Suzanne Stroup

Suzanne Stroup

is a voice, piano, guitar and playground teacher with Eclectic Music. She graduated with dual degrees in Journalism and Theatre from Mercer University in 2013, then completed a year long acting apprenticeship with the Aurora Theatre. She is professional actor in Atlanta and has performed with Aurora, Alliance Theatre, Gypsy Theatre Company, Theatrical Outfit, Out of Box Theatre, Stone Mountain Park, Deer Bear Wolf, OnStage Atlanta, The Strand Theatre and Sky Punch ATL. She's taught theatre and music classes from age 18 months to 18 years, with other such at the Aurora, Alliance, the Atlanta History Center, The Peach Pit and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

INSTRUMENTS.

Voice, Piano, Guitar, Playground.

STYLES.

Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Classical, Disney, Musical Theatre.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

TIME TO LEARN MORE!

Jennifer Hanna

Jennifer Hanna

Jennifer Hanna has been teaching voice and piano lessons for over 15 years.  She is an early childhood music specialist and has been a teacher at Eclectic Music since 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Millikin University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Georgia State University. She continues to be an avid student and takes continued training in guitar, voice and advanced music education. Jennifer teaches music at St. James Preschool in Buckhead.  She also directs the Cherub Choir at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead, where she is also currently a staff singer.

Jennifer began studying piano at the age of 9, flute at age 11 and voice at the age of 13. As a child and teenager she enjoyed performing in recitals, musicals and choirs.  She sang in the Ohio All State Choir and played flute in the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. While an undergraduate at Millikin University, Jennifer performed in operas, including Pirates of Penzance, Down in the Valley, Die Fledermaus, and The Marriage of Figaro. In 2005, she moved to Atlanta to complete her Master of Music Degree at Georgia State University.  She played the roles of Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’ Hoffmann and Harry in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring at GSU.  She later professionally played the role of Mozart in the opera Wolfy at Theatre Decatur. Jennifer participated in the Harrower Opera Workshop at GSU and La Musica Lirica Opera Festival in Urbania, Italy, performing roles in opera scenes including Hansel and Gretel, Cosi fan Tutti, Louise, Alcina, Fastaff and The Mikado to name a few.  

Jennifer takes a holistic approach to teaching music. She believes the process of learning to sing or play an instrument helps students to develop important life skills such as improved work ethic, self-confidence, optimism, faith, interpersonal and communication skills, and leadership potential.  She keeps this in mind when working with each student.  Jennifer teaches piano and voice to both children and adults.   She teaches a variety of musical styles, including classical, pop, musical theater, rock, ragtime and jazz. 

 As a voice teacher, Jennifer focuses on building a strong technical foundation. Her goal is to help students to develop a strong, effortless, pleasing tone while communicating a meaningful thought, idea, or emotion. With her piano students, Jennifer strives to keep the learning process fun and rewarding. She continually uses new approaches depending on the unique interests and inherent gifts of the students. She often incorporates singing, rhythm sticks, bells, egg shakers, drums, ukulele and guitar in her lessons. Her goal is to help each student not only learn to read music, but also to play by ear and improvise. Jennifer encourages her piano students to sing, and her singers to play. Jennifer believes that just as playing an instrument makes us better singers, so does singing make us better instrumentalists!

INSTRUMENTS.

Piano, Voice, Flute, Playground.

STYLES.

Classical, Pop, Musical Theatre, Rock, Ragtime, Jazz.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

TESTIMONIALS.

“She was such a warm, fun, flexible teacher. I think it was a perfect balance for age 5 of skills and fun. He left class with stronger music appreciation. I would definitely recommend Playground and Jennifer to anyone with kids PreK-1st grade.”

- Halley, parent

TIME TO LEARN MORE!

LaTonya Peoples

LATONYA PEOPLES

teaches violin for Eclectic Music. She was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas and began taking violin lessons at the age of five. At the age of sixteen she became a certified Suzuki Violin Instructor giving private lessons, and later graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Music Therapy from Howard University. LaTonya is a violinist, vocalist, DJ, songwriter, and the owner and operator of the Lpeop Recording Studio, LLC. where she writes, produces, and records music to be licensed for Film, TV, and video/gaming projects.

LaTonya has recorded and produced four original albums displaying a wide range in styles of music, including original songs, Jazz, Rock, Spirituals, Pop, Country, EDM, Dubstep, Singer/Songwriter, and Folk. She can be heard as a Violinist/Vocalist on recordings by India Arie, Co-Resonance (a pop/classical fusion string quartet), Ken Ford, Doria Roberts, JJ’s Swimming, and Left Eye Productions/TLC. And her music has been licensed by Love and Hip Hop, 'How Black Mothers Say I Love You', by acclaimed Playwright Trey Anthony, and most recently, my vocal rendition of Wade In The Water was featured on ABC's hit Television Series 'Scandal' - Season 6 / Episode 3. 

