Our teachers are longtime friends and colleagues excited to come together to share their passion with their students, the community, and each other.
It is our mission to make learning music as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.
As experienced educators classically trained on their instruments, and gigging musicians; our professional knowledge and passion for music gives MKHM students an unparalleled learning experience.
Eric LegatoEric is a musical entrepreneur with passion for teaching students of all ages and levels on cello, guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, drums and voice. Eric’s musical knowledge and experience crosses genres. From rock to blues to broadway to Mozart, Eric embraces music in all of its forms, and has dedicated himself to lifelong learning and teaching of the musical arts.
Eric strummed his first guitar at age six, and has been studying music and participating in ensembles ever since. During middle and high school, he played cello in jazz band ensembles, symphonic orchestra, string quartets, youth orchestras and competitive festivals (NYSSMA). He continued to study performance, conducting, music theory and composition into college and graduated from Oswego University of New York with a bachelor’s degree in arts (BA), specializing in music performance. During college, Eric played in numerous pit orchestras for theater productions, including “Sweet Charity,” “Spelling B,” “Annie,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” He has also played with several bands, in private wedding ceremonies, and for holiday concerts and is a regular with the band for singer/songwriter Jesse Terry when he plays locally at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake. |
Samantha BrideauSamantha is a lifelong musician. A fervent player from an early age, she is a classically trained string instrumentalist (violin, viola) and pianist. She also sings, plays guitar and bass.
Samantha has been providing professional music instruction in Westchester since 2010 and is celebrating ten years of teaching this year! She enjoys working with students of all ages but particularly loves starting little ones on their musical journeys and — most importantly — making music fun! Her methods make learning an instrument approachable and engaging for many types of learners. Enjoying both solo and group performance work across genres and musical styles, Samantha has performed with bands and as a soloist for weddings, religious ceremonies, and performs with community ensembles such as the Northern Westchester Symphony Orchestra and Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra. She is a also a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Privately trained during her elementary and adolescent years by Eastman, Juilliard, and Berklee alum, Samantha has performed in many symphonic and chamber orchestras, quartets, pit orchestras, select choir, fiddle groups, and bands. |
Tommy DeMartinoTommy De Martino is a seasoned and accredited veteran of performing and teaching with over 30 years of successful and progressive experience in all aspects of drumming and percussion. A drummer who has toured with several bands on the East Coast circuit and has recorded with artists such as Brian Tarquin, Emile Menasche (Speak the Language), John Montaldo (Significant Others).
Tommy focuses on sight reading and teaching students the art of rudimental drumming, building hand technique and how to approach the drum kit. He teaches all genres of music such as Rock, Funk, Jazz, Latin, Fusion, Hip-Hop, R&B and linear drumming. Tommy is a member of the National Association of Rudimental Drumming (N. A. R. D.) which he received while attending Miami Dade College. He also attended Drummers Collective in NYC, where he studied with Mike Clark. Advanced percussion students have the unique opportunity to study with Tommy, who lives in sunny Florida, USA, over Facebook Portal video lessons in our drum studio. Students receive true pro mentoring and are given weekly exercises. Please contact us for more information about drum lessons with Tommy D. |
Ariana StefandisAriana Stefanidis is an emerging New York City-based jazz vocalist and educator. Growing up, she played trumpet in concert band, jazz band, pit orchestras, and anything else she could find.
Ariana is a new but powerful force on the New York City jazz scene and she regularly appears at venues such as 55 Bar and the Red Room. She hosts her own monthly jam session at Penny Jo’s in Washington Heights and regularly provides studio vocals for local hip-hop artists. She currently is a teaching assistant for a vocal jazz repertoire course at City College, where she will graduate with a Bachelor of Music this Spring. Ariana plans to enter a graduate program in the Fall to earn her Masters in Music and has been invited to audition at both Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School. She looks forward to expanding her presence in music education and spreading her passion and knowledge for jazz at Mount Kisco House of Music. |
Paige LeePaige graduated from Putnam Valley High School in 2018, where she was involved with the Wind Ensemble, pit orchestra, and was president of the Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter. She is currently pursuing her degree in Instrumental Music Education at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY where she is part of the Honors Program, a Dean’s List recipient, and member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). She performs with the Nazareth College Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Piano group.
Paige began piano lessons when she was six years old and has loved music ever since, picking up the Clarinet, Violin, and Ukulele along the way. She loves working with students of all ages and has been working as an instructor at Mathnasium in Peekskill, NY since 2017. She has taken methods classes in Clarinet, Saxophone, French Horn, Trumpet, Guitar, and Voice and is incredibly excited to be a music educator in the future. |