M eet  Our  Team!

click    here  to   meet  our
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 student   Teachers!

Elijah

Elijah is  an owner and manager  here at Stickandstrum! You might find him behind the desk, fixing something,  or sending you an email! Elijah  has 5 years of experience in  retail and retail management  prior to joining our team, and he is wonderful at everything he does. Elijah's greatest music al talent  is creating an awesome playlist. 

A few fun facts about Elijah:   he enjoys playing golf, disc golf and   hiking with his wife, Kat.   His favorite drink is Sun Drop and he loves a good  bowl of Cheerios.

Kat

Meet Kat! Kat is  an owner of Stickandstrum Academy who teaches guitar, piano, ukulele, banjo, & more! Kat has been apart of Stickandstrum Academy since 2015. She has been teaching for over 5 years and loves working with students of all ages. Kat and her husband Elijah own and manage Stickandstrum and Serendipity Studios, their second location in McCalla. In addition, she leads worship at her church and performs live music at venues, weddings, and other events all across town!

A few fun facts about Kat: she loves going hiking and exploring with  her husband, Elijah, and their two dogs!  Kat also loves hot dogs and cookie cake!

Kat does such an amazing job here at Stickandstrum and we are so thankful for her!

SaM

Sam teaches drums, guitar, and piano at  Stickandstrum Academy! He developed his love for music at a very young age and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology from UAB. While in college, he co-founded Iron Giant Percussion, a quartet that performs and writes chamber music, works hard to collaborate with other musicians, and puts on educational programs. Iron Giant has performed with many experimental rock musicians as well as several world renowned percussion groups!

Sam has also performed percussion in many musical theater productions with companies such as Red Mountain, Birmingham Children’s Theater, Birmingham Southern, and UAB. He has been teaching in the greater Birmingham area since 2009. 

A few fun facts about Sam: When he isn’t playing music, Sam enjoys being outside with his dogs Artie and Butters, and has been deeply involved with Camp McDowell for most of his life.

matthew

Matthew teaches all things band! He also works with audio and production students. Matthew is a graduate of Samford University with a Masters of Music in Instrumental Performance. He was a band director for 6 years before attending Samford. He is also an audio engineer for his church.

A few fun facts about Matthew: In his free time he enjoys hiking with his wife and puppy and playing golf with his brother. 

Ryan

Ryan   teaches acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar and drums here at Stickandstrum! Ryan plays gigs and shows all over the  greater southeast. He has played in multiple nationally acclaimed jazz bands and classical ensembles.  He also studied music  and played in the band at the University of North Alabama. If you know any Mongolian throat singers - Ryan would love  to  get in touch.  

A few fun facts about Ryan: he is  a certified   scuba diver and  a  professional whistler.     

Anna  KAte

Anna Kate is one of our teachers and receptionists! She teaches ukulele lessons and Pre-K classes! Anna Kate has been performing locally for about 2 years and leads worship at her church's youth group. She also plays the guitar! When it comes to music, songwriting is one of her passions. Her favorite band is Fleetwood Mac and her favorite genres of music are alternative and classic rock. 

A few fun facts about Anna Kate: She loves Star Wars and hopes to move to Nashville one day!