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Music Lessons
Rock Island Sound
provides music programs for guitar,
bass, ukelele, banjo, mandolin, piano, drums and voice! We accept students
from ages 5-105 and turn them into real rock stars.

Rock
Island Sound students receive 50 minute
private lessons on the instrument of
their choice. We find that the
combination of private lessons and group
band practice with other musicians is
the best way to motivate kids to
practice hard, overcome stage fright,
and become amazing musicians.
“Paul’s
versatility and enthusiasm
as a teacher inspired me, as an
adult student, to continue with my
childhood
interest in the
piano. My sons
rock on the
electric and
bass guitars
and my husband
is pursuing
his interest in
acoustic guitar. We
have moved from a
household of instrumental
noise to one of varied
styles of Music! Music
fills the house, much to
our delight.” ...
Kim Gillespie
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Our teaching staff: |
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Dave
McNamara is a Holland Patent, NY born singer/songwriter
and multiple instrumentalist who has released and toured
three albums of original material in the past 4 years.
He is featured on records by L.E. Rubin, Allessandra
Conti, Russ Barnett, The Candy Hearts, and many other
NYC based acts. Dave is a graduate of SUNY Purchase's
Studio Composition program and has been teaching guitar,
piano, bass, and drums since 2007.
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Keith
Sayles is a guitar, piano, and bass instructor with Rock
Island Sound. Keith majored in music at Carleton
College, and while in college played in various bands,
covering funk, blues, jazz, and rock styles. Keith’s
primary instrument is guitar, though he has had musical
training on the piano as well. Teaching experience
includes afterschool programs, as well as individual and
group lessons. Keith loves all styles of guitar‐based
music, early blues to funk, rock to metal and everything
in between. |
Francisco
Corredor is a classically trained tenor with background
in musical theatre, piano and dance. He's been a member
of the Collegiate Chorale since 2006 and has performed
at many of the major New York City venues and Verbier
festival in Switzerland. Mr. Corredor is also a former
participant of the Martina Arroyo foundation's Prelude
to Performance. He's been teaching piano and voice for
the past year while he finishes his Bachelor of Fine
Arts in vocal performance from the conservatory of music
at Purchase College.
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Lindsay
Rubin, teaches piano. She is in her senior year as a
Studio Composition major in the Conservatory of Music at
Purchase College. She has recently released and toured
her first full length album. She has appeared on albums
by Dave McNamara, Mikhail Pivovarov, The Boomerangs, and
Eric Gerhardt.
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Dave
Schimansky teaches drums. He is back in New York after
many years playing, teaching, and recording in Los
Angeles with many acts, including Spencer Davis and
Gregg Wright (Michael Jackson's former guitarist). Dave
is now performing in the NY/NJ/CT area with various
groups, and teaching at Rock Island Sound. |
Isaac
Assor is a music major at Columbia University. He
specializes in voice and piano instruction with many
years’ experience teaching pop, rock, jazz, and
classical music, as well as songwriting and music
theory. He has had the privilege of performing at
Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden. He currently
sings with and arranges for Columbia’s award winning a
cappella group, Nonsequitur. He is thrilled to be part
of the Rock Island Sound teaching staff. |
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Dave Valle began playing
drums at the age of three. He joined the band in
elementary school and continued to be active in school
music programs through his senior year in high school
including percussion ensembles, marching, jazz, and
concert bands. After high school, Dave studied at
Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He has performed
in clubs and venues from L.A. to London and has years of
recording experience with various musical groups. While
Dave has been teaching on and off for the last few
years, he has found a home at Rock Island Sound where he
has been a full time teacher for over two years. His
favorite part of teaching is getting to share his love
of music with his students.
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Russ Barrnett is a guitar, drum,
piano, voice, and songwriting instructor who has been
with Rock Island Sound since April 2010. Russ has had
years of experience in professional musicianship and
teaching since his early teens, through college and
beyond. In May of 2011 Russ graduated from the esteemed
conservatory of music at SUNY Purchase with a bachelor
of music degree in studio composition, and is now
teaching music full time. Besides teaching Russ leads a
songwriting career, and can be seen behind the drum et
of the increasingly popular Westchester band Wyldlife.
