Our Teachers & Staff
Eliana Jenkins – Reception
Eliana was born and raised in Arizona. She’s been singing nearly her whole life, growing up in a very creative and musical family. Around the age of five she developed a special love for the style of opera. Her mother, who also studied opera, guided her on her own for many years. In high school, … Continue reading Eliana Jenkins – Reception
Jonathan Ireland ~ Guitar, Voice, Piano, & Bass
Jonathan Ireland has been studying classical vocal technique and performance for over seven years. He has been playing guitar and piano for over 10 years while studying different styles of music from genres such as jazz, classical and pop/rock. He has a degree in audio engineering and also sound design. He has been writing music … Continue reading Jonathan Ireland ~ Guitar, Voice, Piano, & Bass
Sarah Peters ~ Strings
Sarah Peters has been playing violin for almost 20 years. She holds a bachelors degree in Music Education from Youngstown State University. While she was there she performed with the Dana Symphony Orchestra, Dana Chamber Orchestra, and Dana String Ensemble. She has also played with the Cleveland Women’s orchestra and several other community groups. She … Continue reading Sarah Peters ~ Strings
Conner Wilson – Guitar
Conner Wilson is an Arizona native who enjoys bringing people together through music. Under the guidance of master guitarist Chuck Hulihan, Conner received a bachelors in Music Education and now teaches as a K-4 music teacher. Conner looks forward to connecting with students in a way that will show them this life-long skill is not … Continue reading Conner Wilson – Guitar
Filip Voia-Tipei ~ Drums
Born and raised in Romania, Filip Voia-Tipei grew up in a musical environment from an early age. At the age of 7, he was enrolled into a music school and studied violin for the next few years. While there, he won several local and national competitions. This helped establish a strong musical education and performing … Continue reading Filip Voia-Tipei ~ Drums
Michelle Lowry ~ Strings & Piano
I have been teaching violin since 2000. I started playing violin at the age of 10 and have continued through college and since. I played in the Clark College Orchestra and have done so for 18 years. I played in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland, Oregon for 5 years, during which time I went … Continue reading Michelle Lowry ~ Strings & Piano
Donovan Perez – Art
Donovan Perez is a local visual artist from Goodyear, Arizona. He has been creating art since the age of five and has ever since followed and developed his artistic aspiration and abilities. Donovan has an Associate’s Degree in Fine Arts and has plans on transferring to Arizona State University to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in … Continue reading Donovan Perez – Art
Bob Strahota ~ Piano, Guitar, & Voice
For many years, I was an amateur musician in the truest sense of the word, pursuing music simply because I loved it, even though I often was not very good at it. With the exception of several months of guitar lessons where I learned basic major, minor and 7th chords, I was mostly self-taught. By … Continue reading Bob Strahota ~ Piano, Guitar, & Voice
Sidni Powell ~ Strings & Piano
Sidni Powell is currently a music education major at Grand Canyon University studying with Dr. Katherine Shields. Her musical journey began at 5 years old when she started learning piano. At 13, she began violin and soon switched to her primary instrument. Soon after she quickly fell in love with the viola as well. At … Continue reading Sidni Powell ~ Strings & Piano
Kevin McCullers ~ Voice & Piano
Mr. McCullers began his musical “career” around the age of 5 by walking up and down the streets of his Southern California neighborhood imitating the great operatic and movie tenor Mario Lanza, whose records he listened to extensively as a young boy. Formal training began at age 9 with piano lessons, later adding voice in … Continue reading Kevin McCullers ~ Voice & Piano
Joel Rivas ~ Cartooning
Joel Rivas was born and raised in West Phoenix, AZ. Joel has a degree in Visual Arts from The Art Institute. He currently lives in the suburbs of West Phoenix with his wife, 2 daughters and his guitars. Joel is a sketch artist and cartoonist that mostly works with pen and ink. His subject matter … Continue reading Joel Rivas ~ Cartooning
Nathan Nordstrom ~ Guitar
Nathan Nordstrom is a music performance major with emphasis on guitar. He began studying guitar with Chuck Hulihan in 2012 at Glendale Community College, where he also studied music composition with Dr. Robert Albury and Dr. Robert Elser. While at GCC, Nathan was employed as the sole music tutor for four semesters, providing help for … Continue reading Nathan Nordstrom ~ Guitar
Lisa Kollman – Acting
Lisa got bit by the “acting bug” at the age of 15 when she performed in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Theatre became her focus while in HS and college, til she married her HS sweetheart (who played Charlie Brown) and they moved to England for 2 years in 1990. In 2008, after living in … Continue reading Lisa Kollman – Acting
Michael Benner ~ Piano & Voice
Michael was raised in southern Ohio. His hometown was fortunate to have a highly trained piano teacher whose pedagogy began with Beethoven. After high school he was accepted into and graduated from the College-Conservatory, University of Cincinnati with a BM in Music Theory and an MM in Choral Conducting. While at CCM he studied Music … Continue reading Michael Benner ~ Piano & Voice
