Mike Tolle

Mike has a Bachelors degree in Music Theory and Composition from The State University of New York at New Paltz. He has studied under Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane and privately with Stephan Grossman. A private guitar instructor with over fifteen years experience Mike is currently the lesson coordinator at Spotlight Music.

He performs both solo and with his band Crow for Day in Northern Colorado.

His method of instruction combines both a comprehensive as well as a practical approach catered to the students needs. This includes music theory as well as note / tablature reading to help facilitate the skills necessary to becoming a well rounded guitarist.

He teaches a wide variety of styles including rock, folk, blues and fingerpicking.

Beginners as well as advanced players are welcome.

Lori Anne Cazan

Lori Anne has been actively involved as a working musician for the past 31 years and has been teaching guitar and mandolin professionally for the past 20 years in Colorado and Arizona. She had known that music was the path she would take in her adult life ever since she started learning guitar at the age of 13. She grew up listening to country and classic rock, which her parents listened to and enjoyed, and later developed an intense love for classical music, playing that on flute and guitar. She has a deep interest in rock that sounds sophisticated and which blends different genres, especially the classic groups with horns, and has been particularly influenced by bands such as Chicago, Yes, and the Allman Brothers. Guitar players such as Terry Kath, David Gilmour, Dickey Betts, Steve Howe, and Nancy Wilson have played an important role in shaping her overall sound on guitar, which tends to be bluesy, emotional, and melodic.

She studied music at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and was a music composition major at Colorado State University. In addition, she has continued doing music research on her own and is strong in the areas of music theory and music history.

She has experience performing in a variety of groups, such as pop trio, a folk duo, and with various blues artists in the Fort Collins area such as Jasco and Dave Dardine. She also has five years experience in a church group where she performed on guitar, mandolin, and flute, and did various choral and instrumental arrangements for the group. She is a multi-instrumentalist with her main instruments being guitar and mandolin – but plays flute, bass, and some piano as well!

Lori Anne has a passion for teaching and is very patient and thorough with her students. The ages of her students range from 6-70. She teaches note reading in first position on the guitar, chords, and stresses the importance of theory as well. She takes her students in a direction they want to go in once they become proficient enough on their own instrument. She believes in giving her students a well rounded background in music so they have the ability to read music, write their own music, be able to improvise, and learn how to figure out songs by ear. She makes the learning experience fun along the way and currently has a roster of over 50 private students.

Her strengths on the guitar and what she teaches are acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, lead, rhythm, folk, blues, rock, bluegrass, classical, single-string improvisation, theory, and throws in music history facts along the way so the student has a deeper understanding behind what they are doing. Always fascinated by originality, she also will give her younger students composition exercises so they may explore the music within themselves and learn how to unleash their creativity through music.

Karney Schumacher

Karney Schumacher has played guitar professionally along the Front Range since 1989 and began teaching in 1997. Throughout his career he has opened up for national acts such as Eddie Money, Night Ranger, Quiet Riot and has shared the stage with members of Firefall. In addition to his strong passion to perform, he is equally passionate about teaching guitar.

In 2001, after four years of teaching privately, Karney began instructing classes at Colorado State University, Front Range Community College, as well as the Fort Collins and Greeley Parks and Recreation Departments. A few years later, he had the privilege of joining the incredible staff at Spotlight Music. In 2006, Karney began instructing at Aims Community College in Greeley where he and his family live.

Several of Karney’s students have auditioned for and have been accepted for the sole guitar seat in the junior high and high school jazz bands. A few of his younger students received honors in their grade school music departments and one was asked to accompany her choir at age 11. A former student recently opened up for the country band Restless Heart.

Karney believes the key to the success of his students is that they enjoy what they are doing and gain confidence through the skills they have worked hard to develop.

