Private Lesson Teachers

tcgilkey@comcast.net

Carol Gilkey teaches flute lessons at AVHS. Ms. Gilkey, adjunct instructor at Normandale Community College, is an active flute teacher in the Twin Cities; she believes it is important to teach to the individual learning style and level. She is the first director of flute choirs in the Twin Cities, arranges and publishes flute technique books and flute choir music. Her students have obtained membership in to GTCYS, MYS, All-State Band and Orchestra, and music scholarships to colleges.  Degrees earned include a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music from DePauw University.

maeda@stolaf.edu

Dana Maeda graduated from St Olaf College with a Bachelor of Music degree in oboe performance and instrumental education. She currently teaches oboe students and woodwind techniques at St. Olaf College. Dana performs with the Rochester Orchestra and is a founding member of the WindWorks Woodwind Quintet. She teaches oboe lessons at her home in Eagan.

acdetwiler@gmail.com

https://www.arieldetwiler.com

Ariel holds three degrees in Bassoon Performance: a DMA from the University of Minnesota, an MM from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, and a BM from DePauw University. Her primary teachers have included Norbert Nielubowski, William Ludwig and Kara Stolle. Ariel performs regularly as a freelance musician in various bands, orchestras, musical pits, and collaborates in many chamber music groups. An in-demand soloist, Ariel has recently performed three times with local groups. Ariel won the DePauw University Concerto competition in 2010, and in 2018 she won the second annual Wind Ensemble Concerto competition at the University of Minnesota; she then went on to perform as a soloist with the Encore Wind Ensemble and the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra. With a lifelong passion for music education, she maintains her own private studio of more than 20 students and holds the position of adjunct professor of bassoon at two universities in Minnesota: Augsburg University and Northwestern University of St. Paul. As a doctoral student, she taught the Woodwind Techniques course for three years at the University of Minnesota. 

Ariel's teaching philosophy is centered around a positive music mindset and open awareness of oneself in order to become a master problem-solver. Her students are regularly chosen for honors ensembles and youth orchestras, with well-rounded technical abilities and a beautiful warm tone. Ariel's passion is spreading the knowledge of the bassoon with those who don't know much about the instrument, helping band directors recruit students, and creating access for students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to study the bassoon.

melissaLmorales6@gmail.com

Dr. Melissa Morales is an avid chamber musician and educator from New Orleans, and a doctoral graduate of The University of Maryland. She served as the clarinetist for the Washington D.C chamber music collective Potomac Winds from 2016-2020 and 2nd clarinet with the Apollo Orchestra from 2017-2022.

In addition Dr. Morales has performed with several prestigious groups including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Annapolis Opera, Annapolis Symphony, The Balance Campaign, Chicago Summer Opera, in recital as part of the Riverdale Chamber Music Society, National Music Festival--Resonance Chamber Series, and various conferences in America, Belgium, and France.

She is a graduate of University of Maryland, DePaul University, and Louisiana State University. She has studied with Robert DiLutis, Julie DeRoche, Larry Combs, Stephen Williamson, and Wagner Campos.

scorujojon@aol.com

Scott Johnson teaches saxophone lessons at AVHS. In addition to teaching, Mr. Johnson performs as a freelance saxophonist throughout the twin cities area. Mr. Johnson works with students of all learning levels in both classical and jazz saxophone. He has coached several students into various honor bands, All State, and music scholarships. 

riley.h.helgeson@gmail.com

Riley Helgeson is a freelance trumpet player and composer based in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN.

Helgeson has toured North America and Europe with Sonny Knight and the Lakers, Friendly Fires (UK), and his own project, McNasty Brass Band. He has also performed on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” with Minneapolis-based McNasty Brass Band. His performances have been broadcast on MPR, The Current, and "The Lowertown Line" at Twin Cities PBS.

Other notable performances include shows at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts (MN), Fitzgerald Theater (MN), the Armory (MN), First Avenue (MN), the Fonda Theater (Los Angeles), The Fillmore (San Francisco), Monterey Jazz Festival (CA), Rochester Jazz Festival (NY), Saratoga Springs Jazz Festival (NY), Twin Cities Jazz Festival (MN), Winnipeg Jazz Festival (MB), and Pori Jazz Festival (Finland). He serves on the jazz faculty of Shell Lake Arts Center, WI, and maintains a private trumpet studio in the Twin Cities, MN.

Helgeson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Trumpet Performance from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Website: www.rileyhelgeson.com

dostal@frontiernet.net

Ms. Dostal is a former band director in District 196. In 2017, she was named the Minnesota Music Educator of the Year. She plays the french horn in the Medalist Concert Band in Bloomington. She gives horn lessons at her home in Apple Valley.

joshuabeckermusic@gmail.com

An Apple Valley HS alum, Dr. Josh Becker teaches low brass lessons for AVHS students in his home studio, 10 minutes from AVHS. His students have won competitions and earned placement into state honor bands such as MBDA 9/10 and MMEA All-State, and national groups such as the NAfME All National Honor Band and Music for All Honor Band of America.

Dr. Becker teaches elementary band in District 196 and is Instructor of Low Brass at Carleton College in Northfield. He is a substitute musician with the Minnesota Orchestra and is a member of the JazzMN Orchestra. Dr. Becker is also on the faculty of the Shell Lake Trombone Workshop during the summer.

reid.j.kennedy@gmail.com

Reid Kennedy teaches percussion lessons at AVHS. Mr. Kennedy is a percussionist, composer, and arranger currently involved with the Twin Cities music scene. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in music education. His expertise focuses on all areas of percussion: snare, mallets, timpani, and drumset. He has produced numerous All State students from his teaching. His original music has appeared on Fox, Showtime, Starz, The Learning Channel, and WCCO television.

jaj1751@gmail.com

Jack Johnson is a versatile percussion educator and performer with extensive experience in both teaching and performance. Originating from Waseca, MN, Jack earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an M.M. from Kansas State University. During his time at Kansas State, he served as a percussion graduate teaching assistant, where he led and arranged for the Kansas State Marching Band drumline.

Currently, Jack is an Instructor of Music at The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, specializing in Drum Set and Percussion, and serves as the Director of Percussion at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, MN. He is also the Director of the River City Rhythm Indoor Drumline and the Battery Caption Manager at Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps in Diamond Bar, CA.