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South Austin - 2309 Thornton Road Austin Texas 78704

Westlake @ Riverbend Centre - 4214 North Capital of Texas Highway Austin Texas 78746

512 698 8227 // 512 291 8224

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Current Staff:

James Mays + Director // Voice / Guitar / Bass / Songwriting / Bands / Music Business


The creator of SXSW Underage, The Kids Are Alright Fest and Band Aid School of Music. Mays has served as Production Director of the Miami Music Festival, an Assistant Production Manager for SXSW Music and a Producer of both NAMM’s School Jam USA and ACL Fest.
As a musical artist Mays began earning his living as a singer at age 19. His performing credits range from CBGB’s to Emo’s, to London’s Troubadour by way of Carnegie Hall. His music can be heard in Film, Television and Commercials for Nike’s Game Changers. One of which was recently debuted by Bono from U2, as the score for Nike’s Red Campaign.
In 2008, Mays’ most current band, mrandmrsmays, found itself ranked in the top ten of many college and AAA radio stations across the country. He began teaching young people in 1991 and has taught music since his return to Austin in 2001.

 

Glynn Wedgewood + Guitar / Voice / Bass / Drums / Songwriting / Bands + Event Production

Glynn relocated to Austin, TX from his native England after spending several years touring the world, supporting such artists as Oasis, The Bravery, Paul Weller, The Pretenders, The Editors, Jet, etc. He has played countless festivals including CMJ, ACL, SXSW, Coachella, as well as playing numerous arena shows. An accomplished songwriter, he has penned songs that have featured on the ABC network and that have received substantial airplay in the US and Europe. Having performed on CBS’s The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Fearless Music, XFM, BBC Radio 2 and The Current 89.3, he is no stranger to TV and Radio either. Glynn has 17 years worth of guitar/vocal experience and is equally at home tutoring individuals or groups.

 

 

Alex Werner + Drums / Guitar / Bass / Songwriting / Bands + Event Production

Alex was born into a family of musicians.  At the age of 10, Alex began playing guitar at and soon after percussion. He was high school drumline captain and a 4 yr. Texas State high level solo competitor. Mr. Werner has played in numerous churches and bands.  He currently plays with White Leaf along with Zac Kellogg, another Band Aid School of Music staffer, and is perusing a music education degree. Alex loves all music and is passionate about helping kids find and harness their musical gifts.

 

 

 

Wes Haynes + Piano / Keys / Songwriting / Bands

Haynes teaches piano lessons to all ages and levels. His teaching methods, like the Band Aid School of Music philosophy, are tailored towards each student, enabling them to have fun while progressing towards their own personal goals in music. He also tutors music school students in music theory, sight-reading and audition preparation. Students at all levels find Haynes to be very patient and insightful towards their challenges. Kids love him too! He plays piano, keyboards, and organ regularly in bands around Austin, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Driftwood, Dripping Springs and all around Texas, covering an array of styles ranging from jazz, funk, rock, pop, reggae, hip hop, and country. Haynes moved to Austin in 2008 and since then his jazz trio "J. Wesley Haynes Trio" has been signed to local label Township Records and has had two separate releases. Haynes grew up in Raleigh, NC where he started taking piano lessons at the age of 13. Haynes graduated college with a BA in music from the University of NC in Asheville. He has a concentration in jazz piano, composition and arranging. Since graduating from college in 2005 Haynes has taught piano and loves it!  Take a few lessons with him and find out why!

Josh Googins + Guitar / Bass / Voice / Songwriting / Bands + Event Production

Guitar player, singer and Austin native, Josh Googins studied at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) in Liverpool, England.  The school was founded by Paul McCartney, and housed in Sir Paul’s grade school building. There he studied music theory, popular music history, recording and live-sound tech, while continuing to write and record his own music. Josh has released two of his own records both recorded with well-known producer, Chris “Frenchie” Smith at The Bubble.  His current band, Cause In Effect’s debut EP, was released in September 2012. Being from Texas, Googins takes heavy influence from the blues, and while he is proficient with the bass and drums, his forte remains with lead guitar and vocals.

