Justin Dempsey
Drums, Band Aid Workshop, Jam Night
Justin has been studying the art of playing drums for 25+ years, and received a Performance Degree in Percussion from Musicians Institute in 2005. He has been an instructor at Music Freqs since 2008.
In Justin's drum lessons, he teaches his students technique, basic fundamentals, coordination, reading rhythms, rudimental concepts and patterns in creative ways. Justin encourages his students to create their own music and prepares them to play music with others. He has also written and recorded over 20 different play along songs offered in a virtual classroom for his students to learn drumming in all styles of music and offer his students a chance to play the songs live with him in their lessons or even record their drums to the song and have a professional sounding demo. Justin heads our Band Aid program and has been teaching it for almost a decade. As our music director, Justin has created programs here at Music Freqs including Jam Night, Master Blaster, and Boom Shaka.
Justin has built a huge reputation from playing extensive tours in over 40 different countries and has recorded 10 full length albums for 7 different record labels as well as a handful of EPs and singles. He has also appeared as a session musician on many artists' recordings in the Ventura County and LA area. Justin has done session work that has appeared on programs like ESPN.
Hector Lopez
Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele (Bilingual English & Spanish)
Hector holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Therapy from California State Northridge and an Associate of Arts degree in Music from Ventura College.
Hector has been in music since he was 8 years old and has been teaching music since 2012. Hector performs with our longtime instructor, Oscar Rivera at Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Camarillo as well. Hector's great deal of experience spans many genres by performing in classical and jazz music ensembles as well as several local bands over the years.
Clare Welch
Voice, Piano
Clare holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Clare was always drawn to music and instruments as a child and began formal viola lessons at age 10. That was just the beginning of her music journey and her love for music grew greatly from there. As the years passed, Clare began learning piano and participating in formal vocal training. While in college, she was a part of the Cal Poly Symphony in which she had performed at many symphony and choir concerts, musical theater productions, commencement ceremonies and more. She has even traveled to England in a choir group she was a part of. From Cal Poly’s Music Department, Clare was awarded the "Cal Poly Music Department Memorial Award” and "Moon Ja Minn and Paul Suhr Opera Award". Clare always felt as though she was called to music and is grateful to be able to share and use her gift everyday. She is a compassionate and patient teacher and likes to cater to each student’s needs and also tries to make her lessons fun. Clare believes good technique applies to all styles of music so she focuses on finding what type of music my student enjoys so each student is more motivated to practice on their own in between lessons, which is necessary for mastering any instrument.
Liana Rodriguez
Voice, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Songwriting
Liana's musical journey started early, beginning with piano lessons at age 8. Voice, guitar, and ukulele soon followed, fueled by an innate love for music and inspired by artists like Taylor Swift. Her passion deepened throughout her childhood, flourishing in choirs from age 12 and culminating in classical vocal studies in college. This dedication is reflected in her education. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Arts Performance from California State University, Northridge, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Music Industry Administration. Liana's not just a performer; she’s a songwriter currently working on her debut 5-track EP!
Liana's teaching experience is as diverse as her musical talents. She's been an assistant teacher to preschoolers, led summer camps, taught private and group lessons in voice, piano, guitar, and ukulele, and even led a musical theater camp! Her background isn't just musical – she's performed in everything from high school musicals and college operas to professional caroling gigs.
But what sets Liana apart is her approach. Students blossom in her welcoming, confidence-building lessons where "mistakes" are simply learning opportunities. Her students will tell you she's enthusiastic, encouraging, and dedicated to helping them find their own joy in music.
George Blecher
Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Surrounded by music his entire life, George formally started learning music at age 10. Exploring music was inevitable for him as his dad worked in the music business. George began his music career in middle school playing tuba and then guitar, keyboard, recording methods, and jazz and blues music. George earned an Associates Degree with an emphasis in music from Moorpark College.
During his professional career, George received the 2015 Reno Jazz Festival Soloist Award. He has performed at hundreds of events including weddings, private parties, quinceañeras, and corporate outings. He has also performed at venues across Southern California including The House of Blues, The Roxy, The Whiskey Go Go, Viper Room, Dragonfly, The Mint, The Satellite, The Fonda Theater, Echoplex, and The Hotel Cafe in a variety of settings. George studied with such great artists as Don Randi, the owner of the Baked Potato in Los Angeles, Andrew Synowiec, multi-faceted musician with credits in the blockbuster film Frozen (including “Let It Go”) and Brendan McMullin Composer/Arranger, Trombonist College Music Professor and Band Director. Most recently, George has been studying with trailblazer Horace Bray who has become a staple in the New York music scene, playing regularly with John Splithoff, Michael Blume, and Sirintip.
