Teaching Philosophy
“I believe first and foremost that music should be fun.    The study of music teaches us to be creative, disciplined and passionate people.  It involves a lifetime of learning and growing.  The most important elements of music are melody, rhythm and harmony.  I teach students these subjects by showing them how they are used in songs, both contemporary and older.  I also want to expose students to the history of music so they have a deeper understanding of how it evolved over time.  I want my students to leave their lessons feeling inspired to practice and create.  I want to see them go out and play with other people and share their music with the world."

Travis teaches in our Nashua and Bedford locations


Guitar Lesson with Travis Shelby

Christie Kaklamanos
Christie is a piano instructor for North Main Music.  Propelled by a passion for musical productions and singing, Christie began playing the piano at the tender age of five.  As well as teaching piano, she continues to develop musically, singing in a women’s choir, participating in local area musical productions and teaching children to sing.  Christie is a recent graduate of Rivier College where she earned a degree in Elementary Education.

Teaching Philosophy
"As a teacher, I believe every student benefits by understanding and mastering the basics.  The students build the foundation to their piano playing technique and then they naturally progress to playing the music that interests and excites them.  Piano is all about practice and patience; in order to achieve success you have to expect to make some mistakes.  I love to see the smile on my students’ faces when they understand the lesson content and make a connection."

Piano Lesson with Christie Kaklamanos

Shea Ellis
Shea teaches guitar and mandolin for all ages and levels at North Main Music.  His insatiable musical thirst has led him to study numerous guitar styles such as rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and fusion.  Shea holds a BA in History with a concentration in Music from the University of Maine at Farmington.  In college he was lucky enough to study electro-acoustic music composition and recording under Dr. Steven Pane, and came away with a wealth of knowledge in the field of digital audio recording.  Shea also studied guitar under Fred Zinkgraf and blues master Dan Hudson and has won awards and acclaim for his skills in improvisation.  When he isn't teaching he performs regularly around New England with his original indie rock band, "Old Abode."  In his spare time he enjoys playing classical mandolin and finds himself perpetually striving to achieve the ultimate guitar tone.

Teaching Philosophy
Every player has their own goals and idea of what they want to be as a musician.  To achieve these goals it takes time, dedication, and practice.  But who says it can't be fun?  I strive to make every lesson unique to the player, and to focus on what I believe to be the four foundations of great musicians: rhythm, tone, phrasing, and technique.  I truly want to help my students fall in love with performing music.

Shea teaches in our Nashua location

Guitar lesson with Shea Ellis

Jacqueline Ward – Voice and Piano Teacher
Jackie Ward teaches voice and piano to students of all ages at North Main Music.  She graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Watertown, WI in 2008 with a B.S. in Music Education for general and choral music for Kindergarten through 12th grade.  Jackie and her husband, a science teacher, live in the Nashua area.  Jackie enjoys singing with the Nashua Symphony Chorus, local worship teams & church choirs, and is excited about beginning a children’s choir in her community.  She teaches group music classes to pre-schoolers at her local library, and currently teaches general and choral music for K-8th Grade at Nashua Christian Academy.

Teaching Philosophy
“As a music educator, I believe that music is a cross-cultural language that all people are entitled to learn and experience at any age.  It is vital for aesthetic, historical, cultural and other educational values.  Musical knowledge and performance aids in critical thinking skills, concentration, self-discipline and, most importantly, self-expression. Through the study of music, all students develop knowledge and skills that prepare them to experience the power of music in human existence.  Along with these goals, I personally endeavor to make vocal, piano and general music instruction a fun, enjoyable experience that students can identify with on a personal level.”

Vocal Lesson with Jacqueline Ward

Jason Latham
Jason has been playing guitar for nearly twenty years and has a diverse interest in styles that range from American roots music, to modern rock and instrumental fusion.  His passion was ignited by playing in his Tucson, AZ, high school music programs, and later, the Tucson and Phoenix area band scenes.  With experience teaching in vocational settings Jason honed the skills needed to teach a range of students from beginners to advanced players.  Jason’s ability to combine these teaching skills with a true passion for many types of music makes him a great resource for anybody who wants to learn how to play the guitar.  Jason currently plays in a professional praise and worship band, a local hard rock band, and he performs solo acoustic roots shows.  He stays busy writing and recording his own musical projects, as well as keeping availability open for studio session work with other musicians.  Jason also plays and teaches lap-style slide guitar, open tunings, and finger picking techniques.

Teaching Philosophy
With my students I always stress the four “Ts”: tuning, timing, touch, and tone.  With these skills mastered, you will always sound good, - without them, you will never realize your potential.  I encourage students to play with everyone and anyone, and to explore their instruments using different types of music, different techniques, and different equipment.  Most of all, I keep students motivated by encouraging the fun and friendship music has to offer.  I want them to know that music lasts a lifetime.

Guitar Lesson with Jason Latham

Jeff Samataro
Jeff has been studying and performing music for over 11 years now. He just recently graduated from The Berklee College of Music in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in music performance. Jeff has studied with great teachers such as Dave Dicenso, Kenwood Dennard, Ralph Peterson Jr, Jon Hazilla, Bob Tamagni, Mark Walker, Terri Lyne Carrington, and BSO percussionist Richard Flanagan. Jeff primarily plays jazz, funk, blues, and rock but also enjoys playing classical percussion instruments as well. Jeff can be heard playing with his Boston based band Moss Points North and can also be seen playing at local jazz and blues venues around New England.

Teaching Philosophy
“I emphasize total relaxation and effortless playing. The drums are a very physical instrument and it’s important not to burn all the gas in your tank with tension and unnecessary motions. I also encourage playing with awareness of all that is going on around you while playing with a group. One of the smartest things I ever did as a drummer was to learn how to play the piano! It’s important to not just be a drummer, but a musician and the more you know about what’s going on around you the better you’ll be.”

Jeff teaches in our Nashua location

Drum Lesson with Jeff Samataro

Teaching Philosophy
“I believe that we all have musical abilities and consequently deserve opportunities to pursue and to develop our innate talents, whether they be rhythmic, harmonic, melodic, or all of the above!  Music allows us not only to express ourselves through a universal language, but also to further develop our critical thinking and listening skills, and to build upon our understandings of human history and culture throughout the ages.  Most importantly, music is fun!”