OUR STAFF
See the artists who share our passion and the skills they have to share.
Private Classes are reserved individually.
Links to Private Classes will prompt an email so that we can schedule the best times.
Group Classes are pre-scheduled, so availability varies based with our learning seasons.
Molly’s love of music came at an early age, singing in choirs from age 4, participating in all the school musicals, and making music with her family for as long as she can remember. She attended Stuart Hall School in Staunton, VA as a music student in the Visual and Performing Arts program from 1999-2003, and attended James Madison University where she continued to study music....
Molly Murphy
Owner
Classes with Molly
Jess Bergh
Operations Manager
& Multimedia Designer
Jess is working as our website and graphic designer, maintaining our social media pages, and taking over our invoicing, emailing, mailing list and newsletter duties.
A Shenandoah Valley native, she has been refining her skills as a drummer and graphic designer since 2002. She is a founding member of The Judy Chops in which she is fondly called “Bang” and is captain of the rhythm police. In addition, Jess is a “cool mom”, a home-school teacher, and a great partner and friend.
Una Ulla
Una Ulla is a certified Vocal Health First Aider. You can reach out to get a consultation if you are experiencing voice difficulties and would like to get advice on how to care for your voice.
Una was born in a little village in Latvia and has been surrounded by music since early childhood. Una majored in violin and vocals in Latvia and participated in every musical performance and contest that she could as a youngster. Her background is classical, but Una has expanded her knowledge and experience in jazz and Latvian folk music.
Classes with Una
Drew Bastian
Drew began studying drums and percussion at an early age with his grandfather who was a clinician for the Zildjian cymbal company and a professor of music at Mansfield University. Continuing that tradition, Drew studied percussion at Penn State where he participated in ensembles ranging from philharmonic orchestras to the Marching Blue Band. Eventually landing in the theatre world, he went on to play in multiple national and international tours including HAIR and A Charlie Brown Christmas as well as numerous regional productions.
Classes with Drew
Jane Rothfield
Janie is a power-house American fiddler and claw-hammer banjo player who is widely recognized for her traditional and inventive style, in the pocket rhythm, whimsical groove and her award-winning original tunes. She is a fulltime touring musician playing concerts, workshops, festivals and dances around the world. She is also an experienced back up guitarist in the old-time style playing with strong rhythm and bass runs to accompany a fiddler, banjo player or singer.
Classes with Jane
Joseph Zullo
Joseph Zullo is a blossoming musician from the heart of the valley and has been pursuing the adventure of musicianship since his teenage years. His interest was first fostered in chorus from elementary through high school, but truly began with a fascination with rock n roll and a mesmerizing moment with his brother.
"I remember watching and listening intently as my brother played Stairway to Heaven on an old classical guitar and just simply fell in love with strings."
Classes with Joseph
William Howard
Bill Howard is a Shenandoah Valley native, and founding member, co-songwriter, & ‘band dad’ of The Judy Chops. Born into a musical family, Bill began singing in elementary school, and developed a love of performance at an early age. Bill’s grandmother gave him his first guitar lesson at age 12 showing him 3 chords, and then told him, ‘That’s the only thing anyone ever showed me; you’ll have to figure out the rest on your own.’ This advice proved to be invaluable, and helped him develop his ear.
Classes with Bill
Classes with Molly
So You Want To Start A Band:
How to book, how to tour, stage presence, etc.
Private Class
Classes with Molly
Guitar Technique:
Finger picking, styles, soloing/phrasing,
improvisation, etc.
Private Class
Ben Leonard
Ben was born and raised here in Staunton and bought his first electric bass and amplifier when he was 15 years old. His adoration of Rush records and learning them note-for-note provided a contrast to his theater work, playing for several years in orchestra pits for the First Year Players at the University of Virginia as well as productions by the Heritage Repertory Theatre in Charlottesville. His musical wanderings eventually led him to Boston, where he received his B.A. in Film Scoring from the Berklee College of Music. In addition to his electric bass studies he immersed himself in music technology, jazz composition, and arranging. He has played with Latin jazz and funk ensembles, jazz combos, and too many rock bands to count. He has also contributed production work to releases by Philadelphia hip hop artists Zilla Rocca and Curly Castro.
Classes with Ben
Ryan Ratliff
A native of the Alleghany Highlands, Ryan developed an affinity for music at an early age. After learning saxophone he began learning guitar by ear and later with a teacher. Ryan was active in school music programs and played with bands, at church, and community events. At 16 Ryan began teaching guitar at Music Unlimited in Covington, Virginia. While earning his associates degree he led the house band at the Golden Arrow Plaza in Wrightsville, Virginia with the help and expert advice of proprietor and mentor Dr. Calvin McClinton.
Classes with Ryan
Classes with Molly
Saxophone
Private Class for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced players
Beth Aldrich
Beth is a Coloratura Soprano, a native of Middletown, MD. Singing has been a central part of Beth's life since childhood. She began her private music education in 2006 before studying classical voice at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC with critically acclaimed soprano Christina Pier and Kentucky Wesleyan College, in Owensboro, KY with world-renowned conductor Paul E. Oakley. She finished her Bachelors of Music from James Madison University in 2014 and has performed in venues all over the world including Carnegie Hall, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Notre-Dame de Paris, and Salzburg Cathedral to name a few.
Classes with Beth
Bill Wellington
Bill Wellington is an excellent player and teacher of the guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin. He
has performed as a soloist and in numerous bands on all of these instruments throughout his
45-year musical career. He is currently a member of two bands: Beverley Street String Band and
The Bouncers.
Bruce Fox
Bruce Fox is a retired middle school/high school band and orchestra director having worked in public schools in Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, and Virginia. He has also taught in private schools in Switzerland and Germany. He has music education degrees from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Montana State University.
Classes with Bruce
Ethan Hawkins
Sought for his stark guitar work and songwriting, Ethan Hawkins has shuffled about the Appalachian Stringband and Bluegrass community for the better part of a decade. In the fall of 2015, Hawkins made the decision to chase an education and career in acoustic music by attending the Berklee College of Music. In Boston, he made quick companions and colleagues of bands and national touring acts such as Bruce Molsky, Jake Blount and Twisted Pine while forming projects with Corner House and Mudskippers where he has filled a roll in song-writing and arrangement.