George is a multi-dimensional music educator, teaching professionally since 2014. He is a motivated and empathetic instructor. George focuses on music fundamentals while exposing his students to a variety of sounds. He emphasizes that the student knows their music style preferences and that they listen to new music types daily. George keeps the lessons incredibly engaging. Students will be learning a musical skill set that can be applied to everyday life. He also incorporates note reading, ear training, and technique study. He focuses on habit building and creating routines that will bring great results.
Andilyn Ziegler
Voice
Andilyn's passion for music began at a young age, blossoming into a well-rounded musical journey. Her powerful voice took center stage at a young age, captivating audiences with renditions of the national anthem at various sporting events. Andilyn began taking lessons at Rock City Studios (now Music Freqs) at the age of 7, making her one of the longest students we’ve had! Her musical exploration extended beyond solo performances. Andilyn actively participated in numerous theater productions and joined a Vocal Harmony Girl Group, captivating audiences throughout Ventura County. Choir has also played a significant role in her development; she has been involved since her freshman year of high school, even serving as choir president.
Music Freqs students might recognize Andilyn from the Band Aid program, where she not only lent her powerful vocals as the lead singer but also mastered the bass guitar in her current band, SPAM. Performing alongside fellow Music Freqs instructors Summer and Jason, SPAM has graced stages throughout Ventura County, including prestigious events like the PVRPD Summer Concert Series, the Strawberry Festival, Port Hueneme Beach Festival and more! Andilyn's pursuit of musical excellence continues at California Lutheran University, where she's majoring in Music Production with a focus on vocal performance. Her passion extends beyond the stage as she serves as a vocal worship leader for her worship ministry and her experience as a full-time childcare provider has equipped her with valuable insights into the needs of young learners.
With her extensive musical background, dedication to teaching, and infectious enthusiasm, Andilyn is poised to inspire the next generation of Music Freqs vocalists.
Drew Karperos
Voice, Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Drew has been interested in music for as long as he can remember but started taking formal guitar lessons at age 8 due to his childhood obsession with Jimi Hendrix. At 16, he started playing guitar professionally and began to write his own original music. Soon after, Drew began teaching music, and he has now been teaching for 7 years. Drew attended Natomas Charter Performing and Fine Arts Academy from 6-12th grade, where he specialized in music.
From there, he attended the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in World Music and a minor in Music Industry. At UCLA, he was a Regents Scholar, which is UCLA’s most prestigious scholarship, awarded to the top 1.5% of applicants. He was awarded the scholarship based on his guitar performance.
Drew has played in a wide variety of genres and has performed in a variety of world music groups including a mariachi band, a salsa band, a Middle-Eastern music ensemble, a traditional Irish band and more. He has also played guitar for a variety of pop/hip hop/R&B artists: Jessie Berg, Heather Cole, Charlie Korman, and Megan Jade. Drew has worked at two recording studios, NRG Recording in North Hollywood and Sol7Post in Encino. He also works as a freelance songwriter and writes for various artists as well as for film and television.
Drew continues to write and compose music for himself as a singer-songwriter in a variety of genres as well: mostly pop, country, R&B, and rock. In Drew’s teaching style, he likes to incorporate a variety of techniques. He often teaches theory and ear training through the lenses of popular songs or songs that his students ask to learn, firmly believing there is a lesson to be found in any piece of music. He also likes to incorporate nontraditional pedagogical methods from his time learning world music.
Dylan Cerminaro
Bass, Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Flute, Saxophone
Dylan’s primary instrument is the bass, however, his first instrument was actually the flute in which he learned to play in the 3rd grade. Dylan originally wanted to be a concert flutist until 2007 when his friend’s band needed a bass player. He immediately fell in love with the bass and since then it’s been his primary instrument. Dylan attended Musician’s Institute in Hollywood for Bass Performance and has been playing bass (and sometimes the saxophone!) in his band, Two Brothers, since 2015 alongside other longtime Music Freqs teacher & recording studio technician: Max Dickenson. Two Brothers has released an EP and 2 Full Length Studio Albums, the latest one recorded here at Music Freqs. Bass is an underrated instrument and since it is Dylan’s main instrument, he makes sure to teach it in an exciting way by showing his students how to play different techniques and styles they want to learn as well as some they might not know about yet. Note - if you’re a bass player you’ll always get a gig and a band to play in as people don’t realize how cool this instrument is!
