Kristen Marie is a musician & multi-instrumentalist based in Northern California. Hailing from Northeast Ohio, at 10, she began taking cello lessons in school, which then led to taking years of private cello lessons. She went on to sit through hundreds of hours of symphony orchestra & chamber ensemble rehearsals, where her love of diverse instrumentation & layered sounds was first cultivated.She received formal classical training & studied cello at the Cleveland Institute of Music through high school, and went on to study Cello Performance & Music Education at both Denison University & The Ohio State University. She picked up guitar, bass, ukulele, & violin throughout her college years and beyond, and has been a bass player in several bands over the years. During college she also added piano to her arsenal in conjunction with songwriting, and accompanies students as well as herself during performances. She plays keyboards, guitar, and sings in her own projects. Kristen is a composer and has regularly written & recorded string arrangements (violin & cello) for artist's albums for the past decade.Kristen has maintained a year-round full time teaching schedule as a private instructor for 15 years, and is passionate about helping others find their way along the path of their musical journey.She went on tour as a cellist in the strings section of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2011 & 2014, and most recently played cello with the heavy metal band Disturbed at the Sonic Temple Festival in Columbus, OH in 2019. In 2020, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to continue teaching & performing, and has since relocated to Sacramento.

Kelsey’s musical journey started at an early age. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the history and the roots of the musical culture were always present in his life.At 13, Kelsey got his hands on a second-hand Fender Stratocaster and enrolled in guitar lessons at Gelb School of Music. His teenage years were steeped in music - he went on to study bass with local legend, Paul Baxter for 7 years, & started to play drums during that time too. At the age of 15, Kelsey joined a punk rock band called APA-35. After their first EP was released, Kelsey’s friends all went off to college and he went on tour with his band.In the early 2000’s, Kelsey was hired as the resident sessions musician for the San Francisco recording studio Klepto Records, and was hired to record at iconic studios like Different Fur Studios, and gave demonstrations on recording and performing at Expressions in Emeryville.In 2006, Kelsey joined the San Jose based metal band “A Life In Vain” and achieved some commercial success. Notable achievements include: playing the west coast dates of The 2007 Warped Tour, sponsorship by Capital clothing, being a finalist in a Live 105 Battle of the Bands (featuring Dee Snyder as a celebrity judge), featured guest on the TLC show “Miami Ink”, as well as substantial radio airplay.Kelsey decided to start teaching bass and guitar, as some fans of his band had inquired about lessons. He quickly learned that he had a penchant for teaching and thoroughly enjoyed it. In 2014, Kelsey put teaching aside and obtained his bachelor’s degree in literature with a minor in music composition, and then went on to attend Cal Western School of Law for a year. He realized that practicing law wasn’t in his destiny, so he turned back to music.Kelsey’s style of teaching heavily emphasizes ear training as well as theory. From beginners to advanced students, the art of listening is an invaluable skill as a musician, and it is something that must be developed over time.

Kristen teaches all three of our children - voice, guitar & piano. For the past two years she has developed their knowledge within those areas. However more importantly she has helped them find their self confidence and their willingness to push themselves past areas of discomfort & feel the rewards of hard work and success. It is a true gift to have her in our lives. Her love of music is contagious! - Jennifer A.My daughters take voice, piano, and ukulele lessons with Kristen. She is a fabulous teacher, very talented, and works well with children. She has been an inspiration to the girls, they practice every day and always look forward to their next lesson with her. Hearing them sing and play their instruments is music to my ears! I love that she is willing to teach them whatever they want to learn. Being able to play their favorite music has made each lesson a positive and rewarding experience. She has taken their love for music to a much higher level. Our experience with Kristen has been very positive, she has exceeded our expectations, and I highly recommend her if anyone is looking for an exceptional teacher. - Mary W.Kristen makes learning music so much fun for our children. They definitely learn theory and how to read music just as with previous instructors, but she really engages them into the lesson by allowing them to choose the pieces they want to play and even write their own songs which they got to perform on stage with a backing band!! What an amazing experience for both our kids and us parents. Kristen is also so friendly and so the kids always love when she comes for their lessons..they love their time getting to hang out and play music with her. Overall Kristen is the BEST music teacher that I've ever experienced.
- Kim S.

Kelsey was my guitar teacher for a year and I learned a lot from him. He always explained things to me so that I could understand them. He's also really really good at guitar. He could play any song that we listened to. -Hudson W.I have learned so much within so little time here. My experience here has been so fun and fulfilling as I learn more along the way. Now I’m confident within my playing and even feel like I can strive to compose my own music :) -Bella F.Kelsey has always been a patient, kind, and helpful instructor. He’s always has lessons ready, and always has a positive attitude no matter the circumstances. Do recommend! -Rishika B.

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