Music School > Faculty > Guitar & Bass

Guitar & Bass

Early Childhood | Piano & Keyboard | Strings | Harp | Woodwinds & Brass | Guitar & Bass |
Jazz | Percussion | Voice | Alexander Technique | Theory/Composition/Technology Lab

Come to a guitar department recital and you're likely to hear a Led Zeppelin song followed by a Carcassi etude; a Charlie Parker tune followed by a student composition. The guitar department is all about excellence, regardless of style. We'll teach you to take a serious, academic approach to your favorite rock songs, or introduce you to the rich classical guitar repertoire. Our top-notch faculty covers a huge range of styles, from jazz to folk, from hard rock to Renaissance lute music. We also offer unique, small ensembles for jazz and rock guitarists and bassists, and group classes for beginners.

please hover over the names to see the		Short Bio:
Jamie Dunphy		Jamie Dunphy B.A., University of Massachusetts-Boston; M.M., University of Massachusetts-Lowell; additional studies with Charlie Banacos, Olav Chris Henrisken. Mr. Dunphy performs frequently with The Mill City Trio, and in duos with jazz saxophonist Paul Combs, and with flutist Eileen Yarrison. He also teaches guitar at Atlantic Union College and the Lawrence Academy.
- guitar Jazz and Guitar Department Chair
Eric Baldwin		Eric Baldwin B.M. in Jazz Guitar, New England Conservatory of Music; principal teachers: Gene Bertoncini, Robert Sullivan. Mr. Baldwin has performed with jazz legends Alan Dawson, Brad Terry and Jimmy Heath. He currently freelances in the New England area with many of the area's top jazz musicians. Eric is a member of the JEM Jazz Trio and also leads his own swing combo. Eric is well versed in popular styles, with a repertory of hundreds of songs at his disposal whether working as a sideman, leading an ensemble or playing solo guitar. Eric was raised in Rockport, ME and graduated from Camden Rockport High School. He could be seen playing with his mentor and local guitarist David Pierce. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory of Music where he studied both jazz and classical guitar with Gene Bertoncini and Robert Sullivan, respectively.
- guitar
Flynn Cohen		Flynn Cohen B.A., Dartington College of Arts; M.A., Mills College. Principal teachers: Steven Gordon, John Renbourn, Davey Graham, Paul Binkley and Scott Nygaard Flynn Cohen  has played all over the world with Irish accordion legend John Whelan, as well as numerous other acts in traditional music. He also performs with his own group Annalivia, and with fellow traditional guitarist Matt Heaton. Flynn is presently on the music faculty at Keene State College, having also founded the Irish traditional music ensemble at Bridgewater State College.
- Irish guitar, mandolin, banjo
Manuel Kaufmann		Manuel Kaufmann Professional Music Diploma, Berklee College of Music; M.M., Boston Conservatory; graduate studies, Eastman School of Music. Principal teachers: Herb Pomeroy, Greg Hopkins, and Dana Brayton. An active composer/arranger, Mr. Kaufmann's works and arrangements have been performed by many jazz musicians and ensembles including Herb Pomeroy, Jerry Bergonzi, Adam Nussbaum, Claudio Roditi, and the Greg Hopkins Nonet. As a performer, he has appeared at Wally's, Sandrina Jazz Café, Ryles, the Berklee Performance Center, and The Press Room.
- bass, jazz theory/arranging, big band
Justin Meyer		Justin Meyer B.A., University of North Carolina; Berklee School of Music, studies with Dave Clark (jazz) and Oscar Stegnaro (Latin bass). Mr. Meyer has performed around the country with numerous ensembles, including the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Orchestra and the Chris Fitz Band, which won the 2001 Boston Music Award for "Best New Blues Band". He is presently a freelance bassist in the Greater Boston area and house bassist at Club Caravan in Revere.
- bass, acoustic and electric
Patrick Mottaz		Patrick Mottaz Universite de Lausanne; Ecole de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle; Performance Diploma, Berklee College of Music. Mr. Mottaz has many years of performance experience in Europe and the U.S. He has appeared on television, radio, CD recordings and live performances with Marlene, the Gifrantz Haitian Band, and his own Patrick Mottaz Trio.
- guitar
Gregory Passler		Gregory Passler B.M., University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Principal teachers: Neil Anderson, Benjamin Verdery, Robert Guthrie, and Ran Blake. As a member of the rock band, Childhood, Mr. Passler has appeared on MTV and recorded on the British record label, Barracuda Blue. His solo recordings have been featured in Guitar Player and Guitar magazines. He also performs regionally with his band, Magonia, and composes music for commercial television and film.
- guitar
Berit Strong		Berit Strong B.M., Hartt School of Music; M.M., New England Conservatory. Ms. Strong has achieved success on the international concert scene, touring Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. In 1999, she was a featured guest soloist with The Orchestra of Indian Hill. Her radio and television appearances include NPR, Swissradio, WGBH and World Service International. She has also been a guest lecturer at Boston Conservatory, Hartt School of Music and Tufts University.
- classical guitar
Matthew Wright		Matthew Wright B.M., Peabody Conservatory; M.M., Longy School of Music. Principal teachers: Ray Chester, Mark Cudek, Douglas Freundlich. Mr. Wright is a native of Maryland. He studied classical guitar and lute at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. At the Longy School he concentrated on the lute, and performed frequently as soloist and continuo player with various ensembles and soloists. He is a founding member of Seven Times Salt, a consort specializing in 16th and 17th century English music. Mr. Wright is also an accomplished electric bass player. He teaches the instrument and freelances in rock bands. He is a former church choir director, and currently is a tenor section leader at the Eliot Church, Newton. He is also on the faculty of the Sparhawk School, Amesbury.
- guitar/lute