Summer Jones
Voice, Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Summer began her interest in music as a toddler experimenting with music and sound. She began formal music lessons at the age of six. As a longtime student at Music Freqs taking lessons from multiple instructors, she began our Band Aid Program led by our own Justin Dempsey in 2019. Summer plays in our two student bands: ‘No Idea’ and ‘SPAM’ performing at several events around Ventura County including the Port Hueneme Beach Festival, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Parks District events, The Collection at Riverpark events, and more! Her band ‘SPAM’ even opened up for PVRPD’s Summer Concert Series in 2022 and played in front of thousands! ‘No Idea’ is now performing professionally at local restaurants and venues such as the El Rey Cantina, Twisted Oak Tavern, Copper Blues, The Majestic Ventura Theater and more! Since 2022, Summer has been a Music Freqs intern here helping at our Music Store, running the ticket booth for our events. She transitioned to be a “student teacher” for our Jam Night classes and more. Summer is passionate about introducing young students to music, and she strives to create a safe and encouraging environment in which to grow her students’ love for music. She is a patient and fun teacher who is great for any beginner in music.
Megan Jade
Voice, Piano, Songwriting
Megan is a professional singer/songwriter who earned her Bachelor of Arts from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. She graduated a year early with Dean’s List Honors as a World Music major with a minor in Music Industry. Megan has been singing and writing songs for as long as she can remember, but her first time singing on stage was at age 5. When she turned 14, Megan attended John Burroughs High School and joined the advanced singing group which was what the show Glee was based on.
After finishing school, Megan worked for the app TikTok and started releasing her own original music on major streaming platforms. She has since co-written songs professionally for other artists in addition to writing and co-producing her own music. She performs regularly at various Los Angeles music venues. Megan has been teaching music for about six years and specializes in a wide range of genres and songwriting/vocal styles. She focuses on incorporating core music theory and technique into music that her students are passionate about learning.
Max Dickenson
Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin, ProTools, Songwriting, Band Aid Workshop
Max has been playing music since he was 7 years old and has over 10 years of teaching experience. He graduated in Audio Engineering from Musicians Institute in 2013. Max combines music theory and songwriting within his classes.
Outside of teaching, Max is the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in local experimental rock band, "Two Brothers".
His teaching philosophy is to make sure that each student is having fun and reaching their musical goals while remaining inspired. Max is also our in-house recording studio engineer!
Austin Monzon
Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Austin has a Performance Degree in Guitar from Musicians Institute and started playing guitar at age 5. Austin can teach all levels of essential guitar techniques from chords to shredding and soloing. Austin is also able to teach music theory, songwriting, stage performance, and can provide a better understanding of music gear & guitar maintenance. Austin is able to connect with kids of all ages and adults. He loves to make his lessons fun and catered towards what his students are interested in learning in music.
Austin is multi-talented and is also our Lighting Engineer for shows and one of our in-house Guitar Luthiers! Besides teaching, he is also the lead guitarist in local metal band Disrupted Euphoria!
Oscar Rivera
Piano, Guitar, Bass (Bilingual English & Spanish)
Oscar Rivera is a long time accomplished musician with 25+ years of teaching experience. He has been an instructor at Music Freqs since 2009. Oscar graduated with a B.A. in Music from California State Northridge University. He has also studied classical/jazz guitar with Matthew Greif (from LAGQ) and has received Master Class training from Dusan Bogdanovic and Elliot Fisk among others. Oscar specializes in guitar, bass, voice, music theory, composition, improvisation and piano. Currently, Oscar is the Spanish Choir director at St. Mary Magdalene in Camarillo. He also performs on a regular basis in Ventura, Santa Barbara & Los Angeles counties either as a solo guitar player, as an accompanist or with various ensembles. His preferred styles of music are Classical, Rock, Jazz, Latin and anything with a beat.
Hannah Ribble
Traditional Voice, Specialty Rock/Extreme Voice, Stage Performance
Hannah grew up singing and performing. She began singing as soon as she learned to speak. She teaches a very wide variety of vocal styles from clean to rock. Hannah also has the unique special ability to teach harsher metal vocals if requested. Hannah focuses on the physical conditioning aspects of singing including posture, projection, widening range, breath control and physical endurance for stage performance work. She relates her lessons for vocals to an exercise class rather than just a regular vocal lesson. Hannah believes correctly singing is a full body endeavor. Hannah provides very clear, easy to follow exercises and procedures for her student’s to be able to project loudly and obtain the widest range they can in the most safe and controlled way. Hannah is currently the lead vocalist for three local bands and has been performing and recording professionally since 2015. One of her bands, together with our instructor Austin, Disrupted Euphoria, has won Best Metal at the Ventura County Music Awards multiple years in a row. If you’ve ever seen Hannah perform live you would know that she can amazingly sing beautiful clean vocals while seamlessly transitioning to her harsh metal vocals and back again. She is able to do this and maintain a healthy voice due to using the same vocal techniques she teaches her students.
