Zach Oliver
Voice, Guitar, Songwriting, B.Mus.
Pop, RnB, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Indie
Zach Oliver is a singer-songwriter based in Toronto, originally from England. He has released over 60 original songs across all genres and accumulated over 20 million streams. He’s a touring musician and has been recording and releasing his own music for over 4 years. Zach graduated from the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College where he learned to write, engineer and produce music, as well as the ins and outs of the music industry. Zach has been playing guitar since he was 9 years old and has been teaching since he left college. His goal as a teacher is to ensure that the students are learning the kind of music that they love and that they’re expanding their knowledge of guitar in their own unique way. He is flexible in the kind of music he can teach and will have you jamming along to your favourite tunes in no time!
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Diego Mar
Acoustic & Electric Guitar & Bass, M.Mus., B.Mus.
Pop, Blues, Folk, Rock, Funk, Soul, Country
Diego is a Toronto-based songwriter, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and seasoned educator. His musical journey began 21 years ago, initiating a lifelong passion for the electric guitar, piano, music production and songwriting. His educational portfolio involves studies in multiple instruments, music composition, studio recording techniques, and both post-production and business management in the music industry. He has had the privilege of collaborating with talented singers worldwide and performing at various venues across the country. With over a decade of experience in teaching, he has cultivated a pedagogical approach that goes beyond traditional methods. He focuses on offering high-quality education that inspires and motivates students of all ages, fostering a nurturing and stimulating environment for learning. His teaching strategy is holistic, involving activities that encourage body awareness, creativity, and communication while instilling a solid foundation in music theory and instrument interpretation. His lesson design emphasizes collaboration and self-development, tailored to maintain student engagement and regular practice. His mission is to bring out the best in every student, helping them discover the rich, transformative benefits that music can offer. Through encouragement and support, he guides his students on a path of discovery, unlocking the wonderful world of music, one note at a time!
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Abshir Miller
Acoustic & Electric Guitar, DMA, M.Mus., B.Mus.
Classical, Pop, Blues, Folk, Rock, Funk, Soul, Country, Flamenco
Abshir Miller is a Toronto based guitarist, and is appreciated for his creative interpretations, and wide variety of repertoire. He has recently received first prize at the FCMF national competition in the guitar category and has been included in CBC’s ‘Top 30 Under 30. Abshir began his guitar studies with Dr. Matthew Gould, in Sudbury, and has since completed an undergraduate degree in classical guitar performance at the University of Toronto, under Dr. Jeffrey Mcfadden, and a master’s degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under David Tanenbaum and Dr. Richard Savino. Abshir is currently pursuing doctoral studies in guitar performance at the University of Toronto.
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
David Chang
Acoustic & Electric Guitar, PhD
Rock, Jazz , Pop, Blues, Funk, Soul
David Chang is a Vancouver based guitarist, educator and scholar who has performed in a variety of live settings, and has been a student of guitar for over 25 years and is proficient in a variety of genres. He brings a student-centred approach to music education. Students should feel a sense of competency at every stage of learning in order to maintain enthusiasm for the instrument. Therefore, lessons include instruction on styles and songs that students want to learn, as well as formal exercises to build up a foundation of skill and technique. David believes in introducing young players to seminal guitarists, developing distinctive techniques, unique phrasing, and soulful improvisation. Lessons may include chord voicings, harmonic inversions, phrasing, scales and modes, picking patterns, hybrid picking, double-stops, and much more. David’s influences include: Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, Wes Montgomery, and many more.
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Razvan Bezna
Acoustic Guitar, DMA, M.Mus., B.Mus.
Classical, Blues, Rock, Pop, Funk
Razvan Bezna is a dynamic and passionate classical guitarist currently pursuing a Doctoral degree at McGill Schulich School of Music under the supervision of Professor Patrick Kearney. Razvan has participated in masterclasses with Pepe Romero, Roland Dyens, Celil Refik Kaya, Jerome Ducharme, Jeffrey McFadden, Marcin Dylla, David Russell, Jorge Caballero, The Amadeus Duo, The Beijing Guitar Duo, and many others. Razvan’s accomplishments include a nomination to represent the Province of British Columbia at the National Performing Arts Festival in Kelowna in 2014, The Sarah and Ernest Butler Excellence Scholarship in Music, and Graduate Excellence Scholarships to study at Florida State University and McGill University.
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Natalia Jordan
Voice, Guitar, Piano, Songwriting, B.Mus.
Music Theater, Classical, Pop, RnB, Folk, Indie
Natalia Jordan is a singer, songwriter, and music producer from Toronto, specializing in classical vocal performance, guitar, and piano. She completed her undergraduate from the University of Ottawa where she worked with several world renown teachers including Allyson McHardy, Christiane Riel, and Sandra Grahamand. She is currently working towards her Master Degree in voice from he University of Toronto. Natalia aspires to create a space where her students feel safe, heard and ultimately can grow as an artist and person. Lessons are focused on creating a foundation of healthy singing which allows freedom in the voice for honest and powerful storytelling. Her teaching style is compassionate but always with the aim of moving her students forward to reach their goals.
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Chris Boston
Acoustic Guitar, DMA, M.Mus., B.Mus.
