Meet Our Certificated Faculty!
Please meet the faculty members of Guitars in the Classroom! Each has special training, experience, and sensitivity to working with both adult beginners and children. We are so fortunate to count on this talented group of professionals to open the pathway to making and leading music in the classroom.
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Jess Baron: GITC Founder, Executive Director
National Faculty Member Jess Baron is a lifelong acoustic guitarist, singer and “incidental” songwriter who began playing guitar at age seven, teaching guitar in Junior High, and has never stopped. Trained as a music educator, child development specialist, and psychotherapist, Jess taught at the Old Town School of Folk Music in the early 1980s. played the clubs there, then moved to California where she completed degrees in Child Development and Clinical Psychology and taught music, human development, and community service to students in grades kinder through twelve. In 1998, Jess officially launched Guitars in the Classroom and has devoted herself to making music more accessible for teachers and children ever since. Andrea Sullivan:
GITC Faculty Trainer - West Virginia (Raleigh County) Andrea Sullivan discovered her love of music at an early age and has been teaching the subject for almost two decades. She is certified to teach band, strings, choir, and general music. In 2016 she was named Raleigh County Teacher of the Year for her outstanding work in the classroom. Andrea is currently working on her National Board Certification in Early to Middle Childhood Music Education and seeks to be an effective practitioner for music in both children’s and adults' lives. She is the founder of Suitcase Full of Hope, a non-profit organization that provides foster children with luggage to carry their things in from residence to residence. She is also the owner of Twisted Lotus Creations, a business that sells her hand created works. |
Ana Robles
GITC Teaching Artist - Los Angeles, CA
Ana Robles is an inspirational Argentinian singer songwriter, guitarist, percussionist with more than 25 years of experience performing Latin Jazz, and all kinds of music. She has performed on many stages of the United States and the world with renowned artists like Placido Domingo, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan and Quincy Jones. For the last 10 years, she has been studying the benefits of Music Therapy and Sound Healing, applying her experience and musicality to her work with children. Ana holds an A.A. in Music and a B.A. in Psychology from California State University Northridge. She works as a behavioral support teacher using music for strategic intervention with Autistic students. Ana joined the GITC faculty as a teaching artist in 2018 and provides innovative music integration teaching with medically fragile students and their teachers in our residencies through the Carlson Home Hospital School in Los Angeles Unified School District.
GITC Teaching Artist - Los Angeles, CA
Ana Robles is an inspirational Argentinian singer songwriter, guitarist, percussionist with more than 25 years of experience performing Latin Jazz, and all kinds of music. She has performed on many stages of the United States and the world with renowned artists like Placido Domingo, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan and Quincy Jones. For the last 10 years, she has been studying the benefits of Music Therapy and Sound Healing, applying her experience and musicality to her work with children. Ana holds an A.A. in Music and a B.A. in Psychology from California State University Northridge. She works as a behavioral support teacher using music for strategic intervention with Autistic students. Ana joined the GITC faculty as a teaching artist in 2018 and provides innovative music integration teaching with medically fragile students and their teachers in our residencies through the Carlson Home Hospital School in Los Angeles Unified School District.
Dan Decker
GITC Director of Strum & Sing Programs
Dan Decker enjoyed a career as a teacher for 35 years, teaching pre-K to 6th grade. He taught at San Miguel Elementary School in the Lemon Grove School District for 30 years, where he also had the privilege to be a TOSA (teacher on special assignment) for Art and Music for four years. Dan is a professional singer and guitarist and became involved with GITC in 2013 when he took a beginner's intensive course in the summer. Dan went on to become an instructor for GITC the next fall, and has taught classes at all levels and in five different school districts since then. Starting with his retirement from teaching elementary school in 2020, Dan stepped into the role of Director of Strum & Sing Programs!
GITC Director of Strum & Sing Programs
Dan Decker enjoyed a career as a teacher for 35 years, teaching pre-K to 6th grade. He taught at San Miguel Elementary School in the Lemon Grove School District for 30 years, where he also had the privilege to be a TOSA (teacher on special assignment) for Art and Music for four years. Dan is a professional singer and guitarist and became involved with GITC in 2013 when he took a beginner's intensive course in the summer. Dan went on to become an instructor for GITC the next fall, and has taught classes at all levels and in five different school districts since then. Starting with his retirement from teaching elementary school in 2020, Dan stepped into the role of Director of Strum & Sing Programs!
