Dr. Erika Sueker, Ph.D; Guitar Teacher

Director and Music Teacher Dr. Erika Sueker is a research scientist who has studied how people think and learn since 1982, and a lifelong musician. She received her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1993). She then developed science curricula at the Learning Research and Development Center, and technology-integrated mathematics curricula at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Sueker has worked helping school districts implement technology-enhanced, hands-on mathematics curricula and evaluate their professional development programs. Her professional goals include informing practice through research, and improving society through increased educational opportunities for all. As a child, Erika attended The Westland School, a progressive school in Los Angeles which serves as one model for Golden Independent School. Erika leads the music program at Golden Independent School and her two children are thriving as students. Erika is the Director of Golden Independent School. We are thrilled to have such an amazing woman and talented musician and pedagogue on our Keyboards For Kids staff.

Amanda Malone; Keyboard, Violin, Guitar

I have loved music more than anything my entire life. I started playing the violin at age 4, singing at 10, guitar at 18 and haven't stopped since. I have studied under Ron Jones and Mark O’Connor, to name a few. For a great part of my childhood, my family and I traveled the country in our bluegrass band, playing at festivals and churches. As a result, I was home schooled so that I could focus my education around music. Eventually I started teaching private Suzuki and bluegrass lessons. At the same time, I also worked with developmentally disabled adults in one on one and group settings and coaching Special Olympics. Two years ago I made the decision to go on the road full time with Victor Barnes Insurgent Bluegrass, which was an amazing experience. My love of teaching has drawn me back home, however, where I have taught for Mad Science of Denver and where I perform with two bands: URA Band (singer/songwriter collaboration) and Black Cat White Cat (gypsy jazz). I believe that learning music changes children’s lives and feel that it is a privilege to be able to teach your children!

Katie Sakanai, Byers Public Schools K-12 Coordinator;
Keyboard and Guitar Instructor

Katie is a graduate of Wellesley College, where she majored in Music and Russian language and literature. After graduation she spent a year in Moscow on a Fulbright scholarship studying Russian classical music. She currently works in the Byers School District teaching band, choir, jazz band, guitar and general music. Her main instruments are trombone and voice. Some of the highlights of her musical career include the Wellesley College Choir’s tour of Italy (which included a concert at the Vatican), playing first trombone for the performance of Mahler’s 2nd symphony with the combined orchestras and choirs of Tufts, Brandeis, MIT and Wellesley colleges, and singing the role of Cherubino (in Russian!) at the Gnesin Academy of Music in Moscow. Katie is from northern Pennsylvania and moved to Denver two years ago. She and her husband enjoy the outdoors.

Mr. Aaron Medina; University of Denver. Aaron began his musical
career at the age of 7 taking piano lessons from a very talented, young musician. Before the age of 10 he had traveled all over Europe and was exposed to authentic classical music performed by some of the world's best musicians. He had also traveled to South America, home to his family, and explored the different kinds of music, bringing back to the United States two different kinds of musical pan pipes received for his birthday. Through his teens, Aaron explored various types of music as well as many other instruments. He began taking song writing more seriously and by the age of 18, Aaron had been in three local bands as a guitarist, vocalist, and drummer. Aaron is now a focused classical guitarist and after auditioning at the University of Denver's Lamont School
of Music, he was one of only two students accepted into the very competitive classical guitar program. Now, at the age of 21, Aaron is studying with world renowned guitarists Masakazu Ito, Ricardo Iznaola, and Jonathan Leathwood as a music major earning his B.M. for classical guitar performance. He also performs regularly at weddings, art exhibits, and wine tastings. Along with performing, Aaron is a teacher's assistant for classical guitar construction at Red Rocks Community College. Although young, Aaron is an experienced, devoted musician with a strong passion for writing,playing, and teaching music.

