Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Maryam Mirbagheri aka “Maryama” is an award winning Iranian American composer/performer/music producer currently residing in Los Angeles, California.
Born and raised in the middle east to an art loving family, she was surrounded by great music from early childhood. Growing up she studied guitar with rock stars Ardavan Anzabipour and Homayoun Majdzadeh. Maryama has performed in prestigious international music festivals such as Fair International Music Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival(student)and have competed and placed in competitions such as Iranian International Youth Competition : Music Composition category(semi-finalist) and Music Association of California(2nd place in state of California). She has won a Jazz Downbeat Award with ARC Advanced Vocal Jazz Ensemble, was nominated for two Hollywood Music in Media Awards and has worked with prestigious figures such as Deborah Lavine, James Franco, Michaell Skloff (composer of FRIENDS), prestigious groups such as Vox Musica Vocal Ensemble and many more.
She holds two Associate Degrees in Jazz Voice and Music Composition from ARC where she studied with one of her biggest inspirations, Joe Gilman. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Composition, Film Music) and a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts where she studied with Ulrich Krieger (Lou Reed), Pirayeh Pourafar, Houman Pourmehdi, David Rosenboom, Larry Koonse , Miroslav Tadic and many more. Maryama has studied with Usher and Christina Aguilera through MasterClass inc.
Maryam’s musical style is derived from a fusion of jazz, soul, Persian and classical music and inspired by endless number of artists. She has been the featured artist of the month in renowned publications such as GIRLTRIP, Muzik magazine, Huffington Post, DW Germany, POPDOSE, Obscure sounds, Girls underground, VENT Magazine, Celebrity Cafe and many more. She is said to be one of LA's most unique and up and coming acts and has been compared to the likes of Sade, Dido, Natalie Merchant, Lianne Lahavas and Adele.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Born in Honduras C.A. At the age of 10, learned guitar at music school for 5 years and playing in T.V. and radio. My first solo performance was at the age of 12 "Romance" Spanish Classic. At the age of 18, emigrated to Israel and served in the Israeli Army. Studied at the Israeli Music Conservatorium and received my Bachelor's degree while performing and recording with various artists and groups. Emigrated to USA and began teaching and playing on weddings and parties and played with a classical orchestra of 80 people to solo performances. I have performed with Adam Lambert, Mick Fleetwood, Gypsy Kings, The Platters and in many famous places like Disney Hall, Carnegie, Lincoln Center, Hilton and Sheraton Conventions. I've been teaching and performing in events now 25 years playing Classical Guitar and Flamenco music and I play and like all types of music. I love teaching the art of guitar and enjoy my students progress every week, bringing me great satisfaction.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Lynn began studying opera at a young age and became one of the youngest sought-after vocalists in NY state performing for musical theater, concerts and in recording studios.Lynn is a music instructor, recording artist, singer-songwriter and producer and has performed throughout the US with many Grammy award winning artists such as Marilyn McCoo, Pebo Bryson, James Ingram and EnVogue, CMA Mercury artist Kathy Mattea, gospel artist Larnell Harris and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. Lynn sold all to move to Nashville to learn the craft of songwriting and pursue her solo career. Her original songs are sparking interest with industry pros and being considered for movies and television. As an instructor, Lynn teaches voice for over 20 years, beginner piano,
songwriting and home recording. Lynn incorporates her vast knowledge of how to keep the voice healthy, how the voice works, incorporating various styles, and then tailors each lesson to each student for maximum results.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Andrew Napier is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer originally from Seattle. Andrew holds a Master of Music degree from Berklee College of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Columbia College Chicago.
Napier's work can be heard on major networks and platforms such as MTV, Vice, Bravo, Amazon , TV One, and Seven Network.
As well as being a composer for feature films, TV, and video games, Andrew makes electronica/ambient music under the name Noumenah.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Billy grew up in a big family, surrounded by music. His mom was a concert pianist and his brother is an accomplished guitarist in the industry. Billy started
playing drums for family because his older brother needed someone to accompany him on the guitar during holiday functions. Soon, playing drums became more than a hobby and since then he has been surrounded by music. His love for the drums was apparent starting at age 12, playing at church along side his big brother on guitar. At age 19, Billy and brother Joe started a jingle production company for film and television and continued to hone his chops at night with local L.A. bands at iconic Hollywood venues; Madam Wong’s, , The Roxy, The Whiskey, among others Billy has appeared in films and television, always as himself on drums. Currently aside from teaching, Billy is the drummer for the Grammy nominated L.A. band The Hailers. Associate degree in music from Pierce college. In performance experience he has 45 years teaching experience, specializing in rock, funk, jazz, and R&B. His favorite musicians include
Dave Grohl, Simon Phillips, Neil Peart, Jeff Porcaro, and Vinnie Colaiuta. Billy really enjoys teaching beginning and intermediate students that are enthusiastic about learning, and feels that learning to read music is an essential part of the process. "I love teaching....It is the best feeling watching a
student grow has a drummer. Music is the universal language. TIMING IS EVERYTHING."