 

 

Zac Kellogg + Voice / Guitar / Songwriting / Bands + Event Production

Zac Kellogg has been playing and studying music since age twelve, and has a passion for just about every genre of music. In 2012 his current band, White Leaf, released a full length album entitled
Great Inventions and have have been recognized by magazines both locally and internationally. Whether it's solo gigs or with his band, Zac has played all the biggest venues in town. In 2010 White Leaf kicked off the Miami Music Festival. Zac Kellogg is an eclectic and passionate musician with a heart for teaching.

 

 

Shawn Jones + Bass / Guitar / Sax / Songwriting / Bands

"I play music because I find it to be one of the few simple truths in life.  If I couldn't play music, I'd paint.
  If I couldn't paint, I'd sculpt.  And so on." – Shawn Jones


Bands:  The Lovely Sparrows, The Eastern Sea
Kudos:  Music Performance Degree with Jazz Emphasis – Oklahoma City University 
              Take Your Hats Off You Godless Bastards - The Lovely Sparrows -  7″ - February 2006
              Pulling Up Floors, Pouring on (New) Paint – The Lovely Sparrows - CD/EP – October 10, 2006
              Bury the Cynics – The Lovely Sparrows - CD – September 9, 2008
              Official Showcases - Pop Montreal, SXSW, and CMJ Festivals - 2008

Shawn Jones thoroughly loves his profession and seeks to pass on that enthusiasm to his students - be it in instruction in theory, improvisation, technique, or simply learning songs.  Shawn holds a Degree in Jazz Performance from Oklahoma City University, and has taught saxophone, bass, and guitar since 2002. 

Shawn’s band, The Lovely Sparrows, has received critical praise by publications such as Spin Magazine, Paste, Harp, and Pitchfork, naming them as an "important band", "inventive and ornate", and drawing comparisons to songwriters such as Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen.  They were a featured band in the 2008 Pop Montreal, SXSW, and CMJ festivals. 

Recent work includes a novel, documentary soundtracks, a saxophone quartet, and trying to find time to walk his dogs.

 

Rachel Thomspon + Voice // Music Business Intern

In 2010 Rachel Thompson was awarded the title of “Best Teen Vocalist”, at the School Jam USA contest during the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. Her Band was also awarded “Best Teen Band in America.”  Her training and vocal background ranges from rock, pop, broadway, classical, jazz and more. She began studying voice at age 7 under the instruction of James Mays and is currently studying music at the University of Texas under Professor Gary Powel and is being trained in classical voice under the direction of, famous soprano, Ruth Ann Swenson.  

Rachel is currently the lead singer of local Austin rock band, The Delegation (formally known as AfterMATH). The Delegation has played a variety of festivals and shows in Austin including Antone’s, SXSW underage, The Paramount Theater, and New Years Eve at Auditorium Shores.

 

Alumni Staff:

Kate Turner Mays + Voice / Career Vision / Songwriting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gray Parsons + Drums /Guitar / Bands

Gray Parsons has been teaching Drums and Classical Percussion for over 15 years. He has performed in dozens of bands and ensembles, playing Rock, Jazz and Classical, among others. He received Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from Cameron and East Carolina University, respectively, as well as being accepted into the prestigious Performance Residency Program at Carnegie-Mellon University. While pursuing his education he played in symphonies, musical theater productions, and bands. Since moving to Austin in 2001, he has primarily played drum set, working with local acts The Jellydots, Glover Gill, Sheboygan, The Lovely Sparrows, and Sara Hickman.
Gray strives to integrate rudimental drumming, reading, and technique into the idiom of drum kit. Offering instruction to all ability levels, he has developed a reputation for bringing creativity, patience, and a desire to see his students bloom in their own light.

 

Shanti Schweizer + Music Production / Event Production

Owner of Kana Music LLC, Label Manager for Flyer Records, and Co-Director of Kids In A New Groove. In May of 2005, with a degree in Music Business in hand, Shanti left the mid-west for Austin to take on the Live Music Capital of the World. From stage managing events (SXSW, NAMM's School Jam Texas) to managing artists (Pictures of Then, Minneapolis ; Modoc, Nashville), to label management (Alpha Rev, Flyer Records/Hollywood Records) "Organizing Musicians," her business slogan, is truly what she does best.

 

 

 

David McComb + Music Production / Event Production

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Baker + Intern

Charlie Baker is just plain Awesome! What else can we say?