Jason Maser
Drums
Jason has been a longtime student of Justin’s at Music Freqs and graduated from Justin’s lesson program. Jason was interested in continuing his drumming journey by serving as a substitute drum teacher here at Music Freqs. Jason earned a reputation as a great instructor and is now accepting his own students. Jason began learning music simultaneously through his middle school band program in which he played the clarinet. He also played in his high school jazz band and marching band. Jason has had a front row seat to observe how Justin has taught him drums over the years. This instructive blueprint and advice from Justin heavily influenced Jason’s teaching style. Jason's style revolves around teaching his students the various aspects of drumming while still keeping it applicable and engaging. He starts with the fundamentals and applies these to songs his students enjoy to keep it exciting for them. As his students advance, they will build on these existing fundamentals and learn new skills along the way to build upon their drumming knowledge. Jason is also in local band “Black Moon Lilith" that is actively performing in Ventura County and has opened for national touring acts.
David Werre
Drums, Piano
David graduated from Musicians Institute with a degree in Drum Performance, and was awarded the Outstanding Student Award in 2017. David has a wide experience with playing a large range of musical styles from rock, pop, hip hop, country, ska, jazz, reggae and more. Strongly committed to the instrument, David is a versatile drummer who also plays a variety of percussion instruments such as the cajon and kashakas to name a couple. David learned to play the drums at age 10 and has studied with drum educators such as Mike Johnston, Rob Carson, Fred Dinkins, and Frank Briggs. He is also the drummer of local band, Dr. Infinity who was awarded Best Jazz Band at the 2019 Ventura County Music Awards.
Jeremy Kohnmann
Piano, Guitar, Bass
Jeremy earned his Audio Engineering, Live Sound and Production degree from Musicians Institute in Hollywood. He was inspired to take on music by his grandfather who initially taught him guitar. Jeremy has been playing guitar for 25+ years. Jeremy’s extensive musical background has led him to piano for which he provides beginning lessons to his students as well. Jeremy toured with several international touring bands over the years. Additionally he has been hired as a studio musician for a variety of different bands. Jeremy is also a skilled Guitar Technician and Luthier over the past 10+ years and will be using those skills by offering instrument repairs and maintenance at our Music Store.
Layla Lawrence
Theatre & Acting
Give a round of applause for Layla! By day, she's our office manager extraordinaire, keeping Music Freqs running like a perfectly tuned orchestra. But Layla's talents extend far beyond the spreadsheet. In December 2023, she donned her director's hat here at Music Freqs and co-led our smash-hit musical theatre camp, Elf Jr., which completely sold out! Layla's passion for the arts is infectious, and it's a big reason why we're offering even more acting and theatre classes and camps. We're lucky to have her! But wait, there's more! Layla earned an elementary school teaching credential with a focus in the performing arts, and her love of music started young from her musical family. Music eventually led her to the stage, which is her true passion. She even co-owns a local theatre company! As a mother of two, Layla is dedicated to the belief that arts education is vital for everyone, especially children. She feels honored to be part of Music Freqs, an organization that helps bring the joy of music to Ventura County.
Our Team
Brett DeCarlo
Owner
Brett DeCarlo began working in music professionally when he was 14 years old. His first job was at Sonora Recorders. After 2 years with Sonora he moved to Rumbo Recorders where he quickly rose to the role of Assistant Engineer at a very young age. Brett was born into a music family and grew up in and around the music business. Brett served as a touring musician for several bands before focusing on his own project as the main songwriter and bassist for the popular LA based rock band “Hey You.” Along the way, Brett worked with a number of producers including Mike Clink while he was signed to No Relief Records. Brett is an accomplished songwriter. Brett has written and composed music for television programs including Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, Discovery, NBC, CBS, FOX, as well as a variety of artists. Brett has the privilege of working with, and being involved in, several noteworthy projects in many different capacities. Brett is fulfilling his passion, which is supporting aspiring musicians, production and audio engineers.