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Dan began learning the piano at an early age. His mother taught him how to read music, while his older brother taught him how to rock! Dan has also composed music for various video games. He teaches piano, guitar, vocals, bass, and home recording in addition to classical, pop, jazz and blues. “Music, especially playing and singing, is a connection from the breath, heart, mind and soul to you!”
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Steven DeLong holds a BA and MFA from Belmont University and Columbia College Chicago. Now living in Calabasas, Steven has composed music for many TV shows, films, and video games. His performance specialties include all styles; with a focus on pop/rock and music composition and production. As for teaching style, Steven takes a tailored approach, adapting his instruction to the goals of each student.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Austin Scott is a composer, performer, and teacher from Los Angeles, California. He has been playing guitar for over 15 years, mostly in the rock and blues styles. While earning his B.A. in Music Composition from Berklee College of Music, Austin studied both classical and jazz piano – all in all he has been playing piano for more than a decade. As a teacher, Austin has helped students of all ages and skill levels to reach their full musical potential, whether it be in guitar, piano, ukulele, or bass.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Beginning in the late 90’s, Mickey first published recordings and collaborations as a guitarist, songwriter, and arranger for enigmatic musical project Cinema Strange. At age 19, Mickey signed to a German recording label, and within that same year, he began touring internationally. Mickey also has toured extensively, performing regularly at festivals in Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Besides his background in live international music performances, Mickey is also a dedicated music scholar and has attended Ventura College where he was awarded a scholarship in piano excellence, and also earned an Associate’s degree in music. Mickey also attended California Institute of the Arts, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music composition. He has studied with the likes of Miguel Del Aguila, Barry Schrader, Michael Jon Fink and many others. Mickey was also formerly the music director at Ojai Unified School District. Presently, he teaches music privately in Southern California.
Mickey teaches keyboard, ukulele, guitar, bass guitar and digital recording while specializing in keyboard/fretboard theory, songwriting, and a wide variety of all styles and genres. Mickey enjoys teaching students of all ages, and loves to nurture a students' passion for music.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
At the age of 7, Bruce was mesmerized with music after seeing the John Williams orchestra where he immediately went home from the concert and discovered how to play the Indiana Jones theme by ear. Both Bruce’s parents were not musicians, but were music enthusiasts and helped to nurture his love of music as he continued to grow. He started playing guitar around 13 years old and after a year of playing, he started his own band where they played hard rock and 80’s rock music. Right after high school he went on a 2-month European tour with a rock band and recorded his first album.
From a long family background of teaching, Bruce found a love of music education and has been teaching for 17 years. Most recently, Bruce has been doing session work for Red Bull records, composing independent films, teaching, and performing in cover bands.
Bruce teaches acoustic and electric guitar, bass, and ukulele with a wide focus on a variety of different genres including rock, pop, metal, hip-hop, R&B, blues, and country. Bruce teaches all ages and can specialize in music theory, finger-picking and composition.
-Music is the key to unlocking the power of one’s imagination. Not only does it help you learn about yourself, but it allows you to gain a better understanding of life as well.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
At an early age, Olive was fascinated by music. Her father, who was also a musician, helped cultivate an enriching music environment by purchasing Olive her first drum set at 5 years old, and later placing him in piano lessons at age 6. As Michael grew, so did her love for music, which resulted in him enrolling in drum lessons, and becoming what he considers a music fanatic. She was always looking for new music genres to listen to, and with her father’s influence, She was introduced to acts like Frank Zappa, and Thin Lizzy. Olive continued music lessons throughout middle school and high school which led her to furthering her career in music and teaching at Moorpark College.
Olive has a strong passion for music which has only grown throughout her career, and since 2015, she has been offering drum lessons to students of all lessons. Olive has received 3 Associate’s Degrees from Moorpark College, and most recently, has been furthering her career in teaching music, and producing music.
Olive teaches drums, in a wide range of genres and styles, with a primary focus on rock, pop, alternative, punk, and funk.
“Attaining the knowledge of music can provide you with so much joy and value, and I want all my students to carry that with them for life”
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
At the age of 10, Jalen’s curiosity and love of music led him to picking up his first instrument in middle school. After playing the tuba for several years, Jalen’s love for bass instruments led him to picking up the bass guitar, and shortly after the guitar as he continued through his schooling. As his skills grew, Jalen joined up with some of his friends and created several bands throughout his high school years. His experience while performing with his friends led him to participating in as much live performances as possible ranging from concerts, to school rallies and in local venues.
