Our Incredible Teachers - The Chicago School of Music

Our Teachers

Richard Schieler | Guitar

Richard Schieler is a Chicago area native (aka suburbs). Barely out of college, Richard founded the Chicago School of Music in 1998 when he walked into this little store on North Ave simply looking for a teaching job to supplement performing. He has been teaching since, and at the time, he co-authored an early childhood curriculum and oversaw the development of one of the first distant learning programs in music. Around that time, Schieler developed the pedagogical model for the school to which the success of the school is attributed. He was been used as a source of many publications on the subject of music education. Many of his students have gained acceptance into top music programs. Schieler studied with Claire Callahan and earned a B.M. at CCM- University of Cincinnati and with David Sussman at Harper College. His top musical faves are the Beatles, Bach, Wilco, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash. When not doing things music related Richard might be reading, writing, exercising, or riding his bike.

Tamara Anderson | Voice

Grammy Award Winning Singing and Performing Techniques
Specializing in Rock, Pop, Blues, Country, Jazz and Musical Theater
Personalized State-of-the-Art Instruction
Vocal Health, Freedom & Confidence (Balancing the Mind and Body)

Tamara is an internationally respected Voice Teacher and Performance Coach. She is the founder, creator and inspiration behind ‘The Progressive Singer’s Vocal and Performance Techniques’. Tamara has a colorful and versatile musical background which includes voiceovers and jingles, singer/songwriter/guitarist, studio producer and talent development. She has taught numerous touring and recording artists, Grammy Contenders and Dove Award Winners on major and indie labels; RCA, Sony, Atlantic, A&M, Jive, Decaydance, Fueled by Ramen, and IRIS Records; also, TV and screen artists on VH1 and MTV, Lionsgate and Warner Brothers Films. She has also worked with winners and finalists on American Idol, America’s Got Talent, America’s Next Big Band, and Rockstar. Tamara is also the Voice Teacher and Judge for “The Voice of McDonald’s”, which is there incredible International version of “American Idol”; and through this life changing event she has had the pleasure of working with such greats as; David Foster and Fantasia. Tamara has produced and recorded a CD “Unlimited Love” which was up for several awards, and is currently writing and producing a book, DVD and CD of her Progressive Singing and Performance Techniques for release in the Fall of 2012.

Alissa Andraski | Piano and Voice

Mezzo-Soprano Alissa Andraski's voice training began at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She performed with Bill Sear's jazz big band alongside her Classical Music training. She holds a bachelor's degree in Classical Vocal Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, a Performance Diploma from Florence University of the Arts, and a Language and Translation Diploma from the University of Munich. Alissa is fluent in English, Italian, and German.

Alissa was a young artist in Melbourne for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2014, she was a finalist in the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic's Aria Competition and the recipient of the Melbourne Opera Studio's International Fellowship. In 2015, Alissa was awarded the Melbourne Opera Studio's Van Straten-Turley Family Foundation Fellowship.

Favorite roles performed include Anna Gomez and the Foreign Woman in Menotti's The Consul, Granma Joad in Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath, Papagena and the Dritte Dame in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, the Abbess in Britten's Curlew River, and Leonora in John Duke's Captain Lovelock. Partial roles performed at festivals in Australia and Europe include Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Tisbe in La Cenerentola.

Alissa has worked with local companies such as Chicago Opera Theater and Sugar Creek Opera. Harwood Management in New York City manages Alissa. She is also a voice- over and commercial artist with Lori Lins Ltd.

Angela DeVentuo |Voice and Piano

Angela DeVenuto is an lyric soprano and hold a M.M. and B.M. in Vocal Performance from Depaul University. She recently won first place Emerging Professional Classical competition, first place Lynee Harvey Foundation Scholarship from Chicago's prestigious Musician's Club of Women, Second place in the Harold Haugh Light Opera Competition, and first place/contract winner in Sherrill Milnes's Opera Idol Competition.

