Sonora Lee
Owner & Founder
A little history...
Born to a mix of Cherokee and Irish lineage, she remembers the midday Sunday dinners with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. "We were playing music with guitars, harmonicas, spoons, etc.— and lots of singing (in harmony)."
Starting formal lessons at age five, Sonora 'lived' music in rural Missouri where she followed the natural process of growth via church choir, award-winning State Fair performances, etc. She then went on to the University of Missouri at Kansas City-Conservatory of Music where she received awards for Most Promising Education Student and Outstanding Vocal Performer. At her first Freshman conservatory piano jury she was advanced to the Junior level!
As a student, Sonora arranged and directed radio jingles, rehearsed ensembles for Kansas City churches, managed bands (rock 'n' roll and jazz), and coordinated rehearsal space for University students, including an 80-piece Accordion Orchestra. You thought finding a place for that new drum set was hard!
Psychology of Music became another favorite focus and ultimately led Sonora to San Antonio, where she became the Director of Music Therapy at the San Antonio State School. Working with the residents, designing curricula, coordinating staff and supervising Music Therapy interns was rewarding work.
Education
• Bachelor of Music Education
• Masters in Music Therapy
• Diploma in Voice Performance
• Minors in Piano and Theater
John M. Churchill
Director of Operations
Advanced Piano, Composition, Guitar, and Theory
John is a composer and pianist with over 12 years of teaching experience. He specializes in broadening a student's understanding of score interpretation, theory structure, and how to develop melodic narrative. John has released several albums and has self-published three collections of pieces for solo piano. Aside from his personal composition work, he has scored multiple animations and short films, many of which have gone on to have great success on the festival circuit including the Annecy International Animation Festival.
To learn more about John's music, visit www.johnmchurchill.com.
Xavier Brown
Administrative Assistant
Xavier joins Blue Frog with experience in administration, office management, event planning, and employee engagement. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Recording Industry Production. Xavier is also a music producer who produces, mixes, and masters hip-hop, soul, electronic, and jazz. He aspires to work with other creators and rising artists as well to create music for film, television, and other media.
Andrea Burroughs
Singing, Songwriting, and Piano Lessons
Teaching music for nearly 10 years, Andrea brings valuable experience to her approach to both vocal and piano pedagogy. She attended the Berklee College of Music where she studied both vocal performance and songwriting. Many of her students have become talented songwriters themselves and have developed a deep love for music. Having the ability to adapt to what each student needs within a lesson gives each of them the opportunity to learn and grow musically.
Michael Zeoli
Drum Lessons
Best known as drumming member of award winning Del Castillo band. Recognized by SXSW Music Awards (02/03) as "best drummer" having played Montreaux Jazz Festival and recorded with the likes of Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana. Mike has an extensive musical background teaching students of all ages (beginner to advanced) and nearly every application ranging from marching and orchestral percussion, to modern drum set, afro-cuban hand drums and world percussion for nearly 20 years.
**Se habla espanol**
Dorie Howard
Piano & Flute Lessons
Music has been a lifelong joy for Dorie. Her first formal experience began at age seven when she successfully auditioned for a local girl’s choir. By age nine she began playing flute and, though not formally trained until much later, would also play her family’s upright piano for hours at a time. By age ten, she had decided that composing was her calling, and began writing music primarily on piano. As a pre-teen, Dorie began training through the Austin Chamber Music Society, playing flute and singing in various chamber groups. Later, she went on to earn her Music Composition degree through the University of Texas at Austin, and later completed a second degree in Sound Recording Technologies through Texas State. While obtaining these degrees, Dorie worked at Apple Inc. as technical support (a “Senior Advisor”), and also as a freelance flute and piano teacher, music transcriber, and as a composer for short films. Now, she is happily splitting her time between teaching music and composing.
Alexia Benson
Piano & Voice Lessons
As a creative artist who channels her emotions and intellect deeply through her music, Alexia strives to teach her students how to express themselves while making music. She believes that teaching is a process that involves cultivating students' growth into becoming both musicians and people. Her approach is to build students' musical foundation and technique so they can explore creativity in their lessons and in their own free time. This will guide them closer to finding their own musical voice.
Hailed for her performance as the alto soloist in Mahler's 2nd Symphony, composer and soloist for her own orchestra piece, and concert organizer for new music, Alexia is a multi-faceted musician working as a freelance composer, songwriter, vocalist, and keyboardist in Austin. She recently graduated with her Master's in Music Composition from the University of Michigan and received her Bachelor's in Composition and Vocal Performance from the University of Redlands in Southern California.
Alexia grew up playing piano from age 9 and eventually improvising and songwriting at age 11. After winning a local Steinway Society music competition on piano, the head judge acknowledged the immense musicality and emotion behind her performance. It is now that she realizes the significance of this comment and the importance of trusting and building her own musical voice as an artist.
Aviana Burkepile
Piano & Voice Lessons
Aviana hails from Kyle Texas and is happy to be back in the surrounding area. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance from Oberlin Conservatory and her Master's degree in Vocal Performance from Rice University.
Her performing career has taken her to stages in Canada all the way to Italy. Throughout her academic years, she embraced lead roles at both Oberlin and Rice University.
As a teacher, her main goal is to foster an environment where students have a blast exploring their musical talents while developing a deeper understanding of their chosen instrument and the arts as a whole. Aviana believes that learning should be fun, engaging, and transformative, and she is committed to guiding students on this exciting musical path!
Nick Boettcher
Guitar & Ukulele Lessons
Nick has been a professional musician and educator for over 20 years with experience in a number of musical styles from rock and roll to blues, americana, and jazz. He continues to educate and perform as well as produce and engineer records.
Born and raised in Peoria, IL, Nick started his musical journey as a blues-based guitarist, quickly expanding into songwriting and stretching into more musical styles in order to expand his creative world.
Nick graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2006 and moved to Chicago where he played professionally and ran the lesson program at a hip guitar shop in Wicker Park. After family events called him to Texas, he relocated and established new roots in Austin with long time musical and life partner, Paige DeChausse, and their band The Reverent Few.
Nick continues to perform, tour, and make records alongside teaching using his wide range of experience to share and educate everyone from beginners to professionals.