MIKE HALL

Piano

With an impressive 63 years on piano, Mike loves his Hammond B3 organ and also plays flute and piccolo as primary instruments. In addition, he is proficient on guitar, electric bass, ukulele, banjo and alto sax. Mike's first performances date to 1968 and he began teaching in 1972 after spending time at both DeAnze Junior College and San Jose State. His favorite artists span many styles and include JS Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, No Doubt, Frank Zappa and Charlie Parker. Mike is most proud of opening for Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship, performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival and playing for a huge crowd at Golden Gate Park on the famous 'trailer stage'. His daughter Adrianne sings, plays piano and ukulele while his son Phoenix also teaches here at Main Street. Mike's goals are to continue composing, teaching, playing and sharing his music.

PHOENIX THANATOS

Piano

Phoenix is one of our phenomenal multi-instrumentalist teachers. His primary instruments are the flute and piccolo, as well as voice. In addition, much of his teaching workload involves the piano. Phoenix has been teaching for the last 5 years, with a total of 14 years playing the flute including a performance degree from California State University- East Bay under the direction of Michelle Caimotto. His favorite musicians are a collection that includes Elliot Smith, Coheed and Cambria, Maximum the Hormone, Thelonius Monk, Kendrick Lamar and Yoko Kanno. Among the biggest musical accomplishments, in 2015 Phoenix had the opportunity to perform in an Amy Porter master class and also sang in the Legend of Zelda symphony chorus in 2016. Going forward, his biggest goals include learning to play the contrabass flute as well as to master and perform the Nielsen flute concerto.

MATTHEW VERONA

Organ

Matthew Verona has been playing piano and organ for over 20 years and has been teaching since 2014. Matthew started teaching young musicians at Main Street Music in 2019. He graduated from Stanislaus State University, Turlock with his bachelor’s in music education, holds a certificate in beginning piano pedagogy from Las Positas College, Livermore and has taken many music education and performance classes from University of the Pacific, Stockton. Starting new students in music with a strong core in music fluency in a large part of his teaching philosophy. Matthew is a well-rounded musician; besides keyboards he also plays harp and all woodwinds. Since 2013, Matthew has been the organist for The Christian Science Church in Stockton. His current passion in keyboards is restoration and performance with 19th century American reed organs.

TAKAKO WILLIAMS

Piano

Born in Osaka, Japan, Takako began piano lessons at the early age of four. She enthusiastically played throughout her childhood, traveling to Australia and later Russia where she performed "Chopin Piano Nocturne". After high school, she entered Osaka College of Music majoring in Piano studying with Yoshiko Baba. Two years later she seized the opportunity to study piano in the United States first at Seattle University and later the University of Idaho and then Utah State University, advancing her piano skills under the supervision of Jay Macley and Ralph Van de Beek. Accepted into the coveted Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary, Takako instead elected to study with Thomas La Ratta at the University of Notre Dame de Namur where she completed her BA in music with an emphasis on piano performance. During her university years Takako performed many recitals and concerts throughout the entire Bay Area. Winning first prize in the Notre Dame Piano Concerto Competition she performed the "Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor" with Redwood Symphony Orchestra as a soloist. After receiving her BA, Takako attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to study piano with Paul Harsh. Takako has taught piano privately for 26 years taking many students from their first notes to an advanced level, while raising a growing family she continues to work on accompanist for schools, churches, and pianist for parties, weddings and theatre productions throughout the bay area.