Guitar

Alex Nordine Bass, Guitar

Alex Nordine graduated from Friends University in 2007 with Bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Spanish. He has spent many years performing in the Wichita area as a guitarist and bassist in a variety of genres, including: Rock, Blues, Jazz, Classical, Christian, Bluegrass, R&B, and Reggae. From 2003-2009 he taught approximately 40 weekly guitar & bass lessons, before moving to Puerto Rico in 2009 to pursue a Master’s degree in Translation. As a group leader, his Maple Street Trio performed all over the Wichita area. He has also performed with The Calyptones, The Project H, Matt Maholland, Lisa Hittle, David Lord, and Lisa Blake, among others. Teaching has long been an inspiration for Alex. He prides himself on being able to relate to students and adapt to all styles of music.

Ben Ferguson Bass, Guitar

Ben has been teaching and mentoring in guitar and bass at every level since 2009 with a specialty in music theory, ear training and improvisation. He studied guitar at Wichita State University, and has played in guitar ensembles, as well as various other instruments in orchestral, bluegrass, rock, and worship groups, and enjoys repairing and modifying guitars in his free time.

Christopher Shaw Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele

Chris has been teaching and performing music professionally for over 20 years. He
has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Kansas, and is currently pursuing
a Master’s Degree in Music Performance at Wichita State University.
Over the past two-plus decades, Shaw has performed with multiple groups in a
multitude of venues playing various styles of music including rock, jazz, funk, blues,
bluegrass, country, zydeco, reggae, and avant garde. He has shared the stage with the
likes of Freda Payne, John Abercrombie, Seun Kuti, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and
George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars.
Chris strives to create a fun and positive learning experience for every student.
Lessons are based first and foremost on the student’s interests and supplemented with
instruction on necessary technique and music theory. Chris is an enthusiastic teacher
who enjoys helping students on their musical journey.

Craig Owens Guitar

Craig Owens holds a B.A. from Wichita State, graduating in 1968. Married with four children, Owens and his family lived on Montserrat and Antigua, British West Indies from 1975 to 1983. As a performer and composer he has been active locally since 1984, performing in clubs, restaurant and concerts with duos, trios, and the Bodo Ensemble. He has performed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, New York, Paris and Amsterdam with Bodo Ensemble and toured Brazil in 2000, performing and lecturing in Porto Allegre, Passo Fundo and Santa Maria. Owens has released five cds of original compositions. In the field of education, Owens taught beginning guitar, guitar for non-majors, jazz guitar, jazz improvisation and coached jazz combos at Wichita State University from 1984 to 2013. He directed Jazz Program at WSU and directed Wichita Jazz Festival from 2009 to 2013.

A long-time pillar of the Wichita art community, Craig Owens’ work over the past decades has added a variety of vistas to Wichita’s cultural landscape. His music – performed by the ever-evolving Bodo Ensemble – has served as one of the area’s major voices of jazz and experimental music, providing inspiration and direction for many generations of Wichita’s young musicians. During his long career teaching at Wichita State University, he guided countless students to a deeper understanding of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Akira Kurosawa, William Faulkner, and a pantheon of other artists. From 2010 to 2013, he served as the President of the Wichita Jazz Festival, bringing in many of the biggest up-and-coming jazz musicians in the world.

After leaving Wichita State in the spring of 2013, Craig turned his attentions to exploring his other artistic ambitions, particularly in the areas of painting and photography. Drawing inspiration from his love of African art, his fascination with abstract expressionism, and his extensive musical background, Craig Owens has begun his search for a new personal visual language.

David Lord Guitar

David is the owner and manager of Air House Music Academy. He has been teaching guitar for the last 20+ years. David has his B.A. in Music Performance from Friends University. From 2008-2011, David was the guitar professor at Friends University, teaching guitar lessons, directing guitar ensembles, directing jazz combos and teaching guitar class.

His unique style of jazz guitar has been featured in Downbeat, All About Jazz, Dusted Magazine, A Closer Listen, Pop Matters and NPR. He has recorded and performed with Jeff Parker (Tortoise), Chad Taylor (Pharoah Sanders), Billy Mohler (Dolly Parton), Devin Hoff (Nels Cline), Dale Black (Terence Blanchard), Charles Rumback (Ryley Walker) and many others.

Lord has recorded over 20 albums of original music including three albums with producer Chris Schlarb (Psychic Temple, Sufjan Stevens) at BIG EGO Studios in Los Angeles, working with some of the top jazz musicians in the world. The albums were released on BIG EGO Records, earning Lord recognition in major jazz publications and several end of the year “best of” lists. His most recent album was a co-release between BIG EGO Records and the Austin, TX label Astral Spirits.

