MEET OUR TEACHERS
Reiko Israel – Piano
Ms. Reiko’s lifelong goal is to create a school where students attend with joy and excitement in engaging in music studies and performances. In 2009 she and her husband Ben started MusicAlley, and it has been a place where students have numerous opportunities to study both performing and fine arts according to their individual goals.
Being a dedicated piano teacher for thirty years, Ms. Reiko appreciates individual students’ interests and purposes; she constantly strives to develop different kinds of teaching styles and approaches to better suit student needs. She strongly believes that any student, regardless of capability, should receive an equal opportunity of studying music. Her passion for teaching and dedication to students are especially shown in working with students with special needs, which she considers the most fruitful and rewarding experience in her teaching career. Ms. Reiko’s wish is all her students will forever cherish music.
Building strong foundations in Japan, Ms. Reiko completed her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Cal State Fullerton under the instruction of Argentinian pianist Eduardo Delgado. In addition to being a devoted music teacher, she is also an accomplished accompanist and collaborative pianist.
Richard Kang – Piano / Guitar / Ukulele
Richard began his journey on the guitar with classical studies, focusing on the foundations and fundamentals. Before he encountered Jazz, he experimented with many different genres and styles, like country, rock, pop, fingerstyle, and bluegrass. While in school he also spent time learning about recording techniques and sound designs. Richard spends most of his time composing and teaching. He streams music production once a week going through his process of songwriting and sound design. He teaches guitar, piano, ukulele, and bass guitar at different levels.
Nico Vasquez – Drums
For fifteen years, Nico Vasquez has studied the art of drumming and music. Having played in school big bands, orchestras, and drum lines, he developed his musicianship through education and a variety of musical contexts. Nico plays and teaches a range of styles including rock, jazz, hip hop, classical, soloing, and Latin. He earned an Associates degree in Art and Human Expression at Fullerton College and is on his way to earning his BM in Jazz and Commercial Music from Cal State Fullerton. Nico performs in numerous groups weekly, ranging from jazz trios, original singer songwriters music, fun, and explosive rock and pop music, and everything in between. Nico has performed at the music festivals Camp Flognaw and Soulection at the Shrine in Los Angeles.
He has also performed on one of NPR’s Tiny Desk performances and has recorded drums from numerous projects. Learning music is such a unique process that teaches students a plethora of skills; reading music, learning and exploring different genres, the history of music, cooperating with other players, and ear training. Nico’s goal is to share his love of music with everyone around him and encourage people of all ages to listen and to play it!
Andrea Martinez – Voice / Dance / Acting/ Musical Theater
If you wanted to tell the story of Andrea Esperanza Martinez, you’d have to do it with a musical. Or an opera. Or one really good ballad. That’s because she lives a life of music. Even the way she says her name sounds like a song.
Born into a musical family, Andrea’s early influences ranged from The Beatles and No Doubt to Broadway musicals and mariachi. In her early teens her father started a family band which started her career as a working singer. In school she took advantage of every opportunity to sing whether it be jazz band, choir or musicals. She completed her education at the prestigious AMDA (College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts) in Los Angeles, where she honed her singing, acting, and dancing skills.
After graduating, she was immediately casted into an original musical, Norman’s Ark, directed by Peter Scheider (producer of Toy Story). Andrea has been featured in several television shows on VHI, TruTV, Estrella TV, and Telemundo, and has had acting roles in films, music videos, and commercials.
Andrea has shared the stage with many notable all-star performers and musicians such as Biz Markie, Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), DJ Richard Blade, Gunnar Nelson (Nelson), Thomas Anders (Modern Talking), Tony Snow (Dramarama), and Vince Neil (Motley Crue), to name a few. Today you can see her doing what she loves, performing with groups such as 80′s tribute band Pop Gun Rerun, and her family band, Funk’d Martini. Her most recent adventure has been joining the World’s Greatest Tribute to No Doubt and Gwen Stefani, No Duh. Joining No Duh has been a full circle moment for Andrea’s career, as she had been performing No Doubt songs with her family band since she was a young girl. Andrea has traveled extensively throughout the US, performing shows with No Duh. Andrea has many exciting ventures always in progress!
Daryuish Kashayar -Violin
Daryuish first started learning music on the piano at the age of three. Though he enjoyed it, he was drawn to the violin and began studying the instrument classically a few years later at the age of seven and has continued to this day. Though mostly classically trained, Daryuish has experimented with loop pedals and other electronic techniques which eventually led to an exploration of music production and sound design, while maintaining the more typical classical violin training as well. Daryuish has been a part of many school orchestras and is currently studying violin performance at California State University, Fullerton, and is a part of their symphony orchestra.
Angelle King – Voice / Dance
Angelle has been passionate about music and dance for many years and began performing at a young age. She was a member of the Citrus Singers of Citrus College and traveled throughout China, Germany, New York, and the Philippines, in addition to performing in numerous musicals, where she danced, sang, and acted. Angelle continued her music studies and graduated from Berklee School of music where she received her BA in Interdisciplinary Music Studies with an emphasis on business and performance. She was also an active member of the Kanye West Sunday Service choir and traveled immensely. Angelle looks forward to teaching children the craft that she loves and continuing her career as an entertainer.
Joshua Silva – Guitar
Graduating from California State University, Fullerton, Josh studied both English, Radio, TV, and Film. At University he spent much of his time studying audio recording and sound production. Josh has spent over 5 years in the education field, teaching both in a classroom environment, as well as private, one on one tutoring with students.