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Christopher
Reising, teaches guitar, piano and flute. He was
introduced to the guitar by jazz guitarist David
France who was playing with The Major Boyd Jazz
All‐stars in Germany at the time. His first chord was a
‘7+9th’ and he’s been hooked on Jazz ever since. Chris
also
plays flute, which he learned while playing and singing
in a group in Cleveland. Chris knows piano as well, and
has studied with Dave Rio (music theory), Bill Gidney
(piano), and John Steeble (guitar). Chris is a frequent
performer in Tarrytown and the greater Westchester area.
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Taylor
Kirk, teaches voice and intro piano. She recently
completed her senior year at the Purchase College
Conservatory of Music, where she has earned her Opera
Performance degree. In 2011 Taylor had a wonderfully
challenging role as Micaëla in George Bizet’s CARMEN,
and performed a very successful senior recital. As much
as she loves performing beautiful, classic music, she
have been writing her own, and is eager to start
performing her own originals. Until she can record her
next album, she has rereleased Simple Gifts, her CD from
2005. Taylor teaches voice and piano for Rock Island
Sound, and has performed Queen and other songs at Rock
Island Sound concerts.
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Sam
Allen is a Guitar, Bass, Theory, Recording, and Intro to
Piano teacher at Rock Island Sound. Sam has worked at
RIS since October of 2009. He has taught students of all
ages in individual, semi-private, and group lessons, as
well as Rock n’ Roll summer camps and after school
programs in
the Rye area. He enjoys giving young and inexperienced
students the foundation to become life long musicians,
and helping more advanced students fine tune their
skills. Sam began learning guitar at the age of 10 at a
music school where he would later teach. Sam is
currently playing guitar and writing songs in his up and
coming Rock n’ Roll band, Wyldlife. Sam produced and
engineered Wyldlife’s self-titled debut album, released
on Merrifield Records. Sam Allen has a passion for
creating and sharing music with people, and loves to
share that passion with his students. |

A TNT native and graduate of SUNY
Purchase College Arley has been playing the guitar for
over a decade, the harmonica for half a decade, and
combining the two for over two years now. He is still
learning new skills and is passionate for conveying
those skills to others who are willing and ready learn.
His musicality originated at young age in the form of
singing. He learned the language of music in
the pews of churches and choral risers in
school as well as musical theatre. He is
thrilled to be a part of a team at rock
island sound where he can share his passion and gain
from others as much as he imparts. |
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Mario
Andreola, guitarist and composer was born in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. Since his early years he was
captivated for symphonic, jazz and popular music. He
studied classical guitar at the National Conservatory of
Buenos Aires with maestro Elias and later with guitarist
professor Garcia Lorenzen. In addition, he studied
orchestration with Rodolfo Alchourron and later in USA
he took composition master classes with John David
Earnest. He also devoted very much of his time learning
and playing jazz. He studied with guitarist Eduardo
Ravera and legend guitarist Chuck Wayne. Searching for
new frontiers, he studied flamenco guitar with Mario
Escudero and participated in seminars with Paco Peña. |
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What if I never played before, can I still join?
Absolutely! We believe we're among the best in
training both beginners and advanced students, and
we accept students of all experience levels.
Beginners also participate in the concerts along
side of more advanced students.
What if I want to sing in addition to learning an
instrument - do you have voice teachers ?
All of our instructors are professional musicians
that teach several instruments (guitar, bass, drums,
keyboards and voice).
How are students
paired up?
Rock Island Sound will
do its best to pair up students by skill and age
level, however it is not guaranteed that every
student can be paired with another.
We are offering the
following discounts:
-5% off for each sibling registered*
-5% off for all other referrals*
*Siblings and referrals must register for
full ten-week session.
A prorated fee is available for students
starting in between
sessions.
Our Policies:
Please read about our policies
< click here >
Do you have a
summer camp?
We run a regular summer semester (private lessons
and coached band practice, culminating in a show).
For additional information
< click here >
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