Meet the piano Staff

sam adams

Flute, Piano & Voice

Samantha Adams is a 2019 graduate of Kean University and holds a B.M. in Music Education. Sam served as the principal flutist in Kean’s Wind Ensemble and Chamber Wind Ensemble for three years and studied under Jill Sokol. She also studied voice under Katherine Harris. While at Kean University, she held various leadership roles in musical organizations such as NAfME (National Association for Music Education) and Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity. Sam is also served as the President of the New Jersey Music Educators Association Collegiate Executive Board. Samantha’s notable performing experience includes All Eastern Mixed Chorus, NJ All State Mixed Chorus, and multiple South Jersey choral and instrumental ensembles. She studied under flutist Ronna Ayscue for nearly ten years where she became well-versed in Classical and Baroque flute techniques. Sam also has performed in lead vocal roles, ensembles, and orchestras for various musical theatre productions in the South Jersey area. Sam specializes in teaching young students and students with special needs. She has experience in both public and private teaching settings. Her extensive audition experience lends well to helping older students prepare for region, state, or college auditions. Samantha is in the process of obtaining her M.Ed. in Special Education from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and plans to graduate in the summer of 2020.

kara delonas

Piano, Bass, Guitar & Voice

Kara Delonas 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.

molly delonas

Piano, Voice & Saxophone

Molly is the lead vocalist/saxophonist in the New Jersey-based cover band No Time Lost, and is currently working on her music degree. She also sings and plays keyboards in the Delonas family band called Self Animation, whose music has been aired on several radio stations. Self Animation's music can also be heard in the independent film, The Inventory. Although Molly enjoys playing pop and rock music, she is classically trained on the piano and also specializes in ragtime. She has been studying piano since the year 2000 with numerous teachers (most recently Chris Nittoli) and has also been playing saxophone since 2004, with teachers such as Dawn Russo. She was the alto saxophone section leader of the Marching Rams in the year 2009. Molly has been singing her whole life and has studied most recently with Matthew Swiss, and performed solos in his chamber choir and "Poptoberfest." She has also recorded vocals in the famous studio "The Cutting Room," by invitation. When Molly is not performing, writing and recording, she devotes her time to passing on knowledge to her students.

dan hutchinson

Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Trumpet, Voice & Piano

Dan Hutchinson is rapidly becoming one of the most recognizable faces on the Jersey shore music scene. A student of Andy Fusco (Buddy Rich) and Walt Weiskopf (Steely Dan), Dan has played in hundreds of venues on the east coast with several bands. He currently performs with 9South, the Jonzes, The Joe Baracata Band, Michelle Moore (the E Street Band), the Nerds, and pop artist Frankie Zulferino. ​ In addition to playing various wind instruments and piano, Dan is also a singer. As a founding member of the Garden State Sound Quartet, he has sung at the Crossroads in Garwood, several town concerts, and at the Union County Performing Arts Center as an opening act for Voiceplay. ​ Dan’s passion for music developed at a very young age, and his favorite way to channel that passion is in attempting to inspire the same love for it in his students. After majoring in music education at Kean University, he decided that the public school music scene wasn’t for him, and that he would flourish much more in a 1-on-1 lesson environment. He is proud to be on the RMC teaching roster since 2013.

Eric Lin

Piano, Violin & Viola 

Eric graduated from Rutgers University: Mason Gross School of Arts with a degree in Viola Performance. He studied under Lark Quartet Violist, Kathryn Lockwood and Philadelphia Orchestra principal Violist C.J Chang. Has been studying music since the age of 5, starting with Violin and then Piano at the age of 7, and switching to Viola prior to college. Eric has extensive experience with NJ Regional and All-State auditions, and has attended the International Chamber Music Course Festival in China and Italy. Eric has several years of experience teaching music using an adaptive and holistic approach. He has also had success teaching students with physical and mental disabilities using violin and piano as a source of physical therapy. He also has experience preparing students for advanced orchestra auditions and chamber group auditions in public schools. Having been engrossed in music for over two decades, he is always eager to share his experiences.

