Nancy Assad - Founder/Artistic Director

Nancy studied violin with Louise Behrend at Juilliard School of Music, as well as with Leo Panasevich of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Trained in both the traditional approach and the Suzuki method, she draws from both sources in tailoring her instruction to the levels and needs of her private students. For eighteen years prior to founding her own school, she taught at the North Shore Community College Music School, Gordon College, Governor Dummer Academy and privately in her home. Nancy has been a first violinist with the Boston Civic Symphony since 1979 and has also played with the Newton Symphony Orchestra and the Cape Ann Ensemble. She has studied jazz violin with Mimi Rabson and Matt Glaser at Berklee College of Music. For the last eight years, Nancy has been an active member of the Board of Directors of the Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport.

Judy Mouradian - Administrative Director

Judy joined the Musical Suite after years of experience in the business world. She spent over 20 years at Woodbury and Company Engravers as Director of Customer Service and Quality Control and most recently worked for Oakwood Corporate Housing as a National Account Manager. Judy graduated with a B.S. in Liberal Sciences with a Human Resources Certificate from Assumption College. Judy graduated from Assumption College with a B.S. in Liberal Sciences, along with a Human Resources Certificate.

Gail McArthur-Browne - Brass, Woodwind

Gail is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and is currently on the faculty at Berklee in the Contemporary Writing and Production Department. She has taught private music lessons, at all level and ages, in both the U.S. and Great Britain. Gail is a freelance musician and has performed with Benny Carter, Gerry Mulligan, Grover Washington, Jr., Jackie McLean, Ed Jackson, Ian Froman, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Christian McBride, Antonio Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, Danny Gottileb, Mark Soskin, Maria Schneider and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. She currently performs with the Perry Rossi Orchestra. Gail will be teaching saxophone, clarinet and flute lessons, as well as recorder and beginner trumpet and trombone lessons.

Randy Browning - Guitar, Songwriting

Randy earned a Bachelor of Music Degree (Magna Cum Laude) from Berklee College of Music. He's been an active music educator for over a decade, teaching small classes, workshops, and private lessons. Using the student's favorite music wherever possible, he tailors his lessons to fit each student's individual taste in music on either acoustic or electric guitar. Randy has recorded three CDs and was recently honored with the nationally respected "New Folk" songwriting award. He performs throughout the Northeast, both as a soloist and with his partner, Brett Kinney, in the duo "Late Bloomers."

Andy Dow - Guitar

Andy Dow is a busy, in demand bass player in the Boston music scene. Whether it's playing with songwriters Jennifer Greer, Chris O'Brien, Kate Klim and Antje Duvekot, or playing with modern jazz groups like Choose to Find and Infinite Out, or Brazilian music with Maluka, or manning the bass chair for local theater productions, he continues to bring his sound and spirit to each project. Andy has also had the pleasure to play on stage with some great jazz musicians such as Nat Mugavero, Jeff Galindo, Phil Grenadier, Jerry Sabatini, Chris Veilleux and Shawn Berry. He's recorded with Choose to Find, Sarah Fimm, Eric Colville, Burt Lafontaine, Lindsay Smith and on two of Evren Ozan's album's, including Alluvia, which won "Best Instrumental Album" of 2007 at the Native American Music Awards. Andy teaches bass guitar and beginning guitar at The Musical Suite and is the bass guitar instructor at Day Jams Summer Music Camp in Malden, MA.

Joe Holaday - Guitar

Joe has been performing professionally for the past 30 years in such notable bands as The Fools and Beatle-juice, playing hundreds of shows to devoted fans each year. Having shared the stage with everyone from the Eagles, Rush and the Ramones, Joe brings a diverse and pragmatic wealth of experience to his teaching style. With seven albums to his credit, and studio side work with a number of Boston area musicians, he is adept in all styles of music. Joe has been teaching private lessons for many years and is excited to share his talents here at the Musical Suite.