Jason Coomes "Jasco" www.jascoguitar.com

I've been in love with music and the guitar for as long as I can remember. As was typical for many kids of the 80's era, I started playing rock on electric guitar. At 17, I discovered classical guitar and began to play as much of that as I was playing electric. Soon thereafter I discovered flamenco and began studying it as well, with one of Colorado's premier guitarists Dave Beegle. Later I also learned from flamenco master Rene Heredia. For several years I played weekly classical and flamenco gigs at local restaurants.

By the time I reached my 20's, rock music had headed in directions that weren't appealing to me. About that time, I'd began playing in a blues band for the fun of it. Then, the blues bug bit me after going to a Chris Duarte show. In addition to being such an inspirational guitarist, Chris helped me by giving me a guitar lesson whenever he'd come through town.

Shortly thereafter, I formed my first 'real' blues band. We went on the road for 11 years, playing over 200 shows per year across the states and several countries in Europe. Highlights included performances at many blues festivals, including repeat performances at the King Biscuit Blues Fest, Dusk Til' Dawn festival, Wichita blues fest, Tulsa Blues fest, and many others. During this time, I met and got to play many of my blues idols.

Also, during this time, I began to develop an interest in jazz after hearing recordings of Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomery. I've played in a couple groups that focused on Django's Gypsy Jazz genre, and have composed my own music in that style as well.

I've also recently taken an interest in fingerstyle playing for the electric guitar, due to the influence of Phil Brown, Wes Montgomery, and Jeff Beck, as well as my flamenco training.

Currently I live in Colorado and split my time between live gigs, recording, and teaching guitar at Spotlight Music, where I've enjoyed teaching for five years. I have students of all ages and many styles. I record lessons on CD for students to take home to review.

I play instrumental gigs in a trio or quartet format that walk the line between blues and jazz. Additionally I play with the bands The Mighty Jivesters and The Roadhouse Joe Blues Band. Occasionally I'll do solo acoustic gigs in classical, flamenco, blues and jazz styles.

Nick Guadagnoli

Raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, Nick Guadagnoli has had much experience in the music world. Picking up the guitar at the young age of 11, Nick quickly began to develop his skills and appreciation for the instrument.

Nick has always been involved in the music scene and has continuously strived to be a part of it. In high school, he had his own project studio in his parent’s garage, where he spent most of his time practicing and working on recording projects.

In 2006, Nick began his studies with the well-respected Jasco, where he gained much of his musical knowledge and ability. It was during this time that he was exposed to such styles as blues, jazz, and classical. This was also the period where Nick developed an appreciation for heavy metal music.

In late 2006, Nick formed the metal band Crow with several of his classmates. In 2008, they released a self-titled E.P. and the band has had much success playing gigs around the Fort Collins/Denver area and expanding its territory to surrounding states. The band hits the studio in Dec. 2009 to make their next record.

In 2007, Nick began teaching guitar. He quickly learned the merits of teaching and the joy of spreading music to others. In January 2009, Nick was given the opportunity to teach his students at Spotlight Music. Nick remains at Spotlight today and is grateful to play and teach among so many outstanding musicians.

Harley Osterlund

Harley has had 22 years of playing and 10 years of teaching experience. He has created his own teaching style from lessons learned as a student! At 25, Harley found himself uneducated in formal schooling and in a rut. So, he gathered up all the positive qualities from previous instructors and filled in the missing holes to create a teacher that educates, challenges, and brings out the inner voice inside of everyone. Harley currently has his own “request band” and a band called “Harley and the V-Twins.” Harley also has his own sound company and teaches lessons in acoustic, electric, bass, percussion, vocals, and sound engineering.

Harley would define his specialties as taking very young kids and putting them into bands where they play just like their adult counterparts. Harley was the creator and teacher for the ACDC tribute band “High Voltage.”

Roger Barnhart
I have been teaching and playing bass professionally in the Fort Collins area since 1993.

I play with both the Fort Collins and Cheyenne Symphonies. Also regularly on the jazz stage at Jay's Bistro with the talented Mark Sloniker on piano.

I can teach all styles of electric and acoustic bass, including reading and "by ear".