Denise Roberts is a native of Bucks County located just outside of Philadelphia, PA. She received her Bachelors of Music degree from Immaculata College, PA and her Masters of Pastoral Theology from LaSalle University, PA. After teaching general elementary school music for 8 years, Denise focused her career full-time on church music ministry. As a pianist, vocalist, guitarist, conductor and composer, she is a well-rounded musician who loves when music is fun, energetic, spontaneous and “just clicking right along.” Since moving to Colorado in 2001, Denise has enjoyed kayaking, biking, backpacking and snow-shoeing.

Gwen Burak is a keyboard and guitar teacher in her first year with Keyboards for Kids. She has had varied musical experience, beginning piano at age 8, clarinet at 11, and singing with a professional girls’ choir from age 14-18. As an adult Gwen picked up guitar, and has continued to perform as a vocalist. She currently sings with her church choir, directs her church youth music program, and is excited to be a part of more formal music education. Gwen graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a degree in International Relations.

Liz Charters, mother of three, happily married to Adrian, a geologist. My youngest daughter Rebecca attends Evergreen Middle school. We moved here to Evergreen from Scotland three years. Both my parents loved to dance and my early memories of music were of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and of course the Rock and roll era of Bill Hayley and Elvis. My mother would sit with me at the piano and taught me what she knew. I knew all the music from the Fred Astaire movies thanks to my Dad dancing with me. I thank my parents for sharing their love of music with me. We didn't have the money for private music lessons and I was fourteen years old before I was accepted into music at school. There I learned to play piano. Guitar quickly followed on from piano. I was torn between following a career in music or art but the pull of the paintbrush prevailed. I studied at Edinburgh College of Art in the 1970's, but my music was always there with me. My guitar always went where I went and it still does to this day. Yes, I take my guitar on holiday and my music folders are part of my luggage allowance! I also love to sing but didn't sing solo until I was in my forties. I sang in choirs and school productions but it was on a skiing holiday in Germany when a local entertainer invited me on stage to sing with him, that I discovered people wanted to listen to me. My other loves include skiing, decorating and knitting. We also participate at the Long Peaks Scottish festival up at Estes Park. Music is my first love and I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to pass on my love of it through Keyboards for Kids. I love working with children and our lesson times never seem long enough. KFK is a great, relaxed way for kids to experience music and to have fun as well!

Julie Porter is a wonderful musician who currently teaches music to K-8 students at Denver Christian School in Highlands Ranch. She also teach voice for The Christian Youth Theater. Julie has been involved in children’s music and theater since 1990, when her oldest daughter went to a school with no music program. This encouraged her to teach music and art as a volunteer, and in doing so, she discovered that she loved teaching! Julie lives in Highlands Ranch with her husband and 10-year-old daughter, 3 birds, 3 dogs, and a lot of fish tanks. Around Christmas time you will find our whole family, college-age daughters included, in the living room, playing Christmas carols together on various instruments—and laughing a lot!

Jorge Melo completed his Propedeutico Degree in Singing at the prestigious National School of Music at The National Autonomous University of Mexico. Jorge started his vocal training under the instruction of Enrique Jaso, and worked later with the professor Estela Alvarez Valle and Rodolfo Acosta, a prestigious Mexican tenor. Joprge came to the United States seeking a chance to succeed in his musical career in 2000. He was admitted to the distinguished Lamont School of Music at The University of Denver in 2001, where he completed his Bachelor of Music Degree in 2005, and his Master of Music Degree in 2007. He has sung leading tenor roles in each opera or operetta performed at this school, and he also performed a couple of roles during the Vocal Art Symposium at Colorado Spring University in 2002. Some of the operas in which Jorge has performed leading in roles are: The Gondoliers (Luiz), The Magic Flute (Monostatos), La Rondine (Prunier), The Student Prince (Detlef), Gianni Schicchi (Rinuccion), The Merry Widow (Signor Cascada), The Elixir of love (Nemorino) and La Boheme (Rodolfo). Jorge has tremendous experience teaching singing, guitar, piano, violin, and music theory to children and adults at both beginning and advanced levels.