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Desirée Robles
GITC Director of GITC Special Education Services Desirée Robles, Director of Special Education Services for Guitars in the Classroom, facilitates music integration in the classroom and after school professional development trainings that enhance learning outcomes for students while reinvigorating educators. She holds a BA in Psychology from National University. For over 12 years, she has passionately advocated for the dignity and inclusion of people with special needs as Special Education Behavior Technician for the San Diego Unified School District's Behavior Support Resources Department, and Registered Behavior Technician at Training. Education. Research. Innovation. Inc. (TERI Inc.). She cultivates an effective learning environment by inspiring students and staff to discover their strengths within the framework of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), which fosters positive academic, social, emotional and behavioral outcomes for all students in the least restrictive environment. Jonanne Hammer GITC Program Supervisor and Faculty Trainer - Franklin County, TN Jonanne directs Visual and Performing Arts Education for the Franklin County, Tennessee public schools. She successfully launched her first GITC program and is now training her faculty to integrate music with folk instruments. We are looking forward to supporting her efforts to bring more GITC programs to Tennessee. Julia Cole GITC Faculty Trainer- San Diego, Chula Vista, Spring Valley, CA Julia has been teaching elementary school for the past twenty-four years. She received her degree from SDSU in Psychology, her teaching credential from National University and her Masters in Education from SDSU. Bringing music into the classroom has always been important to Julia, and after learning ukulele and guitar with GITC, she was able to incorporate bringing instruments and music-making into her classroom. She enjoys witnessing the joy this brings to the children so much that she took it upon herself to become a GITC Faculty Trainer to help other teachers do the same. |
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Gerry and Linda De La Torre
GITC Faculty Trainer - Phoenix, AZ Gerry started playing the guitar in 1962 and has played just about every style of music known, both as a solo artist and with others. He has been featured on albums, radio, TV, and performed in large and small venues. Gerry taught music in college and high school, and currently teaches music at two elementary Montessori schools where he loves to share his passion with the kids. He also conducts after school enrichment programs on a variety of popular instruments, gives private and small group lessons, leads and directs worship at his church, plays for the occasional event such as a wedding, dance, or party, and even gets to be with his wonderful wife Linda, their three grown kids, their spouses, and their 11 grandchildren on occasion. Gerry came to GITC in 2009 and quickly launched programs in the greater Phoenix area, reaching and inspiring many with his wit and enthusiasm. He is very honored to be a part of a program that transforms lives for the better and makes learning fun. |
Marion Davison
Retired GITC Faculty Trainer (We hope she comes back)
Marion has been teaching in Elementary Schools since 1982. Her primary instrument is guitar, but she enjoys fiddling around with the piano and all manner of stringed acoustic instruments. She teaches first and second grade at a parent choice performing arts public school in Victorville, and trained GITC classroom teachers for four years. Marion has a bachelor's degree from Mills College and earned her teaching credential at UC Riverside. She started playing the guitar and singing in public when she was in fifth grade. She is currently a lead singer in a rock band called the "Terminal Siphons". In 2019 she received GITC's first ever Golden Guitar Award for stellar leadership, long term service, and sustaining her program beyond retirement.
Retired GITC Faculty Trainer (We hope she comes back)
Marion has been teaching in Elementary Schools since 1982. Her primary instrument is guitar, but she enjoys fiddling around with the piano and all manner of stringed acoustic instruments. She teaches first and second grade at a parent choice performing arts public school in Victorville, and trained GITC classroom teachers for four years. Marion has a bachelor's degree from Mills College and earned her teaching credential at UC Riverside. She started playing the guitar and singing in public when she was in fifth grade. She is currently a lead singer in a rock band called the "Terminal Siphons". In 2019 she received GITC's first ever Golden Guitar Award for stellar leadership, long term service, and sustaining her program beyond retirement.
Gail Dreifus
GITC Faculty Trainer - Mariposa, CA
Gail Dreifus bought her first guitar at a Goodwill store at the age of 14 and has been writing songs since she could string a series of basic chords together. Starting with songs of protest and heartfelt love songs, Gail also writes about nature and history. Inspired by living in Yosemite National Park, she developed a program of original songs about the park which have been performed for over 25 years for children and their guardians. Her songs are catchy and appealing. It is also surprising how much information is incorporated in the lyrics. Gail has produced seven CDs for National Parks across the United States and has performed them with her children’s band, “Recycled String Band.” The band was formed in 1990, and continues to delight audiences with songs about nature and ecology. Aside from writing and performing children’s music, Gail is part of Colorado Road Band, which performs the band's original music throughout California. She is retired from teaching English and History in a one-room school in El Portal, CA.
