Monica Margolis
Monica Margolis, CEO is a champion of the middle voice and as such she has been regarded as the vocal coach to the stars of today and tomorrow. Growing out of a strong foundation with over 10 years of instruction from Seth Riggs coupled with classical training from the Windward School of Music; Monica crafted the Monica Margolis Vocal Method. With the Monica Margolis Vocal Method she has taught vocal mechanics to singers, actors, dancers and speakers for over 20 years. She has worked in theater and film, appeared in variety shows, worked as a voiceover artist and was chosen as Musical Director for the West Coast Dance Theater
Students will no longer need to fly in from around the country and around the globe for “The Monica Margolis Vocal Method” to experience the revolutionary approach to vocal training and technique. Learn directly from Monica over the Internet or come into our sensational new teaching facility. The Monica Margolis Vocal Method gets results! Monica works not only with our associates but has on occasion and by request trained other instructors to employ the Monica Margolis Vocal Method. Monica believes there are no secrets to singing properly. When you use proper vocal mechanics you will find exactly what you are looking for…healthy singing! By using natural speech level voice, evoking smile muscles, eliminating stress and pressure from the vocal chords, the student can learn to rely on diaphragm for support and power.
Monica is a seasoned professional. Her students have been seen on shows including: Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Teen Choice Awards, Late Night with David Letterman, E!, Apollo Kids, ect. Other publications include: Time, People, Tiger Beat, and Pop Star Magazine. Monica’s clients work with A-list producers such as Tim Kelly/Bob Robinson (Baby Face, Boys 2 Men, and Destiny’s Child) and the Wizard of OZ production company (Ricky Martin)!
Royce Nelson
Royce is a young upbeat country artist. In 2004 she won a Golden Globe for singing background vocals on a song sung by Mick Jagger for the movie "Alfie" called "Old Habits Die Hard". She has recorded demos and back-up vocals for many producers, such as Dave Stewart, songwriters Lois Blaisch and Karen Tobin, and artists including Mick Jagger and Sheryl Crow. She's performed in places such as the House of Blues, The Rainbow Room, The Los Angeles Equestrian Center and most recently Dodger's Stadium, where she sang the National Anthem for a home game. She has been a member of a girl group called Blush and another group called Image. She started dance at the age of two, forcing her to perform in front of large audiences. She's fronted many bands of many styles including Top-40, classic rock, country, blues, jazz... Royce is currently shopping her material and a record contract is in the near future. She's a small girl with a big voice striving to be heard. She's only at the beginning of a long wonderful journey
Melinda Lima
Music is an integral part of Melinda Lima’s life that has culminated into a Masters Degree in Education. She started in musicals during elementary school and was always involved with choir at her church until finally she was invited to help lead the choir as a teenager. She took piano for seven years and that has contributed to her continued interest in teaching voice at Powerhouse Music Lessons as piano is an important part of ear training. She continues to take lessons for voice with Monica Margolis and enjoys putting together pieces of her own experience to create an environment that is comfortable for her students. All of her background has helped with the Christmas program last year and all of throughout programs for various performances last year. She is excited about this year’s students and the programs they will be involved in.
Carley Oates
Carly is a native to California and has been performing her whole life. Prior to studying with Powerhouse’s CEO, Monica Margolis, she studied with Billy Hufsey, of the hit television show Fame. Currently, Carly is a working actor in film, television, and theatre. She has he has been teaching with Monica Margolis for over three years and has been with Powerhouse since its beginning. Carly specializes in working with children and brings Powerhouse Music lessons to you in the comfort of your home. She is extremely happy to be a part of Powerhouse Music Lessons and looks forward to meeting you soon!
Michelle Ostrove
Michelle (Martin) Ostrove is an experienced voice and piano teacher, specializing in younger children; raising a child with special needs taught her to think out-of-the-box with child instruction. “I love to use fun and creative methods for teaching children.” Michelle’s early musical roots were inspired by her mother who is a professional singer. By the age of five, Michelle was performing on stage, in front of large audiences in the Boston area. At age 7, she studied piano and music theory with Virginia Ambrose for many years. Moving to Phoenix for her freshman year of high school, she formed her own three piece band (Desert Sand) that performed in the Phoenix area. The trio began writing and performing their own songs. She attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Science in Tempe, Arizona and studied voice with Vic Caesar; she has performed at the Gamage Auditorium, Red River Opry, and the Sun Devil Stadium in Phoenix. Her mother and father encourage her to have a back-up plan, so she attended the University of Phoenix and received her BSBM and her MBA. In 2000, Michelle moved to Los Angeles and joined AFTRA while pursuing her music career. She studied voice with Seth Riggs and sang with the bands “Celebration,” “Gateway” and “Destiny.” Her desire for working with children and her passion for music has lead her to “Powerhouse.” Michelle has worked with: Diana Ross – Multi Platinum Recording Artist, Al Wilson – Recording Artist with a hit song: “Show and Tell”, Gaynel Hodge – Co-author of “Earth Angel” formally with the Platters, Ray Anthony – Orchestra Director, Geordie Hormel II – Hormel Studio, Andy Waterman – Andy Waterman Production, Kelly McGuire – Midnight Hour Recording, Vic Caesar – Recording Artist, Composer, Actor, Soundtrack, credits include the soundtrack for “Bare Knuckles”, Joel Samuel – Joel Samuel Productions, Ira Lavin – Lavin McCauley Production, credits include Dick Van Dyke, The Salvation Army, and the Boys and Girls Club.
