Meet the Guitar Staff

Anthony Sabino is a bass player and luthier from New Jersey. Anthony has been playing in different styles of bands for 10+ years, which has taken him to play on bills with acts such as Hollywood Undead, Butcher Babies, Janet Gardner, Set It Off, and Four Years Strong to name a few. Anthony has toured across the United States in a number of original acts, and is proficient in multiple genres such as rock, metal, blues, R&B, pop, and more. As an active musician, he has also been a part of many festivals like Musikfest in PA and Summerfest in WI.

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Anthony has also studied instrument repair at the Eastern School of Fretted Instrument Repair in 2019. Since then, he has been repairing and crafting instruments. He is also the lead technician at his shop, which comes with the knowledge of the physics of most stringed instruments. 

Josep Mejia is a musician, producer, and audio engineer from Elizabeth, NJ. He started studying guitar at the age of 12 and quickly developed a passion for music that led him into exploring all dimensions of it. Josep has worked with students of all ages and skill levels for over 4 years, helping them develop a good relationship with music and improve their musical abilities in piano, guitar, and bass. His motto as a teacher is “Be 1% better every day.” 

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Josep has been involved in the NJ/NY local music scene, having played in numerous venues and gigs with his band Los Vincis and other local artists. He continues to play live, produce and release original music, always striving to get better and always eager to learn more. 

Francesca was born into a musical family and began performing at the tender age of 5 with the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus in New York City, with her debut on the Lincoln Center stage with the visiting Bolshoi Opera’s production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mlada.  From there, she went on to perform as a vocalist in numerous productions with the children’s chorus at both the Met Opera and Carnegie Hall. She began focused study of classical piano in Manhattan School of Music’s Saturday Preparatory Division, and continued with her musical studies there until her acceptance into Sarah Lawrence College. There, Francesca fell in love with jazz, blues, impressionism, and experimental musical expression, and started teaching herself guitar.  

After college, she gigged as a pianist throughout the tri-state area, at venues such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Sidewalk Cafe, as well as in a return to Carnegie Hall, this time as accompanist to a junior violinist performing a Bruch violin concerto in Weill Recital Hall. As a vocalist, she began collaborating with producers in the Bushwick, Brooklyn area. This time after college was when rock and roll took hold as a passion. 

Francesca felt drawn to the southwest, performing original songs in New Orleans’ Jackson Square, then living in Austin, Texas, through the SXSW and Levitation music festivals. She also traveled to the Scottish Borders, UK to contribute an original track to a benefit album for the Chisholme Institute, a residential retreat and study facility. 

Upon her return to the northeast, she took private piano students in Bucks County, PA, and was the lower school vocal teacher at Villa Victoria Academy in Ewing, NJ.  In 2022 she recorded a cover of Syd Barrett’s song “She Took a Long Cold Look at Me” for the WFMU radio station fundraiser. She has been on the radio twice on the “Feelings” show on Tuesday afternoons.

Since the pandemic, Francesca has sung live music for Monday night flow classes at Alluem Yoga, Cranford, and lives in Garwood with her husband and two daughters. Francesca believes deeply in the holistic importance of music as a practice and enjoys working with children and engaging with their natural beginners’ minds. Francesca values the fun of the jam, the curiosity of improvisation, and the joy music brings everyone. 

John Nunez began playing the guitar at the age of 5. Growing up playing rock music, he started teaching out of his parent's basement at the age of 16. Later, he continued his music education at Rutger's Mason Gross School of Music, participating in their jazz studies program.

While teaching and gigging throughout, John finished college in 2016. 

John has just recently started putting out his original music under the moniker "nuNU," plays in an indie rock band "Arlo Indigo," and still freelances all over New Jersey and New York.

A singer-songwriter from Clark, New Jersey, Dom describes himself as the bridge between rock and soul. Though he was exposed to classical piano at five years old, being raised on the radio hits of the 2000's gave him the ability to sing, and the goal to be just like those singers. At fifteen, he taught himself how to play the guitar, penned his first song, and hasn’t looked back. His solo discography may be small, but he primarily collaborates and pitches his best work to recording artists all over the globe while crafting an artist image of his own. His passion and work ethic earned his B.M. at Berklee College of Music in 2023, focusing heavily on music production, business, and songwriting. While there, he also studied vocal performance and anatomy, playing from New England to London and many more while coaching his peers to find their sound.

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After living in Boston, Massachusetts for 5 years, Dom returned home in 2023 to pursue opportunities around New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. While he believes that technique and repertoire hold great importance in practice, he structures his lessons to focus more on artistic development, warmly welcoming and molding creative minds who strive to express their ideas and emotions through music.

Liz Knickerbocker-Gavidia is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter residing in Newark, NJ. She began her musical journey at the age of 7, starting with the violin and studying at the Flint Institute of Music (FIM) in Flint, MI. Liz continued her studies throughout high school, college, and beyond. At 14, she began assistant teaching in FIM’s group string classes for violin, viola, and cello. Shortly after, she started teaching private violin lessons to students of all ages, a role she has embraced on and off for nearly 16 years.

