several awards for original composition. His music can even be heard in a display at the Smithsonian institute!

As staff guitarist and Asst. Musical Director for Theatre Cedar Rapids, he played both on and off stage roles. One of the largest community theatres in the country, TCR sold out two seasons a year with shows including ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, ‘Beehive’, and the Who’s ‘Tommy’. The ‘Bakers Dozen Players’ of Lockhart, Texas included Matt in their 2004 cast, and he was featured in ‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’ as well as several variety productions.

After relocating to Texas six years ago, he immersed himself in the Traditional Country scene in Austin, and can be seen performing regularly at places like Gruene Hall, the Broken Spoke, and Ginny’s Little Longhorn. He’s also been lucky enough to play with or open for Jimmie Vaughan, The Derailers, Jerry Jeff Walker, Corey Morrow, Reckless Kelly, The Flatlanders, Dane Sterling, Sunny Sweeney, Dean Seltzer and his own band Hillbilly Zen.

Well versed in all decades of Country, Blues, and Rock, Matt prefers beginning and intermediate students, aged 13 and above, putting an emphasis on goals, motivation and practical application. Instruction on home recording and songwriting, as well as custom made charts and transcriptions are also made available to his students. Matt has a tablature library with over 10,000 songs in published formats, a CD collection of 6000 discs (that’s 70,000 mp3s!), and he utilizes the latest in audio editing and tablature writing software.

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Russell Shores: Acoustic and Electric Bass

Russell earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from Central University of New York, N.Y. He is a Peavey Artist Endorser. Mr. Shores has performed with Diana Ross, Julian Lennon, Elliot Fikes, Lucid Dream, Soul Serenade, The Central University Symphony and Jazz Band, the ACC Jazz Band, SWT State Symphony, The Mahor Burkes Band, and The Steve O’Neill Band. Russell has taught privately for sixteen years and has been at Pfluger-Rock since it opened seven years ago.

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Marianna Tanguy: Piano

Bio coming soon.

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Lacey Quin: Piano

Lacy has 18 years of classical piano and several years of classical chamber music experience. She brings to her lessons a strong sense of classical music but also enjoys teaching students popular songs. Before coming to Pfluger-Rock, Lacy taught in public school systems, at retail music stores and has been involved in showchoir and musical theatre for 16 years. She is a native southerner from Mississippi where she holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education with an emphasis on voice.  She received her love of music from her family of gospel singers and trumpeters. As an avid learner, she hopes to pass on a love of music to anyone with an open mind. Lacy is known for her enthusiasm and upbeat teaching style.

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Kay Salinas: Piano

Mrs. Salinas began studying piano at age six, organ at age twelve and by age fifteen, started teaching piano and organ lessons at a music school in the St. Louis area. Kay’s love for music was encouraged by her mother, a professional vocalist, whom she accompanied for years, as well as accompanying students auditioning at Butler University School of Music. Only in middle school, she started accompanying school choirs and continued through high school and college at Ohio Wesleyan University, where she majored in Piano and Music Education. While at Wesleyan, she tutored other piano majors in theory. Kay taught at Daarrud School of Music where at one time she had 68 private students. She has experience teaching music and piano to elementary and middle school children. In addition to teaching, Kay has played the piano and pipe organ in several churches over the years. Kay loves to teach students of all ages and has taught beginners as young as three and as “young at heart” as 78. With forty years of teaching experience, she believes in teaching music, not just how to play the piano. Kay teaches theory in her lessons in order for her students to use what they have learned to apply to other instruments or types of music. Kay recently moved back home to Austin and is excited to be able to share her love of music with students at Pfluger-Rock School of Music.

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Lisa Werst: Piano, Voice, Flute and Clarinet

Lisa Werst has a wide variety of musical talent and experience. She decided at the age of five that she wanted to pursue music after attending a pep rally and watching the school band play. She began this pursuit by starting piano lessons at age seven, and flute lessons at age eleven. Her talent and hard work earned her a “First Division” award as a flute player in the solo UIL All-State Competition in her Texas high school.

Lisa received a full music scholarship to college. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in music education from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas in May of 1996, and received her Texas classroom teacher certification in 1999. She has experience as an elementary school music teacher, a junior high beginner band instructor and jazz band director, as well as a junior high music appreciation class teacher. She was a high school band director for the marching band, the concert band, and the jazz band. Lisa has been an accompanist for UIL Solo and Ensemble Competitions. She has been a private instructor for piano, flute, saxophone, trombone and clarinet.

Other accomplishments of Lisa’s include being a singer for the long-running “Passion Play” in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and being a pianist and choir member over the years for a number of churches. Lisa has also been the composer and arranger of various styles of music.

Lisa’s favorite songs to play on the piano are the “William Tell Overture” and tunes from the movie “The Sound of Music.” Her future plans include pursuing a Master’s degree in composition, arranging and digital recording. During her spare time Lisa enjoys reading, hiking, and photography, as well as playing and listening to all styles of music.

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Mark Ramsey: Piano

Mark has been an active Austin musician for 30 years and has played piano, drums or guitar with several rock, blues, jazz and country bands in central Texas including bands with Pete Denney (one of George Strait’s guitar players) and Mark Winston Kirk. Mark studied percussion with George Frock, head of percussion at UT Austin, while still in high school. He then went on to study Music Theory and Composition at UT Austin as a piano principle. As a result, Mark is able to offer both classical and contemporary improvisational instruction on piano.