Matthew Bagasao
Pianist Matthew Bagasao made his first orchestral concerto debut at the age of nine and has continued to thrill audiences with "performances of depth and passion". He has played in numerous concerts on both coasts of the United States, Canada and Europe. After receiving a fellowship from the La Gesse Foundation, he performed both solo and chamber music recitals in the La Gesse Music Festival in Toulouse, France as well as Weil Hall at Carnigie Hall. He was also involved with the First Annual Philippine-American Jazz Festival in Hollywood. Mr. Bagasao has performed in master classes for renounced artist and pedagogues such as John Perry, Luiz de Moura Castro, Leon Fleisher, Lief Ove Andeses, Jerome Lowenthal, Menahem Pressler and Ann Festival (Blue Hill, Maine) ARIA International Music (London, Ontario) and the TCU-Cilburn Piano Institute (Fort Worth, Texas). He has taught piano in between his extraordinary career and his own pursuit of study. His teaching emphasizes a strong foundation in classical music which includes basic technique and fundamentals, sight reading, and theory. From this, students are able to easily learn and play different styles of music. His style of teaching is based on the student’s personality and interests both in and outside of music. To simplify and amplify the understanding and enjoyment of music is the main goal
Olga Dvornikova
Olga Dvornikova was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She has studied violin and piano since the age of four. She received her professional instrumentalist diploma from the Kharkiv Specialized Music School in Ukraine and Her Bachelors degree in violin performance and piano performance from Minot State University where she studied with Dr. Dennis Simons. Olga Dvornikova has performed in numerous Orchestras and in many solo performances. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in music.
Pietro Nicassio
Pietro Nicassio, born in 1969, has firmed his love of the Cello by dedicating himself to the study and performance of the instrument throughout his lifetime. As a graduate of the Conservatory of Music “Nicolo Picinni” of Bart, Italy, Mr. Nicassio also engaged in playing with the Orchestra Musical ARS of Maestro Vincenzo Pannarale as well as the Conservatory. Pietro Nicassio placed second at the Da Camera Quartet in Locorotondo and also participated at the Chorus and Orchestra of the University of Bari. Mr. Nicassio was distinguished when named first cellist of the Harmonia Association’s concerts. As the cellist Pietro Nicassio played a concert form of Bizet’s “Carmen” with the Mediterranean Philharmonic at the Sheraton Nicolaus Hotel as a presentation of the Bari Cultural Assessorate. He has played with the Orchestra da Camera “The Apulian Soloists” proposed by the Interprovincial Association of the Territory of the Trulli of Alberobello and the Grottos of Castellana. Simultaneously, Mr. Nicassio played for the Sedile Chorus of the University of Bari, in concerts for instruments and chorus of the Aula Magna of the Cooperation among People offered by the Province of Bari graced by Mrs. Tara Gandhi. We are graced by Pietro Nicassio presence in our Powerhouse Music Lesson program as he has a passion for his instrument and a desire to develop students who share his interest. Besides Italian, Mr. Nicassio also speaks Spanish and English.
Zane Musa
Twenty nine year old saxophonist Zane Musa has performed and recorded with some of the nations finest musicians. As a band leader Zane has performed at LACMA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the LA Society Band Tribute, the Bellage, The Westin Hotel and many local clubs in the LA area. Zane has also has the opportunity to perform at the Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival, IAJE conventions in Atlanta, and New York, the Lincoln Center, and the Syracuse Jazz Festival. Zane has worked along side such artists as Roy Hargrove, John Mayor, Christina Aguilera, Macy Grey to name a few. For two years, Zane was a member of the house band on the Carson Daily Show for NBC. Zane’s debut album was released in 2005 under a new label called Straight Ahead Records founded by world renouned recording master Bernie Grundman and Stuart Levine (producer-Simply Red/Dave Samborne/Jamie Cullum/Crusaders). While rooted in Jazz, Zane is currently trying to bring forth a combination of R&B/Pop songs for his new project to be released soon.