In addition to her recording career, she has perfomred in ensembles opening for Gladys Knight, Michelle NDegeocello, Angelique Kidjo, and Alice Walker; and has performed with such organizations as Sister Harriet, Sistagraphy, KMC, ZAMI, Charis Books, ALCI, and The Feminist Women’s Health Center. She has toured with UniverSoul Circus, visiting 26 major cities as a featured Violinist and Vocalist, was a featured performer with the LA Women's Fest, and traveled to Osaka, Japan to perform for the Kansai Music Conference. LaTonya has been featured on BET’s Jazz Central program with Hue, a Jazz Trio and has been heard on National Public Radio's Wade in The Water Series featuring Sweet Honey In The Rock, produced by Author Sonja Williams.

LaTonya has given workshops and in-services on Songwriting, Jazz Improvisation, and Music Therapy, as well as classroom teaching experience as an Orchestra Director. She has also worked with several populations including Special Education, AIDS, and Psychiatric Patients as a Music Therapist. She is just the type of Eclectic musician who fits the Eclectic Music teacher bill and in addition to her eclectic musical styles, she keeps the mantra "Search for acceptance within yourself." close to her educational philosophy.

INSTRUMENTS.

Violin.

STYLES.

Classical, Jazz, Songwriting, Spirituals, Pop, Rock, Singer/Songwriter, and Folk.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

TESTIMONIALS.

Coming Soon!

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TIME TO LEARN MORE!

Michael McGill

MICHAEL MCGILL

teaches guitar, bass, rock singing, band coaching, songwriting and music theory with Eclectic Music. When you cross a huge repertoire with impeccable musical taste and an infectious spirit of fun, what do you get? You get Michael McGill, a singer-guitarist who has played for most of his life. Based in Atlanta but performing and recording across the South, his background and approach range from classic to alternative, alt-country, soul and pop. Michael has played and toured with original bands such as Catatonic Kids, the Viceroys and Garlic, cover projects like the glam-tribute High Heels, and hybrid groups like the Omnivores and the current Sweet Maries, playing a mix of originals and covers. Michael also plays solo, with a repertoire that has caused more than one listener to refer to him as the “human jukebox” or “human iPod.”

He has been teaching professionally in the Atlanta area since 2006 and his students currently range from ages 10 to 64; their level of expertise from beginner to advanced, and their musical taste from classic rock to the newest of the new. Michael offers lessons that center around learning whole songs, thus providing quick musical gratification, while delving into scales, theory and specific techniques as appropriate, so students can go as far as as they see fit. Integrating music the student is eager to learn with his own suggestions, Michael's approach is to individualize the experience for each student, tempered by just the right amount of that infectious spirit of fun!

INSTRUMENTS.

Electric Bass, Guitar (electric & acoustic), Rock Singing, Songwriting, Band Coaching.

STYLES.

Rock, Pop, Contemporary Styles.

REQUIREMENTS.

Students all ages & abilities welcome!

CONNECT.

TESTIMONIALS.

“Michael inspired our daughter to return to the guitar.  He encourages her by having her play the music she likes and then he incorporates the music theory around it. This unique approach keeps her engaged and wanting to learn more!”

- Lee, parent

"Michael probably had every song ever written between 1960 and 2000 memorized and could teach so well that he could make you feel like anyone from Richards to Clapton." 

- Reid, student

“I have been a student of Michael's for 3 1/2 years. With his help, my guitar playing ability has risen to an entirely new level! He is by far the best teacher I have had in my almost 20 years of playing the instrument. His knowledge of theory combined with his uncanny ability to decipher songs by ear and his genuine love of music make him uniquely qualified as an instructor. I highly recommend him to beginning, intermediate and advanced students of all ages!”

- Dina, student

“I have been taking guitar lessons from Michael for almost two years now. We work on some theory, but many times work on songs that I want to learn. I have enjoyed my lessons and highly recommend Michael's teaching style. He is talented, prepared, and really knows what he is doing. I have improved so much thanks to Michael.”

- Julie, student

"As one of Michael’s adult students, I appreciate his patience, encouragement and encyclopedic knowledge. His fluency in rock guitar is amazing. His passion for music, knowledge of theory and mastery of the guitar all make his lessons fun and rich in content.”

- Johanna, student

"My 17 year old son has been taking music lessons for over 8 years, since he was in 4th grade. Michael's encouragement helped push him outside his comfort zone to achieve new depths in playing guitar. Lessons with Michael were always the highlight of his week. We believed Michael’s encouragement and exposure to performing on stage helped Reid to create his own garage band where they perform at venues such as Masquerade, Smith's Old Bar, Center Stage and local ATL festivals. We highly recommend Michael and his many talents as a guitar teacher, especially to kids who want to have fun while playing!" 

- Reagan, parent

LISTEN.

Time to learn more!