Archie O'Neal

Archie o’neal

owns too many basses. How many basses can one person possibly need? One, sure; two, why not; but four? Such a bass hog! Save some for the fishes. And the worst part is that he also spends so much time playing and teaching drums/percussion, guitar, piano, mandolin, accordion, and clarinet that he can't even play his basses all the time. Think of all those beautiful instruments collecting dust while he fritters away his time on the other instruments. What a waste! But until Archie grows several more arms, that's just the way it's going to be. 

Archie grew up listening to the Beatles and still does, sometimes, but also gets down to Tigran Hamasyan, Fiona Apple, System of a Down, Michael Franks, Debussy, and much more. He has written, recorded, and produced many albums himself and with bands, and one of his favorite listener responses to his music is: "But... why?"

The most important thing to Archie as a teacher is that his students enjoy playing music and feel both comfortable and inspired to pursue any musical interests that catch their ears. He is a music theory nerd, so with students who are interested in the whys, he fosters discussions of how what they're playing now relates to what they've played before and music as a whole. With students who just love playing, he poses new challenges every lesson and tries to give some sense of direction in developing technique (while also sneaking a little theory in).

INSTRUMENTS.

Piano, accordion, mandolin, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, upright bass, electric bass, band coaching.

STYLES.

Rock, Jazz, Pop, Metal, Bluegrass, Funk, Folk

REQUIREMENTS.

Students of all abilities, ages 6 and up.

CONNECT.

TESTIMONIALS.

Coming Soon!

LISTEN.

TIME TO LEARN MORE!

Laura Benjamin

LAURA BENJAMIN

is a teacher of piano, voice, and guitar with Eclectic Music and has been involved in music education in various capacities for the past 15 years. She holds her undergraduate degree from Yale University with a major in history, but music has always been her passion; her most formative involvement in college was with her pop a cappella group Out of the Blue. Laura has taught piano, voice, and guitar lessons for many years, specializing in the intersection of singing and playing; many of her students are aspiring performers who learn to sing and accompany themselves. When not teaching young musicians, Laura spends her time raising her 4- and 6-year-old boys and playing music with her husband in their duo “LB Collective” or with their full band; she also enjoys running, biking and playing volleyball.

Laura tries to meet her students where they are at, so they can work together to figure out goals and strategies for attaining those goals. She really enjoys working with students who enjoy playing and singing, either piano or guitar. She is also willing to teach a chordal approach to instruments, especially for singers who really want to learn to accompany themselves effectively, although she will also try to throw in some solid music-reading and theory as well.

INSTRUMENTS.

Piano, Voice, Guitar, Band Coaching.

STYLES.

Singer/Songwriter, Pop/Rock, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Country, Beginner Classical.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

LISTEN.

TIME TO LEARN MORE!

Scotty Guenther

Scotty GUenther

is a musician artist based in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta. Growing up in Johns Creek, GA, Scotty took the stage at a young age, performing in plays, musicals, and music ensembles since he was 8 years old. He has spent the last 22 years honing his knowledge of music theory, music production, and collaboration, working on numerous projects for himself, other artists, and organizations. Scotty has a deep appreciation for each individual's artistic voice, and hopes to spread his love of music through teaching at Eclectic Music.

As a teacher, Scotty values connection with each student, discovering their "why" for taking lessons, and developing a plan that is enjoyable and informative. His goal is to teach fun, memorable lessons that help students gain the skills they need to create and participate in the music they are passionate about.

INSTRUMENTS.

Bass (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic + Electric), Composition, Music Production, Music Theory, Voice, Songwriting, Audition Prep, Drums, Mandolin, Piano, Ukulele.

STYLES.

Pop, blues, rock, soul, funk, musical theater, folk, classical, and experimental.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

TIME TO LEARN MORE!

Suzanne Stroup

Suzanne Stroup

is a graduate of Mercer University and an alum of Aurora Theatre's AppCo Company. She has been teaching at Eclectic Music, Aurora Theatre, MJCCA, Alliance Theatre and more for ten years now, and can also been seen performing and directing around town. When Suzanne isn't teaching or performing herself, she can be found in her house, trying to teach her cat Peggy how to sing musical theatre songs. So far, she has been unsuccessful.

Suzanne believes in process over product. If the process of learning isn't a fun experience for the student, the product won't shine. In her classes and lessons, she focuses on fundamentals, but never at the expense of fun.

INSTRUMENTS.

Audition/Performance Prep, Guitar (Acoustic), Piano, Playground, Songwriting, Ukulele, Vocal Coaching, Voice

STYLES.

Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Classical, Disney, Musical Theatre.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

TIME TO LEARN MORE!