• Private Lesson Staff
     
    Below is a list of our CTHS Band private lesson staff.  Students are encouraged to contact these fine teachers for private study.  All CTHS Band Students are encouraged to study privately on their instrument.  We are proud to offer our students a list of teachers that are amongst the finest private music educators in the state!  More information will be posted as soon as it is available.  Sign up for summer lessons now!
     
    Flute

    Lisa Book, a free-lance flutist in the DFW area, performs regularly as Principal Flutist with the Texas Chamber Music Project and the Northeast Orchestra where she also serves as Assistant Conductor and as Competition Coordinator for the Young Artists' Competition. Other performance ensembles include the Azura Winds Woodwind Quintet, TXCMP Woodwind Quintet, and the Brazos Breeze Flute Choir. Presented often as a featured soloist with the Northeast Orchestra, she most recently presented the US Premiere of Tauno Marttinen's "Concerto Espagnol" in February of 2012. Past positions include the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Iowa where she was also a featured flute soloist. 

    Lisa has been a member of the National Flute Association's Professional Flute Choir for 13 years; a position won each year by taped audition, and was featured in 2007 as the alto flute soloist on the premier of Katherine Hoover’s “Concertante Dragon Court”. She has been a featured guest artist at the Iowa Flute Festival and as a Flute Choir Specialist at the Texas Flute Festival. She has also won the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for Geoffrey Gilbert, William Bennett, Christopher Kruger and, most recently, with Jill Felber.

    An enthusiastic teacher, Lisa maintains a private studio in Fort Worth and teaches for the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw and Grandview ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç’s.

    Professional affiliations include the DFW Professional Musicians Association (Local 72-147), the National Flute Association, the Texas Flute Society, and the Texas Music Educators Association. Lisa holds a Flute Performance Degree from the University of North Texas. Influential instructors include Dr. George Morey, Judith Mendenhall, Dr. Mary Karen Clardy, and Jan Crisanti.  

    Lisa Book, flutebook@gmail.com, 817 715-5978 cell    

     

    Clarinet
     
    Tahlla Taylor

    For the past seven years, Tahlla Taylor has taught many students of varying skill levels on clarinet, flute, saxophone, piano, voice, and music theory. Every single student has come out of her lessons with more knowledge and the confidence to practice and perform in UIL, TMEA, and in their own band programs. Tahlla’s approach to teaching private lessons is simple: determine the strengths and weaknesses the student has and then use those strengths to overcome the weaknesses. This often includes a wide variety of skill testing at the beginning leading into specific exercises and pieces to challenge the student and let them grow. Tahlla not only will help students excel in music, but with taking private lessons with her students will also gain problem-solving skills, learn to work within timelines to complete projects, learn to cope with stress, and learn how to take pride in an accomplishment.

    Furthermore, the weekly focus and daily practice guide she gives to her students will help build responsibility, time management, and organization. With Tahlla’s private lessons you will feel like you are growing every lesson and finding that you enjoy music even more.

     

    Saxophone/Woodwinds

    John Stevens

    johnjstevens57@gmail.com

    (571)277-8347

    John Stevens is a professional woodwinds specialist and music educator.  His primary instruments include classical saxophone, jazz saxophone, clarinet, and his secondary instruments are flute, bassoon, and oboe. 

    Mr. Stevens began his professional music career on the east coast of the U.S. performing with The United States Army Band Pershing’s Own in Washington D.C.  While in D.C., he performed for four U.S. presidents, numerous international heads of state, and for a multitude of events at venues such as The Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts, the Lincoln Center, and the White House. 

    In addition to playing with The U. S. Army Band, Mr. Stevens performed with over 100 professional orchestras, bands and small ensembles and 9 long-running music theatre productions.  He has recorded more than 50 music projects ranging from classical to commercial music recordings to movie soundtracks.

    In 2006, Mr. Stevens moved from Washington D.C. to Texas and quickly began performing as a professional musician and educator in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

    He has been teaching private music lessons and master classes in North Texas since 2006. He serves as an instrumental adjudicator for band, and solo competitions, and has also directed numerous community music groups and ensembles.    

    Many of Mr. Stevens’ Middle School and High School students routinely earn top spots in their schools’ top bands and All Region Bands with many of his high school students qualifying for both All Area and All State Bands. Many of his students pursue music degrees in college with over 90% being accepted into their top choice school, with many of those receiving scholarships.

    In 2013, Mr. Stevens began doctoral studies at the University of North Texas.   

    He pursued a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance Degree Program with a Concentration in Multiple Woodwinds (Five Instruments). His secondary field of study was Music Theory Education.  While at UNT Mr. Stevens was a Graduate Teaching Fellow teaching Saxophone Performance and Woodwinds Methods courses to Music Education Majors.