Catherine Kessler ~ Voice & Piano
Catherine Kessler has taken private voice and piano lessons from Katarzyna Honsberger for over a decade, where she has studied a wide range of pieces, from Classical to modern. She has had several years of experience teaching piano and voice to young students in the West Valley area, helping to nurture their understanding of musical … Continue reading Catherine Kessler ~ Voice & Piano
Nicky Dewberry ~ Guitar
Nicky Dewberry graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors degree in Music Performance in Guitar. He is well versed in many styles of music including classical, jazz, rock, punk, and heavy metal. Around the valley, Nicky has performed at numerous public and private venues including the Herberger Theater Center, Orpheum Theatre, and the GCU Arena. Nicky has also performed … Continue reading Nicky Dewberry ~ Guitar
Christine Ward – Voice & Piano
Christine Ward holds her B.A. in Theatre and Drama with a minor in Vocal Performance from Grand Canyon University. She has been acting in Phoenix since she was 11 years old, and continues to act part-time for local theaters. Her piano training began at six years old, and she took lessons through high school. She … Continue reading Christine Ward – Voice & Piano
Laura Cable ~ Piano & Voice
Ms. Laura is beginning her collegiate musical training at Phoenix Community College before transferring to Arizona State University. She is majoring in Choral Conducting with a minor in Piano. Ms. Laura is a young artist from Tolleson, Arizona that has been involved in the arts since she was 6 years old when she began singing … Continue reading Laura Cable ~ Piano & Voice
Joe Mansfield – Winds & Brass
Joe Mansfield is an active clarinetist, saxophonist, and music educator in Phoenix, Arizona. He has earned his Bachelor of Music in music education from Youngstown State University and his Master of Music in clarinet performance from Carnegie Mellon University. His clarinet teachers include Alice Wang, Thomas Thompson and Michael Rusinek. Joe has performed with the … Continue reading Joe Mansfield – Winds & Brass
McKenna Kollman ~ Voice & Piano
McKenna Kollman is a multi-AriZoni nominated actress from Surprise, Arizona. Her theatrical and musical performance experience spans nearly 20 years – performing on stage since the age of two. When she was 10, playing the lead role of Jo Jo in Seussical the musical, she was bitten by the theatre bug. Graduating Summa Cum Laude … Continue reading McKenna Kollman ~ Voice & Piano
Bonnie Calvert ~ Ballet & Piano
Bonnie Calvert began her ballet training as a student of the Royal Academy of Dance program. After completing her RAD examinations, she went on to study at Master Ballet Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, under Slawomir and Irena Wozniak. During her time at MBA, Bonnie had the privilege of dancing with Phoenix Ballet in their productions … Continue reading Bonnie Calvert ~ Ballet & Piano
Dalton Attig – Administrative Assistant
Dalton, originally from Illinois, moved to Arizona back in 2018. He first became interested in music at the age of 13 when his parents bought him a guitar for Christmas. It didn’t take much time after that for him to know that he wanted to dedicate his life to music. He began playing shows in … Continue reading Dalton Attig – Administrative Assistant
Jessica Tosti ~ Dance
Miss Jessica is thrilled to be a member of the teaching team at Kat’s Artist Tree! Jessica just moved to Arizona from Oregon where she was an active dancer and dance teacher. She has been dancing since she was four and has had the honor to tap dance with some of the Pacific Northwest’s best … Continue reading Jessica Tosti ~ Dance
Madison Holmes – Violin & Piano
Ms. Madison Holmes is pursuing her Bachelor of Music in Music Learning and Teaching, with a certification in Music Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University. She studies violin under Dr. Katherine McLin. Ms. Madison’s dedication toward music has been unwavering for as long as she can recall, from her very first recital in December 2011, to … Continue reading Madison Holmes – Violin & Piano
Gabi Bueno ~ Art
Gabi grew up here in Goodyear with her many funny siblings. In May 2020, she graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Arizona State University. She is comfortable with a variety of traditional mediums and digital painting as well. Her favorite artists are Michelangelo, John Singer Sargent, and countless contemporary artists working in the … Continue reading Gabi Bueno ~ Art
Heather Loomis ~ Voice & Piano
Heather Loomis is a singer/songwriter and pianist from Phoenix, Arizona. She received a Bachelor of Science in Music at the University of Colorado Denver, where she studied performance, music business, songwriting, vocal pedagogy, and recording arts. During her time in Denver, she performed her own music at venues throughout the city. She writes music in … Continue reading Heather Loomis ~ Voice & Piano
Christian DeLaGarza ~ Guitar
Christian DeLaGarza has been playing guitar for 5 years, playing in church worship teams for most of that time. He also leads worship for the high school team at his church and is constantly helping to coach his students in improved musicality. While he plays other instruments as well, he is most passionate about guitar … Continue reading Christian DeLaGarza ~ Guitar