Blog
Meet the New Teacher: Ghadeer Abaido
Tampa Bay Music Academy is pleased to welcome our newest piano faculty member, Ghadeer Abaido, to our team! We know our students and their families will love working with Ghadeer, and we’re looking forward to sharing her expertise with our music community. Ghadeer received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa in 2022. She also holds a Master of Music from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Music from the National Music Conservatory in Amman, Jordan. Before coming to TBMA, Ghadeer worked as a teaching assistant for piano students at the University of Iowa and as a private piano teacher. She served as an adjudicator for the Sharjah World Music Festival Piano Competition in the UAE in 2017, and has served in several other roles including accompanist, music workshop leader, assistant choir director, and musical director for various organizations. Ghadeer has also composed film scores for short films, songs, and...
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Meet the New Teacher: Daniel Joiner
Tampa Bay Music Academy is thrilled to welcome our newest piano faculty member, Daniel Joiner! With an extensive background in teaching, performing, and arranging, Daniel brings an impressive depth of skill and breadth of knowledge to our team. Daniel’s prior experience includes special emphasis in jazz and contemporary music with educational training in the classical tradition. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from Stetson University and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies -...
Meet the New Teacher: KaleyAnna Raabe
At TBMA, we believe music should inspire joy in both performers and listeners. Each one of our teachers shares our passion for helping students develop a lifelong love of music, as well as a commitment to excellence. That’s why we’re so pleased to welcome our newest violin teacher, KaleyAnna Raabe, to our team! KaleyAnna values a balanced teaching style that includes healthy technique and musical skill, and she prioritizes teaching students to play with freedom and enjoyment. KaleyAnna holds a...
Meet the New Teacher: Sungho Jung
What do the Seoul Grand Symphony Orchestra, Suzuki string methods, and TBMA have in common? They’re all favorites of our new violin teacher, Sungho Jung! Tampa Bay Music Academy is pleased to welcome Sungho to our music faculty. As we start this new school year, we know our students and their families will enjoy getting to know Sungho as we pursue our love for music together. Sungho holds a D.M.A. in Violin Performance from Michigan State University and a Master of Music in Violin Performance...
The Secret to Finding the Right Music Teacher for Your Child
What do you think of first when you hear a talented artist perform? Do you think, Wow, I bet they really put a lot of time into their Hanon exercises when they were in 5th grade? Probably not (unless you’re a teacher!). But you can bet that somewhere along the line, someone required that artist to practice technique – maybe even when they hated it and wanted to quit. The truth is, we don’t think about all the behind-the-scenes work when we go to a concert. We just sit back and enjoy the...
Meet the New Teacher: Eleni Volonakis
Tampa Bay Music Academy is pleased to welcome Eleni Volonakis to our piano faculty! Eleni is a native of Rhodes, Greece and has taught piano for 18 years, both privately and in a conservatory setting. At the age of 12, she began studying with Achilles Kolasis at the “Ecole Normale de Musique” in Luzerne, Switzerland. She went on to earn a degree in Piano from Corelli Conservatory as well as a degree in Music Theory and Harmony from the Music Academy Conservatory in Athens, Greece. In 2003,...
Meet the New Teacher: Alex Ehredt
At Tampa Bay Music Academy, we always strive to partner with teachers who are passionate about both music and teaching, and who have demonstrated exceptional skill in their areas of expertise. That’s why we are so thrilled to introduce our students and their families to our newest woodwind and brass instructor: Alex Ehredt. Alex is a skilled saxophone performer and teacher with extensive experience teaching students at all levels, from beginners through university level. He has also published...
Mandatory Mask Ordinance // Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Dear TBMA Family, I hope this email finds you safe and healthy. To help protect our faculty, staff, and students, and to comply with Hillsborough County’s mandatory mask ordinance, we will require all individuals entering and exiting our facility to wear a face covering, effective Wednesday, June 24 at 5pm. The County Ordinance lists a number of exceptions that will be granted. One of them states the following: "The order provides exception for persons working in a business or profession...
Re-Opening Plan // Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Dear TBMA Family, I hope this email finds you safe and healthy. It's been a very interesting and unprecedented time for all of us. I'm writing to confirm our plan to reopen our Tampa Bay Music Academy facility on Monday, May 18th. Please know that the safety and health of our students, faculty, and staff is of utmost priority to us at Tampa Bay Music Academy. If you are not comfortable returning to in-person lessons this soon, we will gladly continue to accommodate online lessons for you...