Faculty

The faculty and staff of MPMA are passionate about music and music education. We believe that every student has the potential to learn, to play, to enjoy, and to grow. Our faculty are professional musicians who are provided ongoing professional development and excellent administrative support. Whether a student is interested in beginning lessons or perfecting their craft, at MPMA, we are dedicated to developing well-rounded musicians who will enjoy a life-long connection to and appreciation of music.

All of our faculty are available for virtual lessons. A few faculty, listed at the bottom of this page, are only available for virtual lessons.

SARAH SZEIBEL

MPMA Director

Voice, Piano, Piano Apprentice, Trombone/Trumpet, Ukulele, Recorder

Sarah hails from Dubuque, Iowa where she grew up studying classical voice, piano, and trombone. She went to Oklahoma City University to earn her bachelors degrees in both Vocal Performance and Music Theater from the Wanda L. Bass School of Music. She came to the bay area to pursue her masters in Opera Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, which she completed in the spring of 2018. She has been teaching for 6 years and loves encouraging each student to learn multiple instruments and types of music to be the most well rounded artists they can be. When not teaching or performing, Sarah can often be found frequenting performances around the bay supporting her fellow musical artists.

Sarah’s studio is currently full. Contact Us to be added to her wait-list!

DAR MACKANI

MPMA Administrative Assistant

Piano, Composition

Darioush "Dar" is based in San Francisco, California. He is trained in classical composition and piano performance, having studied with instructors and professors in Northern California. He studied with West Coast composers Richard Cionco, Leo Eylar, and Elinor Armer at both Sacramento State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He specializes in composing vocal music such as art song cycles and opera.

Dar began teaching piano in 2018 as an assistant piano instructor as the Folsom Piano Academy in Sacramento County, after which he has continued to instruct both piano and composition to students of all ages. Since joining Mid Peninsula Music Academy in 2021, he has worked to expand the number of opportunities the community of Redwood City has to learn and perform music. Outside of music, Dar loves cycling, train-spotting, birdwatching, and picknicking.

JOEY KROHLOW

MPMA Manager

Piano, Voice

Hailing from Wisconsin, Joey (he/him), baritone, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Joey has studied piano since age five, and voice since the eighth grade. He was a founding member of Aperi Animam, Milwaukee’s professional early music ensemble, who's performed around the Midwest—including Early Music America’s Emerging Artists Showcase and the Madison Early Music Festival’s Fringe series. Joey currently serves as the group’s resident linguist, reconstructing historical pronunciations of its Renaissance and medieval-era repertoire. He has performed with the Florentine Opera Company in Milwaukee, and he has performed, coached diction, and created new singable translations with Milwaukee Opera Theatre. Joey’s passion for performance is matched by his love for pedagogy. He teaches private piano and voice lessons and enjoys helping children and adults discover themselves through music of all styles and traditions.

JARRON CARLSON

Piano, Composition

Jarron Carlson is a composer and pianist based in San Francisco. He has been fascinated by the creative process from an early age. He began writing music at age 8 when he discovered a free online music notation program and taught himself to read music. His works as a composer have been performed across the United States and Europe. He currently serves as composer-in-residence for Old First Presbyterian Church and San Francisco City Chorus. In recent years he has also received commissions from top performers and ensembles including loadbang, San Francisco Choral Artists, and bassoonist Alex Eastley. In 2021, Jarron was awarded the 4th Annual Kristin Pankonin American Art Song Award for his collaboration with mezzo-soprano Lindsay Martin, an extended song cycle called Limb-Loosener. His major teachers include Erica Glenn, Elinor Armer, David Conte, and Koji Attwood. Jarron’s other passions include teaching, musical theater, and film.

ALISON SCIBIOR

Flute, Piano, Piano Apprentice

Alison is a flutist based in San Mateo County. She recently completed her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance at San Jose State University, where she studies under Catherine Payne. Alison grew up attending schools in San Carlos and Belmont, where she began playing flute and piccolo and found her love of music, including classical, opera, modern, and jazz. She has taught privately since 2017 and loves passing her love of music onto her students.

MARC ZOLLINGER

Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Upright & Electric Bass, Songwriting

Marc is an Oakland-based Guitarist, Composer, and Vocalist interested in the intersections between the Avant-Garde of Jazz, Rock, Classical, and Brazilian music. As a composer, Marc has premiered works for chamber ensembles ranging form to large Ensemble to Clarinet and Piano, as well as a piece for solo Alto Saxophone. As a performer, he has played alongside musicians such as Kamasi Washington and William Winant at venues like the Watts Jazz Festival, the San Francisco Jewish Museum, and the ODC Theater. Marc has a BA in Composition from Berklee College of Music and an MA in Composition from Mills College where he studied with Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Frith, and Zeena Parkins.