Angela's operatic recent highlights include: Pallas in The Judgement of Paris (Daniel Purcell), Mrs. Grose in Die Fledermaus, the title role of Angelique (Ibert), Emily Wedd in Our Town with DePaul Opera Theater, Despina in Cosi fan tutte with DuPage Opera Theatre and Miss Jessel throughout Chicago Fringe Opera run of The Turn of the Screw to which played to sold out critical acclaim.

Angela's recent concert perfromances include solist in Zohn-Muldoon's Comala Suite, Beethoven's Mass in C minor, Vivaldi's Gloria, Handel's Messiah, Faure's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, and Pergololesi's Stabat Mater.

Aaron Getsug | Saxophone |Clarinet

Today, Getsug is very active on his baritone and tenor around Chicago as well as the rest of the Midwest, South and internationally in France, Italy and most recently London. He is currently holding saxophone seats in The Chicago 12, live The Spirit Big Band, The Roadburner's, Bailey Dee's Late Night Bait, Izzy and the Catastrophic's (Brooklyn NY), Miss Jubilee (St.Louis), Felix and the Cat's and Getsug's very own "Gigs and the Northsider's. Most recently Getsug had the honor of playing lead blues tenor at the Congac blues Fest in France backing Jimi Johnson and also Syleena Johnson. Then joined Ernest Dawkins' Live the Spirit Big Band on baritone for a 2 week tour in France and London performing a piece written by Dawkins dedicated to the 50th anniversary of The "I Have A Dream Speach" by MLK.

Getsug has been teaching for many years in many different atmospheres. He was the general music instructor and band director at The Elaine Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side for 3 years during the early to mid 2000's. Now at The Chicago School of Music and Skinner North Elementary teaching saxophone and clarinet Aaron is right at home teaching kids and adults in the neighborhood he grew up in. His sax/clarinet program can accommodate students of just about any skill level beginner to pro and most any style musically. He also coaches Judo and began coaching at The Menomonee Club at the age of 15 and taught there until recently.

Laura Hoffman | Piano

Laura Hoffman is the author of several blues and jazz books for both kids and adults. She has most recently published The Blues Cookbook for intermediate pianists, taking those new to blues through various styles with the help of a CD full of accompaniments and examples by Ms. Hoffman. Featured in Today's Chicago Woman as one of the Fifty Women of the Year for her work in music, she has taught at the CSOM since it's inception and remains in high demand as both a teacher and performer. Splitting her time between Chicago and New York City, Ms. Hoffman has worked with such musical artists as Alan Swain, Skip Green, Jack Hubal, Willie Pickens, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Bob Hope, Marilyn McCoo, Al Hirt, Redd Foxx, Liza Minelli, and Lou Washington. A regular in the jazz and blues scene in Chicago, she has performed with jazz trios and quartets all over the greater Chicago area, music-directed several Chicago broadway shows, and worked as a mentor through the Ravinia Festival's outreach program. Ms. Hoffman studies Feng Shui and Yoga in her free time and believes in the creative potential of all individuals. Laura has been teaching at the Chicago School of Music since 1999.

Marc Piane | Acoustic / Electric Bass, Drums, and Electronic Music

Marc is an experienced jazz performer and plays frequently throughout Chicago with Q-Blue, ESP, Lori McClain and many others. He co-founded and co-directs the Summer Lab On Stage program at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. He spends his free time going the park with his two kids and riding his bike. His love of jazz and black coffee runs deep, consequently he rarely sleeps. Piane has been teaching at Chicago School of Music since it's inception since 1998. For more info about Marc check out www.marcpiane.com.

Sarah Jenks | Piano/Voice

Sarah Jenks holds a Bachelor of Arts in piano from Ohio Northern University, a Masters of Music in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying from University of Illinois, and a Diploma Certificate from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA).

Sarah is a coach and pianist for North Park University’s opera program. She also serves as an accompanist for their music department, as well as for Moody Bible Institute and CCPA. She has music directed and/or performed with numerous opera companies in the Chicagoland area, including Chicago Opera Theater, Transgressive Theatre-Opera, and Petite Opera, with repertoire spanning Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s Falstaff, and Argento’s The Boor, with much else in between.

