Benito Vena
Meet Benito, a classical and jazz saxophonist, piano player, electro-acoustic performance artist, DJ, producer, recording/mixing/mastering engineer, and film/television composer. Benito has been a music teacher for over 10 years in Colorado Springs, as well as performing live across the state with a variety of ensembles. A graduate of Pikes Peak Community College and the University of Colorado, Benito is the founder and curator of the Colorado Springs Free Improvisation Collective.
Teaches: Piano, Saxophone, Guitar, Clarinet, Flute
Ensembles: Jazz Ensemble, Rock Band
Courses: Recording, Music Production, Film Scoring, Composition, Music Theory
Dan Swanagon
Meet Dan, a contemporary and jazz guitarist, bass player and percussionist as well as a producer/DJ, recording/mixing/mastering engineer and film/television editor. A graduate of Pikes Peak Community College and CSU Pueblo undergrad, Daniel has a performing career stretching over 25 years and a variety of genres and been a music teacher for over 15 years.
Teaches: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Piano
Ensembles: Jazz Ensemble, Rock Band
Courses: Recording, Music Production, Film Scoring, Composition, Music Theory
Daniel Smith
Meet Daniel, a Colorado Springs local, having graduated from Rampart High School. An avid multi-instrumentalist, Daniel participated in All State Choir for Colorado and has a piano performance career stretching over 10 years. A graduate of Pikes Peak Community College and CSU Pueblo, Daniel studied under Dr. Abe Minzer and Dr. Zahari Metchkov. He focuses on studying the large piano works of the master composers, with a concentration on piano pedagogy, and has been a music teacher for over 5 years. Daniel enjoys giving back and contributing to his community, and has been donating free lessons to underprivileged music students for the last 7 years. “I enjoy sharing the joy of music with my students. I love to watch a student develop and learn, and I just want to help students be the best they can be.”
Teaches: Piano Lessons
Dewey Steele
Meet Dewey, an award-winning drummer and percussionist who has been playing for over 45 years, with a professional career stretching over 30 of those years as a recording session drummer who has backed up numerous professional touring artists including War, Chicago, the Neville Brothers, and Tribal Tech. Dewey has been teaching percussion, drumline, and drum lessons for over 35 years, either privately or as a public-school teacher for District 11 for the last 18 years, teaching in numerous high schools and middle schools across Colorado Springs. Passionate about teaching music, Dewey is a community oriented, dependable instructor who cares about the progress of his students, and has been the go-to instructor for drumline and percussion in Colorado Springs for the last 20 years. Dewey says, “I want the student to learn and I want them to learn things the right way.”
Teaches: Drum lessons, band and orchestral percussion lessons, drumline lessons
Courses: Music Theory, Drum Line, Music Reading for Percussionists, Rudiment Refresher, Making a Living in the Music Industry, Interview Techniques for Musicians, Music Industry Boot Camp, Recording Session Training
Angela Marvin
Angela earned her Master of Music in Cello Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music in Long Beach, California. Her performance career has spanned from Hollywood studios and concert halls to tours across Europe and Asia. She is currently an active performer and teacher around the state of Colorado, playing regularly with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and at other events like weddings, chamber recitals, and the annual Flying W Ranch Christmas Jubilee series. Along with cello, she specializes in transcription and arranging with an audio engineering background. As a teacher, she believes in a strong technical pedagogy while encouraging all musical curiosities whether traditional for the cello or not.
Teaches: Violin Lessons, Viola Lessons, Cello Lessons, Double Bass Lessons