Ms. Petrucci received a B.M.Ed. from Lowell State College as a piano major and M.M. from the University of Lowell. She taught Elementary and Secondary Music in the Chelmsford, MA Public Schools from 1974-1982. Her piano teachers included Jeannette Giguere at New England Conservatory Preparatory Division, Ethel Hutchinson Russell, Myron Press, Inge Lindblad, Mme. Margaret Chaloff, Mihae Lee and currently Randall Hodgkinson.

Ms. Petrucci has been a professional accompanist, music director and arranger for soloists, dance companies and performing vocal groups which include the Merrimack Valley Orchestra, the Lowell Opera Company and numerous community and school musical productions throughout New England. She has performed as a vocalist, keyboardist, trumpet and flugelhorn player for the cover groups “The Works” and “Nightclass” as well as a radio show host of "Dinnertime Classics" at WJUL.

In 2001, Ms Petrucci founded Seacoast Academy of Music in North Hampton, NH. She currently holds the position of treasurer for the Seacoast Chapter of NHMTA, performs as a collaborative pianist, vocal coach, jazz singer, piano teacher and is the founder and Director of Seacoast Academy of Music. In the spring of 2011 Ms. Petrucci successfully completed all requirements and earned the title of Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano by the National Music Teachers Association.

In the fall of 2011, she is scheduled to direct a Piano Pedagogy Session “Reverse Master Class” at the MTNA Quad-State Convention in Boston, MA and coach a vocal performance group at the Italian Folk Art Federation of America (IFAFA) Convention in Hartford, CT.

"Music has given me a deeper understanding of myself and others. By playing the piano and singing, I have learned to solve problems, articulate human emotions and become culturally enriched. My teaching goal is to share my acquired skills and engender this passion and appreciation in all students from the moment they enter my studio."

Adrienne obtained her B.M. in piano performance from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where she grew up and a M.M. in voice from the Boston Conservatory. She attended Advanced Master Classes with Dusi Mura.

"I am an exuberant, joyful teacher who loves to interact with students of any age or stage of development. I have a musical theater background, dance and vocal training which all come together at the keyboard – allowing students to feel rhythms, sing through their music and gain a more athletic approach to learning. More recently, I have put together some technical skills for achieving the effortless effort – making for smart practice routines and achievable round, rich singing tones early on. Learning is the greatest adventure! We will spend time learning about the composers, inventing clever ways of presenting the music publicly, experiment with composition and improvisation, seeking the style best suited for each student. I look forward to meeting you!"

Adrienne performs regularly as a soloist and collaborative pianist at the UU church in Exeter as well as school presentations.

Jonathan teaches and performs on both the electric and acoustic guitars. He has a Master of Arts in Music History from the University of New Hampshire where he taught undergraduate Music Theory, Ear Training and Music History.

UNH is home to the Summer Youth Music School (SYMS) for junior high and high school students and Jonathan taught at SYMS for many years.

He teaches guitar and bass guitar at the Seacoast Academy of Music.

"I value listening. In our guitar lessons, we will listen to music, we will listen to each other play guitar, and we will listen to what each other has to say."

Carol Kenney is a graduate of the Ted Dimon Institute for Alexander Technique, Somerville MA. She is recognized by AmSAT (American Society of the Alexander Technique) as a certified teacher. Carol holds an AS degree in Arts from Revier College in NH. She has been a private piano teacher for 26 years and incorporates the Alexander Technique into her lessons. She teaches musicians, music teachers and those with personal injuries.

Kurt began playing the cello at age 9. While at West High School in Manchester, NH, he played with the chamber orchestra, jazz band and sang with the chamber choir. His teaches have included Cameron Sawzin, Gary Hodges and Larry Veal. Today, Kurt is a music education major at UNH and belongs to the UNH Symphony, UNH Jazz band. He is a founding member of the educational performing ensemble, Divertimento Chamber Orchestra, which performs musical styles from classical to popular in a string orchestra setting. They will demonstrate their talents in an upbeat, educational program at SAM this year.

Ernie Houle brings a varied and impressive 40+ years of musical expertise to SAM. He began piano lessons at age 7, and by the spring of 1965 – at 13 – he gave a piano recital consisting of advanced works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and others. At 16 he turned “pro” when he was engaged to teach at a local music school and became organist at a local church as well. A year later Ernie was hired to play the first of many Broadway musicals to come, one of which led to a gig with a professional function band.

During his years as a music major at Lowell State (UMass Lowell), he continued to teach, to play the organ, and to perform with the function band, whose members held faculty positions at Berkeley, Boston College, Fitchburg State, and other music departments. This experience more than prepared Ernie to become band leader and arranger for the 25 years that followed – in the 70’s touring the U.S. and Canada with a Vegas-style show band, and in the 80’s and 90’s back home with a successful function band.