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Over the years, Liz expanded her musical repertoire by adding piano, guitar, ukulele, trumpet, and classical voice. She has had the privilege of performing and recording with orchestras, quartets, bands, and as a solo artist across the United States. In addition to her performance experience, Liz continues to teach both individual and group classes for all ages and abilities on her various instruments, as well as songwriting and applied music theory.

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Most recently, Liz has been working towards her BA in Music Therapy at California State University, Northridge. She was accepted into the Music Therapy internship at The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC and is set to graduate in June 2025.

Liz brings a deep passion for music and music therapy into her teaching. Her style revolves around catering to each student's unique needs and goals, and she loves to explore new genres while continuously seeking to expand her own musical aspirations.

Kevin McDaniel is a multi-instrumentalist and dedicated music educator who brings over two decades of experience to RMC Studios. He began playing drums at age six, picked up guitar by ten, and later added bass to his list of growing instruments. Originally from Connecticut, Kevin moved to New Jersey at 18 to join a touring band. He studied film at Fairleigh Dickinson University, taking advantage of every music class offered, including formal guitar and drum lessons. His in-home studio in Montclair has become a creative hub, where he records and mixes music for local bands.

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Kevin’s approach to teaching reflects his deep appreciation for the creative side of music, which he believes is crucial for sustaining students' interest over time. Having taught private drum and guitar lessons, he found that RMC’s values closely align with his passion for fostering musical creativity. 

Jesse brings 15 years of teaching experience. He studied piano and composition at Rutgers University on a scholarship. Jesse's musical training coupled with on-stage experience (Limelight, Knitting Factory, CBGBs) has helped him guide and inspire many musicians. 

He focuses on building a strong technical grounding on the instrument. His lessons are tailored around the student's goals and musical taste. 

In addition to teaching Guitar, Piano, Drums, Bass, Ukulele, & Voice, Jesse also teaches songwriting, music theory, and arranging. He has experience teaching all age ranges and levels. He has taught total beginners to advanced students. 

John has been playing piano since the age of 6 and playing drums, bass, and guitar since the age of 10. John has been teaching and instructing students on these instruments for the past 3 years. John draws his influences from many genres and artists, including Led Zeppelin, The Police, as well as D’Angelo and James Jamerson. In his free time, John writes music in various genres including; R&B, Bossa Nova, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Rock. 
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John has studied under many teachers over the years for each instrument. Most recently, John studied under Carlos Vazques of Mason Gross College of the Arts at Rutgers University, where he focused on Conga Performance. 
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This past year, John earned his degree in Education from Middlesex County College, and he will be going on to study English and Music Education at Kean University.
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John has found a passion for teaching students of any age, from beginner to advanced skill levels. His approach to teaching is student-centered: he focuses on the students' interests and needs. From there, he helps his students build the skills necessary to be able to play the genres and songs that interest them most. 

Dustin Sebes is a New Jersey native musician, artist, and teacher who has been studying and playing music extensively for the last 28 years. He began teaching guitar lessons while attending Ramapo College of New Jersey in the late 1990's. Graduating with honors, he attained a Bachelor's degree in the fine arts with a concentration in music. 

Since then Dustin has gone on to perform and compose original music in numerous bands including, but not limited to Conformicide, The Green Room, Coma Ghost, Capita, Identity Debt, Missing Debussy, Youth League & The Spies, and now currently KSSH!, and Sister Ancestor. Dustin is also a singer-songwriter and performs his own music along with classic covers by popular artists on stage and at private events throughout the tri-state area and beyond. 

He currently teaches Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, in addition to band and ensemble mentoring. Areas of expertise include music theory, fretboard and keyboard theory, composition, creative songwriting, repertoire building, and improvisation, with concentrations in classical, jazz, rock, folk and pop styles.

George Maher is completed his Bachelor's degree in jazz trumpet performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, at Rutgers University. At school, George performed with RU's Jazz Ensemble under the direction of trombonist, Professor Conrad Herwig.

This group has had the privilege of performing at The Blue Note jazz club in New York City, and has performed with guest artists such as, Orrin Evans, Michael Phillip Mossman, Tanya Darby, and Joe Magnarelli. 

George originally hails from Connecticut where for three years of high school where he attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, in Hartford, CT.

At the Academy, George performed in a small ensemble under the director of Jimmy Greene, and Kris Allen. He also performed in the award winning Academy Big Band, lead by Douglas Maher. 

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George is an active musician who currently tours and performs with numerous groups. 

Kara Bohorquez is a graduate of Montclair State University, John J. Cali School of Music with a BA in classical Bass performance. She has performed at Carnegie Hall 6 times with prestigious artists such as Sarah McLachlan and James Galway. In addition to her classical studies, Kara has also been trained in other styles of music, particularly jazz, and has taken up a variety of instruments. 

Kara is equipped to teach upright Bass, electric Bass, Piano, Guitar, Vocals and theory. Kara has toured the country with NJ Break Contest winners, “Wyland,” and even headlined events such as the Skate and Surf Music Festival. With her experience in performing, 

Kara specializes not only in teaching instruments but also helping her students build up the confidence to either play for an audience or to just discover their passion for music.