Our music teachers are highly trained and bring their outside experiences to their teaching styles.

Kelsey Edington Teaches Vocal Lessons

Kelsey Edington is a classically trained vocalist from Columbus, Ohio. Kelsey is a highly experienced vocal teacher, with many years teaching children, teens, and young adults. She has taught private voice lessons and group music classes combined with creative movement. Kelsey attended the University of Akron where she earned her B.A. in classical voice. While completing her undergraduate degree, Kelsey became increasingly interested in jazz and blues. She has collaborated with both students and professors from the University of Akron's jazz studies program, performing in Northeast Ohio, primarily Akron and Cleveland. Along with opera, jazz, and blues, Kelsey is well versed in musical theatre, pop, and rock genres. She has been apart of several musicals and has even been the lead singer of a progressive rock band.

Jen Martins Teaches Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, and Piano Lessons

Jen Martins started off playing viola at age 7. At age 16, Jen was performing in audition only orchestras. She started teaching right after high school, as well as minor performances. Jen attended Berklee in Boston and focused mainly in Music Education. After college, became interested in focusing primarily in Suzuki Method. Currently, she attends Violin Making school and enjoys building the musical instruments she loves so much. Jen teaches and plays Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar and Piano lessons. She has been teaching for 11 years and playing for 22 years.

Phillip Anderson Teaches Piano Lessons

Philip Anderson teaches piano lessons at Flatts & Sharpe. He graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies (piano performance) and has been teaching private and group lessons full time for about 7 years. Philip's teaching philosophy is that the student should have fun while learning.  He teaches the fundamentals that all music students should learn and strive to master.  In addition, he adds themes such as ear training, composition, and improvisation into the mix to give a better-rounded, fun learning experience. Philip has been performing professionally for about 7 years as well, playing mostly jazz, blues, and rock. He has recorded numerous studio albums, including one under his own name featuring all original jazz compositions. He's led a Mahavishnu Orchestra Tribute band and has been featured numerous times on the radio in the NE Ohio area where he's from.

Michael O’Toole Teaches Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle, and Banjo Lessons

Michael O’Toole was the first guitar teacher hired at Flatts and Sharpe when the doors opened in November of 1976. He taught here until 1978, when he moved to Paris for three years. He returned to the States in 1981 and to Rogers Park in 1987. He has been back at Flatts and Sharpe ever since. Michael teaches guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo lessons. Over the years, he has performed across the Europe and North America. He has also hosted countless open mikes, children’s shows, and poetry readings over the last twenty years as well providing music for dozens of off-Loop theatre productions.

Drake Booth Teaches Piano Lessons

Drake Booth is an award winning Pianist and Violinist. He firmly believes the importance of keeping music fun and letting his students drive their learning experience in every way. He takes great joy in sharing his knowledge with musicians of all ages. Outside of Flatts & Sharpe, Drake is a Emmy Award Winning Cinematographer, Editor, Actor, and Producer. He has worked on a plethora of Film, Television, and Video productions and currently produces stories for NBC's lifestyle website, TheFeast.com. 

Justin Barron Teaches Piano, Guitar, Bass, and Cello Lessons

Justin Barron has been teaching at Flatts and Sharpes since September 2004. In addition to teaching here, he currently instructs the Guitar class at The Chicago Waldorf School. He was awarded the Bachelors of Music Degree in both Music Theory and Composition from the University of Kansas in 2000 and received his Masters Degree in Music Composition from Florida State University in 2003. Although he is involved in a few different ensembles, Justin can most often be found performing in the Rogers Park neighborhood with his folk/bluegrass group Rigor Vitae.

Hans Peterman teaches Double Bass, Bass Guitar, Piano, Cello, and Low Brass Lessons

Hans Peterman teaches classical and contemporary music to students eight years and up on Double Bass, Bass Guitar, Piano, Cello, and Low Brass. Besides 18 years of playing bass, Hans has played piano for ten years and has ten years of low brass experience. Hans holds a bachelor of music degree from Chicago College of the Performing Arts and he is a four-year recipient of a performance-based Double Bass scholarship given to outstanding music students. Currently, Hans is finishing his Masters of Music in Double Bass performance. He is also the graduate teaching assistant for all music history classes at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts. Hans continues to perform classical, jazz, rock, fusion, folk, and everything in between.

Michelle Kochan Teaches Brass and Woodwind Lessons

Michelle Kochan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. Throughout her college career she served as Drum Major of the Blugold Marching Band and was an active member of the National Band Association and Sigma Alpha IotaWomen's Music Fraternity. Michelle's various teaching experiences include private lessons, Band Director at Oakfield Jr./Sr. High School, volunteer with Music for All Summer Symposium, and Instructor with the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy.

Brian Koehler Teaches Guitar and Bass Lessons
Brian Koehler has been on the Flatts and Sharpe team since the fall of 2009. He is an instructor with over 15 years teaching experience. He has played various styles of music but has spent the bulk of it playing lead guitar in touring acts of the alt-country and traditional bluegrass realm. He currently is accepting private students for guitar and bass. He is also teaching beginner and intermediate group guitar classes at Northside Catholic Academy.

James Weigel Teaches Guitar, Bass Guitar, Banjo and Resophonic Guitar (Dobro) Lessons

James Weigel has been playing and teaching music professionally for over 10 years. He has appeared on several television shows including NBC's The Today Show, syndicated reality program "NASCAR Angels," and a variety of local news programs. James' songs have been used in a video game, "Lawnmower Racing" and in a PBS documentary series "The Ride of Our Lives." James has toured extensively throughout the midwest and continues to be active in the local Chicago music scene, playing in several folk, rock, country, and bluegrass bands.  All the while, he has been teaching guitar, bass guitar, banjo, and resophonic guitar (more commonly known as Dobro). 

Joe St. Charles Teaches Drum Lessons

Joe St.Charles is a percussion composer, performer, improviser and teacher. He has been working in Chicago since 2001. In this time, he has performed at various galleries, music venues, festivals, and institutions throughout the city including Chicago's Version Fest and Undershorts Film Festival, The Chicago Cultural Center, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Links Hall, Pritzger Pavilion, and the Ruth Page Center for Dance as well as commissioned performances at The University of Chicago and The Dance Center at Columbia College. He has also been a guest accompanist working with students through the dance department of Columbia College as well as a guest composer/performer at The Urban Institute of Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids Michigan. He has worked in close collaboration with choreographers Julia Rae Antonick and Jonathan Meyer over the past four years. This past year he co-composed and performed the music for Julia Rae Antonick's piece, Duelog; which premiered April 2011 in Chicago's Fine Arts building. Also, he is a resident artist at The Lasalle Language Academy, teaching music and percussion to K-3 students. Joe is currently teaching drum lessons at Flatt's and Sharpe Music Co. in Rogers Park. 

Mel Washington Teaches Guitar, Piano, and Saxophone Lessons

With over 13 years of teaching experience, as well as a degree from Northern Illinois University in Jazz Performance and Music Business, Mel adds a fresh element to our instructor lineup. He has a practical approach to his teaching style and is a firm believer in daily practice. Mel’s teaching inhabits not only private lessons, but also group classes. Outside of teaching at Flatts and Sharpe, Mel teaches K-8 general music at St. Cyril's in the south suburbs. You can also catch Mel around Chicago with numerous groups, but mostly with TooWhiteCrew, a 80s and 90s hip hop group.