    Prior to his studies at UNT, Mr. Stevens completed the coursework (ABD) for a PhD, earned three masters degrees, and earned a Bachelors of Music Education degree with a Teaching Certification for Music Education Grades K-12.

    For fun, Mr. Stevens can be found touring nationally with the Billy Joel Tribute Show “My Life” and taking fun day trips with his family. 

     
    Trumpet
     
    Isaac Swanson
     
    Isaac Swanson was formerly the Instructor of Trumpet and Jazz Band at Lubbock Christian University and Assistant Band Director and Jazz Director at Lubbock-Cooper Middle School. While teaching at LCU, LCÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç and LCCC, Isaac built a reputation as having some of the most unique and innovative ways to teaching trumpet and brass to all grade levels and abilities. Mr. Swanson's students have competed at the region, area and All-State levels; received scholarships into various colleges, earned graduate assistantships into universities and some have played in various drum and bugle corps. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Texas Tech University in Trumpet Performance while studying with Professor Will Strieder. While at TTU Mr. Swanson performed with the TTU University Orchestra, Graduate Brass Quintet and Jazz Ensemble I. Mr. Swanson earned a Masters of Music in Trumpet Performance and was the Jazz Studies Graduate Assistant at the University of Wyoming where he directed the Jazz III Ensemble, University of Wyoming Latin Jazz Ensemble and various Jazz combos. He learned lead trumpet playing from what many would consider some of the best lead trumpet players of our time including Bobby Shew, Roger Ingram, Brian MacDonald, Brad Steinwehe, Jon Faddis and Wayne Bergeron. In addition to lead trumpet players, Isaac has studied with Bill Pfund (former ITG President), Dr. Robert Murray (formerly of University of Northern Colorado), Dr. Scott Meredith (University of Wyoming), Al Hood (University of Denver), Steven Marx (Colorado State University), John Davis (University of Colorado at Boulder). Isaac attended the University of Northern Colorado where he received a Bachelor of the Arts in Music. Isaac is versatile in many genres of the trumpet including Lead, Jazz, Salsa, Rock, Classical and Baroque Music. 
     
     
    Horn
    Jean Bryant,  jbryant09@me.com
     
    Jean Bryant recently retired from public education after teaching 33 years.  She has taught private lessons in HEB, Allen, Wylie and Garland with many of students being very successful at the region and state level. Prior to teaching in Euless, she taught ten years at Clark Middle School in Princeton, Texas and seven years at Greenville Middle School.  During her tenure at Clark Middle School her band was selected as the 1990 T.M.E.A  State Honor Band for Class C Middle Schools.  In 1994 the Clark Middle School Band was once again selected as 1st runner up for the T.M.E.A. Honor Band for Class C Middle Schools.

    She received her B.M.Ed. and Masters degrees from East Texas State University.  Mrs. Bryant is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Phi Beta Mu and PTA.   She has taught summer band camps at Texas A&M in Commerce, Tyler ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç and Plano ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç. She is an active clinician and adjudicator in Texas.  Past honors include Teacher of the Year, Who’s Who Among Teachers-nine times, Distinguished Music Alumni–ETSU, Outstanding Young Women of America, Notable Women of Texas and Outstanding Senior in Music Education.

    Trombone/Euphonium/Tuba
     
    Marty Kobuck 
    (940) 594-7303
     
    Marty Kobuck is currently serving as Low Brass Instructor for ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç. Prior to that, he served as Instrumental Music Director at North Central Texas College for 13 years. Mr. Kobuck has over 20 years of teaching experience at every educational level. He enjoys working with beginning students as well as college-level musicians.

    As a performer, Marty excels in a variety of musical genres. He is equally at home playing Classical, Jazz, Rock, and Musical Theater styles. He has performed internationally including performances at The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and The North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. As a director, his ensembles have been honored to perform at The Jazz Education Network International Conference and The Crescent City Jazz Festival in New Orleans.

    Marty Kobuck is an active member of Lyric Stage Orchestra, Acting Studio of North Texas Orchestra, and Brazz (a Brass Quintet specializing in Jazz). He holds a Master of Music Performance degree from The University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.

    Mr. Kobuck lives in Aubrey with his wife Amy and children Chad and Molly. He enjoys reading, grilling outdoors, working in the yard, and tinkering with the family automobiles.

     
     
    Tuba
     
    John Canfield retired from public education with 33 years of service. Mr. Canfield taught at all levels of music education. His bands and students earned numerous awards from ATSSB, TMEA, and UIL. Mr. Canfield’s bands have been represented at the state level in 2C, 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A in both concert and marching. After retiring in 2018, Mr. Canfield has been active TMAA adjudicator as well as a clinician and consultant with band programs in the DFW area.