Meet Our Instructors

(Guitar, Piano, Bass, Drums, Voice, Violin, Ukulele, Production) 

Donato McDermott has a background in playing music as well as teaching. Music is Donato’s life, which led him to be the founder of Evolution Music Conservatory. He has been involved in several successful bands (Legs on Sale, Royal Heist, Dondo and the Mothership). Donato is a graduate of Musician's Institute, where he studied a multitude of instruments extensively. He has over 15 years experience instructing at professional music schools and loves teaching anyone with a desire to learn. Donato developed his own teaching curriculum which is implemented here at EMC. He teaches guitar, drums, piano, and bass to beginners up to professional levels as well as songwriting, recording, theory, harmony, sight-reading, and ear training. 

(Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums, Violin, Cello, Ukulele, Production)

Nick has been performing and studying classical, jazz, contemporary electronic music and production since 2007. As he splits his time between educating and being an active part of the music industry both on and off stage, Nick will easily be able to help guide you to achieve any musical goals you have. Whether it's picking up an instrument for the first time, carving out your own unique style, or just jamming just for the sake of jamming, he's got you covered. FSU, BA in Music.

(Clarinet, Saxophone)

Sheri Pearlman is an American clarinetist based out of Los Angeles, California. Sheri received her musical education from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in her native city of Baltimore, Maryland, where she studied under New York Philharmonic's Principal clarinetist, Anthony McGill. She received a talent scholarship from this renowned institution, as well as numerous awards. One distinction of note includes the Peabody Institute's Award for Excellence in Chamber Music as well as an additional scholarship to concertize and perform chamber music throughout Europe.

(Voice, Piano, Beginner Guitar)

Sophia began piano at the age of 5 years old and voice lessons at 9 years old. She graduated from San Francisco State University and Los Angeles College of Music. She has  performed with Grammy Award Winners Mya and Patrice Rushen. Sophia has opened for Haily Reinhart, SOMO, and Sammy J. She competed in American Idol, The Voice, and America's Got Talent. She released an all original music album and has toured nationally and internationally playing and singing on piano as well as with her 8 piece band.

After college, Sophia began teaching voice and piano. She teaches piano out of the Alfred's Basic Piano Library. She invented the music theory game called 'Match' which helps students learn music theory 30% faster than out of a book and music lessons combine. In her vocal lessons she teaches the anatomy of the voice and proper vocal technique, allowing any student to sing any song. Her music genres include Pop, R&B, Jazz, Rock, and World Music.

Sophia teaches songwriting, playing instruments while singing, and the art of performing.

Her students participated in the Musa National Music Competition -- three of them taking 1st place titles and one 2nd place title; two years in a row.

Sophia speak French, Arabic and English. She is learning Spanish and is happy to teach songs in different languages.

Most importantly, she loves music and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and passion with all of you.

(Voice, Piano)

 Chelsea is a light lyric soprano originally from the Midwest. She has studied piano and voice since the age of 12. She received her bachelor's of music in vocal performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014 and her master’s of music in vocal performance from Temple University in Philadelphia in 2016. Chelsea has been teaching private voice, piano, and piano/voice fusion lessons for the past five years. In addition to teaching privately, she is the K-8 music teacher and choir director at the Woodcrest School in Tarzana. In addition to teaching, Chelsea has a long history of performance. She has performed in Los Angeles with Pacific Opera Project, with Opera Carolina in North Carolina, and Opera Omaha in Nebraska. 

(Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, Bass, Drums, Rock Band)

Tim is a highly experienced musician with over 15 years of teaching experience. Born in Philadelphia, Tim majored in jazz guitar and music composition in college. As an instructor, Tim creates a fun and relaxed atmosphere while instilling confidence in his students with positive reinforcement.  He teaches guitar, bass, piano, drums, and ukulele.  An accomplished performer, Tim has toured all over the world in prestigious venues such as Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Lincoln Center in NYC; and festivals including the Halifax Jazz Festival in Nova Scotia and Gilles Peterson’s WWS in Tokyo, JP.  He has also performed with many rock, jazz, hiphop, and electronic artists like Bernie Worrell, Mike Watt, Digable Planets, Jose James, Mark Guiliana and Taylor McFerrin. Tim is continually excited to share his musical knowledge and experience with aspiring musicians.  His goal as a teacher is to provide a balance of music theory, sight reading, and instrument proficiency in the genre/s that each student is most interested in pursuing.

(Drums, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Rock Band, Violin, Cello, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Flute, Voice)

Raised in the suburbs of Chicago Zach Nazar picked up the drum-set at age 8 and took weekly lessons for twelve years before moving to Boston in 2004 to attend Berklee College of Music where he took up World percussion as his primary instrument. There he began finding a love for traditional music from around the globe. In 2013 Zach began teaching orchestral instruments with El Sistema through the Longy School of Music of Bard College’s Master of Arts and Teaching Program in Los Angeles. Since then, Zach has been teaching all instruments as the Music Director at the Muse school in Calabasas, Our Community Charter School, Guidance Charter High School, and Foothills Music Academy. Incorporating all of his previous experience into his teaching and curriculum, Zach has developed his own unique approach to education with an emphasis on fun! He is also teaching private lessons for all instruments, composing original music, performing, and is frequently called to “sit in” on recordings and performances of various styles. Through this experience, Zach has acquired a unique passion, perspective and ability to adapt his style, allowing him work with a vast range of individuals. 

(Piano, Voice, Guitar, Ukulele, Songwriting)

Grace Ratliff is a classically trained pianist, as well as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Music is her greatest passion, as she has been playing and writing since she was a kid. Through her teaching, she wishes to pass on her knowledge and love for music to all who are interested in learning! She teaches all levels of piano, as well as beginning guitar, voice, and ukulele. As a singer and songwriter, she will teach you how to write your own songs, as well as how to record them on Logic Pro X and GarageBand. With her kindness and patience, she will help you reach all of your musical goals, while having a great time!

(Drums, Theory, Piano, Guitar)

Devin Matthews is a professional drummer, singer/songwriter, distinguished teacher, and multi-instrumentalist with a love for all music and instruments. Known for his work with Mt. Pool, he has played countless shows both with and without the band in various jazz bands and combo groups. He studied under Jeffery DeSeriere and Tyler McGeough at California School of the Arts until 2020. Along side his work at school, he has spent time under many world class private instructors, including drummers Dave Tull and Gabriel Grinta. His love for music goes far beyond playing and listening, as he has been teaching since middle school and has always had a love for working with and getting to know new people. No matter your age or experience, Devin will inspire and encourage you to pursue and exceed your musical goals, all while consistently bringing a smile to your face! 

Elisa Gonzalez

(Voice, Piano, Songwriting, Logic Pro X)

Elisa González is a Colombian singer/songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles, California. She is a professional vocalist with 8 years of music experience with a strong emphasis on lead/background singing, vocal technique and songwriting in contemporary styles. As a graduate from Musicians Institute (BM in Performance, AA in Vocal Performance, Independent Artist Certificate) she has been constantly involved in the LA music scene, working with world class musicians and studying under world class pop & jazz instructors, which has led her to be constantly performing with different bands in a variety of genres as well as leading her own personal projects, while also teaching students of all levels and helping them achieve their musical aspirations. As a working musician and music teacher, Elisa believes in cultivating a space where students can feel safe to explore, be creative and enjoy the process of finding their own musical abilities. Elisa teaches beginner to advanced voice and beginner to intermediate piano as well as songwriting, recording, music theory, ear training, sight-reading and music notation.