Meet Our Teaching Faculty

San Francisco’s Best Music Teachers & Educators

 

Our Team, One Commitment

Our faculty is deeply committed to teaching as a profession, dedicated to helping students meet their unique goals.

Blue Bear teachers also work as musicians, expert in their individual crafts, with significant experience in the music industry.

Teacher Bios

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Ariel B

Ariel B has seen success on the local San Francisco music scene. She expanded her horizons in classical music while attending The Ruth Asawa School of the Arts High School in San Francisco. She sings in Italian, French, and German. She also sings at several clubs in the Bay Area doing covers and originals. Ariel has previously worked with famed producer Narada Michael Waldon; Narada has produced the greats – Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey are among this celebrated group. Her latest release finds Ariel B set to make a winter splash with her first holiday collection featuring “Candy Coated Love,” an original song co-written by Ariel B and Troy Laureta (Ariana Grande) and produced by Grammy-winning producer Jeffrey Weber.
For her holiday set, Weber invited an all-star group of musicians and singers to perform with her, live, in the studio. Her band includes Joe Otis – drums (Beyonce, Ariana Grande), Rhonda Smith – bass (Prince, Jeff Beck), Tariqh Akoni – guitar (Josh Groban, Aretha Franklin), Troy Laureta – arranger, keyboards (Ariana Grande, David Foster), Will Wheaton – background vocals (Michael Jackson, Natalie Cole), Bridgett Bryant – background vocals (Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder) and Jason Morales – background vocals (Lalah Hathaway, Harry Styles, Lenny Kravitz).
Ariel B – “Music has always been my beacon. When I first discovered I could sing I knew I would never be alone again. I sometimes forget how blessed I am to have one of the greatest and most influential gifts bestowed on me. It has given me strength in times of weakness, joy in times of sadness, and also helped many others around me through the phases of life.”
Ariel teaches group classes for kids and private lessons for ages 8 and up at Mission Bay on Wednesdays.

Rob Bonstin

Rob Bonstin is a voice teacher and coach with 40 years of experience as a singer and performer. He’s trained with some of the most sought-after voice teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area who’ve taught the likes of Barbra Streisand and Sammy Hagar.
Rob’s musical journey began in childhood – from the time he was in the playpen, the house was filled with music from his family playing LP records all the time. When Rob was old enough, an obsession with collecting LP records began. He would play these albums over and over until he memorized the lyrics and began singing to them. Rob would play air guitar and sing along to rock records until friends discovered he could actually sing. This led to him joining rock bands with friends and performing in musicals in local theaters and in school.
 
Rob pursued a career in music from then on and formed or joined many rock bands over the years. And he picked up keyboards and guitar along the way. For voice, he went to some of the biggest names in the Bay Area, like Judy Davis and Claudine Spindt. He also took piano lessons and learned guitar from friends. For many years Rob played in local clubs and eventually began playing in bar bands.  Rob gave his first voice lessons to bandmates, to make sure they knew how to sing and harmonize. He would eventually go on to give voice lessons privately to others.
 
Rob’s musical education hasn’t stopped, and he continues to take music lessons to this day. And of course, he still plays music in bands and various music projects. He enjoys helping singers improve their singing and expand their vocal range; and most importantly, Rob can teach you how to keep from damaging your voice so you can continue to keep on singing. 

Rob teaches private voice, piano, and guitar lessons and a group voice class on Thursdays at Mission Bay.

Request a lesson with Rob.

Lea Centauri

Lea Centauri has been singing since age four and is a master vocalist and instructor with experience teaching Voicedance, from Paris to Istanbul.  Voicedance is the breath and music of singing as expression, for all singers wanting the experience of Voice. 
 
