Michael Sobieski
Founder and Lead Instructor
A seasoned guitarist, performer and committed educator with over 35 years of experience. Mike has a Bachelors Degree in music from The University of California at Santa Cruz and a Master’s Certificate in Scoring and Orchestrating Music for Film and TV from the Berklee College of Music, and has been a performing and recording artist for over 35 years. He has toured and played festivals all over the world, and brings this experience into his lessons.
Mike is originally a Pasadena native, but moved to Spain right after college, where he made the beautiful city of Madrid his home, working in the music industry for 23 years. He is fluent, experienced and comfortable teaching in Spanish as well as English.
He also brings his extensive knowledge and passion for many styles of music into his lessons, being able to cover a wide range of genres in his teaching. From Rock, Surf, Pop, Blues, Jazz, to Metal, Country, or Classical Music to name a few, he enjoys passing this passion on to students of all ages, levels and backgrounds. He also has a unique talent for identifying his learners strengths, developing different and effective education plans for each student he works with. Whether its for a First Grader just discovering the joys of music, someone who wants to take their playing to the next level or someone who has always wanted to learn an instrument and finally has the time, Mike is able to cater to your needs.
Mike relocated back to Pasadena, CA, with his wife Nuria and their son Michael in 2010. Since then he has been performing and recording with local bands while also teaching at the Altadena Academy of Music for the last 11 years, and privately, both in person and remotely.
Now his lessons are available in person from his newly renovated and fully dedicated studio, The Music Room, conveniently located in Pasadena, just off Bungalow Heaven. Lessons are also available virtually, providing flexible high quality instruction, tailored to your needs.
Mike specializes in guitar -electric and acoustic, bass and Ukulele, but his studio also offers instruction in Piano, Violin, Cello and Voice, by dedicated experienced professionals with amazing credentials and a love for teaching the gift of music!
Other Instructors
Piano, Violin, Cello and Voice Instructor
Alethea Buchal
Alethea has taught voice, violin, piano, guitar, ukulele, and beginning cello and drums for over seven years now. Having a background as a soccer coach, she knows how to mentor and inspire her students. Every student is unique and she learns what the goals and learning styles are for each one in order to help them flourish.Alethea has a minor in Music from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and studied with the greatest musicians in New York City. She played in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony and Portland Youth Philharmonic as a child. As an adult, she has toured the world performing her own songs and with other bands. Most recently, she was in New York, performing with her Rock Band, Alethea & Co. on guitar, vocals, and piano.
Alethea uses the Faber series for piano, Hal Leonard for guitar, and techniques from Brett Manning and Berklee School of Music for vocals.
