Randy Ferguson - Guitar and Ukulele
Randy taught in the Farmington School District for 38 years (1976-2014) and started the guitar curriculum in the middle schools. Randy has also taught in the Department of Continuing Studies at Hamline University for 20 years. He is a professional classical and flamenco guitarist and has been playing guitar for over 50 years.
Joe Selness - Guitar
Joe has been playing guitar for 30 years and helping others learn to play just about as long. He's played in a multitude of church youth groups, bluegrass jams, and cover bands, learning to understand and communicate the principles that make a good musician. He appreciates a wide variety of music and loves to help his students find the path to making music they love. When he isn't playing guitar, (which isn't often) Joe loves reading fiction and accruing random bits of trivia.
Ann Bur - Violin
Ann is a graduate of Lawrence University Conservatory of Music and has 20 years of music teaching experience. She is a certified Suzuki teacher for books 1-4 and offers a mix of Suzuki and traditional methods. Ann performs with the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra and the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company.
Courtnie De Grand - Piano and Voice
Courtnie has been playing piano for over 30 years in various capacities: church to community events, musical productions to teaching piano lessons, choral accompaniment, preschool music classes and freelancing along the way. After receiving her BS in Music Therapy from Augsburg University in 2010, she decided to work within the Pre-K through high school ages. When she's not teaching, or pursuing any other music-based job, she enjoys quilting, gardening, hanging out with her kids and cats, and watching her husband's band play at various breweries and other events around the Twin Cities.
Lisa Molitor - Piano
Lisa has been playing piano for most of her life. She has had many years of experience accompanying various choirs, church services, soloists, and ensembles. She has also had training in Musikgarten, and led several young children’s choirs. Her college degree is in Elementary Education. Besides ten years of teaching private piano lessons, Lisa has taught Second grade, Kindergarten and Reading and Math intervention. She is excited to share her experience and love of music with students at the Music Academy!
Zac Meyer - Piano
Zac has been teaching in Farmington since 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Teaching and Learning. During the day you can find him teaching 2nd grade at Meadowview and after school you’ll hear his piano students’ beautiful music coming from his classroom. Teaching and making music are some of Zac’s biggest passions, so it didn’t come as a shock to anyone when he finally combined those passions together and fell in love with the result. His favorite parts about teaching piano to children are watching skills grow week after week, discovering an appreciation and love for music, and building confidence and self-worth with each student he works with. If you can convince Zac to take a break from playing piano in his free time, he is usually taking care of his many plants and animals, traveling, camping, DIYing, or spending time with his family… but mostly piano!