A mezzo-soprano, Lea lived in Paris for several years, performing and teaching throughout France as well as in Turkey and other countries in Europe and North Africa.  She is a vocal coach for all genres–Jazz, Pop, Blues, R&B, Rock, Show Tunes, Hip Hop, and Rap–working with individuals on technique and preparation for recording and performance, and also working with those who just want to sing for fun and personal enjoyment.  Her Voicedance program starts with breathing exercises for relaxation and clearing of energy, moving to vocal scales for tuning, range, stamina, and feeling good within as you sing, then to singing triplets for vocal control and expression, and finally to songs to enhance your vocal ability and build a repertoire of material you want to sing. Lea is also a songwriter and teaches beginning piano as well.  She teaches only private online lessons
 
What students are saying:
  • “Lea is absolutely the best vocal coach I’ve ever had. Working with Lea has completely elevated my tone, range, and breath control. She makes sure that I do it right every time, with grace. She patiently allows me to correct my mistakes to ensure I get it right, and that I understand how to correct it. ” – April W.

Sharman Duran

Sharman Duran, vocalist and keyboardist, has been performing jazz standards, Top 40, Soul, Rock, Pop, and Latin jazz in bands since 1976.  She works with adults and students in 7th grade and older.  Sharman teaches private lessons in voice and piano – at Fort Mason and online.

Rick Harrell

Rick Harrell has been a voice and guitar teacher in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.  He currently serves as the Founding Director of Heroes’ Voices, a nonprofit service organization for veterans. Rick leads therapeutic singing and guitar music workshops for veterans with PTSD and other challenges.
 
Rick teaches singers in many genres including classical, folk, rock, country, and Musical Theater. He has been a voice teacher and guest Master Class instructor at universities and training programs including Yale, Indiana University, Chautauqua Institution, Loyola University, Mannes School of Music, University of Richmond, Virginia State University, and the University of Florida.
 
Recently a music professor at City College of San Francisco, Rick has served as Director of the Juilliard Department of Vocal Arts, Director of the San Francisco Opera Center, Head of Faculty for the Opera Training Program of the New National Theatre in Tokyo, Director of the Opera Program for the San Francisco Conservatory, Artistic Consultant and Principal Stage Director for the Bangkok Opera, and senior faculty for the Opera Studio of the Netherlands.
 
Rick performed as a baritone soloist with such companies as Lincoln Center Theatre Company, La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Washington Opera, Baltimore Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Omaha, New Jersey Symphony, Richmond Symphony, and National Symphony. He recorded the role of Bernardo on the album West Side Story conducted by Leonard Bernstein and is featured on the recording of Bernstein’s last opera, A Quiet Place
 
A frequent judge for vocal competitions, he annually adjudicates for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Originally from Oklahoma, Rick grew up in northern Virginia, attended college in Washington, D.C., and New York City, and has lived for many years in San Francisco.  Rick teaches group classes and private lessons in voice and guitar at Fort Mason.

Francesca Lee

Francesca Lee graduated from Sir Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (Music) in 2002 majoring in pop vocal performance and songwriting with disciplines in both guitar and keyboard.  She is best known for her soulful/sultry vocals and music that merges styles of Folk, Pop, Blues, and Jazz.
 
During her residency in the U.K., Francesca performed as a backup singer for the popular televised awards show, The Top of the Pop Awards at The Manchester Arena alongside artists like Nellie Furtado, Tom Jones, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Wyclef, and Travis.  She was also featured in a pilot episode for the MTV Networks show (The Real World).  She recorded her first debut independent album with Scottish Sony recording artist Sandi Thom, who later topped the Billboard charts in the U.K. with her song “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker.”
 
In 2004 she moved to San Francisco and established herself in the Bay Area music scene as a singer-songwriter.  A top ten regional finalist in The Lilith Fair Talent Search through Ourstage.com, songs from her album The Pieces Left, produced by Michael Winger, Executive Director for NARAS (The Grammys), was featured on KFOG’S LOCAL Scene Vol. 6 and Songwriters Unplugged-Live at Yoshi’s.
 
She has been working as a professional musician in The Bay Area since 2004 and has been a staff show producer for Bread & Roses Presents since 2010.  She is passionate about guiding students on how to discover their own unique sound, carve out their niche, and how to develop their craft as singer-songwriters.  She has also served as a previous judge for West Coast Songwriter’s monthly songwriting showcase & competition.
 
Francesca teaches private lessons at Fort Mason.

