Guitar & Ukulele Faculty
Sungmin Lee is a classical guitarist from South Korea who is currently based in San Francisco, California. He started piano training when he was four years old and his passion for music grew at a young age of 12, when he grew interest in finger style guitar. Sungmin then discovered his love for classical music, sparking his interest in studying classical guitar.
Sungmin has received several prizes and wide recognitions in competitions during his guitar career—highlights include the Great Lakes Guitar Festival, Eastman Guitar Concerto Competition, Lone Star Guitar Festival and SF Bay Classical Guitar Competition. He has also performed in several reputable master classes with Jorge Caballero, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Manuel Barrueco, and Matthew McAllister. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Sungmin received his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance in addition to the Performer’s Certificate. He received his Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2020. At SFCM, his primary teacher is Judicaël Perroy and prior teachers include Nicholas Goluses, Thomas Viloteau, and Leighann Narum. |
Ryan Gordon is a multi-talented musician and instructor. He has been playing musical instruments since age three. Ryan considers one of his strengths to be the ability to connect with children, and emphasize enthusiasm for the instruments. At age eight, Ryan was mentored by a professional drummer and sound engineer, and it developed Ryan’s love of songwriting, which ultimately proved to be a catalyst that would help Ryan to seek out more formal training in multiple instruments on alto saxophone, drum set, piano, electric bass, guitar, ukulele and upright bass. Since high school, Ryan has sought out music theory concepts, Bach voice leading techniques, to Gil Evans voice voice-leading techniques, which have all contributed to the piano style that Ryan uses today. Additional materials that Ryan has studied on piano include The Mark Levine Jazz Piano book, Oscar Peterson's Night Train’ transcription book, and Debussy's Children’s Corner’ and ‘Claire De Lune.’ As a bassist, Ryan has also played with many talented pianists, performing over 250 gigs, and has been able to observe and learn from great pianists, while collaborating with them. Ryan has studied piano formally with Ray Gallon, and Garrett Michelsen.
As a professional musician, composer, and producer, Ryan has worked with five Grammy winners. Ryan currently scores the film that peaked at the top seven on the US iTunes pre-order chart called The Bad Shepherd. Ryan is also a recipient of the San Francisco Arts Commission 23/24 grant - for a 13-piece big band double album for which Ryan will be composing and producing. |
Travis Yee is an accomplished guitarist and a passionate educator with a rich musical heritage that traces back to his childhood. Growing up, Travis had the unique opportunity to play alongside local blues legends such as Austin Delone and Lisa Kindred, experiences that not only honed his technical skills but also deepened his appreciation for music. Eager to further his musical education, Travis moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he studied guitar under Shaun Michaud and Norm Zocher and expanded his horizons into synthesis, production, theory, and recording. This broad educational background allows Travis to bring a well-rounded perspective to his teaching, emphasizing the interconnectedness of musical disciplines.
With over 10 years of experience teaching students of all ages, Travis offers an individualized, fun, and pragmatic approach to guitar instruction. He is committed to understanding the unique aspirations and talents of each student. His teaching philosophy is centered on the belief that music is a powerful tool for personal expression and growth. He strives to make his lessons engaging and accessible, ensuring that students not only achieve technical proficiency but also develop a deep, enduring love for music. |
Welcome, future music maestro! Embark on an exhilarating journey through rhythm, melody, and harmony with me as your guide. My passion for teaching, rooted in extensive performance and education experience, is dedicated to unlocking your musical potential. Regardless of your level—beginner or advanced—I offer the tools and techniques for your success. As an educator, I value personalized teaching methods that cater to your unique learning style. We'll delve into various instruments and genres, from jazz and blues to rock and indie and more, ensuring a comprehensive musical exploration.
Beyond instrumentation, understanding music theory is key. I aim to simplify complex concepts, making connections between notes, chords, and scales clear, thus empowering you to express yourself musically with confidence. Performance is also a joy of mine, having shared stages with icons like Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson and many others. These experiences enhance the energy and excitement I bring to each lesson, fostering your creativity and skill enhancement. Ready to groove, improvise, and discover your inner virtuoso? Let's create musical magic together! |
Alex is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter who loves nothing more than sharing his passion for music with others. He graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a Bachelor’s Degree in music, and since graduating has continued to sing in choir, write/produce his own songs, and play with others often. While at Saint Mary’s College, he participated in the jazz band, multiple student-led groups, and all three choirs. He also started learning to teach by tutoring students.
