Chattanooga, Hixson, TN - Music Lessons

Jon Colston - Director Of MIS & Guitar Instructor

Jon co-founded MIS along with Chris Goforth in 2004. In June of 2005 Jon became president of MIS and sole owner of MIS. Since that time Jon has increased the staff and moved into a larger facility. In 2007 the Hixson Tennessee location opened and is growing.

Jon has been teaching over two decades. He has toured professionally throughout the south. Has recorded with Michelle Young on her Marked For Madness album. Check out Jon's website.

Steve Brehm - Guitar & Piano (E Brainerd)

Originally from Chattanooga, has been playing guitar for thirteen years. He recently earned his bachelors degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Throughout his life he has studied and performed in a wide range of different styles from rock, jazz, and classical to name a few. He is currently active composing and arranging music for solo nylon string guitar.

Chris Morrow - Guitar (Hixson & E Brainerd)

Bio coming soon

Amy Smitty - Piano - Clarinet - Guitar (Hixson)

Bio coming soon

Sean Cloud - Drums (Hixson)

Originally from Southern California, Sean began playing the snare drum over thirty-five years ago in the fifth grade. Within a year, he had his first drum set and taught himself to play along with his favorite records (the large black CD looking things).

In Junior High School, he joined the school concert band and began to get formal training in drums and percussion. In his freshman year of high school he joined the San Bernardino High School Marching Band where he marched in several half-time shows and parades throughout Southern California. In 1972, Sean moved to Oregon and continued to play with the high school concert and marching bands. The highlight of this period is when he toured the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia as the drummer with the Brookings-Harbor High School Swing Choir. In addition to his time spent in the school music departments throughout his youth, Sean played with a couple of club bands and many "garage bands." It was in eight grade when Sean played his first paying "gig" with his band called "The Now Vibrations," performing at an elementary school ice cream social. They played for the "tip jar."

In the late 70s and 1980s, Sean lived in Louisiana and played for area bands and singer/songwriters such as David Simons and Julieann Banks. He also performed with the Harmon Drew Band which toured the south. During this time, Sean also recorded in studios in Dallas, Texas and Bossier City, Louisiana and then onto Nashville for songwriter showcases.

It was in 1979 when he first gave drum lessons Sean was delighted to be able to pass along his experience and education to young drummers with the same enthusiasm he remembered from when he first started out.

Sean's experience in music has spanned many different styles and venues. His influences came from many great drummers. In his early years, his focus was on rock drummers such as John Bonham, Neal Peart, Ian Paice and Phil Ehart. Later on in life he began listening closely to the great jazz and studio drummers like Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Joe Morello and Dave Weckl. He attended Buddy Rich concerts and Steve Gadd clinics usually on the front row with his mouth wide open in awe. Sean studied rudimental jazz with Hines Williams, a Shreveport, Louisiana drummer and instructor.

Sean moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1991 and has played with many local bands. Sean joined the staff at Music Instruction Studio where he teaches private drum lessons. You can also find him behind the drums during the contemporary services at church.

Click here for his web site.

Adam Blevins - Drums (Hixson & E Brainerd)

Adam began playing drums when his parents bought him private lessons for his eighth birthday. He studied snare drum, drum set and concert percussion with Chip Hancock for eight years while playing in the concert, jazz and marching bands at Ringgold Middle School and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School. At the age of sixteen, he began studying with Dr. Monte Coulter. He spent the next six years with Dr. Coulter honing his skills on Timpani, four mallet marimba and other aspects of concert percussion. He attended UTC, where he performed with the jazz band, marching band, symphonic band, wind ensemble, percussion ensemble and several student run ensembles. After leaving UTC, he studied under Creig Harber and Tom Knight at The Atlanta Institute of Music.
Adam has performed professionally with The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Chattanooga Church praise team, and numerous local bands with many diverse styles including: pop-punk, alternative, rock/hard rock, jazz, latin, ska, funk and soul. His influences include: Gregg Bissonette, Danny Carey, Steve Gadd, Josh Freese, and many others.