Kevin Mullane

Kevin Mullane graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a B.A. in Music.  He has taught students of all ages and levels in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, focusing on the individual student’s development of the skills necessary to enjoy playing the music they love. He has been a performing musician for many years and currently plays guitar and sings lead vocals with the Bay Area bands System 9 and The Nakano Jazz Quintet.
 
Kevin teaches private lessons (at Fort Mason, SoMa, and online) in electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, voice, and ukulele, group classes, and band classes, using song suggestions from students as a vehicle to learn about chords, melody, rhythm, song structure, and technique. Students can explore theory, harmony, and composition in a variety of styles, including rock, jazz, blues, soul, funk, folk, and more.  He encourages students to play music on their own, jam with friends, or perform with a band. Whether you want to pursue music professionally or simply develop your skills and have fun, Kevin offers all levels of instruction.
 

Lucia Pontoniere

A native of San Francisco, Lucia Pontoniere began playing violin at the age of 6. After pursuing classical violin seriously for 10 years, she began to explore other styles of music on the violin, including jazz, Irish, Scottish, and old-time fiddle. Lucia graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Violin Performance and American Roots Music. During and after college she toured the country and recorded albums with her band The Ladles, a space where she began to explore writing songs and playing the guitar. Lucia teaches all styles of violin and fiddle as well as guitar, voice, and songwriting – online and at Fort Mason. She particularly likes to work with violinists who have mostly played in a classical setting and are looking to explore other styles of music. She loves teaching, and her music philosophy is built upon the idea that we should always follow the spark of our creativity.

Janak Ramachandran

Janak Ramachandran has been playing guitar for the better part of four decades and teaching it for more than 20 years.  His acoustic guitar technique is designed to progressively build the skills needed to become a one-man or one-woman band.  With the use of songs specifically chosen for their instructive value, Janak’s teaching approach can take you from your first notes and chords to the complex rhythms, chord progressions, and scale knowledge that can make you a complete guitar player. Electric guitar shares many skills in common with the acoustic guitar, of course, but Janak’s electric approach includes more tailored skill building with regards to both the tools of phrasing (particularly as it applies to single-note lead work) and the aesthetic variety of different chord styles.  Since Janak also teaches voice and songwriting, he is a one-stop shop for anyone wanting to eventually sing and play together, whether learning to create their own music or interpreting the songs of others. 
 
Janak began his vocal training at the age of six and eventually studied more professionally following college in various styles including Bel Canto and Speech Level Singing.  By combining ideas from these and other vocal schools of thought (e.g., Alexander Technique), he forms his foundational vocal philosophy, upon which he layers his own technique.  He has had success coaching beginning students unable to match pitch to eventually perform on stage as well as guide professional singers in the studio when recording an album.  He has fronted (both with and without an instrument) numerous bands, performed in musicals as well as dramatic and comic stage plays, and developed an acting technique for singers and instrumentalists designed specifically for musicians performing on stage. In 2008, Janak’s band Bottoms Up! was the top cover band in a California battle of the bands competition.  His teaching credits include the children of Todd Rundgren and Linda Ronstadt as well as numerous local musicians in bands like Tainted Love and The Doorslammers, some of whom have studied with Janak for years.
 
Learn more about Janak at musiclessonguru.comJanak teaches online private lessons in guitar, voice, ukulele, bass, and piano, and group voice and guitar classes online and in-person at Fort Mason.
 
What students are saying:
  • “Every week is challenging, requiring lots of practice in between, but rewarding because skills that seemed impossible when they’re introduced come easily within a couple weeks. The variety and progression by which skills are introduced simply cannot be reproduced in a self-taught environment & the group setting provides the additional motivation to practice during the week. I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon Janak from the beginning and I highly recommend him to anyone similarly looking to learn guitar from the ground up!” – Forbes H.

Amanda VanderMeer

Amanda VanderMeer graduated with high honors from Portland Community College’s Professional Music Program and has been playing and writing music for twenty-five years, touring the globe and releasing two studio albums. Since 2006, she has taught a wide range of ages in drums, piano, vocals, music theory, and songwriting. She plays drums in her current band Deathtrap America.  Amanda teaches online private lessons in piano, drums, and voice.

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