Private Lessons
Click here for information about cost, payments, financial aid, length of lesson, etc.
Fill out this form to get your student enrolled in lessons and to find out if you qualify for a lesson scholarship!
Why Take Private Lessons?
Whether your student is a beginner working on foundational skills or a more advanced student wanting to take their musicianship skills to the next level, private lessons are the way to go! Students who enroll in private lessons will get to work one-on-one with our experienced private lesson instructors (keep scrolling for teacher bios). This opportunity is invaluable as it helps students to build experience and higher self-confidence in playing their instrument which will not only help them to enjoy playing their instrument more, but it will also undoubtedly spread to other areas as well.
Benefits of Taking Private Lessons
- higher self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-discipline
- personalized attention from an experienced musician
- greater student accountability
- greater efficiency while practicing an instrument individually
- greater enjoyment of playing a musical instrument
- doors will open to even greater playing opportunities
- pursue individual student interests in music
- helps to provide a sense of identity
- reduce frustration
Numerous research studies have shown the following for students involved in musical activities:
- higher overall academic test scores
- improve problem-solving skills, math and reading comprehension, memory, and concentration
- learn the value of teamwork and leadership
- improve hand/eye coordination, thus strengthening physical/neural pathways in the brain
2021-2022 School Year
Cost of Private Lessons
| Aubrey ISD | Other DFW Schools | |
| 22 Minutes (Half the class period) |
$10 | $18 |
| 30 Minutes | $15 | $20 |
| 45 Minutes | $25 | $30 |
The AISD Band Budget and the Aubrey Band Boosters will be paying $5 towards each lesson that our AISD students take. This will bring the cost down significantly for our band families. You will not find prices like these anywhere else!
There will be an additional opportunity for further assistance on a first come, first serve basis for those who qualify. Please click on “AISD Private Lesson Program Information” above for more information about scholarships.
Private Lessons Staff
FLUTE INSTRUCTOR
Alyse Hokamp is a flutist and teacher specializing in performance preparation. She has taken over 20 professional orchestra auditions since completing her Master’s degree in Flute Performance (University of North Texas, 2012). The foundation of her career is building confidence through overcoming musical challenges- a journey she has found to be deeply and personally meaningful.
Alyse began teaching privately in 2009, during her graduate studies. In 2021, she began a mentorship program for young professional flutists. The mentorship is designed to create a collaborative and safe environment for flutists to discuss and explore difficulties specific to our profession beyond the performance aspect- including, but not limited to, mental health, career building, and financial issues.
A self-taught pianist and organist, Alyse has also served as a church accompanist since 2013. When she is not practicing or playing with her two young children, she enjoys sewing her own clothes and doing yoga.
OBOE AND BASSOON INSTRUCTOR
Sidney Maurice is an Atlanta native and attended school in Marietta where she began her bassoon studies at the age of 11. Throughout her years in public school, she participated in the All- State Band, Honors District Orchestra, and District Band. She attended Georgia’s Governor’s Honors Program in 2017 and received the John Philip Sousa Award upon graduating from high school.
Ms. Maurice has been teaching private lessons since 2016 and has also worked as a pit orchestra musician. She has been on staff with the Cobb County Middle School Band Camp as well as the SASI Leadership Camp. Sidney is also involved in Marching Arts. She has been on staff with Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia and Wakeland High School in Frisco, Texas as well as been on the teaching staff and served as Drum Major for the University of North Texas Green Brigade.
Sidney is currently studying at the University of North Texas pursuing a degree in Music Education. She is a bassoon student of Dr. Darrel Hale, Kathleen Reynolds and Dr. Jorge Cruz, and has attended master classes with Eric Varner, Amy Pollard, and Barrick Stees. Sidney also actively takes oboe lessons with Dr. Johnathan Thompson and Jo Darmond. During her time at UNT she has performed with the Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Chamber Music studies and has worked with Dr. Andrew Trachsel, Daniel Cook, Dr. Nicholas Williams, Dennis Fisher, and Brett Penshorn. Sidney has professional affiliations with the Texas Music Educators Association, Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Young Band Directors of Texas.