Phil Ernst
It was during his time spent at the Grove School of Music that Phil Ernst inadvertently came up with a method of diagramming chords which would later become the cornerstone of his teaching technique. In an effort to mentally compartmentalize the numbers of chords he was required to fully demonstrate knowledge and control of, Phil wrote the major scale out not in notes but in degrees of the scale. “Since I understood the formula of building chords I could map out the chord that I needed to play even if I had never seen or heard if that chord before.” Phil took his system to his professor Dick Grove who listened to his approach and responded, “That’s good thinking”. Phil later realized that this mapping system of the degrees of scale are not only useful to him but would lend themselves to the scores of students that he teaches and from there became the Phil Ernst Method; Chord Mapping
Phil’s history of working bands performing originals continues on to this day. Meanwhile, Phil has continued his education individually with monster studio player Carl Verheyen. He progressed from a top 40 band called Solid State covering the beach cities perfecting his craft and to original bands to showcase bands working as a sideman for hire. Phil played with a number of singers and bands over the years. A few of them were; The Gabriel Black Band, Kris Colt, Tim Mank, Alana Sweetwater, John McAdam, The Blessed Devils, The Resonators, Christal Campbell, Electra, Lee Lowe and the Rhythm Slaves
Teaching finally trumped touring. For 15 years Phil’s natural style of communicating techniques used to create sounds and his ability to deal with an emergent artists need to play one thing or another puts Phil Ernst in a class of distinction. By mirroring his own philosophy to music, Phil teaches his students to conceptualize music theory proactively so that not only can they be great guitar players, but great music creators. As one student put it, “He doesn’t just teach his students rote, instead he challenges us to build from what we already know to make our own music choices!”
Jared Canchola
Jared Canchola, guitar teacher, loves to watch people who have never played the guitar grasp the fundamentals and begin to improvise. Jared is a homegrown Powerhouse teacher and attributes his real advancement to Phil Ernst Powerhouse’s head guitar teacher and COO. Jared started his pursuit of learning guitar in 1995 and seven years later started teaching in 2002. Jared’s band history has focused on Blues, Rock and Metal. Jared is among the best of teachers at Powerhouse Music Lessons as evidenced by his schedule of loyal students
Stan Smith
Stan Smith is a self-taught guitar player with a life-long passion for the instrument. He has been playing since the age of 11, and has been in numerous rock bands that have performed at venues throughout Los Angeles. For the past 20 years, Stan has taught at various music stores and private schools, and has been a proud member of the Powerhouse family for the past year. Stan has an individual approach to teaching in which he assesses each student's abilities and goals and institutes a fast-results approach that develops the skills and confidence necessary to achieve greater understanding and mastery of the guitar. Stan enjoys teaching all levels and all styles, and loves nothing more than to share his passion for playing and help his students become the kind of guitar players they have always wanted to be.
Stephen Kamada
Stephen Kamada began his pursuit of guitar at the age of twelve in San Diego. Throughout his career he was blessed with the guidance of several different instructors. At sixteen he started gigging with artists three times his own age. At eighteen, Stephen was invited to perform at "Street Scene," San Diego's biggest music festival where he was subsequently interviewed and befriended by music critic George Varga. Having played in bands and studio projects in the styles of blues, jazz, classic rock, metal, folk, funk, and alternative music. At the age of twenty-two Stephen decided to move up to Los Angeles and was ushered into the studio with whom he recorded with many independent artists in addition to legendary bassist, Dave Carpenter, on his last recording ever. Presently, he splits his time between being a guitar teacher, on call session work for jazz/fusion drummer David Lynch and producer for pop/rock artist Nick Gedo as well as composing for his own jazz/fusion power trio
Christal Campbell
Christal Campbell is a third generation musician who grew up in a musical household with parents who toured performing country gospel music. She began playing the guitar and writing songs at the age of fourteen and has played in many venues all across the Pacific Coast including the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR, The Rainbow Room, The Brasserie Les Voyous and Genghis Cohen Songwriter’s Showcase in LA, The Foothill in Long Beach and Lestat’s Theatre in San Diego among many others. Moving to Los Angeles, Christal decided to improve her vocal skills by attending lessons with Powerhouse’s head vocal coach Monica Margolis. She is now happy to be a part of the Powerhouse family, splitting her time between running the front desk and teaching guitar lessons
“Radiator” Rick Mohr
Rick started playing harmonica at the age of 17. Almost 40 years later he’s still blowing hard!Rick has studied under Lee Oskar, Chris “Hammer” Smith and Paul Barom. Rick has performed with many bands including his own band Radiator Rick & the Coolants. Rick plays many styles including Rock, Country and R&B but Blues are his main interest