Opera isn’t just for adults, though. Sarah is passionate about introducing children to music and theater as well. She works actively as an accompanist with Lyric Unlimited’s Elementary program, where children are helped to write their own operas, and has previously music directed shows for Chicago Opera Theater’s outreach program through After School Matters, a program that enables teenagers with limited to no theater background to prepare and perform a musical.

Additionally, Sarah is the music director and LEEAP Grant coordinator at Immanuel United Church of Christ in Evergreen Park. She has been instrumental in growing their music department. She holds the 2nd Sunday Concert series every month, where she organizes and often performs in themed recitals for charity.

Sarah is a frequent recitalist and collaborator in the Chicagoland area.

LeAnne Bennion I Harp

LeAnne Bennion began playing the harp at the age of nine with her grandmother's encouragement and instruction. LeAnne earned a Master of Music from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and a Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance from the University of Utah. At CCPA she studied with Marguerite Lynn Williams, principal harpist of The Lyric Opera of Chicago. Her teachers include Louise Vickerman (principal harpist of the Utah Symphony), Dr. Carrol McLaughlin (University of Arizona), Dr. Cathy Clayton (University of Utah) and Dr. Heidi Hernandez (Phoenix Symphony). She has participated in masterclasses with Sarah Bullen, Elizabeth Cifani, María Luisa Rayan-Forero, Park Stickney and Delphin Latil.

LeAnne has served several times as an adjudicator for the annual Utah Spring Harp Festival as well as a presenter at the annual University of Arizona Harp Experience harp camp and asa teaching assistant the the Chicago Harp Ensemble.

As an orchestral harpist, LeAnne has performed with Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Symphonic Winds, The Salt Lake Symphony and The Cathedral Choir of the St. James and the Utah Wind Symphony. As a freelance harpist and experienced chamber artist she performs for events across Chicago.

Alyssa Conde | Piano

Alyssa Conde holds a Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance from Florida Atlantic University where she studied with Dr. Irena Kofman. She recently completed her Master's Degree in Piano Performance from Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts where she studied under Dr Ludmila Lazar. She is actively performing throughout the United States as well as Europe. Some festivals she has taken part in include, The University of Florida's Summer Academy, Brevard Music Festival where she worked privately with concert pianist Sandra Shen, The Chamber Music Institute in Lincoln Nebraska and the International Academy of Music in Cremona, Italy. In 2012 she was selected to perform at the Palm Beach International Piano Festival representing the USA. As a vocal collaborative artist she attended the 2014 University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Summer Program in Salzburg, Austria where she and duo partner Kacey Kurpinsky received honorable mention in the Schloss Mirabell competition. Ms. Conde has performed in Master Classes by Nelson Delle – Vigne Fabbri, James Giles, Enrico Elisi, Mutsumi Moteki, Francois Germain, the Escher String Quartet, and more. Currently a sought after collaborative pianist, and in pursuit of furthering her performing career, she also teaches privately and strives to develop genuine love for music in the younger generation. With a full commitment to music, other activities also hold great importance. She is currently training for her first half marathon, as a healthy lifestyle is priority, she also loves to travel and explore different cultures, cross off her long bucket list, and devote all she can to those she surrounds. Ms. Conde currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Christine Chon | Violin

Christine Chon is a teacher and performing violinist in the Chicago area. Recently, she graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a masters degree in Violin Performance and Literature where she was the teaching assistant to Mikhail Kopelman. As a native of California, she first relocated to Chicago to pursue her BM in Violin Performance at the DePaul School of Music with Janet Sung. In 2012, Christine was selected as the DePaul University nominee for the Graduate Arts Award supported by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and also finished her term as a violinist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. In past summers, Christine has participated in festivals, including Round Top Music Festival, Mimir Chamber Music Festival, and Bowdoin International Music Festival. This past season, Christine has been a part of the Elmgin Symphony Orchestra. Outside of the classical music scene,, she most recently recorded for post-production for Spike Lee's 2015 satirical film Chi-Raq as a guest studio violinst.

Chicago School of Music Teachers