About Our Instructors

Krista is a classically trained pianist and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a vocalist. She has been accompanying, performing, conducting, and teaching for more than 30 years. Krista specializes in developing a personalized music program for each student, drawing from her wide experience. She teaches young learners through adults.

Krista is on a life-long pursuit of musical mastery. In addition to weekly instruction, she attends pedagogy conferences, assesses new curriculum, implements technology-based tools to accelerate our students’ musical competencies, performs publicly, and holds free training for choral conductors

She recently assessed at the top 1% of the world’s professional pianists who have completed the Standardized Assessment of Sight Reading (SASR), a feat indeed. 😊

When not collecting music or instruments, she enjoys traveling and early morning walks with her husband.

Being classically trained in piano lessons from ages eight to sixteen allowed Mason to dive head-first into the wonderful world of music. With skill sets in Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Trumpet, Vocals, and Songwriting; Mason has found ways to include music into a part of his everyday life. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a B.S. in Integrative Studies, Mason moved to Sacramento in 2016 and quickly found himself immersed in the local scene the city has to offer.

Now years into the Sacramento music scene Mason's band, "Band of Coyotes", has become well-associated as a strong contender in the local scene. The band had accomplished many feats such as "Sacramento News and Review Best New Artist 2019", and "Best Rock Band 2020", while also getting the chance to perform a halftime show for the Sacramento Kings!

Mason's thrilled to be full circle back to where it started, from learning piano at a young age to now helping other students develop their abilities musically, he knows firsthand what impact music lessons can have on a developing mind.

James has a broad depth of teaching and composition experience. He has been teaching privately for several years, and is here to share his expertise to help you become the musician and artist you can be. James teaches piano, composition, and vocal coaching for students of all ages. He is a huge Star Wars fan.

At an early age he began taking piano and composition lessons. A hobby quickly turned to passion and eventually grew into a career. For the past ten years, he has been teaching piano/music theory to students of all ages, as well as directing youth bands and coaching vocalists at various theatre companies. James went to school at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, majoring in classical piano performance and music composition. Out of college, he started my own business writing and producing soundtracks for various forms of media. He currently works with clients all over the world creating music for advertisements, video games, and independent film.

I love playing the guitar, piano and ukulele! I've been playing guitar for almost 10 years. I started playing in high school and kept playing because it was so fun! I'm a big sports fan and love all the teams from Chicago. In my free time I love playing video games, card games, and sports like basketball or football.

Solomiya Shvaikovska hails from the beautiful city of Lviv in Ukraine and has a deep passion for music. She graduated from the Music Academy and a postgraduate course in chamber music.

She's traveled across Europe to participate in chamber music masterclasses. She has had the honor of being a concertmaster for cello groups in several orchestras, including the International New Symphony Orchestra Lemberg (Ukraine - Switzerland), the Lviv Virtuosos Academic Chamber Orchestra (Ukraine), and the Kendlingers K&K Philharmoniker (Austria). As a member of the "Klassic-Modern" string quartet, she has taken part in various competitions and festivals in Europe and Great Britain.

Beyond her professional achievements, Solomiya generously volunteers her musical talents at her church, where she serves as the concertmaster of the choir under the guidance of her husband. Her family, including her husband and three children, is her greatest source of inspiration, and they often come together to share their love for music.

Hi everyone, my name is Sunny. I’m a violin teacher who has 22 years of teaching experience in the classroom. I’m so excited to be offering violin lessons at Rocklin Music Academy. My music journey began in China where I taught in elementary school, private one on one, and group class. After moving to California, I began playing in Folsom Lake Symphony, first violin section. My teaching philosophy is music is a good relationship with different people, that is a unique language. I often tell my students that violin is their friend. I encourage my students to play in collaboration with another instrument. I can’t wait to see you!

Folsom Lake Symphony / First Violin Section Aug 2023 - Present, Performed in the first violin section Music Instrument store, Saratoga, CA / Violin Teacher Sep 2023 - Dec 2023 Violin and Music Teacher Sep 2009 - Jan 2023 Taught music and violin lessons in Elementary School. Lead and organized various student performances and music competitions. Interests: Reading biography, photography, workout, meditation.

Brent Newbold comes to us with over 40 years of teaching and performance experiences. He is a well known musician, both as a performer and accompanist in the Sacramento area. Brent has been playing piano and winning competitions since the age of 12. He will help students find their passion and niche as a performer as well as build their skills from absolute beginner to accomplished musician. He is engaging and encouraging, lessons are never dull. There is so much to do! Brent accepts adults students as well as young learners, opening the door to expanded skills for players who want to pick it back up, or dive deep into a specific discipline.

Schedule an intro class with Brent, and see what's possible for you!