Currently, Jalen is pursuing an Associate’s degree in music performance from Moorpark college, along with teaching music lessons and growing his student base.
Jalen teaches guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, and trombone, with a primary focus on stringed instruments. He also teaches a wide variety of various genres and styles while his main focus is on Rock, funk, soul, blues, jazz, R & B, and punk. Jalen puts a heavy emphasis on helping his students grow their love of music, improving technique, and helping students plant their own ideas along their creative process.
“I want my students to always remember that in times of struggles and difficulties, just remember why you picked up the instrument in the first place, and let that carry you.”
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Alessandro Ayer is a Colombian American music producer/songwriter, as well as a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, piano, drums, bass). He began piano lessons at the age of 8 and guitar lessons at the age of 12. He has also taken several music theory courses in college while attaining a Bachelors degree at UC Irvine, in addition to voice training and advanced piano classes. He began writing songs at the age of 16, and has been producing music since 2007 in vibrant fashion ever since he purchased a MacBook and started learning GarageBand. He would soon after begin mastering Logic Pro, taking his production skills to another level. In the fall of 2011, he entered a recording arts degree program at the Los Angeles Film School where he sparked the interest of a MIDI instructor who had done production/mixing work for the likes of Dev and The Cateracs. They then began working on a few remixes together for promo use, after which he would gain a steady following in the EDM realm. In 2018, he spent 6 months producing and performing keyboards for alternative R&B group TwoLips while playing several shows at prominent Los Angeles venues such as The Echo and The Hi Hat. He is currently writing and releasing music for a band he created back in 2020 called E.T. Man, mixing such styles as electronic rock and synthwave. He is also fully bilingual in English and Spanish.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Scott has been a career musicians since the 1980's, including national touring, predominantly as a guitarist performing many styles from rock (hard rock, metal/shred, acoustic rock etc.), Motown/R&B, and jazz to classical repertoire, to innovative fingerstyle and percussive acoustic guitar styles as well as two-handed electric double neck compositions. As an arranger and transcriber, Scott has developed a hybrid classical fingerstyle with right hand fretting and tapping techniques.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Frank, a lifelong drummer, took the stage at just 11 years old and has been immersed in rhythm ever since. His journey includes studying with legends like Joe Pecarro and Chuck Flores, touring the globe, and performing with acclaimed artists. Frank's drumming talents have been featured in movies, TV shows, albums, and commercials. With a deep passion for his craft, he brings energy and dedication to every performance and project. Frank loves teaching and inspiring others, sharing his knowledge to help them discover the joy of drumming.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Tommy began his career with the band eels and then fronted his own band called Abandoned Pools. He has played in a variety of ensembles including orchestras, rock bands, jazz trios and marching bands and has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. An LA native, he studied French horn, jazz bass, theory & composition and film scoring at USC. He is currently an active composer of music for TV and film as well as commercial spots and movie trailers.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Laura has been playing guitar (and bass) for 12 years, teaching privately for three. She studied music technology at Moorpark College. Joining the staff at Guitar Center has been a goal of hers for years. For fun, Laura performs with a 70's rock band in Santa Monica. She is dedicated to encouraging her students to reach their full potential.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Steve Belvilus is a Los Angeles and New York–based drummer endorsed by Soultone Cymbals and a Grammy® voting member. A graduate of The City College of New York, he also studied at the Manhattan School of Music. Steve has toured internationally, performed at major festivals including Monterey Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, and Rochester Jazz Festival and collaborated with Paul Jackson Jr., Les Nubians, Renee Neufville, and Natalie Cole.
Guitar Center Westlake Village30730 Russell Ranch Rd. Westlake Village, CA
Kazuki Tokaji is an LA-based guitarist and Musicians Institute graduate from Japan, specializing in modern metal, melodic shred, and cinematic guitar. He has performed with artists like Steve Vai and Marty Friedman, bringing real industry experience to his teaching. Endorsed by ESP Guitars, Ernie Ball strings, and Hughes & Kettner amplifiers, Kazuki helps students build strong technique, musicality, and creativity while developing their own unique sound.
Discover the joy of music with personalized lessons from experienced instructors at Guitar Center. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, we offer lessons for all ages and skill levels in guitar, bass, drums, piano, and more. Our Westlake Village, California network of professional musicians is ready to help you achieve your musical goals. Start your musical journey today and find your perfect instructor at Guitar Center!