Understanding that each person has their individual way of learning, Josh patiently works with students and guides them to take the necessary steps to learn. He teaches fretboard navigation and music theory so that students can be more than just a jukebox who plays other people’s songs, but instead be able to understand what is going on in those songs, improvise, and eventually write their own songs. His passion for learning and music will make students’ lessons interesting, fun, and exciting.
Stephen Ramirez – Drums
At the age of 7, Stephen started playing drums which has completely consumed his life. The dedication and passion he has for this instrument has allowed him to obtain a successful career as a musician and teacher. Stephen has played for many bands and traveled to various countries to perform. Stephen has studied a variety of styles of drumming and he is consistently learning new things that allow him to grow and develop more technique.
Stephen taught his first student at the age of 16 and has been teaching consistently since the age of 22. Today, Stephen plays for several bands of different styles, travels and performs in other states and countries. He also does recording session work while teaching students of all ages as his main career.
David Benitez – Guitar, Bass, Piano
At the age of fourteen, David Benitez knew he wanted to be involved in music in any capacity. Having found a real passion for learning music through his experience in marching band during his high school years, and teaching himself how to play the guitar, David made the decision to pursue a career in music upon graduating high school.
David received his Bachelors of Music from the University of St. Thomas under the guidance of Dr. Malcom J. Solomon and received his Masters of Music from the University of Houston under the tutelage of Noe Marmolejo and Mike Wheeler. For over ten years he taught in many music schools across the greater Houston-Galveston area, started a guitar camp for kids at the University of St. Thomas in 2009, helped start a music program for the Archdiocese of El Paso during the pandemic, and has taught many students ranging from pre-K to 70 years old, both privately and in large ensembles. In August of 2021 David moved back to Southern California where he continued teaching students of all ages, and has worked on different short films and music productions.
David plays and teaches many genres of music such as jazz, rock, blues, funk, country, pop, classical and R&B on many different instruments such as the guitar, bass, ukulele and piano. He has been invited to play at the Houston Rodeo twice, played across Texas with the Conrad Johnson Jazz Orchestra, has travelled all across the United States and Mexico playing guitar in different bands, and his music can be heard on various podcasts and YouTube videos such as Honest Trailers and BlahBlahBlah with Katee Sackoff.
Without his many teachers’ knowledge and generosity, David wouldn’t be the musician and teacher he is today. His teachers gave him the confidence and tools to pursue music. He hopes to instill that same passion in his own students, to help them along the way, give as much knowledge as he can, and instill in them the confidence to succeed not just in music but in any venture they put their focus on. David makes the effort to work with his students and make specific teaching plans for their individual needs while also making the lessons fun.
Mr. David speaks both English and Spanish fluently.
Jonathan Kang – Digital Art
Jonathan Kang focuses his craft in the art of concept/sequential design. Ever since he first watched cartoons and read comics, he had an interest in world building and visual storytelling. He took classes on concept/entertainment art at Fullerton College taught by artists working in the animation industry. That was all he needed to continue his journey as a designer. He sought out other entertainment industry professionals working in animation and live-action for tv, films, and games. He works with digital and traditional mediums, including Photoshop, pen & ink and gouache paints.
Chris Ramos – Hip-Hop Dance
Chris is an aspiring professional dancer who aims to help give back to various dance communities by sharing his knowledge and experience of training with some of the top dancers in the industry. Originally from Sacramento, Chris moved to San Bernardino and began training in Los Angeles among other professional dancers aiming to increase their performance and understanding of the hip-hop dance style. Now, he helps train various teams such as DND Dance Company and Snowmies, and he teaches at an assortment of studios such as Inland Empire Dance Center, New World Dance, and one of the biggest studios in Southern California, Snowglobe Perspective. Chris loves to educate all ages about the art of hip-hop dance and its origin. His classes are filled with bright smiles and laughter while dancing with smooth and funky grooves.
Ilani Fay – Art
Ilani Fay is an art teacher who helps kids unearth their unique creativity. After studying Creative Writing and Animation at USC, she held a variety of creative jobs including: worldbuilding for film under Alex McDowell (RDI), animating for games, writing for global ad agencies, designing/illustrating popular products, and much more. Her creative talents are endless but united by a singular purpose: to create immersive worlds and stories. As such, Ilani not only teaches art but creativity as well. She aims to help children not only develop technical skills in their mediums of choice, but also encourages them to think outside the box. It is Ilani’s hope that all her students gain the confidence to joyfully create on AND off the canvas!
Kahra Strumar – Piano
Kahra is a versatile Piano Instructor with her Masters Degree in Piano Pedagogy from California State University of Fullerton. Kahra is responsible for helping students become proficient on the piano for over eight years. She is a disciplined and resourceful instructor who provides a balanced mix of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary learning methods. She is very adept in teaching individuals and groups in a fun and relaxed environment and skilled in exposing students to technique, sight-reading, music theory principles, and ear training. Kahra is proficient in helping students prepare for college admittance, recitals, solo performances, school events, and is comfortable working with students at all ages. She has achieved a California Music Teachers’ Association Certificate of Merit level eight with honors and graduated from Whittier College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a dual Minor in Business Administration and Chinese. Kahra was allowed to perform seven piano recitals and seven hand bell performances.