In 1993 Ernie became Choir Organist for St. Margaret Parish in Lowell, Mass. In 2004 he was appointed full time Music Director. That same year Ernie was honored to play the organ at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, accompanying the St. Margaret Choir, under the direction of his lifelong friend and choral conductor, André P. Descoteaux.

Ernie remains Music Director at St. Margaret Parish, and continues to play musicals, solo piano for various functions, and choir concerts.

Originally from the Midwest, Zach Lange is a newer resident to the Seacoast.Zach received a classical music and Medallion scholarship and later a jazz scholarship and the Judith Bailey Music Scholarship to attend the School of Music at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, MI. During this time, he honed his jazz improvisation skills and firmly established himself in the music scene in the greater West Michigan region.

While in Kalamazoo, Zach had the opportunity to study with Dr. Scott Cowan and Prof. Scott Thornburg as well as performing with such artists as Billy Hart, Stephan Harris, Darmon Meader, Fred Hersch and Ingrid Jensen to name a few. He had the opportunity to record albums with WMU Jazz Octet, the Ryan Andrews Group [Requiem] at both Western Sound Studios and Arcadia Recording. In 2006, Zach toured China with the University Symphonic Band making stops Beijing and Xi'an over a two week period. He loves to travel with his music,having performed in Washington D.C., Toronto, Chicago, Wyoming, and regularly in the Seacoast area.

Saxophonist and Educator Nick Mainella currently resides in Dover, NH and has recently returned from Western Michigan University, where he completed his Master’s Degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance under the instruction of Trent Kynaston, as well as performing and teaching regularly in Kalamazoo and West Michigan. Nick received a Bachelor’s Degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of New Hampshire. There he studied both classical and jazz saxophone with teachers such as, Clark Terry, James Moody, Stjepko Gut, Jared Sims, Mark Shilansky, Demetrius Spanaes, and David Seiler. He has had the opportunity to perform with Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, James Moody, The Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Patti Austin, The WMU Jazz Nonet, and Mark Shilansky. Currently Nick has been a faculty member of the SYMS program at UNH, as well as a professor at Chester College of New England, and performs regularly in and around the NH Seacoast and throughout New England.

Blake received a M. Ed in Early Childhood Education from American International College in Springfield MA and a BA in Vocal Performance and B Mus.Ed from Ithaca College in Ithaca NY. He has taught over 11 years of elementary music and Kindergarten in both New York and Massachusetts.

He has performed with professional and regional ensembles and theaters in New York and Massachusetts. His performance experience includes the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble (Ithaca, NY), a featured soloist with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (Syracuse, NY), Turtle Lane Playhouse (Newton, MA), Lyric Stage Company of Boston (Boston, MA).

He is a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has been part of several Symphony recordings including (Tanglewood Festival Chorus 40th Anniversary CD, Baseball Pops CD, America Pops CD) and was honored to be part of the 2007 European tour of the Boston Symphony’s performance of "The Damnation of Faust"

He took is first piano lesson at age 4. He has taught private piano and voice lessons for the last 11 years. He has been a vocal adjudicator for MMEA for the last 5 years in both the junior and senior high school divisions.

Blake is currently teaching Kindergarten in Lincoln Massachusetts where he is piloting a project to merge phonemic awareness and song.

Dedrick Schimke performs and teaches both drum set and classical percussion. He recently earned a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of New Hampshire where he studied under Nancy Smith and Les Harris Jr. At UNH, he was a member of the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combos, and Dave Seiler’s UNH Jazz Band. In addition, he won the annual concerto competition and was a featured soloist with the Wind Symphony in 2009.

Currently, he can be seen and heard playing with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and the 3-in-2 Percussion Ensemble, as well as teaching privately throughout the Seacoast area.

Adam was a performance major at the Berklee College of Music studying advanced harmony with an emphasis on ensemble performance.

Adam has played in clubs and on concert stages nation-wide. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of the band Assembly of Dust as well as lead guitarist for the Nate Wilson Group. He has shared the stage with such legends as Dicky Betts, Victor Wooten, Steve Kimock, and Derek Trucks, as well as members of Phish and moe.

Along with pursuing his career as a performer Adam has been sharing his musical gifts as a teacher for the past ten years.

Jamie Sokolowski graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.M. in Music Education and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Music Therapy from Lesley University. She performs with the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, and has performed onstage with Guster.

In addition to teaching clarinet and saxophone at SAM, she has led programs at UNH’s Summer Youth Music School and Bradford Woods, a therapeutic summer camp in Martinsville, Indiana. Jamie also serves as the satellite school coordinator.

