Instruments: Guitar
Sarah Soller-Mihlek
Music Therapy / Music Exploration / Guitar / Percussion / Adaptive Music Program
No sleep ’til…Springfield! Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Sarah Soller-Mihlek is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), multi-instrumentalist, performer, and music instructor with a decade of teaching experience on guitar, bass, drums, piano and voice. She has a classical background in guitar from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College and a Bachelor’s in Music Therapy from Westfield State University. She was a one-to-one music instructor at Real Brave Audio community music school for 8 years in Queens, NY, where she taught a wide range of students from ages 4-82. During the pandemic, she was a band coach and songwriting instructor at Girls Rock! D.C. She continued her music education experience in inclusive preschool settings (at Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center), and developmental learning programs with high schoolers (at Westfield High School). With the opportunity to join the CMSS faculty in 2024, she became a teaching artist for the Prelude Preschool of the Arts, Music Exploration, and the Adaptive Music Program. She also teaches one-to-one lessons, tailoring them to meet students where they are at and utilizing client-preferred music.
As a proud first-generation Filipina-American and member of the LGBTQ+ community, she is a huge advocate for making music education accessible to everyone. Coming from a strong DIY background, she believes that music has the power to bring people together by providing a meaningful tool for advocacy, creative expression, insight, and empowerment.
Sarah performed in riot grrrl, alternative, and indie rock bands for over ten years in NYC. Since moving to Western MA, she continues to play in multiple projects, such as drummer of indie-rock band Ex-Temper, and guitarist/lead singer of punk rock band, Sunshine and the Rainbows. She collaborates frequently with local artists and musicians to provide all ages community and performance events. Because music was so impactful in her own life, Sarah hopes to inspire others by providing a welcoming space for anyone who wants to explore music.
Andres Lopez Pozo
Guitar / Cuban Tres Guitar Andres Lopez Pozo, originally from Cuba, is a multi-instrument player who specializes in guitar. Andres graduated from the Esteban Salas Music Conservatory in Santiago de Cuba, where he studied the instruction and performance of guitar, Cuban tres guitar, and ensemble. He has over twenty years of experience teaching guitar, Cuban tres guitar, and Latin music to students of all ages. Songwriting, arranging, and composing are also within his repertoire. In addition to teaching music, he has performed professionally with a traditional Cuban music band, a classical guitar ensemble, in popular Cuban music festivals, and on tour in international festivals.
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Chris Foe
Guitar / Music Composition / Music Production / Ukulele / Music Theory Chris Foe is an emerging composer whose work is performed and recorded widely throughout the New York, Boston, and Western Massachusetts areas. Originally from West Michigan, Chris graduated summa cum laude from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music where he studied guitar and composition under internationally renowned guitarist John Abercrombie. During his years there, he was designated a James Moody Scholar and saw his music performed at major venues like Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and The Falcon.
Having recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a master’s degree in jazz composition and arranging, Chris now works as a freelance arranger and engraver and is active on the national competition circuit. His successes in this arena include a second-place finish in the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) Pete Rugolo Big Band Arranging and Composing Competition where his piece, “The Western Shore”, was judged against a record number of entries by a panel of judges that included Bill Holman, Gordon Goodwin, and Nan Schwartz.
John Cesar
Guitar / Sonido Musica John Cesar is a professional guitarist and guitar instructor from New Jersey. Originally he was inspired to play music by the greats such as Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. However, when it came time for college John decided to pursue the study of the classical guitar. John completed his Bachelor’s of Music in Guitar Performance from The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and his Master’s Degree in guitar performance at the Hartt School of Music. As a teacher John has been working with students of all ages and levels for over 9 years. Students of his in the past have recorded their own music, gotten into high school jazz bands, and been accepted into college music programs. John is a registered Suzuki guitar instructor through the Suzuki Association of the Americas and teaches Suzuki guitar and Suzuki guitar group classes.
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