John Tavano - Guitar

John has attended the Boston Conservatory of Music and Northern University. He is currently a staff musician at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and a member of The North Shore Musicians Association. For twenty-five years, John has been teaching and concertizing throughout New England. He teaches all levels of classical guitar including, Flamenco, Latin American, Blues and some Jazz. John is also an abstract expressionist and traditional portrait artist. His work is now being exhibited in galleries in Newburyport. John has also studied the ancient Tibetan healing method, "Reiki," and is now a Reiki practitioner.

Greg Tower - Guitar

Greg is a Boston area guitarist with Atomic Cocktail and Madhouse. He has worked throughout the Northeast with an extensive list of talented singers, songwriters, and musicians playing blues, country, jazz, funk, swing and rock. Greg has played with The Big Blues Meanies, Mighty Sam McClain, Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom, Ben E. King, Bo Diddley and The Wrecking Crew, among others. He currently plays with various jazz and blues bands in the Boston and North Shore areas, and has just started his own Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute Band, Bad Moon Rising. Greg brings more than 20 years of musical experience and teaching to his students.

Carol McIntyre - Harp

Carol McIntyre plays classical, folk, and Celtic harp, frequently performing at the Wenham Teahouse and many other venues around the North Shore. She has studied the harp since childhood, receiving a BA in Classical Music from Stanford University. Carol is a past New England Scottish Games harp champion and has teamed up with Tony Walsh and Larry Plitt to form the Celtic band, Snowdonia. We welcome her back to our faculty, knowing that her high energy and superb talent will inspire all those who are fortunate enough to study with her.

Marguerite Sanentz - Piano

"Maggie" was born of Armenian parents and raised in Beirut, where she began playing piano at age six. As a teenager, the family moved to Paris, where she continued her private music training and attended the Ecole du Louvre. She moved to the U.S. in 1994, and in 1995, she studied with Betty Roberts at the Longy School of Music. She also studied Early Childhood Education at Northern Essex Community College and for many years taught preschoolers and toddlers at the Amesbury Country Day School. With her nurturing style of teaching young beginners, Maggie has quickly become one of our most popular teachers.

Malgosia Smolarek - Piano

Malgosia graduated from Bydoszcz Academy of Music in Poland with a master's degree in music theory, composition and piano. She also holds a bachelor's degree in Eurhythmics. Her teaching experience includes ear training, harmony, counterpoint, basic orchestration and solfege. She has been a featured accompanist in competitions in Poland and Germany, and at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Malgosia is currently the Music Director at the Riverside Memorial Church in Haverhill, MA.

Megumi Sasaki - Violin

Megumi received her undergraduate degree in Classical Violin and Instrumental Education from The Conservatory for Music and Theater in Frankfurt, Germany. She came to the U.S. to study Jazz Violin and earned a degree in Violin Performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Megumi has years of experience performing with orchestras and ensembles in Europe, Japan and the U.S. She is currently a member of the Italian Folk Group, Newpoli. Since 1998, Megumi has been teaching violin to all ages and skill levels of students. As a faculty member, she brings her vast range of experience in various styles and techniques, from classical to jazz.

Johanna Hoyt-Kimball - Voice

Johanna graduated with a Masters in Music Performance from New England Conservatory and a Bachelor's degree from University of New Hampshire. She has many years of experience performing as a soloist in classical, operatic, and musical theatre in Boston, San Francisco, and locally. Johanna has worked with both children and adults, beginners to advanced levels, as a private instructor and Children's Choir Director. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and she is currently working on her certification in the LoVetri Method, a "body-based method of vocal training which draws from many disciplines." Because of her excellent experience performing on the local music scene and her ability to teach a variety of vocal styles, she brings an invaluable contribution to our staff at the Musical Suite.

Albert Lamar - Woodwind

Albert has many years of experience teaching and performing both jazz and classical music. He received his B.M. in Performance from Berklee College of Music and did his graduate studies at Mannes College in N.Y. He performed with the Mississippi Symphony for 15 years and has played with the MS Opera, MS Pops, and the International Ballet Competition Orchestra. He has also played at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, as well as with orchestras for Ray Charles, The Chieftains, Pete Fountain, Doc Severinson, Makoto Ozone and more. Albert currently plays in various jazz venues throughout the North Shore.