Mark has been teaching piano and drums in Austin since 1989 and began offering guitar instruction in 2000. Mark also taught history at the secondary level and brings to music instruction a well-developed teaching ability, a lot of patience, and a love of teaching.

Mark has three children. He currently leads worship and coordinates the music program at Red River Church in Austin.

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Lisa Werst: Voice

Lisa Werst has a wide variety of musical talent and experience. She decided at the age of five that she wanted to pursue music after attending a pep rally and watching the school band play. She began this pursuit by starting piano lessons at age seven, and flute lessons at age eleven. Her talent and hard work earned her a “First Division” award as a flute player in the solo UIL All-State Competition in her Texas high school.

Lisa received a full music scholarship to college. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in music education from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas in May of 1996, and received her Texas classroom teacher certification in 1999. She has experience as an elementary school music teacher, a junior high beginner band instructor and jazz band director, as well as a junior high music appreciation class teacher. She was a high school band director for the marching band, the concert band, and the jazz band. Lisa has been an accompanist for UIL Solo and Ensemble Competitions. She has been a private instructor for piano, flute, saxophone, trombone and clarinet.

Other accomplishments of Lisa’s include being a singer for the long-running “Passion Play” in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and being a pianist and choir member over the years for a number of churches. Lisa has also been the composer and arranger of various styles of music.

Lisa’s favorite songs to play on the piano are the “William Tell Overture” and tunes from the movie “The Sound of Music.” Her future plans include pursuing a Master’s degree in composition, arranging and digital recording. During her spare time Lisa enjoys reading, hiking, and photography, as well as playing and listening to all styles of music.

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Justin Olejnik: Drums

Justin Olejnik graduated with a BA in the Texas Tech music program. He has been drumming for 10 years with knowledge of many musical styles including; Rock, Jazz and Latin. While attending Texas Tech he performed in the Percussion Ensembles, Marching Band and the Steel Drum Ensemble. He has played in performing bands for the past 6 years and is currently with his own band performing all around Texas. In addition to drumming, he also has a passion for music theory and analyzing all types of music. After attending Texas Tech he earned a certificate in Live Sound Engineering at South Plain College of Levelland, Texas. There he has learned a wealth of information about performing drums and music on stage. He has taught private lessons for the past 2 years and is looking forward to sharing his passion and knowledge with all his students at the Northwest and Pfluger-Rock Schools of Music.

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Kirk Sonnenberg: Drums

Kirk Sonnenberg grew up in a small Texas town just south of Dallas.  He began playing drums at age eight, and played his first gig on drums at age fifteen.  While drums remained his primary instrument, after high school, he went on to tackle other instruments, including piano and guitar.  In addition to playing all three instruments in a number of Rock, Folk Rock, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Trip-hop, Funk, Country Rock, and Alternative Rock bands over the years, Kirk has been teaching all three instruments since 1995. With his Rock-n-Roll and Jazz-heavy background, most people don’t suspect that Kirk is a great lover of Classical music.  He played Classical concerts on piano at his alma mater, The University of Texas at Arlington, while obtaining his degree in Music Media.  Around the same time, he also played drums in two different Jazz bands.  One of the Jazz tunes that Kirk played both keyboard and drums on was even voted #1 Jazz MP3 on the MP3 website. After spending five years in Chicago, IL, where he played most notably with the country rock band, Tin Horse, during their summer 2008 tour across the Midwest, Kirk has returned to Texas.  He now lives in Austin with his beautiful wife and daughter.  All three are pleased as punch that they will never have to endure subzero temperatures for two weeks in a row again.

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Mark Ramsey: Drums

Mark has been an active Austin musician for 30 years and has played piano, drums or guitar with several rock, blues, jazz and country bands in central Texas including bands with Pete Denney (one of George Strait’s guitar players) and Mark Winston Kirk. Mark studied percussion with George Frock, head of percussion at UT Austin, while still in high school. He then went on to study Music Theory and Composition at UT Austin as a piano principle. As a result, Mark is able to offer both classical and contemporary improvisational instruction on piano.

Mark has been teaching piano and drums in Austin since 1989 and began offering guitar instruction in 2000. Mark also taught history at the secondary level and brings to music instruction a well-developed teaching ability, a lot of patience, and a love of teaching.

Mark has three children. He currently leads worship and coordinates the music program at Red River Church in Austin.

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Milena Georgieva: Violin and Viola

Milena Georgieva is a native from Burgas, Bulgaria and began playing violin at the age of 7 with Stefan Kantchev in her hometown. At 10, she was admitted to the National Secondary School of Music and Stage Art with Prof. Pantcho Vladigerove, in Burgas. During her school years, Milena achieved great progress as a performer and artist. She performed in various concerts and was the winner of numerous prestigious prizes in many significant musical forms – including, third prize at the Competition for the Best Performance of German musical works in 1991, first prize at the Competition for Best Performance of Bulgarian musical works in 1988, and second prize in the same competition in 1990. Following, Milena continued to take charge of her professional and musical education by enrolling in the Academy of Music, Dancing, Pictorial and Plastic Arts of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Musical Pedagogy and Violin Performance, studying with Alexander Spirov. During these years, she participated in a variety of symphonies, chamber orchestras, and ensembles, as well as, teaching violin. Since her graduation, Milena has performed in productions throughout France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Italy, Austria, Lebanon, Japan, and the USA. Currently, Milena plays with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, and can be seen in various musical productions throughout central Texas in Georgetown and Austin, as well as, teaching at Pfluger-Rock and Northwest School of Music

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