Alex has been playing guitar and drums since he was in elementary school and took to learning bass guitar in high school. Around this time he started writing his own songs and listening to a wide variety of musical genres to better understand how music exists not only in his life but in others' lives and in other parts of the world. He adores music theory and always loses himself talking about anything music-related. Alex believes that learning music should be about technique and theory as much as it should be about feeding your curious and creative mind. He always wishes to impart knowledge just as much as he hopes to inspire and expand one’s perspective on the world of music and what it can do for you. |
Jake is excited to be a music instructor at Amabile and has been teaching and playing music for over 20 years. He teaches all levels and styles of guitar, voice, congas and percussion, songwriting, production, composition, and artist identity development/branding. He also teaches drum set, piano, ukulele and electric bass. Additionally, Jake enjoys leading band direction for developing musicians.
Jake has an M.A. in Music Composition and has been a music instructor with Bay Area music schools such as Village Music School, School of Rock San Ramon, COVA, Star Power Music, Art and Soul Music Studios, Hayward Music Center, and ALMA. He was also Music Program Director at Mission Hills Middle School in Union City for three years where he designed and taught all music program classes to grades Pre-K through 8. Prior to that, he was the guitar and percussion instructor at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Oakland. Jake began studying jazz guitar at age 14 and majored in jazz guitar as an undergrad. His primary teachers were Steve Erquiaga, Dave Creamer, and Jack Wilkins. Jake also studied AfroCuban percussion for many years under the instruction of Josh Jones, as well as with Maestro Regino Jimenez, Sandy Perez and in Cuba with Grupo AfroCuba de Matanzas and Daniel Rodriguez of Yoruba Andabo. He also studied traditional AfroCuban singing with Lazaro Galarraga and classical voice with Jane Sharp. Jake has performed or recorded with musicians such as Boots Riley, Kent Nagano, Ambrose Akinmusere, Thomas Pridgen, Dayna Stephens, Josh Jones, Michael Aaberg, and The Hogan Brothers. He has played at jazz festivals including Montreux, North Sea, Vienne and Umbria. Jake has also performed at venues such as Yoshi’s, Zellerbach Hall, Cleopatra's Needle and Small’s. He is also a songwriter, composer, and music producer. In his spare time, Jake enjoys writing comedy, reading, and the great outdoors. |
Essie is a contemporary-folk powerhouse with a sound that lends itself to greats like The Waifs, Janis Joplin, and Ani DeFranco. Essie’s unique form of contemporary folk incorporates soulful vocals, live looping, and transcendent guitar reminiscent of an age best not forgotten.
Solo, accompanied by multi-instrumentalists as Essie Thomas Trio or with a full band, she has been described as: “A songwriter who doesn’t mess with her words,” (Blank Magazine, GC) breathing roots, blues and bohemian gypsy jazz into every note. Essie has drawn crowds to Australian festival stages since the early 2000s, touring extensively In Australia, Canada and The USA. As a soloist or with her band, Essie Thomas owns a stage presence that leaves audiences aching for more. She has graced the stage of some of Australia’s favorite events: Woodford Folk Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Palm Creek Folk Festival, Seven Sisters, Kuranda Roots, Island Vibe, Earth Frequency Festival, Rainbow Serpent and The Dreaming. Essie has played alongside some of Australia’s finest including but not limited to Shane Howard, Archie Roach, Hiatus Kaiyote, Mojo Juju, Mia Dyson, John Butler, and Wolfmother. |
Jake has been playing music since he was a child and has worked in education for over a decade. He has worked in public, private, and charter schools as a classroom teacher, physical education teacher, afterschool program director, summer program director, and one-on-one tutor, and he plays the guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and violin in addition to working as a DJ and dabbling in music production. He has a degree in music from Hampshire College and a degree in education from Holy Names University. As an educator, Jake believes in always tying lessons to his students’ interests and collaborating together in creating interdisciplinary projects.
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Matt Funamura is a trumpeter, guitarist, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist raised in the Sierra Nevada Foothills near Sacramento. At the age of six, he picked up his first guitar and trumpet at the age of 8 beginning his musical journey. He majored in music performance and jazz studies at American River College in Sacramento, California for two years during which time he was a freelance musician throughout the west coast. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Matt has performed with and studied under numerous musicians in a wide range of genres including: Angelique Kidjo, Ingrid Jensen, Tiger Okoshi, Gamble & Huff, Salvador Santana, Joe Gilman, Charles Haynes, Dontae Winslow, Jerry Martini, and Victor Mendoza. He currently plays with local legend Ed Ivey and the North Beach Brass Band, as well as a wide range of musical acts in Northern California. He teaches trumpet, guitar, bass, ukulele, and mandolin. |