From 2009-2019, Lord partnered with legendary recording engineer Micajah Ryan (Bob Dylan, Guns N Roses, Megadeth) in building and engineering Air House Studios. As a recording engineer, Lord has worked with Macy Gray, Cady Groves, Skinny Hightower, Dustin Arbuckle and many more.

Over his 20+ year teaching career, Lord has worked with all types of students from beginners to advanced jazz students. Lord is known as a patient and kind teacher, customizing the lessons to fit the interests and goals of the students. Lord specializes in jazz guitar and music theory, but loves teaching all styles and levels of guitar.

He has performed extensively throughout the US and Canada.

Eric Shumaker Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele

Eric Shumaker has been an active, local working musician in Wichita and the surrounding area for the last 15 years. His experience ranges from working in the local jazz circuit, to cover/rock/pop/country bands, playing in pit orchestras in musicals, being a church musician, etc. He has also been teaching private lessons for 17 years. He holds a bachelors degree in Guitar Performance/Jazz Studies from Friends University and currently pursuing a Masters in Jazz Studies at Wichita State University.

Jace Wilbert Guitar, Bass, Ukulele

Jace Wilbert began his musical journey as a guitarist at age 13 and hasn’t looked back since. At 16, Jace formed and played lead guitar in an alt-rock band, “Shaft” that played hundreds of shows locally, regionally, and nationally for over a decade.

Since then, Jace has stayed busy over the years as a guitarist and recording artist with bands such as “Riverside 65”, “The Yale St. Players” and the “Lucky People Band”. He’s most recently been contributing and collaborating with hip hop artist, “XV” as a recording artist and member of his live band “the Squarian Brain Trust”.

Jace began teaching guitar, bass, and ukulele over 20 years ago and has instructed students of all ages and playing ability in Wichita, KS and Dallas, TX. He has extensive knowledge and experience playing and teaching almost all musical genres, specializing in Rock, Pop, Funk, Blues, and Soul. Jace has studied privately with blues and jazz greats such as David Keller, Jerry Hahn, and at Wichita State University with Craig Owens.

Jace’s philosophy on teaching:

“To me music instruction is more than just a weekly lesson. It is showing up consistently as a mentor and guide for those who seek to discover and cultivate their creative energy and to help unlock their musical potential.

Learning a new instrument or expanding one’s existing knowledge and ability can be a challenging, but greatly rewarding experience. I always approach each session as an instructor positively with a beginner’s mentality. I strive to keep the learning experience light and fun with the intent to nurture each student’s innate curiosity for the instrument while encouraging the self-motivation that it takes to improve by any increment.

My goal is to tailor each student’s learning experience to suit their personal interests and musical passions while staying grounded in the fundamentals of playing their instrument.”

Joel Cachero Guitar, Piano

Joel studied Jazz guitar and received his B.M. M.M. from Wichita State University in 2012 and became certified to teach Pre-K – 12 music education at Black Traditional Magnet Elementary. He plays in a variety of styles including classical, jazz, rock and pop music. Joel specializes in teaching music theory, music technology; including production and and home recording. Joel has been teaching since 2006 and has experience working with students of all ages and development levels. He also specializes in teaching students with disabilities and has several students with exceptionalities. His passion for music and teaching inspire his students to develop into sensitive, inspired musicians.

Kurt Aiken Guitar, Banjo, Bass, Mandolin, Piano, Ukulele

Kurt teaches guitar, banjo, bass, mandolin, ukulele, and piano lessons. Coming from a family of talented musicians, he grew up with a love for music and especially music performance. He wrote his first tune on the piano at eight years old and that sparked a creative drive that never left. Although piano was his first love, the guitar seemed to be calling him and he dedicated himself to the instrument. Practicing for hours each day in his dorm room as a Kansas University engineering student and track and field athlete, Kurt began learning all the styles of American music. Engineering wasn’t his future. He knew that his true calling was to be a musician, so he began playing gigs around Lawrence, Kansas. In those days he played mostly for little or no money, but the early gigs were the beginning of his career as a professional musician that has lasted over two decades and counting.

Kurt had always known that his passion in music was to express himself through improvisation but mostly in the rock and blues tradition up to that point. Then one fateful day he walked into a little pizza joint in Lawrence, Kansas not expecting his life to change. The music playing on the sound system was unlike anything he’d ever heard. That was the very first time he heard John McLaughhelin, Al DiMeola, and Paco de Lucia. They were playing some sort of flamenco jazz guitar fusion and Kurt was mesmerized with the sound. The album was “A Friday Night in San Fransisco”, which he promptly purchased and set out to learn every note the three masters had played. This was the start of his love affair with jazz music. The complex harmonies and rhythms and the freedom to be creative were a perfect fit for his musical capabilities. Kurt went on to study jazz guitar performance at Wichita State University under the guidance of the great Craig Owens who would become his mentor and a major influence on Kurt’s music. To this day the two guitarists can be seen playing in Craig’s avant-garde jazz group, Bodo Ensemble, along with other heavy hitters in the jazz arena. Dale Black, one of the nation’s premier bass players, is the arguably the most famous band member, but there are so many others. Brian Mueller, Andrew Bishop, Jeff Stidham, and many other accomplished musicians trace their roots back to Bodo Ensemble. The band is a breeding ground for great jazz players. Kurt has also performed with funk legend Rudy Love, Steve McClure of Garth Brooks fame, and the well known actress/singer Cindy Summers to name a few. Showing his versatility, Kurt can also be heard playing some nice keyboard in the R&B, soul group Blue Eyed Soul, and regularly works as a session guitarist in Wichita Kansas.

