Rosie Sowa is an actor, singer, and teacher living in Brooklyn. She knew every word of The Sound of Music by her third birthday and has since then performed on stages from Boston down to DC, where she received her degree in Music Theater. In the midst of her stage work, she does the occasional TV series or indie film. She loves creating new work with friends and colleagues, as well as her students! This love of collaboration was fostered during her Masters training at The New School for Drama here in NYC. Using the arts to make the world more perfect is Rosie’s great passion. She is honored to share that passion with the young artists she not only teaches but from whom she is also incredibly privileged to learn!
Tais Szilagi is a NYC based crossover artist. Performance highlights include Off-Broadway credits such as, Man of La Mancha (Aldonza), Truffles: A Jazz Murder Mystery (Olga), Cause and Affliction (Taylor) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Jacquenetta). Opera highlights include Falstaff (Meg Paige), L’enfant et les Sortileges (L’enfant), Rigoletto (Maddalena) at BCCM, Macbeth (Ensemble) with LoftOpera and Les contes d’Hoffmann (Nicklausse) with the Martina Arroyo Foundation. Tais was a Resident Actor of NYC Shakespeare company Hamlet Isn’t Dead from 2019-2022. New music highlights include, New Dramatists Composer Librettist Studio and the International Electro-Acoustic Music Festival. Tais trained at the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music and the Sydney Drama School in Australia.
Tais has over ten years of teaching experience with students from various ages, levels and backgrounds. As an educator she believes in creating a positive learning environment that caters to each individual student. Tais worked as a Teaching Artist for organizations such as The Town Hall, Astoria Performing Arts Center, Delaware Valley Performing Arts Camp, Belle Arti School for the Arts and was the Music Director of CreaCo (Creative Coexistence).
Jonelle Robinson is an artist, youth theatre facilitator, and entrepreneur from New York City with a BFA in Acting from Ithaca College. She has been working with youth for nearly a decade via teaching, directing, choreographing, devising, costuming and set building. Recent theatre credits: Lordes (New Ohio Theater), Totally Wholesome Foods (Episcopal Actors Guild), The Space Between The Letters (The Public Theater), and Blanks (Signature Theatre). Recent Commercial credits: Walmart, My Heritage DNA (National), Purell, Johnson & Johnson Band-Aids. As an entrepreneur, Jonelle created Marvetta, a Mango Pepper Sauce made in NYC: www.MarvettaNYC.com for more info! And of course, she is absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Ezra Guitar team!
Joshua Breslauer is an NYC based Drummer and Percussionist. Originally from the Hudson Valley, Joshua began studying percussion with the jazz vibraphonist Victor Catanzaro, drum set with Joe Carozza, and timpani with Sgt. Dave Smith of the West Point Band. In 2012 he graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a Bachelor of Music studying with the renowned drummer/percussionist Dr. Karolyn Stonefelt, and in 2016 he received his Master of Music in Orchestral Percussion from the Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT in Weimar, Germany studying with Prof. Markus Leoson. Joshua has performed extensively throughout Germany and the United States as both a drum set player and classical percussionist. In 2016 he moved to NYC and quickly established himself as a percussionist comfortable playing styles ranging from Gospel to Classical to Cabaret. Today he can be seen as a regular fixture at Lighthouse Tabernacle SDA Church and at the Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd St.
Damien began his guitar studies at the age of 10 with renowned Irish teacher Marion Hyland at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. During this time he won a number of national competitions and also scholarships to continue his studies at the RIAM. He completed a BA in Applied Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology in 2009 and an MMus in performance in 2010 studying with Dr. John Feeley at the DIT Conservatory of Music. In 2014 he was awarded a scholarship by Manhattan School of Music, New York study with Mark Delpriora as part of the Professional Studies Diploma.
Performer
Damien has given solo recitals in Kings College, Cambridge, the Irish Embassy, London and the American Irish Historical Society, NYC. In 2008 he played support to James Galway in the National Concert Hall, Dublin as part of the RIAM’s platform series. As a recording artist he has worked with the Irish composer Ciarán Farrell to produce two releases under the collaborative title ‘Farrell Kelly’. Their first EP ‘Jolt’ (2011) reached number one in the Irish iTunes chart. This was followed by the compete guitar works of Ciarán Farrell which was released as the album ‘New Frontiers’ (2012). In addition to performing the works of Ciarán Farrell he has premiered many new works by composers such as Eibhlis Farrell, David Stalling, Ricardo Romaniero and Victor Lazzarini. Damien also performs as the other half of Redbrick Duo with American flautist Jessica Lipstone. Performing their own arrangements of popular muisc combined iwth more traditional repertoire, they have engaged with audiences of all musical backgrounds. 2015 will see him performing in Washington DC for a private recital in the residence of the EU Ambassador. They have played many recitals around the US in addition to their outreach work in various schools and retirement communities throughout New York State.
Teacher
Damien is an experienced teacher and has taught all levels and in different teaching environments both in the US and Ireland. At university level he has taught at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Dundalk Institute of Technology. In addition to teaching undergrad students individually he also lectured group classes in popular music performance and guitar technique. At the Royal Irish Academy of Music he taught group classes of adults as part of the Diploma in Community Music.
He has also taught at Kilternan School of Music and Newpark Music Centre (Dublin), teaching mostly the younger generation of aspiring guitarists. In addition to giving students the core basics in technique and performance practice, Damien also works with students in a variety of projects such as this video for the Irish charity ‘Childline’.
In the US he is currently teaching at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School, NYC as part of the Manhattan School of Music Outreach Program. Click here for a full resumé. He now teaches at Long Island City Academy of Music is the newest member of the EzraGuitar Faculty in Brooklyn, NY.
This size chart is a guide to help you choose the best size. Just click on the illustration that corresponds to the age of the student and you will be directed to the appropriate size guitar. All adult students should click on the “Adult Frog.” However, we encourage you to come into the shop and let one of our experts properly size you, to make sure you get the best fit!
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