MMMA: Guitar Faculty

Andrew Bayardi | Guitar

Andrew is an experienced and versatile guitar instructor who is well versed in various music genres. Born and raised in West Virginia, Andrew grew up listening to Country and Rock n' Roll music. As he was developing his love and skills for the guitar at a young age, he also studied classical and jazz music along the way. After earning his Bachelor of Music Degree in Guitar Performance from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, he has been an active educator and performer in the recent years. He is currently the lead guitarist in an indie rock band, "The Honors", that appears in festivals and venues throughout the Northeast. It is his belief that the main goal for learning an instrument ... + Moreis to have fun and to explore one's own path to making music. With his upbeat personality and positive attitude, Andrew always how to make learning and music fun for his students.

Chris Donelan | Guitar

Chris Donelan is a guitar player and producer/songwriter with over 15 years of experience. Born and raised in Newton, MA, Chris was first introduced to classic rock at a young age and took up guitar shortly after. During high school, he joined a local band and began honing his playing and performing skills while studying with local greats such as renowned guitarist, Ethan Brosh. At The Penn State University, Chris became the President of the Penn State Guitar Club, teaching students of all skill levels. Upon graduation, Chris has been working in different music studios and venues around the greater Boston area as a recording engineer and live sound engineer. Besides teaching, Chris is currently ... + Morea full-time producer/engineer at My Lady On Fire Music Studio in Brighton, MA. As a teacher, Chris believes instructors should have a thoughtful and organized approach to create a smooth experience that avoids frustration. He also believes that patience is key for both teaching and learning in all areas of life!

Rihards Kolmanis | Guitar

Originally from Latvia, Rihards Kolmanis is an accomplished guitarist, composer and an experienced music teacher with a Bachelor Degree in Music majoring in Performance from the Berklee College of Music and also a Master Degree in Music from the New England Conservatory of Music. As a performer, his work has been influenced by styles such as Jazz, Blues, Free and various traditional improvisational traditions from different parts of the world. Rihards has performed in various theater shows and music festivals across Europe, including performances with blues artists Eugene ‘Hideway’ Bridges, Boney Fields, Angela Brown and the British band Uriah Heep organist Ken Hensley. As a teacher, Rihards’ ... + Morebelieves each student brings a different set of interests and motivation and his teaching should accommodate these individual needs along with kindness, patience and positive reinforcement. He strongly believes that learning to play a musical instrument can and should be fun!

Bryan Lu | Guitar

Born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, Bryan is a talented multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger that is now based in the Boston area. Bryan’s musical journey started with the Piano at a young age and eventually branched out to the Ukulele, Guitar and Bass Guitar. His immense talent and dedication to music have landed him a spot at a local TV talent show at a young age and eventually earned him a scholarship to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he received his Bachelor Degree in Music. Since coming to the Boston, Bryan has been active in the New England area as a performer/composer/arranger/music director with various projects including notably his original band, Math ... + MoreClass and the Boston Taiwanese Festival. As a teacher, Bryan believes that a sense of purpose and fun drives the process of learning. He aims to connect with his students personally and owning their interests and goals thus accommodating each and every student's needs.

Amy Mantis | Guitar

Hailed from Maine, Amy started her musical journey on the guitar at a young age. Her talents and passion for music eventually led her to the Berklee College of Music where she graduated with honors majoring in Music Business. While at Berklee, Amy started her own rock band called Canary. Since Canary's inception in 2010, the band has opened for Jackson Browne at the House of Blues, was hand-selected to represent Berklee at the 2012 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, and performed nearly 100 self-booked shows. Amy also performs regularly as a solo act as well as with the American Who Sensation (rocking the music of The Who!), one of Boston's best tribute bands. Amy has been actively teaching ... + Morestudents of all ages and levels in the recent years. She strongly believes in the fundamentals when it comes to teaching while at the same time, the learning should be fun (note that the word "fun" is in "fundamentals")!

Chris Poon | Guitar Program Director

Christopher Poon is an experienced teacher who has taught private students and was a faculty member of the Institute of Vocational Education in Hong Kong, where he was a lecturer for the music technology program. Chris graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor Degree in Music, double-majoring in Guitar Performance and Contemporary Writing & Production. Jazz Guitar has been his main focus in the recent years, but he enjoys playing other styles of music on the guitar as well, such as Pop, Rock, Latin, and Folk. Chris has developed his own curriculum-based, goals-driven and progressive guitar course utilizing renowned teaching materials from the Berklee College of Music and Musician ... + MoreInstitute that covers both guitar playing and music theory.

Raquel Rosenwald | Guitar

Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Raquel is a gifted and multi-talented musician. For the past 10 years, she has performed throughout the northeast such as Boston, Philadelphia, and the New York area with various bands. On top of that, Raquel has also been actively participating in live sound and studio recording projects as a sound engineer. While growing up, Raquel has studied with renowned fingerstyle guitarist Trevor Gordon Hall. She also studied at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts under great musicians/teachers such as Anthony Tidd and Sumi Tonooka. All these training combining with her talents have eventually landed her a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music where she ... + Morestudied Music Production and Engineering. With the influences from the great teachers she has had, Raquel believes music education is at its best when it is personal and caters to individuals. She aims to create music lessons that are fun and personal so that students can get to enjoy music and grow in their own ways.

Richardson Smith | Guitar

Richardson Smith is a guitarist who holds a Master's degree in Modern American Music Performance from the Longy School of Music and a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of New Hampshire. He is a founding member and guitarist of the soul/jazz rock band Gretchen and the Pickpockets and performs extensively across New England and the eastern US. He is well versed in all music styles from Classical to Rock music and everything in between. Richardson has privately taught students ages 6 to 65, has taught K-8 in public schools, and catering to each student's personal learning style is a vital part of his teaching. Music is a both a personal and universal language, and Richardson ... + Moreis glad to enrich his students' lives with it in fun and engaging ways.

Christopher Sweeney | Guitar

Chris Sweeney grew up in Morris, Illinois and started playing guitar and saxophone at the age of 10. He continued throughout high school playing in concert, jazz and rock groups as well as teaching lessons at Brandalino's School of Music in Morris, IL. Intending on pursuing a career in music, Chris accepted a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. Chris currently teaches elementary general music in Middleboro Public Schools at the Memorial Early Childhood Center. He continues to perform in various genres including jazz, rock, musical theatre as well as solo classical repertoire. Chris encourages all students ... + Moreto reach their full potential. He meets students at their level and uses familiar materials and techniques to help his students' progression.