CLARINET INSTRUCTOR
Naz Mendoza graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Texas in 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Music Education with a concentration in Clarinet.
During his college years, he was a member of concert bands under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Enrico Williams and Prof. Dennis Fisher while also receiving his lessons studying under Prof. Daryl Coad.
While at UNT, Mr. Mendoza enjoyed marching with the “Best Band in the Land,” the Green Brigade, for 3 years. His extracurricular activities in college include being a member brother and former treasurer of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He also participated in the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps as an Euphonium auditionee.
Growing up in Frisco, TX, he achieved many honors, including 2015 Marcher of the Year and being a 3x TMEA All State Band Member. He was also a part of the Jazz Band, Full Orchestra, and a member of the National Honor Society.
In his free time, Mr. Mendoza loves spending time playing the occasional video game, watching movies, Netflix, and cheering on the Dallas Mavericks.
SAXOPHONE INSTRUCTOR
Michael Davis is a performer and educator specializing in classical saxophone based out of Denton, TX. Michael graduated from the University of Iowa with a BM in saxophone performance with high distinction in 2016. Michael went on to study at the University of North Texas where he completed his MM in saxophone performance with a related field in music theory in 2017 and his DMA in saxophone performance with a related field in music and medicine in 2020. During his time at UNT, Michael was a member of the saxophone section of the renowned UNT Wind Symphony, served as a saxophone teaching fellow for two years, and conducted research on saxophone related occupational health problems with the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health.
Michael is currently the adjunct instructor of saxophone at Oklahoma City University where he instructs graduate and undergraduate saxophonists and leads the saxophone ensemble. In addition to his duties at Oklahoma City University, Michael teaches private lessons throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
HORN INSTRUCTOR
Mary Haddix is a horn player and music educator from the central Kentucky area. She now resides in Denton, TX, where she is a DMA candidate at the University of North Texas as a student of Dr. Stacie Mickens. In the spring of 2021, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with her M.M. in Horn Performance at the University of Kentucky, where she studied with Dr. Margaret Tung and assisted the horn studio. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.M. in Music Education and Horn Performance from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018, where she studied with Dr. Mick Sehmann. At the University of North Texas, Mary is a member of the Wind Symphony under the baton of Eugene Corporon, the Symphony Orchestra, the Horn Choir, and the Elite Horn Octet. Other ensembles she has appeared with include the UK Symphony Orchestra, the UK Wind Symphony, the UK Horn Choir, the UK Graduate Brass Quintet,
the EKU Symphony Orchestra, the EKU Wind Ensemble, the Video Games Live Orchestra, the EKU Marching Colonels, the Louisville Philharmonia, the Madison Community Band, the Kentucky Intercollegiate Band, and the Sacred Winds Ensemble.
Mary is an avid music educator, and has held private and group teaching positions with the Madison Central High School Band, George Rogers Clark High School Band, Bourbon County High School Band, Oldham County Schools, and Scott County Schools. Mary has kept a private studio that includes middle and high school horn students from Madison, Fayette, Clark, Scott, and Bourbon County, as well as a virtual studio that includes students from Kentucky, Ohio, and Washington. Many of her students make regional and state ensembles, and regularly receive distinguished ratings at State Solo and Ensembles Festival. She has also served on the KMEA All-State First Round Horn Judge Committee for District 7 for the last four years. Mary served as the State President for the Kentucky chapter of Collegiate National Association for Music Educators in 2017 and 2018. In 2015, Mary won the Mary Hinkle Scholarship Competition, and the following year won the Josephine Walker American Music Competition at EKU. She is a graduate of the EKU Honors Program, the Kentucky Governors School for the Arts, and has attended several chamber music festivals including the Spectrum Brass Institute at BayView Music Festival, the Marrowstone Music Festival, and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.
TRUMPET INSTRUCTOR
Abby Ward is a trumpet player and music educator in the Denton, TX area currently pursuing a M.M. degree in trumpet performance at the University of North Texas. Originally from Western Kentucky, Abby completed her B.M. degree in music education at Murray State University in Murray, Ky. During her undergraduate studies in Kentucky, Abby was an active performer and music educator in the Western Kentucky area as well as across the country.