Even though performing and recording music for a living is a dream come true for Kurt, he wouldn’t be complete without sharing the joy with others. He is experienced teaching piano, guitar, bass, and ukulele lessons. He seems to get more joy helping his students attain their musical goals than even working on his own, and it shows. Kurt has been at it so long that these days he is teaching many of his former student’s children, and he keeps himself busy teaching a studio of about 50 students per week. He is very excited about getting the students up in front of an audience, when they are ready, and he frequently organizes recitals for them to get their feet wet. In fact, many of Kurt’s students have gone on to become pro musicians themselves. A true musician’s musician, Kurt Aiken loves to share his talents with the world through both performance and education.

To schedule lessons with Kurt, contact us!

Miguel Santana Morales Bass, Guitar, Piano

Miguel has performed, toured and recorded bass, percussion, and piano for many artists from Puerto Rico, Cuba and the USA, including Okan, Evan Mcintosh, Rudy Love & the Encore, Charlie Cruz, Frankie Negron, etc. He has
also played/directed in local Wichita churches like Saint Mark UMC, Heart of Christ UMC and Newspring Church. Miguel plays a diverse range of music from Jazz, Blues, Rock, Hip & Hop, R&B, and Gospel, to Contemporary Jazz,Fusion, Afro-Latin Music, Salsa, and many other styles of Latin Music.

Miguel has his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance in Jazz Studies from Friends University and his Master’s Degree in Music Performance in Bass Studies from Wichita State University. He is currently teaching bass, guitar, piano and percussion at Air House Music, in addition to his career as a professional performing musician.

Paul Fowler Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, Voice

Paul Fowler is has a diverse skill set, offering guitar, piano, ukulele, and voice lessons. Paul was born and raised in Wichita, KS and has spent the last 15 years writing, performing, recording, and teaching.

He has a passion for showing students what is possible if they focus and fall in love with their music. He has an unorthodox way of teaching with incredibly fast results for those who LOVE music.

“There is a better way to explore an instrument than the way our parents learned… and quit. Learning should always be engaging and always focus on exactly what the student wants to learn. We didn’t learn the alphabet before we began to speak, so why would we learn notes before we play. It’s time to have fun!

Finding your voice or expression through an instrument is one of the most rewarding areas of growth in a persons life. It is so integral to finding your true voice and being able to sing and play with the your greatest dynamic range. Music is about joy, and integrating that joy into your life!”

– Paul Fowler

Contact us to start lessons with Paul.

Seth Carrithers Bass, Guitar, Piano

Seth offers lessons in electric bass, double bass, guitar, ukulele, piano and music theory. He has been an active musician and music educator in Wichita, Kansas for over 20 years. As a double bassist working in various jazz ensembles, Seth has had the pleasure of playing with many notable musicians ranging from well-known locals such as Craig Owens and Sterling Grey, to internationally recognized recording artists such as Benny Golson and Jerry Hahn. Outside of the jazz world, Seth has worked in the studio with Grammy Award winning country music star Lynn Anderson.

While the double bass remains Seth’s primary instrument, he excels at the electric bass as well, and has utilized this skill as a staff musician at the Book of Acts Tabernacle of Praise Church for the past 15 years, and East Heights United Methodist church for the past 4 years. In addition to Seth’s various experiences both playing and teaching music, he holds a Master of Music Degree from Wichita State University.

Contact us to schedule lessons with Seth

William Bloomquist Guitar, Voice

William Bloomquist is a songwriter, performer, and educator, among other non-musical passions such as art and games. He graduated in 2013 from Friends University where he studied guitar, voice, and music theory. Since then he’s been a versatile creative contributor to the Wichita scene teaching lessons, playing in various local projects (The Hollows, The Radio Soul, Tommy Newport), and writing/recording solo work. He performs and releases music under the moniker Dot Bella Quist.

As a teacher, William is focused on helping students find a relationship to their instrument that feels authentic, exciting, expansive and sustainable. He is especially passionate about helping people accompany themselves and write their own music.

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You can also email info@airhousemusic.com or call 316-613-3378 for Guitar lesson information.

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