Gail joined the GITC faculty in 2015 and has been holding teacher training classes in her home for teachers in the Yosemite area and Mariposa Valley ever since.
GITC Faculty Trainer - Mariposa, CA
Gail Dreifus bought her first guitar at a Goodwill store at the age of 14 and has been writing songs since she could string a series of basic chords together. Starting with songs of protest and heartfelt love songs, Gail also writes about nature and history. Inspired by living in Yosemite National Park, she developed a program of original songs about the park which have been performed for over 25 years for children and their guardians. Her songs are catchy and appealing. It is also surprising how much information is incorporated in the lyrics. Gail has produced seven CDs for National Parks across the United States and has performed them with her children’s band, “Recycled String Band.” The band was formed in 1990, and continues to delight audiences with songs about nature and ecology. Aside from writing and performing children’s music, Gail is part of Colorado Road Band, which performs the band's original music throughout California. She is retired from teaching English and History in a one-room school in El Portal, CA.
Gail joined the GITC faculty in 2015 and has been holding teacher training classes in her home for teachers in the Yosemite area and Mariposa Valley ever since.
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Michael Hemsworth
GITC Faculty Trainer - Elk Grove, CA Michael Hemsworth is the director of NewSongs School of Music in Elk Grove. He passionately works to get music into kid's lives in many ways, from teaching private and group lessons, running after school programs, library and preschool programming, and much more. You never know where you are going to see him next! Cultivating music in the classroom is especially exciting to Michael. One of his GITC classes renamed themselves "the Ukuladies... and one guy". His classes are filled with laughter and encouragement. Professionally, he completed a bachelor's degree in music at the age of eighteen and later returned to school and completed an MBA while running his school. He is a proud husband and father who, when not leading music-makers, likes to take time away at Disneyland. |
Jeremy Mathews
GITC Faculty Trainer - Bolivia and Wilmington, NC
Jeremy is a native of Wilmington, NC and has been working with Guitars in the Classroom for over twelve years. He has taught music in schools and privately for over 27 years and currently teaches guitar and orchestra full time at Noble Middle School. He also travels with his family in the summer to Spain and other destinations. Jeremy plays multiple instruments, is a singer songwriter and a performer. You can find what he’s up to at www.reverbnation.com/jeremymathews , www.facebook.com/jeremymathewsmusic or go to www.bandsintown.com and search for his profile. Jeremy enjoys helping people of all ages to learn how to play music. He is patient and willing to share his knowledge and expertise with others.
GITC Faculty Trainer - Bolivia and Wilmington, NC
Jeremy is a native of Wilmington, NC and has been working with Guitars in the Classroom for over twelve years. He has taught music in schools and privately for over 27 years and currently teaches guitar and orchestra full time at Noble Middle School. He also travels with his family in the summer to Spain and other destinations. Jeremy plays multiple instruments, is a singer songwriter and a performer. You can find what he’s up to at www.reverbnation.com/jeremymathews , www.facebook.com/jeremymathewsmusic or go to www.bandsintown.com and search for his profile. Jeremy enjoys helping people of all ages to learn how to play music. He is patient and willing to share his knowledge and expertise with others.
Jody Mulgrew
GITC Teaching Artist - California
Troubadour crooner Jody Mulgrew has been accompanying his own unmistakable tenor voice with an acoustic guitar for years, first as the front man for the Johnny Starlings and for almost a decade as a solo artist. Our young students in GITC classes know him by his signature crooning song, "Cupid (Draw Back Your Bow"). In addition to his success as a songwriter, recording artist and performer, Jody has been teaching music in classrooms in San Luis Obispo and San Diego for many years. He became a teaching artist with Guitars in the Classroom serving first in our Learning through the Arts residencies, then adding special education adaptive music residencies. In 2017, Jody became a very popular trainer for classroom teachers in our after school professional development classes in San Diego. We are honored that he serves with our organization.
