Guitar & Bass Instructors
Frank Varela attended Berklee School of Music and has been a private music instructor throughout the life of his career. He has also taught as a lecturer at the University of Connecticut and Manchester Community College in addition to his after school guitar program for the South Windsor Recreation Department.
Frank is also an accomplished guitar player and composer. Early on he was awarded a scholarship from the National Endowment for the Arts. His work has been favorably reviewed in nationally renowned “Jazz Improv” Magazine and he has played and composed music for six published CD recordings including 2 Mystery Feet CD’s. The first one, entitled “Walk the Walk” includes performances with jazz guitar great Larry Coryell. Frank also had the opportunity to record with drummers Lenny White (Miles Davis, Chick Corea) and Joel Rosenblatt (SpyroGyra) on the latest release entitled “Upstream”.
Frank has also performed and recorded with such greats as Jimmy McGriff, Max Roach, Tony Trischka, Bill Keith and Windham Hill Grammy winner, violinist, Darol Anger. He is currently working on a recording under his own name entitled “2 Sides to every story”.
Frank Varela also has a solo DVD, “Rare Footage” where he plays guitar and bass simultaneously.
Greg Sheffield has been involved in music in various capacities all his life, be it in his elementary school chorus or taking the helm of his high school’s Modern Band in his senior year. Performing under the name ‘RockGati’, he has released a multitude of popular, self-produced albums within the Connecticut music scene. Greg’s original songs have been played on college radio stations and have been performed at the Webster Theater in Hartford-all before his 18th birthday. His first job was as a guitar instructor at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield, MA when he was 14, and he has taught privately ever since. But not just guitar! In addition to guitar, Greg plays the piano, drums, bass, sitar and is also proficient in music theory.