Main Guitar and Bass Teacher
Mel Henderson

Mel Henderson plays traditionally and contemporary jazz guitar. His many influences include George Benson and We Montgomery (and just about anyone who plays great guitar). After attending Berkley School of Music in the mid-seventies, Mel performed in Boston and New York with his own group, the East West Band, which included Tommy Campbell on drums. In the early 80s, Mel toured and recorded with Al Jarreau, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Cheryl Lynn, Roy Ayers to name just a few. After returning to his hometown, Rochester, NY, in the mid-eighties he opened up his own jazz club called Indigos. At Indigos, Melvin was able to present such jazz greats as Wynton Marsalis, Mel Lewis, Kenny Burrell and many more. After two years of running Indigos, during which Melvin had little time to perform, he decided to close the club and return to playing full time again. In the following years, Mel shared the stage with such jazz greats as Jack McDuff, Urbie Green, and Doctor Lonnie Smith, while continuing to compose and perform his own music.

Percussion Instructor
Greg Detwiler

Greg fell in love with percussion when he was just 8 years old, and immediately started playing percussion and piano in school.  At the age of 12 he expanded onto the drumset, playing Nirvana covers in his basement with school friends. He soon formed a small jazz group and even played some paying gigs. Greg became interested in original music three years later when the Rochester ska band "The Goonies" (named after the classic movie) was formed. The Goonies toured fairly frequently. Three years later he attended the SUNY Fredonia School of Music, receiving a Bachelor's in Music Education, percussion concentration, and a Jazz Studies concentration. In college Greg studied all aspects of percussion, including classical, contemporary, jazz, and world music.  He also learned all the instruments of the modern concert band in college.