Lauren Brodowski

Voice & Piano 

Lauren Brodowski is a current graduate student, studying Music Therapy, at Montclair State University. She received her Bachelors in Music Performance from Kean University in 2018. While at Kean, she not only was a full-time student but also taught dance to a wide range of students in her spare time. Music has always been a huge part of Lauren's life. She has been involved with her school's music programs including choir, dance, cheerleading, and theater from the second grade all the way through her Bachelor's degree. She is excited to continue working with students teaching both voice and piano lessons. She marries her degrees and current focus in music therapy by working with each individual student to create a learning plan that meets their goals and expectations.

john pepito

guitar, bass, drum, Piano & Ukulele

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. 

George Maher

trumpet, brass, guitar, bass, drums & piano

George Maher is currently pursuing a bachelors degree in jazz trumpet performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, at Rutgers University. At school, George performs with RU's Jazz Ensemble I 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. 

george sheehy

guitar, piano & drums

George Sheehy was born and raised in New Jersey. His first exposure to music was under the tutelage of his grandmother, who would teach him piano whenever she  would babysit. After three years of instruction on clarinet, George moved on to  guitar, an instrument he has studied for nearly 20 years.  

George was a founding member of  ong-time local stalwart Particle Zoo. Despite growing acclaim for their live show and original EP’s—as well as industry interest— the original lineup split after a year and a half together. After writing and recording several original EP’s, George took a hiatus from music. Around that time, George had taken a job with a children’s program and discovered his second passion—teaching. Following stints teaching SAT prep, and science for kids, George started as a counselor aide with the YWCA of Central New Jersey. 

Through hard work and talent, he worked his way up to Director of Children’s Programs before eventually stepping down to pursue a degree in biological sciences from Rutgers University. While not actively performing at this time, George enjoyed a return to the music scene with long-time friends Pontus Gunve, John Giordano, and EJ Gaub in the bands Harbor and Sickwell. With the establishment of RMC Studios in 2003, George found the avenue to combine his two great passions—music and teaching.

Andrea PRANZATELLI

Piano & Voice

Andrea Pranzatelli is Classically trained in piano with a BA in Music from Kean University. She studied with the brilliant Dr. Martha Marchena, who specializes in Classical Piano and Latin Piano music.

Andrea has continued to expand her studies in modern music genres from Pop, Rock, Jazz, R and B, Funk, and Hip Hop under the guidance of Music Educators Robbie Sko, and Eitan Levine, both well-known Composers, Producers, and Music Performers in NJ.

Andrea also is a professional Vocalist who has played keys and sung lead vocals in multiple Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Blues bands, performing original music and cover songs in the NJ and NYC area. Andrea is currently working on recording her first single with original music to be released in 2021 with the NJ Music Producer Robbie Sko.

Jasni McGrail

Piano, French Horn, Guitar, Bass & Ukulele

Jasni McGrail started her musical journey as a student at RMC and has continued as a member of our staff. Jasni has studied piano, french horn, bass guitar and is self-taught on guitar and ukulele. Her biggest musical inspirations and influences are Queen, Elton John, and The Beatles because of how they broke the rules of music and inspired real change in our music culture. 
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Jasni is an active member of the RMC Teacher Band, accompanying students on both piano and bass guitar. When she is not teaching or performing, Jasni assists with songwriting and recording projects with RMC students. She enjoys helping students find their passion and voice with their music, creating something that they can be proud of. 

Liz Robbins

Voice, Piano, & Ukulele

Liz Robbins has been singing and studying music for her entire life, thanks to her musical family and upbringing. She completed her Bachelor’s in Music Education at Berry College in Rome, GA, her home state. During this time, Liz studied voice and piano privately in addition to being the assistant choir director and co-teaching Kindermusik classes on campus.

Liz began working for RMC while completing her Master’s in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Here Liz found her true passion for understanding the singing mechanism and how to utilize it healthily for a variety of styles and genres. She is trained in and performs Classical/Opera, Musical Theater, Jazz, Rock, Folk/Country and Contemporary Commercial Music. Liz’s primary goal as a music educator is to help all of her students find and cultivate their passion for music, no matter what the genre or style!