Joanne has retired after a long career at Public Service Company of New Hampshire. She now works at SAM handling invoicing and accounts receivable, publicity, and other clerical duties. She also plays flute and enjoys singing in her church choir.

Laura Cassinari has studied the Suzuki method of violin for ten years with various teachers. She took her Suzuki teacher training for two years with Moshe Neumann, of CCM in Cincinnati, OH, who studied with Dr. Suzuki and John Kendall. Laura has run a successful string program in Ohio for seven years, including several well attended summer string workshops. She has four grown children who are accomplished string players and are teachers of violin, viola, and cello.

John has been a freelance professional trumpet player (baroque, classical, swing, blues, & pit) for over 25 years. He plays principal trumpet for the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, the Piscataqua River Brass Ensemble and Lead Trumpet for the Port City Brass Quintet. He also sits in with several swing bands. John has taught privately since 1989. He also brings experience as a director, conductor, singer, actor and coach to his new teaching position at Seacoast Academy of Music.

He holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Music, both from Duke University.

Jennifer received her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and her Master of Music in French Horn Performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. She performed with the Granite State Opera, the Granite State Symphony, the Illinois Symphony, the American Opera Group, and the National Repertory Orchestra, and is a current member of Portsmouth Brassworks. Jennifer has taught and coached both private students and groups, in public and private schools, community bands and brass ensembles.

"We take a young mind, we take somebody who is just learning something new. We are showing him excellence, not musculatures in terms of activities, but results. Here's your trumpet, here's your mouthpiece, and it can sound beautiful. Imitate by trial and error. Be willing to make a mistake."- Arnold Jacobs (legendary tuba player - Chicago Symphony from the book Song and Wind)

Brandon obtained his M.FA. from University of Alaska Fairbanks.He graduated from Messiah College in Grantham, PA with honors where he earned Bachelor's degrees in music and trombone performance. Brandon is an award winning freelance performer and recording artist as well as a teacher and lecturer. Currently he is the assistant track coach at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Valentina received her Bachelor and Master’s Degrees from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory of Music in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she sang with the State Academic Opera Theater. She has also performed with the Moscow State Academic Chorus and the Armenian Chamber Chorus.

Upon coming to the United States in the early 1990’s, Valentina has sung with the Russian Chamber Chorus in Framingham, MA, performed solo concerts in Chelmsford, MA, Manchester, NH, Hazelton, PA, and Andover, MA. She has taught voice at St. Mary’s of the Assumption School in Brookline, MA, St. Patrick’s School in Pelham, NH and the East Derry School of Music.

She looks forward to teaching many new students at SAM, beginners to advanced. Students will learn proper care of their voices, breath support, performance techniques and enjoy several styles of the singing repertoire including, Italian Songs, Operatic Arias, Show Tunes and Popular Songs.

T.J. Wheeler is an original but his music is steeped in musical styles that go back hundreds of years. That being said, T.J. transports audiences of all ages to times and places where their imaginations can vividly and vicariously experience the rich history and soul connections of Blues and Jazz power.

Over the last 45 years, has worked with such Blues greats as Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Pinetop Perkins, Lazy Lester, Louisiana Red, and Mighty Sam McClain. He’s also shared billings with BB King, Muddy Waters, the Neville Brothers, Odetta, John Hammond, and Tom Rush.

Adam Gallant graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2008 with a bachelor of music degree in music education, where he is now finishing up a master of music in music studies. While at UNH, Adam was principal trumpet of the UNH Brass Quintet, Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra. In 2011 Adam was honored to perform on his teacher, Robert Stibler’s faculty recital. He was also the sole winner of the 2011 UNH concerto competition, performing Kent Kennan’s Trumpet Sonata under the baton of Andrew Boysen, Jr.

Adam has called NH home for the past seven years and in that time has been a freelance player in the Seacoast area. He has performed as first call substitute and acting second trumpet with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra from 2009 to present. He was also the trumpet soloist for William Kempster’s production of the Messiah in 2009 and again in 2010 with Portsmouth Pro Musica. Adam has also played principal trumpet with Portsmouth Pro Musica on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Mozart’s Requiem. He has performed with the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, UNH’s Mask and Dagger, the Inextinguishable Brass, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, Hillsboro-Deering Theatre, Rising Star Theatre Company and at several churches, universities, and bandstands.

Adam has worked at UNH’s Summer Youth Music School since 2005, where he coaches brass quintets and teaches beginning trumpet courses, trumpet master classes, private lessons, and sectionals. Adam also teaches brass lessons at the Nottingham School, York Middle school and privately.