Classical, Blues, Rock, Pop, Funk, Flamenco
Chris Boston is a performer, educator, and author of two Guitar Method Books, with a passion for helping students of all ages learn to master the guitar. He completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of Victoria and attended the Koblenz International Guitar Academy, completing his Masters degree at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Germany. He recently received a doctorate in performance from Florida State University, where he also performed in international competitions, music festivals, chamber groups, including a performance with the Student Orchestra.
Teaches: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Francisco Abreu
Acoustic & Electric Guitar, B. Mus
Jazz, Improvisation, Rock, Soul, Blues, Funk, Pop, Contemporary, Composition, Theory, Recording
Francisco Abreu has played and recorded with many renown international artists as well as composed and recorded for his own projects. As a teacher, he offers lessons on electric and acoustic guitar including jazz, improvisation, harmony, ear training, rock, soul, funk, blues, pop and contemporary music. He has a university degree in jazz guitar from the prestigious Amsterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands and previously studied classical guitar in Portugal. He has more than 25 years of experience both as a professional musician and as a teacher.
Read Francisco's Full Bio
In 1990 Francisco began studying improvised music, particularly jazz at ” Hot Club de Portugal” where he was taught by Carlo Morena, Nuno Ferreira, Nelson Cascais, Vasco Agostinho and others. He improved this work by attending private classes on guitar, harmony and composition with teachers such as Pedro Madaleno and Mário Delgado.
During these years he played on a regular basis with two jazz groups a pop-rock band (recording a CD) and was member of Janita Salomé’s (a prestigious Portuguese artist) band with whom he had the opportunity to play during his presentations at Expo 1998 in Lisbon (Sony and Atlântico stages).
He also participated in some jazz workshops from which we point out the “Seixal Jazz 96” coordinated by Tim Hagans (trumpet), Ben Monder (electric guitar) and Billy Kilson (drums).
In 1998 he moved to Amsterdam, Holland, to study in jazz guitar at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten), one of the most prestigious jazz schools in Europe.
In this school, he had regular classes with the guitarists Jesse van Ruller, Maarten van der Grinten and Leonardo Amuedo and ensemble classes with Michiel Bortstlap and others. He participated also in several workshops organized by CVA with famous artists like: Yellow Jackets, Jimmy Haslip, Leonardo Amuedo, Diane Reeves, Peter Bernstein, Tuck and Patty, Larry Goldings trio, Bill Stuart, Danilo Perez trio, Ivan Lins, Paulo Moura, and others.
In Holland, since 2000 he played weekly in a group that still opens and organizes a jazz jam session at the coffee house “Taveerne de Kluis” in Amsterdam. He also played with other projects – jazz, pop and world music – During this time he had the opportunity to play in known stages in the Netherlands, as Bimhuis, Paradiso, De Brakke Grond, Vondelpark and others, having also played in several music festivals in Portugal, Germany and Belgium.
He developed his own jazz project “Luz Verde” with other foreign musicians, and the Dutch jazz/pop singer Marian Hoiting (Mariandoro). He also played often with the Brazilian dance music group “Sambadam” and was regularly invited to play with other jazz, pop and Latin music projects in Holland.
In January 2004 he recorded with Carlos Bica, José Peixoto, Alexandre Frazão and João Paulo esteves da Silva and others, José Mário Branco’s (a renown Portuguese artist and composer) last record “Resistir é Vencer”.
In this same year, one of his tunes “Amesterdão de bicicleta” is recorded (with him on guitar) on Miguel Amado’s CD – Mensagens de Fumo.
In 2006 he recorded João Afonso’s work “João Afonso” and in the same year also recorded with Luís Pastor (respected Spanish artist) “Nesta Esquina do Tempo” – music for the lyrics of José Saramago (NOBEL literature prize).
In 2007 he arranged and recorded a composition of Janita Salomé on his record “Vinho dos Amantes”.
In 2011 he recorded his own album “O dedo do meio”with his trio BRUTUS (with José Salgueiro and Miguel Amado) for the label Aduf.
In 2004 at the famous São Luis theater, for the play “Portugal uma comédia musical” with music composed by renown Portuguese artist – Sérgio Godinho.
In 2008 with composer / double bass player Carlos Bica, playing his music with a Spanish contemporary dance company.
As a professional musician he has played different styles of music from jazz, rock, soul, blues, funk to world music, having the opportunity to work with some of the top and most relevant musicians and artists in Portugal.
In the jazz and improvisation field, he is developing his own original project – BRUTUS, that he created, with José Salgueiro on drums and Miguel Amado on bass. Recorded in August 2011. The CD BRUTUS – “O deed do meio” was edited and released in December 2011 by the label – ADUF.
in 2013 he moved to Dubai, U.A.E. and since then has kept working as a professional musician both in the studio and as a performer, being part of projects in jazz, pop-rock, soul, funk and world music. He also taught as a private teacher at American school of Dubai, and now keeps teaching privately.
Teaches: Advanced
Let’s Learn Together!
At Piano Time Music Studio we believe students learn faster and with better results when they are exposed to a variety of approaches, have the opportunity to acquire collaborative skills, and engage in peer level learning.