I have been actively teaching guitar for over 6 year years now. I've taught from elementary school level to college level. It is a passion of mine

SPENCER DODD

Voice

Spencer grew up in Davis California and got a late start singing in choirs in the 8th grade but this quickly expanded into performing in New York and then across the UK in an international choir competition. Upon realizing that singing was becoming much more than just a hobby he went to study vocal performance in Dallas at Southern Methodist University. After completing his undergraduate studies, he taught voice lessons in his home town and had students get accepted into local audition only choirs and also compete in a local battle of the bands concert series. Since completing his Masters in Vocal Performance at San Francisco Conservatory, he has performed everything from opera not seen since the 1600s, to 1980s film noire musical theater. He has sung in the chorus with San Francisco Opera and performed leading roles with local companies such as Pocket Opera, Berkeley Chamber Opera, and Opera On Tap.

He also has a passion for musical outreach and has worked with Opera à la carte and West Bay Opera to bring shortened Operas into schools from Santa Cruz to Santa Rosa. Despite performing around the Bay Area Spencer has always kept a firm focus on vocal technique and has a passion for helping students sing whatever style they love in the most healthy, expressive and creative way possible.

Spencer’s studio is currently full. Contact Us to be added to his wait-list!

CONSTANTINE JANELLO

Cello

Constantine, cellist, currently serves as a graduate assistant for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Music Program where he is also pursuing a Master of Music under the tutelage of Jennifer Culp. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings of Mercer University where he studied with distinguished professors Julie Albers, Richard Aaron, and Leo Singer. At Mercer, Constantine was also the recipient of the prestigious Robert McDuffie Scholarship award and performed regularly in the Fabian Chamber Concert Series of Mercer University, featuring performances alongside distinguished artists Amy Schwartz Moretti of the Ehnes Quartet, Lawrence Dutton of the Emerson Quartet, and Andrew Brady and Elizabeth Tiscione of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

As a teacher and Midwest native, Constantine founded the 6-day cello festival “Cello Daze” in Morton, IL which occurs every summer. He also has kept a private studio of students ranging in age and background since 2020. As an orchestral performer, Constantine acted as principal cellist for the Macon Mercer Symphony in 2021-2022 and substitute-principal cello for the Clinton, IA symphony.

His past teachers include Anthony Arnone and Moises Molina.

BENJAMIN WESTFALL

Guitar/Improvisation

Ben started taking guitar Lessons at the age of 10 from Jim Gleason in Piedmont California. He stuck with it and became a songwriter at an early age. He continued his studies in music at Sarah Lawrence college and even got a Masters degree at Mills college in Oakland. He has studied with Roscoe Mitchell, Zeena Parkins, William Winant, Glenn Alexander, Pat Muchmore, John Yannelli, and a slew of other talented musicians. Benjamin is mostly interested in experimental improvisational music in his personal work. As far as teaching pedagogy for his students he is interested in expanding the creative output of the student. Of course fundamental guitar technique is a focus, but getting the student to find their own voice through songwriting or improvisation is paramount. Benjamin records and plays in the east bay often and is passionate about making creative music and bringing creative music to his students.

GALIA BEDOLLA

Violin

Galia, based in San Mateo County, is a dedicated student at San Jose State University, pursuing a major in Music Education with a specialization in violin. Her passion for music and teaching has driven her to spend the past two years refining her skills and imparting her knowledge as a music instructor. During her first year at San Jose State, Galia actively participated in the San Jose State String Project, where she gained invaluable experience and insights into music education. This involvement not only deepened her understanding of pedagogy but also allowed her to contribute to the growth of aspiring young musicians. Additionally, she has been an integral part of the University’s Symphonic Orchestra, performing for notable events such as the Opera “L’ Amant Anonyme,” Pasquale Exposito’s Christmas Tour, and a masterclass solo performance for Madeleine Mitchell, the Violin and Chamber Music professor at the Royal College of Music in London. As a music educator, Galia strives to ignite the passion for music within her students and help them realize their full potential. She believes in fostering a supportive and nurturing environment where students can explore creatively and cultivate a lifelong love for music.

Teachers Only Available for Virtual Lessons

JAMES GARBER

Guitar (classical), Piano

James is a classical guitarist and composer based in San Francisco. He began his musical studies at age three on piano, following with saxophone and mandolin. With the President’s Award Scholarship, he earned his bachelor’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Mark Delpriora. In his time at the conservatory, he performed as a soloist with the Manhattan School of Music Brass and Percussion Orchestra and performed at a variety of venues including the Museum of the City of New York, Bard College, the Jewish Heritage Museum, and the Spanish Institute. On completion of his undergraduate program, he earned his master’s degree in classical guitar performance studying under Nicholas Goluses at the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship at the Eastman Computer Music Center. In addition to his collegiate studies, he performed in masterclasses with Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Joaquin Clerch, Oscar Ghigilia, and Pepe Romero. He enjoys performing works by contemporary composers along with standard repertoire.