Linda Price- Piano & Voice (Hixson & E Brainerd)

Linda graduated from Grand Rapids School of Bible & Music in Michigan. She has 25 years of experience in directing choirs (adult and children, working with ensembles and many small music groups. She has taught piano and voice both privately and in a performing arts school. Linda likes to focus on teaching correct and basic vocal and piano techniques, while developing an individual's style and confidence in their performance. She has experience working with young adults in the area of music competition (i.e. Riverbend and other local contests.) She helps individuals select their music and also works with them on presentation and delivery of their music. Linda also performs as a soloist in the Chattanooga area and is a member of a southern gospel mixed quartet.

Michelle Young - Voice & Songwriting (E Brainerd)

Michelle trained classically at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and has since become an established singer/songwriter/musician in the world of Progressive music, having been included in the 1997 book “The Billboard Guide To Progressive Music” and featured on the cover of various European Progressive music magazines. She performs regularly in Germany with Rudi Buttas of the band “PUR”, and her extensive recording career currently includes two solo albums, the second being recorded mostly in England, and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London. She has worked with several outstanding musicians, including Doane Perry (Jethro Tull), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Pete Banks (ex-Yes), John Wetton (Asia, King Crimson), Michael Sadler (Saga), Steve Walsh (Kansas), James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Rudi Buttas (PUR), Peter Freudenthaler (Fools Garden), Jon Colston, Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon), Oliver Wakeman, and many others. Michelle uses a contemporary approach in her vocal lessons, incorporating classic vocalises and singing techniques with modern singing applications.

Checkout Michelle's website.

Cindy Solfest-Wallis - Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone and other wind instruments. ( E. Brainerd)

More to Come

Tom Johnson - Guitar (Hixson & E Brainerd)

More to Come...

Katie Talley- Piano-Voice-Kids Choir (Hixson & E. Brainerd)

Katie Talley brings a lifetime of experience, training and passion to her music. A former music teacher at Tennessee Christian Academy she received her B.A. from Lee University School of Music. Katie is also an alumnus of the Lee University Campus Choir, under the direction of Dr. David Horton and Dr. Mark Bailey, Lee University Choral Union, under the direction of Dr. William Green and the vocal studio of Mrs. Virginia Horton. But, her passion for music began long before college. As a child Katie performed regularly in musical theater and performances in both ministry and show choirs through adolescence. Most notably, Katie is an alumnus of various award winning choral ensembles from her home state of Ohio, winning multiple awards for small ensemble, large ensemble and small choir. Specializing in teaching private and group voice, beginning piano, choral music and both private and group music theory lessons, she brings a variety of musical experience to her lessons including classical, sacred, jazz, contemporary genres for both solo and group performance.

Rachelle Steele - Piano, Violin, Cello, & Viola
(Hixson & E Brainerd)

As a young person, Rachelle Steele enjoyed playing violin, viola, and cello in various school and church orchestras. She attributes much of her ability to concentrate and excel in what she does today to those early music education experiences. For this reason, Rachelle is a passionate and encouraging teacher, with a heart to see every one of her students excel. She began accompanying church and youth choirs at only sixteen years old, while touring much of the West Coast, including outdoor arenas in the beautiful Redwood forests of California, where she was able to hone her acoustic folk guitar skills. After graduating from Biola University in La Mirada, California with a major in Christian Education and a minor in Piano, Rachelle went on to accompany and lead various children’s, youth and adult choirs in California and Colorado. Aside from Tennessee, she has taught music in San Jose, California and Colorado Springs, Colorado, where one of her violin students took first chair in the Children’s Symphony Orchestra. She is currently a member of Abba’s Army, the adult choir at Central Baptist Church of Hixson. One of her passions is to join with other church choirs every year in an annual Worship Chattanooga event sponsored by the Nehemiah Project. Rachelle has found this event to be a marvelous way to connect with the community through music, dance, and other creative arts.

Roman Penney - Bass (Hixson & E Brainerd)

Roman is the bassist for Coy. Check them out here.
More to come....