Since starting her Masters degree at the University of North Texas this Fall, Abby was selected to the UNT Wind Symphony under the baton of Eugene Migliaro Corporon, the Concert Orchestra conducted by Clay Coutouriaux, Brass Quartet, and has helped form a trumpet ensemble comprised of graduate trumpet students that will be competing in the National Trumpet Competition in the Spring. In addition to these university ensembles, Abby is also a performing member of the Denton Brass Collective, a recently formed All-Female brass ensemble composed of high-caliber players from the Denton, TX area.
During her time at Murray State University, Abby was selected as principal of the MSU wind ensemble multiple times. Abby also performed in the Murray State Jazz Orchestra, Brass Choir, Brass Quintet, Trumpet Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Symphonic Band. While at Murray State, Abby was a recipient of many honors, awards, performance-based scholarships, and performed in several festivals, honor bands, and competitions. Abby was selected as 2nd chair in the Kentucky All-State Intercollegiate Band as a Sophomore, performed at the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, and the Kentucky Music Educators Conference, and was a four-time Semifinalist in the National Trumpet Competition. In addition to being an avid performer in Kentucky and across the country, Abby also has extensive experience as a music educator in Kentucky. Abby is Kentucky certified to teach K-12 Music Education and has taught at many schools in the Western Kentucky area. Abby completed her Student Teaching and Practicum teaching assignments at Hopkinsville High School, Pembroke Elementary School, Murray Middle School, and Heath Middle School, all located in the Western Kentucky area. In addition to these, Abby also taught as a high brass marching band instructor and lessons teacher at Daviess County High School, Calloway County High School, Christian County High School, Hopkinsville High School, all located in Western and Central Kentucky. In addition to performing and teaching during her undergraduate degree, Abby was also very involved in other extracurricular activities at Murray State. Abby is an alumnae of the Women’s Music Fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota, served as Drum Major of the Murray State University Marching Racer Band for three years, performed in the MSU Pep Band, and performed in the Murray State Community Band for all four years of her undergraduate career.
In high school, Abby was a two-time Kentucky All-State Symphonic Band member and was selected to the 2016 All-National Honor Band in Grapevine, Texas.
LOW BRASS INSTRUCTOR (trombone, euphonium, tuba)
Tylar Bullion is a Denton, TX based trombonist with a diverse musical background and affinity for helping others accomplish whatever it is they seek to do. Originally hailing from the mountains of East Tennessee, he found his love of music through church music, bluegrass, and his incredible public school band directors
Actively pursuing the inclusion of all musical styles in performance, he has enjoyed performances with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra (where he enjoyed performances with Greg Tardy, Delfeayo Marsalis, Brian Lynch, and Jeff Coffin) and the Holland Symphony Orchestra alike. In addition to jazz band and orchestral work, Bullion has performed in a cornucopia of theatrical productions, contracted musical services, was the trombonist of the Western Michigan University Graduate Brass quintet (2016-2018), and featured soloist with the Cereal City band. Additionally, Bullion was the winner of the 2015 USAF Band of the Golden West audition for both the principal trombonist of their wind ensemble, as well as lead trombone for their jazz band. Bullion can also be heard on the Vance Thompson’s Five Plus Six record “Such Sweet Thunder,” Ramajay Intercoastal’s “Jamboulé,” and Cereus Bright’s “Winds of Change.”
As a teacher, Bullion has held a private studio for 10 years; many of those students went on to place in regional and state competitions, and of those, several have received music scholarships at universities in the Southeast. He has given masterclasses at several universities and public schools, as well as guest recitals. He was also the instructor of record for Trombone Methods at Western Michigan University from 2016 through 2018. Bullion served as Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke during the 2019-2020 school year, and currently serves as a Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas.
PERCUSSION INSTRUCTOR
Kyle Skinner is a senior percussionist at the University of North Texas receiving his bachelor’s in Music Education. While at school, he has studied with Mark Ford, Paul Rennick, Sandi Rennick, Chris Deane and Lauren Teel. He has performed with the 2’o clock Steel Band, the Wind Orchestra, the Green Brigade marching band, the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, and many more.