Neal Ferreira - Voice

Neal completed his undergraduate studies at Providence College with a B.A. in Music and a concentration in Vocal Performance. In 2005, he received his Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory, where he studied with acclaimed soprano Patricia Craig as well as coaches Michael Strauss, Terry Decima, and John Moriarty. Praised by the Boston media for his “fine voice” and “stylish delivery,” Neal is a frequent performer of opera, oratorio and musical theater in Boston and the Greater New England area. He has appeared regionally with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, American Repertory Theatre, Boston Midsummer Opera, Guerilla Opera, Boston Opera Project, Longwood Opera, Vox Consort, and New England Light Opera. Neal won the Boston Lyric Opera’s 2009 Stephen Shrestinian Award for Excellence, which is presented to a BLO member “who has demonstrated exceptional artistic growth and great promise for continued professional achievement.”

Don Weng - Piano, Clarinet, Flute

A native of Ohio, Donald Weng did his undergraduate studies in music at Bowling Green State University and Indiana University. He also studied privately with conductor Seymour Benstock and clarinetists Robert McGinnis and Robert Marcellus. He joined the Toledo, OH Symphony and served as clarinetist with the Toledo Opera, Toledo Symphony and Toledo Concert band for thirty-six seasons. Throughout his career, Don has taught private piano and clarinet students, along with teaching at St. John's Jesuit High School and Heidelberg College, both in Ohio. His conducting credits include four seasons as Music Director at Croswell Opera House in Adrian, Michigan and seven seasons as conductor of the Jewish Center Community Orchestra in Sylvania, Ohio. He moved to Massachusetts in 2007, where he continues to grow his list of private piano and clarinet students.

Todd Marston - Piano

A native of Brooklyn, CT, Todd Marston studied classical piano from an early age and truly found his passion for the instrument when he was fifteen years old. He studied with a jazz piano teacher, in the Worcester area, for three years prior to attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. At Berklee, Todd developed an interest in many styles of music, including jazz, blues, funk, rock, world music, and free improvisation. Since graduating from Berklee in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in music performance, he has been developing both his teaching and performing careers. He has toured nationally and internationally with Sonya Kitchell, Sam Hooper, and his own band, Choose to Find. Since the age of 18, Todd has been teaching a wide variety of styles to students of all ages and skill levels. As a teacher, he focuses on developing students’ ability to read music, play by ear, interpret repertoire and improvise.

Jozef Nadj - Violin, Guitar

Born to a family of musicians, Jozef began violin lessons at the age of five. He received his formal training in classical violin at the Kodolanyi Janos Instititute, Budapest, Hungary and the Academy of Music in Nis, Serbia. He received his professional diploma on a scholarship at Berklee School of Music where he studied jazz, blues, funk, rock and fusion. Jozef has performed and studied with musicians such as Didier Lockwood, Nigel Kennedy, Matt Glaser, Rob Thomas, James Montgomery, Eugene Friesen, Mimi Rabson and Livingston Taylor, as well as played with the London International Show Band and the Newton Symphony Orchestra. He brings an exciting mix of classical and contemporary styles to his teaching.

Allyn Gamble - Voice

Allyn Warner Gamble has been performing and teaching for 35 years. She was a principle singer in Las Vegas, Nevada where she starred in several productions including, Hallelujah Hollywood at the MGM Grand, Lido de Paris at the Stardust Hotel, Casino de Paris at the Dunes Hotel, two editions of Follies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel and City Lights at the Flamingo Hilton. She also opened for Johnny Carson and George Carlin at the Sahara Hotel. Allyn was the featured singer in many exclusive clubs in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as the featured singer with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. In 1997 and 1998 she starred at the world famous Friedrichstaad Palace in Berlin, Germany, whose stage was once home to such greats as Marlene Dietrich, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. Her many years of musical theater experience include performances in Los Angeles and Sacramento, CA; Brunswick and Portland, ME; and Newburyport, MA. Allyn was the personal vocal coach for Miss Maine 2007 and has taught privately in her home state of Maine, in Las Vegas and currently in Newburyport.