Stan Schertzer
Piano
Playing piano is his passion. Composition is his love. Teaching is a way to pass both of these joys on to his students.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music with a BM in Composition, Stan has 33 years of piano teaching experience in all mediums from pop and jazz to the classics. His strength is in the jazz idiom and improvisation.
Stan instills in his students the importance of creativeness and self-expression through their instrument.
He is currently playing keyboards and arranging for the SMS Jazz Project with his son Adam, performing in varied venues throughout the New England area. Stan was musical director and arranger from 1992 - 2016 for the late Cantor Jodi Schechtman of Temple Beth Am in Framingham - where he orchestrated and conducted numerous services and performances of an original Shabbat service entitled Shabbat Unplugged.
Stan teaches
Monday - Thursday
Becky Lightcap
Piano
Becky is thrilled to join the KAM team. A lifelong musician, experienced educator, and native of the Midwest, Becky has made her home in New England for the past 25 years. With a professional background in the fields of music and education, Becky now teaches piano full-time to beginners and intermediates of all ages.
For many people, the arts provide an avenue to continued learning and growth in all settings. Through the exploration of the enjoyable medium of music, skill building gives students an opportunity to refine their ability to listen, enhancing their development in all social and cognitive areas. The process involved in gaining skills is dynamic and flexible, and Becky enjoys tailoring each student’s lessons to their individual needs. By combining her dual passions of music and mentoring, Becky’s goal is to foster an ongoing love of music for personal enjoyment and to enhance learning through listening.
Becky teaches
Thursday & Friday
Miss Karen teaches
Tuesday - Friday 2 - 9 PM
&
Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM
Karen Amlaw
(a.k.a. Miss Karen)
Piano
Ms. Amlaw’s education includes a BA in psychology / music from the University of Rochester/Eastman School of Music where her principal instrument was violin. She has studied voice with Karen Lykes (currently professor of voice at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music), Maria Ferrante, world renowned soprano Maria Spacagna, and veteran MET dramatic mezzo soprano Sondra Kelly. Her coaches have included Brian Moll, Olga Rogach and Bradley Pennington, founder of Boston Bel Canto Opera. She is currently under the tutelage of for MET conductor Maestro Steven Crawford. Ms. Amlaw also has done graduate work in Elementary Education at the University of Rochester.
Ms. Amlaw has taught in after school and summer school music programs in both Worcester, MA and Rochester, NY. In addition to directing the Kids on Keys Program. she has been the traveling music teacher for the YWCA in Worcester and Westborough, MA and a regular guest artist / music educator at Noodle, Noggin' and Bean, a parent/child interactive educational learning center in Northborough, MA. She has owned and operated Karen Amlaw Music since 2005.
Chris K. teaches
Saturday 1 - 5 PM
&
Wednesday 6:30 - 9 PM
Chris Kapitz
Percussion
Guitar
Bass
Piano
Chris Kapitz is a Berklee College of Music graduate and has been teaching and playing drums professionally for more than 20 years. He has played live music in the Berklee Percussion ensemble under the direction of Boston Pops esplanade orchestra principal percussionist Dean Anderson, jazz and pop performances with Lynn Jolicoeur and The Pulse, the Travis Kapitz Goodspeed trio, and for years has been the pit band drummer for the Westborough Community Chorus and Southborough Singers. He has recorded and played with rock bands Ely's Gin and Magnara, as well as playing for numerous wedding parties and musical stage productions in Central Mass and Boston. His host of teachers include Gary Chaffee (author of the Patterns book series and teacher of Vinnie Colaiuta of Sting, Steve Smith of Journey, and Joey Kramer of Aerosmith), Richard Flanagan (percussionist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra), Rod Morgenstein (Winger, Dixie Dregs), and master Latin drummer Bobby Sanabria.
His students have gone on to great accomplishments such as playing in school and district bands, collegiate marching bands, the Brandeis University jazz band, and playing live onstage with Shania Twain at the Boston Garden.
He is experienced in orchestral percussion and various styles on drum set, Kapitz teaches students with many diverse interests, and those of all ages.
Peter Lam
Violin
Viola
Cello
Peter is a violinist born and raised in Massachusetts. His earliest exposure to violin playing began in 3rd grade in the Worcester public elementary schools. Captivated by what he heard he began his violin studies that year and enrolled in group lessons at the school.
Since then Peter has studied classical violin for nearly 18 years and has branched out and studied many different genres like tango, bluegrass, jazz and hip-hop. Peter has studied with many different highly trained musicians/teachers including Reggie Pineda, Liz Chang, Fred Cohen and many others.
Mr. Lam is an experienced educator, having taught students ranging from as young as 3 to adults. He has participated in a practicum program through UMass Amherst having played for local string programs in Amherst and Worcester areas.
Peter continues to play in a number of gigs ranging from church services, Christmas Parties, Symphony Orchestras and performing solo recitals throughout the New England Area.
Peter teaches
on Mondays
