Instructors
Margaret Cooke - piano, violin, mandolin
Margaret Cooke has been playing the violin and piano since she was eight years old, and has been in orchestras since she was ten. She studied piano and violin performance under Elizabeth Eschwe in Vienna, Austria, in 2000, and received a B.A. in Music and a B.A. in English from the University of the South in 2001. In 2004, Margaret received an M.A. in English Lit. (cultural studies) at the University of Virginia. In 2006, she worked toward a PhD in Nottingham, U.K., where she was writing about American folk music. Currently, Margaret enjoys playing bluegrass on mandolin and fiddle.
Lindsay Ann Hoffmann - Beginning Piano, Clarinet, Woodwinds
Lindsay received a B.M. in Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she performed
on clarinet in University Band, Wind Ensemble, and various small woodwind ensembles. She is a student of
Dr. Charles West, former International Clarinet Association president, and David Neithamer of the Richmond
Symphony. Her secondary instrument was trumpet under Taylor Barnett, who is currently the director of Jazz Orchestra II at VCU. She plays in the pit orchestra for Woodberry Forest School in Orange County and was recently invited to join the Commonwealth Winds for their performance at the VMEA Conference in November 2007. In her free time she relaxes with her husband, Carl, and her family, and is currently learning to play the accordian.
Luke Hendon - guitar, bass guitar
Luke Hendon is pleased to join the staff of Stevens Music Studio. He has made a living as a musician in his own original bands, as a sideman, a studio musician for recordings and television, a show band musician for cruise ships, theatre and dance companies, and as an audio engineer and composer for independent film, as well as teaching around the country. He attended LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts in New York City, and went on to graduate from the University of North Texas where he studied Jazz Performance. He studied guitar with Daniel Powers, Roger Brotherhood, Jack Peterson, and William “Spaceman” Patterson. He recently moved to Charlottesville from New York with his family where he is enjoying the relaxed pace and getting to spend time with his two sons.
Daniel McCarthy - guitar
Daniel McCarthy is among the few guitarists to excel in both classical and jazz performance. After earning his B.M. (Magna Cum Laude) from James Madison University studying classical guitar with Keith Stevens, he traveled to Montreal, Canada with the JMU Jazz Ensemble where he performed at the L'off Jazz Festival with some of Montreal's most prominent jazz musicians. The ensemble then traveled to Europe performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He recently received his M.M. in Guitar Performance from Appalachian State University where he studied classical guitar with Dr. Douglas James and jazz guitar with Andy Page. Daniel taught in both the classical and jazz guitar areas at ASU as a graduate assistant. In addition to his experience as a performer and teacher, Daniel has arranged pieces for guitar that he performed with the Appalachian Chamber Singers and was commissioned by composer Jane Roman Pitt to arrange her "Songs of the Season" originally for solo piano for two guitars. In his free time he enjoys reading and composing original music.
Granville L. Mullings, Jr. - drums
Berklee College of Music alum, Contemporary Writing and Production major, Arranger and all around good guy are elements that don’t even begin to describe his humble beginnings.
Granville Mullings, Jr. fell in love with music at age 5 in a small storefront church when he played his first groove without prior coaxing. Growing up in “Money Earnin’” Mt. Vernon, NY he had a rich access to music from the public school system which had nurtured many, now, mainstream pop artists. The local church and community programs geared towards the performing arts were a staple of the neighborhood. He attended Febbraio Conservatory of Music, played in the award-winning Mount Vernon High School Marching Band as Drum Section leader, as well as participated in various orchestras, on drums and violin.
Granville started playing professionally in New York City at the age of 16 and got involved in many off-Broadway shows, showcases and various gospel concert tours including NYU’s All University Gospel Choir and Columbia University’s Gospel Choir. All of this fostered the birth of his “brain-trust” of musicians. With Emmanuel Blanchard Jr. (keys) and Andre Forestal, Jr. (bass), they adopted the name 3 Juniors (3J’s), a production team and prolific improvisational band. After high school, while playing in NYC, he was hired by the RoundAbout Theatre Company to perform and teach as a visiting musician at the Tito Puente Performing Arts Academy. During this time, Granville nurtured his gift by studying with Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck).
While attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA he had the opportunity to study with some of the greatest and most successful musicians on the planet. Granville studied under Dave DiCenso (Hiromi), Steve Wilkes (Blue Man Group), Rick Considine (Author, Rudiment Grooves for Drum Set), Ralph Peterson (Trumpeter and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messenger), and so many others.
Granville’s performing career, so far, has allowed him to share the stage with such musicians as John Legend, Fantasia, Reverend Timothy Wright, George Russell, Felix Brown, Paul John (Alicia Keys), Meleni Smith, Humberto Sales, Anne Marie Calhoun, Scott DeVeaux, and so many others.
He currently resides in Charlottesville, VA maintaining a career as an arranger/music transcriptionist while working in administration at the McIntire Department of Music, University of Virginia. On occasion he can be found performing around town.
Cindy Stevens - piano, Kindermusik®
Fully-Licensed Kindermusik Educator; B.S. in Early Childhood Education and concentration in applied piano studies and pedagogy from James Madison University.
Cindy has 19 years of experience working with young children in both the public school system and in her private piano/Kindermusik studio. Cindy is a member of the Music Teacher’s National Association and the local Charlottesville Chapter, and serves as accompanist for the Fluvanna Community Singers.
Keith Stevens - guitar, banjo
Keith Stevens holds both a B.M., M.M. in classical guitar performance from James Madison University. His primary teachers have included American Guitar Master Benjamin Verdery in New York City, Peter Miller, Peter Golladay and Wayne Dooley. He has performed in master classes with renowned guitarists Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, David Russell, Guillermo Fierenes and Jesus Silva. Mr. Stevens has compositions published with Les Productions D'OZ in Quebec, Canada. Mr. Stevens also plays Lute and Renaissance guitar with The Peartree Consort, and early music ensemble based in Harrisonburg, Va. Keith has over 20 years of experience teaching both children and adults in a variety of styles. When not teaching or playing guitar, Keith enjoys spending time with his two children, Andrew and Emily.