Stanton Cobbs - Guitar, Digital Recording / Songwriting / Composition
Bachelor Degree in Social Sciences and Education from University of Northern Colorado. Collegiate studies in music theory and jazz.  Owner of Summit Sound Studio; has recorded local commercials and local artists.  Experienced in sound design and composition with Spokane’s Interplayer Theater.  Member of Board of Directors for Thin Air Radio.

Stanton Cobbs is the Instructor for Digital Recording, Songwriting and Composition. Mr. Cobbs has been a private music instructor for over 10 years at Holy Names Music Center. He specializes in teaching all styles of guitar and voice. He is also the owner and operator of Summit Sound Studio, a state-of-the-art digital recording studio located in Tum Tum, Washington.

Mr. Cobbs has composed and produced a wide variety of original musical compositions. He has also composed music and designed the sound for the 2001-2002 season at Interplayers Theatre. His compositions include pieces for acoustic guitar, vocals and band. He has been teaching music for over thirty years and has performed in Spokane since 1981. Mr. Cobbs graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 1972.

Nick Schauer – Guitar, Music Theory I & II, Jazz Improvisation
Nicholas is a graduate of Central Washington University holding a “Broad Area” Bachelors of Arts Degree in Music with emphasis on Music Theory & Composition.  He has professional performance experience in various genres such as reggae, rhythm & blues, rock & jazz and has led and played in many ensembles in Western, Central & Eastern Washington and Idaho since 1982. He has been fortunate to have performed with such greats as Paquito D’Rivera, Don Lanphere, Bruce Babad, Reuel Lubag, Joe Johanson, Carmen Bradford, Marcus Duke, the Coasters, the Platters, & the Shangri-La’s.

Nick has been teaching guitar for nearly 30 years, the last 3 here at Holy Names Music Center.  Along with guitar, Nick is also the resident music theory instructor teaching both Music Theory I (beginning) and Music Theory II.

“Since each student has come to music in a different way and has varying experiences, I cater instruction to each on an individual basis.  We all have music and songs we want to be able to perform.  After all, isn’t that why we as musicians begin the process of learning to play?  I offer patient, custom instruction to beginners and ”real world” concepts and skills for the intermediate and progressive improvisational elements for the advanced student.” -Nick Schauer

John Paul Shields - Guitar, Songwriting / Arranging
John Paul Shields is a performer, composer, and instructor with over 14 years of professional experience. A graduate of the University of Washington classical guitar program, John Paul has performed worldwide in a colorful array of settings, from public festivals in Peru to Seattle’s esteemed Benaroya hall to live on radio and television. A passionate musician dedicated to the lifelong pursuit of learning, John Paul plays multiple genres of music with ensembles of all types and sizes, including classical chamber music, concertos, contemporary jazz, garage rock, and even West African pop.

Most recently, John Paul’s career moved him to Peru, where, in addition to his performances and teaching, he studied the rich intricacies of Andean folk music. John Paul worked with several renown musicians in Peru, including Frank Collazos, Luis Salazar Mejía and the legendary Ayacuchan guitarist Raúl García Zárate, who was chosen as one of the 100 most influential people in Latin American culture.

In addition to his Peruvian folk music studies and classical repertoire, Mr. Shields also composes for classical and contemporary solo guitar, including music for commercials, videos, and art exhibits. He is currently assembling and recording his compositions into an up-coming album, while teaching at the Holy Names Music Center in Spokane, WA. Web page: http://www.johnpaulshields.com/

Cello | Clarinet | Double Bass | Fiddle | Flute | Guitar | Outreach | Percussion | Piano | Saxophone | Trumpet | Viola | Violin |  Voice |