Ann & Paul DeMartini
Owners
Ann and Paul took over ownership of Music Freqs (prev. Rock City Studios) in August 2014 after being approached by the previous owners of their desire to retire out of the business. Their son had taken lessons for years at Rock City and they did not want to lose what Rock City had to offer the community and agreed to take it on. Ann is no stranger to running corporations and businesses. She has been doing it for over 25 years and holds a degree in Business Management with a concentration in Accounting from Humboldt State University. Paul is no stranger to construction and building maintenance with his several years of experience in those fields. They both are major supporters of the arts, spanning several years of involvement throughout Southern California. The passion for continuing to provide a resource for aspiring musicians and independent artists is the driving force for the two of them. Their goals are to strive for excellence in everything that Music Freqs has to offer.
Chris Hernandez
Assistant Manager, Band Aid Director
Chris Hernandez started playing guitar at twelve years old. Music is his passion in life, leading him to study music for three years at Ventura College earning an Associates in Arts degree in Music. He studied from some of the greatest instructors in the County. He is educated in comprehensive music theory, ear training and jazz guitar. Over the last dozen years he has played in rock bands, blues bands and the Oxnard College Jazz Band. He is able to instruct students on reading sheet music, tablature, how to write and analyze the structure of a song, learn multiple aspects of music theory, solo using different scales and modes. Currently, Chris assumed a managerial role as assistant to our General Manager, Brett DeCarlo. His talents not only in music but in organizational management led him to coordinate our group programs and our ever expanding involvement in booking entertainment for outside events and festivals.
Layla Perez
Office Manager
Layla Perez joined our team in the beginning of 2020. She earned an elementary school teaching credential with a focus in the performing arts from CSUCI graduating in 2010. Her father is an accomplished musician and pushed Layla into learning music at age 11. Layla eventually parlayed music performance into theatrical arts, which is her real passion as she also co-owns a local theatre company, Unity Theatre Collective. Layla is a mother of two. Layla is dedicated to the idea that arts education is vitally important for all people, but especially children, and she feels honored to be a part of an amazing organization that is helping to bring music education to Ventura County. We are very happy to have Layla on our team.
Erika DeCarlo
Media Director, Photographer
Erika graduated with honors from California Lutheran University in Communications with an emphasis in Media in 2015 and has a certificate in Advanced Social Media Strategy. Erika has been working at Music Freqs since Fall of 2015. Erika currently is Music Freq's main social media content creator, and video production director. Erika started as an Assistant Director on many music videos with Rockerrazzi Filmz (2012 - 2014), in which some videos were published on RollingStones.com & Bono's One.org. She also co-produced the first ever professionally produced narrative Virtual Reality music video alongside Springbok Entertainment and New Deal Studios taking home the Best Virtual Reality Film Award at Digital Hollywood in 2015.
Johny Marston
Retail Store Manager
Johny always has had music and guitars around thanks to his dad. He got his first guitar when he was 5 and a drum set when he was 7. Johny really started taking music seriously in late elementary school when he started playing in bands with neighborhood kids and then shortly after started the band program in middle school. He continued with classical music through middle school and high school and went on to study bassoon performance at CSUN while still playing guitar and bass in a variety of bands including jazz, country, rock, R&B, and punk projects as well as others. Johny has worked at Salzer's Records and Video for about 15 years and then left to work at DW Drums in the LP Americana Woodshop building custom and boutique cajons. He has also worked on and off as a bicycle mechanic and freelance musician. Johny is also a charter member of the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra. He is an avid cyclist and has collected almost as many bikes as instruments! He loves to tinker and work on his bikes and instruments.
Kimberly Serratos
Office Assistant
bio coming soon!
Frankie Provenzano
Guitar Luthier & Repair Technician
Frankie is our Guitar Luthier & Repair Technician at our Music Freqs Store. Frankie possesses a versatile skill set ranging from restoration to heavy modifications and everything in between. Frankie began his career as a professional luthier at retail stores specializing in rare and vintage guitars - some as old as 1930’s Martin Guitars! Frankie started learning guitar and bass when he was 14, and since high school has been playing in different local bands. Since he’s been playing music, he’s always had the passion to learn how guitars worked and started learning how to do maintenance work and perform modifications on his own guitars. Within this time, he’s gained more professional music experience as a music instructor and front of house engineer for a musical theater company.
Max Dickenson
Recording Studio Engineer, FOH Engineer
Max Dickenson has been our studio engineer since 2017. Max graduated in Audio Engineering from Musicians Institute in 2013. Max also teaches ProTools & Recording, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Songwriting, Mandolin and our Band Aid program here at Music Freqs! Outside of teaching music and recording here with us, Max is the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in local band, "Two Brothers"
Michael Brown
Chief FOH Engineer
Austin Monzon
Lighting Technician
Chris Hernandez
Projection Technician