GITC Teaching Artist - California
Troubadour crooner Jody Mulgrew has been accompanying his own unmistakable tenor voice with an acoustic guitar for years, first as the front man for the Johnny Starlings and for almost a decade as a solo artist. Our young students in GITC classes know him by his signature crooning song, "Cupid (Draw Back Your Bow"). In addition to his success as a songwriter, recording artist and performer, Jody has been teaching music in classrooms in San Luis Obispo and San Diego for many years. He became a teaching artist with Guitars in the Classroom serving first in our Learning through the Arts residencies, then adding special education adaptive music residencies. In 2017, Jody became a very popular trainer for classroom teachers in our after school professional development classes in San Diego. We are honored that he serves with our organization.
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Julie Schultz
GITC Faculty Trainer - Wheeling, WV New bio coming soon... |
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Joan Maute
GITC Faculty Trainer - Colorado A self-described “old folkie from the 60s”, Dr. Joan Maute taught public school in Illinois for 35 years. Though she never taught music, Joan used music to teach everything. During her years as a teacher she presented at national conferences, wrote articles and taught graduate classes about writing and integrating music across the curriculum as an instructional strategy. As a singer/songwriter she has written and produced over 50 educational songs. Now retired from public education, Joan found the perfect blend of her three passions: teaching, learning, and music, in GITC. She is the Director of Education on the GITC Board of Directors and has taught GITC classes in the Lowcountry (South Carolina and Georgia) and Colorado since 2012. She loves working with teachers who continue to teach her, and is constantly thrilled as they learn to play guitar or uke and write great lyrics to well-known songs that they creatively use in their classrooms with their students. |
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Shiri Goldsmith Graziani GITC Teaching Artist - NE San Fernando Valley, CA Shiri Goldsmith Graziani has been teaching in classrooms and after school programs since 2011 and has been performing and touring domestically and even internationally as a multi-instrumentalist and front woman since 2003. After seven years as Substitute Teacher up in the Bay Area that worked extensively in the Special Education Department and teaching every other imaginable subject, she was delighted to study Kodaly Music teachers Pre- Certification Levels 1 and 2, which inspired her to delve further into Early Education Music Instruction. In addition to her work teaching Literacy through Music with GITC, she has taught music and yoga privately and in after school programs and has worked within a non- profit to teach Yoga in underserved communities within LAUSD schools. For more information about Shiri's performance life, please go to shirigoldsmith.com and sourmashhug.com." Teresa Catlow
GITC Faculty Trainer - St. Louis, MO Teresa was a K-5 special education teacher for Sunrise Elementary, a Title 1 school, where having a program like GITC has made a huge difference for her students. She started teaching 25 years ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina (home of her husband and birthplace of their first two of four children). The Catlows then moved to Santa Ana, California where Teresa worked as a bilingual SpEd teacher. Their third child was born in CA and their fourth in Iowa City. Teresa and her partner are experiencing their first year as 'Empty Nesters'; luckily GITC attracts birds of a feather. Teresa, like the GITC family, believes music can be a magical ingredient for student growth. She began teaching her first GITC ukulele songwriting class in January 2019. |
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Tracy Wayne
GITC Faculty Trainer - West Virginia Teaching is her passion and Tracy says she has been delighted to be able to teach music for over 30 years. In her GITC classes teachers and students sing, dance, play ukuleles, guitars and percussion instruments. They also have some important fun learning traditional Bluegrass music in addition to a wide range of other musical traditions, helping to preserve and pass down American music culture. Tracy holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Counseling. |
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Quinn Fitzpatrick
GITC Faculty Trainer - Northern California; Whidbey Island, Mulkiteo, WA Quinn is a professional musician who has been teaching full-time, private and group guitar lessons for over 15 years. A transplanted New Englander, he moved to California after receiving a degree in music. He teaches guitar privately and also teaches group classes at various educational centers, high schools, colleges and universities. Quinn currently teaches guitar classes and private lessons online and in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. He started teaching with Guitars in the Classroom in 2005 and now serves as a Regional Director for Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. His goal is to inspire as many teachers as possible to play music and make learning fun. Quinn is a versatile, encouraging and patient instructor who teaches all styles, ages, and levels. His intent for every student is to have a solid foundation, be inspired, and play the music they love. Teachers are always his favorite students. When Quinn’s not teaching, he plays solo fingerstyle acoustic guitar at the most beautiful locations in the area. Quinn is an award winning top-tier wedding and event guitarist. He provides beautiful guitar music creating the perfect ambiance for any occasion. For more information or to hear Quinn’s music please visit - www.quinnfitzpatrick.com |
Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom shares our "SmartStart" Open Tuning approach through books that are available for sale to the general public. SmartStart Guitar is available from Hal Leonard Publishing. Smartstart Ukulele is available from Korg/Soundtree.
