Composition/Theory

Bios of our teachers www.stepupmusicvallejo.com

MARK TUNING is Music Director of Voices of Musica Sacra and at Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church. He served as Assistant Director for the San Francisco City Chorus for seven years and on the music faculty of the Conservatory of Vocal and Instrumental Arts, a public K-8 charter school in Oakland. He sings tenor with Les Hommes, a men’s ensemble consisting of choral professionals.

Full bio and statement available at Community School of Music and Arts (www.arts4all.org). I have taught piano, accompanying, chamber music, theory, history, and been active as recitalist, chamber musician and conductor for 45 years. I supervised the development of all curriculum at CSMA from 1985-2010. I teach beginning through professional levels, using ABRSM syllabus as an excellent guide to standards and milestones.

Iliana was born in Ruse, Bulgaria, and began her piano studies at the
age of four. At 14, she was accepted at the Veselin Stoyanov School of
Music, from which she graduated with a Diploma in Piano Performance and
Pedagogy. After moving to Vancouver, Canada, Iliana went on to study at
the University of British Columbia under Professor Jane Coop, one of
Canada's most prominent and distinguished pianists. In 2003 she received
her Master's Degree in Piano Performance from UBC and founded a

I am a pianist/composer living in San Francisco with 30 years of experience teaching piano privately, at all levels and ages. I have coached middle school and high school-aged chamber musicians for about 15 years. I start beginners with a foundation in theory and technique, in addition to repertoire material. I have prepared students for various levels of ABRSM exams. My goal is to provide a relaxed, though disciplined approach. I teach remotely, via Skype or FaceTime. Website: https://janismercer.com.

Singer, songwriter, instructor, pianist and guitarist Jill Cohn has been a full-time musician and touring songwriter since 1996, independently releasing 8 critically acclaimed CDs. She has opened for Dave Matthews, JEWEL and was a top-five finalist in the nation-wide Lilith Fair Talent search.

My name is Ariane Cap, I am the founder of Step Up music.
I am a bassist and educator. I perform regularly with various bands and I teach bass, piano and group classes at Step Up, I teach at the Academy of Art University San Francisco, and facilitate seminars and band camps throughout the country. (Read my bio here). Busy as I am, Step Up is my heart's work and my passion. Make sure to let me know how I can make your experience here at Step Up stellar.
Step Up Music currently has 13 teachers teaching a variety of instruments and classes.

I began teaching at the University level before moving to California where I taught choir and drama in middle school and assisted at the high school. I have directed or performed in numerous Broadway-style musicals and also worked on film crews, as well as singing in concerts and operas. I enjoy teaching voice students of all ages and abilities from the non-singer to the very talented.

I began piano and composition at age six. Each student is unique and I choose the materials specifically. I have created many of the materials I use myself. I teach music theory through composition. I find great joy when able to shine a light on the imagination of a student and help them to express themselves in the language of music. Having studied many styles of piano playing from gospel to jazz I am most familiar with classical piano repertoire. Improvisation is an important part of my own professional performing experience as well as my teaching.