Liz is also an adjunct voice faculty member at Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ. When she is not teaching, she performs with multiple music groups. Currently, she is the soprano section leader and soloist at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Perth Amboy, NJ. She is also the lead singer and percussionist in the Celtic-Folk band, The BlarneyGirls. In addition to this, she performs in local wedding bands.

dustin sebes

guitar, bass, Piano, & Ukulele

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.

maylin martinez

Piano & Voice

Mayling Martinez was exposed to music at the very early age of two. Always singing, her family quickly realized she had a very unique singing voice. Mayling began her formal piano studies at 5 years old.

In her years as a student, she participated in the National Guild of Piano Teachers (NGPT), a prestigious organization that offers piano exams with well qualified judges worldwide grading these certificates. Mayling graduated with high honors from the Piano Guild in 1999. She subsequently obtained her teaching certificate in 2000, and has continued to hold a large private studio of talented and dedicated piano students for more than 20 years.

This naturally led her to her studies at the Kean Conservatory, where she studied piano and voice performance with a minor in Psychology. ​ At the Kean Conservatory, Mayling began as a piano performance major under the instruction of world renowned pianists Dr. Martha Marchena and Dr. Allison Brewster Franzetti, also a Latin Grammy nominee. Mayling quickly realized her desire to be a vocalist as well, and participated in numerous ensembles under the direction of Dr. Mark Terenzi, including the Chamber Music Program, the Concert Choir, and was featured as a soloist numerous times in the Chorale, the Percussion Ensemble, and the Jazz Ensemble. Mayling performed two Piano Concertos with members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. As a vocalist, she is well versed to perform many musical styles including Classical Art Songs, Lieder, Opera, Jazz, Pop, and various Latin American genres. ​ Mayling graduated with a Bachelor’s degree Cum Laude in Music Performance from Kean University.

Mayling believes that music has the power to truly heal, inspire and transform lives. She intends to use her musical gifts to empower students to have fun and enjoy the process of discovering their unique talents while developing their full potential. ​ Fun Fact: Mayling played with her first professional Latin music band as the principal keyboardist at the age of 14, and has performed with numerous other local Latin bands for many years.

Leah Pesenson

Piano, Violin & Flute

Leah Pesenson has been a student of the arts since age 4, first studying piano and picking up cello as well later in school. She is currently pursuing a degree in Music Education at Rutgers’ Music school, Mason Gross School of the Arts. She currently performs with the Rutgers Sinfonia Orchestra as a cellist, but her main work is done in accompanying on piano and performing in chamber groups as a pianist. Leah currently studies with Dr. Karina Bruk at MGSA and previously under Malvina Potop in Edison, NJ. Before university, Leah has competed in the Golden Key Festival and won gold, and she also regularly took part in the Spring Music Festival at Westminster and Princeton as well as receiving the Young Artist level in the yearly exam given by the American College of Musicians.

Salome Lomidze

Violin & Piano

Salome is a violinist and pianist. She has been playing both the violin and piano since the age of 8. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree at the Mannes School of Music in New York City. As part of her degree,  she is also currently studying music composition and arranging. 

Over the years, Salome has performed in masterclasses with world-famous violinists in Europe and in the US. She has attended and been invited to participate in the festivals such as Bowdoin International Music Festival, Lucerne Festival,  Menuhin Academy Summer Masterclass series, and many more. She played numerous charity concerts and has programmed and performed two solo recitals. 

Salome is originally from Georgia, Tbilisi, which is where she attended and graduated high school and music school. She regularly performs as a solo violinist and pianist, and also plays in chamber groups in and around the New York area.

Nihal Singh

Guitar, Piano & Bass

Nihal Singh is passionate about anything and everything music-related. He has studied and teaches the guitar, piano, bass and also has an in-depth knowledge of music theory. He is particularly interested in the genres of metal, jazz, jazz-fusion, and ragtime music, although he has experience teaching other genres like classical, pop, funk, and blues. Some of his favorite bands/artists to name a few are Dream Theater, Allan Holdsworth, Jacob Collier, Jesus Molina, Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, and Chick Corea. 

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Nihal has taught students ranging from total beginners to seasoned musicians and has experience teaching all age ranges, from little kids to adults. He enjoys working with his students to realize their goals, whether those are songwriting, improvising, learning new repertoire, technique, music theory, ear training, understanding the basics of the instrument, or others. 

Jesse Rivera

guitar, piano, Voice, Drums, Bass & Ukulele

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.