However, our GITC programs encompass much more than an instrumental approach to beginning guitar and ukulele. Only certificated GITC faculty members teach music integration that includes employing music making and song-based learning to enrich and deepen literacy and math learning, social-emotional growth, cross-curricular connections, and more. An official GITC program must be taught by one of our trained and certified faculty members. Anyone else saying that they are teaching Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom may be using some version of our instrumental approach to teach music in some way. They are not providing endorsed or official GITC training. For example, Special Olympics uses our method in Arizona and Texas. and they are calling it Unified Ukulele. This is not a GITC endorsed program and we cannot endorse their work since we are not involved- but we are glad they are sharing music with Special Olympians.
If you want to check on someone's standing with our organization or alert us to possible copycat programs, we ask that you please REACH OUT HERE. Thanks so much for the help keeping our charitable work safe and ensuring the quality of GITC instruction!
However, our GITC programs encompass much more than an instrumental approach to beginning guitar and ukulele. Only certificated GITC faculty members teach music integration that includes employing music making and song-based learning to enrich and deepen literacy and math learning, social-emotional growth, cross-curricular connections, and more. An official GITC program must be taught by one of our trained and certified faculty members. Anyone else saying that they are teaching Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom may be using some version of our instrumental approach to teach music in some way. They are not providing endorsed or official GITC training. For example, Special Olympics uses our method in Arizona and Texas. and they are calling it Unified Ukulele. This is not a GITC endorsed program and we cannot endorse their work since we are not involved- but we are glad they are sharing music with Special Olympians.
If you want to check on someone's standing with our organization or alert us to possible copycat programs, we ask that you please REACH OUT HERE. Thanks so much for the help keeping our charitable work safe and ensuring the quality of GITC instruction!
SAN DIEGO (Our Hub, Hearth & Home)
Jess Baron
James Clarkston
Julia Cole
Dan Decker
Sharon DuBois
Gingerlily Lowe
Desirée Robles
Patti Steele
Lorraine Turner
LOS ANGELES
Christopher Clarke
Aurora Franck Thompson
Shiri Goldsmith
Maria Ochoa
Ana Robles
MORE CALIFORNIA!
Jennifer Blok
Marianne D'Emidio Caston
Marion Davison
Gail Dreifus
Brittan Egnozzi
Quinn Fitzpatrick
Spencer Goad
Janice Hubbard Lindsey
Cherie Moraga
Marianne D'Emidio Caston
Michael Hemsworth
Nancy Longsworth
Eli Wise
ARIZONA
Linda and Gerry De La Torre
Jared Woosley
COLORADO
Joan Maute
Linda Emmerman
KANSAS
Amanda Johnson, Olathe and Kansas City, KS
MISSOURI
Terrie Catlow
NORTH CAROLINA
Jeremy Mathews
VERMONT
Linda MacFarlane
WEST VIRGINIA
Tracy Wayne
Andrea Sullivan
Julie Schultz
WASHINGTON STATE
Quinn Fitzpatrick
Jess Baron
James Clarkston
Julia Cole
Dan Decker
Sharon DuBois
Gingerlily Lowe
Desirée Robles
Patti Steele
Lorraine Turner
LOS ANGELES
Christopher Clarke
Aurora Franck Thompson
Shiri Goldsmith
Maria Ochoa
Ana Robles
MORE CALIFORNIA!
Jennifer Blok
Marianne D'Emidio Caston
Marion Davison
Gail Dreifus
Brittan Egnozzi
Quinn Fitzpatrick
Spencer Goad
Janice Hubbard Lindsey
Cherie Moraga
Marianne D'Emidio Caston
Michael Hemsworth
Nancy Longsworth
Eli Wise
ARIZONA
Linda and Gerry De La Torre
Jared Woosley
COLORADO
Joan Maute
Linda Emmerman
KANSAS
Amanda Johnson, Olathe and Kansas City, KS
MISSOURI
Terrie Catlow
NORTH CAROLINA
Jeremy Mathews
VERMONT
Linda MacFarlane
WEST VIRGINIA
Tracy Wayne
Andrea Sullivan
Julie Schultz
WASHINGTON STATE
Quinn Fitzpatrick