Born and bred in Brooklyn, Peira Moinester has been making music and working with kids as far back as she can remember. For the past fifteen years she has honed those skills teaching music around NYC including PS 321, Artscetera and The United Nations. Peira also spent many of those years playing in In Flight Radio, a NYC based rock band that released two records, toured the east coast and played venues such as Irving Plaza and The Mercury Lounge. In 2009, she founded Brooklyn Kids Rock, a band program for kids that quickly blossomed into one of the leading band programs in the area. Then in 2011 she had the pleasure of joining those efforts with fellow music pioneer Nate Shaw and founded the new Brooklyn Music Factory. “I am excited to have found something that combines the two things I love the most – the amazing energy of kids and the beauty of music!” says Peira. “This is the program I would have loved to have has around as a child and I’m thrilled to create this opportunity for the next generation.”

Nate has performed as a jazz pianist in America, Asia, Europe, and Canada. He has conducted master classes on performance, arranging, band communication, and improvisation at universities, high schools, and grade schools around the world. His current favorite performance opportunity is with the Gowanus Reggae And Ska Society, a group of veteran jazz musicians devoted to the wonders of Jamaican music. Nate’s mission when founding the Brooklyn Music Factory, was to provide the tools needed to bring as many people together as humanly possible and make music together. Nurturing a life devoted to learning and playing music is his passion and he tries to share that at BMF every day. He lives with his patient wife, two daughters, unruly hound, content cats, and docile fish in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

Benjamin Healy has embraced a variety of musical opportunities ranging from performing in New York clubs and restaurants to serving as Music Director for the off-Broadway show A Stoop On Orchard Street, working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and teaching hundreds of private lessons. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota where he began studying piano at age five, Ben developed an interest in the ragtime music of Scott Joplin, which eventually inspired him to study jazz. He performed with various groups in the Twin Cities and Duluth including his own quintet at St. Paul’s premiere jazz club, Dakota Bar & Grill. Ben graduated at the top of his class from the New School University Jazz & Contemporary Music Program where he studied with Mike LeDonne, Armen Donelian, Gary Dial & Hal Galper. Ben has performed at some of New York’s top clubs and restaurants including Birdland, Swing 46, Sardi’s, Garage Restaurant & Cafe, Cornelia St. Café, The Bitter End, Mercury Lounge and Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

After working in the music business for 15 years as a performer and marketing executive, ready for a change Tom got his masters degree in early childhood education at Bank Street and set off to work with children. Tom lead Music Together and Music for Aardvarks classes for several years, where he met Peira He is currently the head teacher of a Pre-K class at Open House where he has been working for the last 7 years. Tom is excited to be at BMF helping kids make music as a group, having fun and learning to work together.

An accomplished musician and teacher, Kelly is excited to have joined the faculty of the Brooklyn Music Factory.  After earning a double degree of Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Kelly relocated to New York City to earn a Master of Music in Jazz Composition from the Manhattan School of Music. A New York State licensed teacher, Kelly currently teaches at PS 200 in Bensonhurst, but has taught for the past 15 years in both the public and private sectors in New York City, Virginia, North Carolina, and Rome, Italy.   In addition to teaching, Kelly composes for and leads an 18 piece jazz orchestra that performs throughout the city. Kelly is also a skilled music copyist running a music preparation service that has allowed her to work with such artists as Harry Connick, Jr. and artists from the Metropolitan Opera.

Dan Garcia is among the most requested guitarist in New York City. A native of Madrid, Spain, Daniel holds a Masters degree in Classical guitar performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. In New York since 1998, Daniel is an active performer and educator. Daniel has been the favorite and most requested player at the St. Regis Hotel’s tea room and is on the top list of the most prestigious music agencies in New York. He has two beautiful children and lives in Brooklyn just steps from the Factory.

For the past fifteen years, drummer/composer, Rob Garcia has brought his superb skills and spirit to the New York and global jazz scene; collaborating with world-renowned jazz artists such as Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Wynton Marsalis, Joseph Jarman, Woody Allen, Diana Krall, and Anat Cohen among many others. His 3rd release as a bandleader, “Perennial” was named in the “10 Best Jazz Albums of 2009” in the New York Observer. Rob is also the founder and executive director of a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization called Connection Works (www.connectionworks.org), which brings jazz to the community in new ways.

Originally from Wasilla, Alaska, vocalist Hilary Gardner made her Broadway debut in 2010, singing duets with Frank Sinatra in Twyla Tharp’s hit musical, Come Fly Away.  Hilary is a founding member of Shotgun Wedding, a Brooklyn-based country music band, and she also performs frequently with the George Gee Swing Orchestra.  Multi-platinum recording artist Moby featured Hilary prominently on his 2009 release, Wait For Me (Mute Records/EMI).  Award-winning guitarist and composer Ken Hatfield selected Hilary as the vocalist for his 2011 song cycle, “For Langston,” based on the poetry of Langston Hughes.  Hilary is also a freelance writer; her blog, Ad Alta Voce, is home to her musings on eating and drinking, creativity, New York City and occasionally, the subway.

Doug Gibson is an award winning composer who specializes in writing music for the Concert hall, Film, and Multimedia.
His past work has included a Carnegie Hall premier, working with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Kiev Philharmonic, Orchestra Victoria,and members of the New York Philharmonic, and Phoenix Symphonies.

Mallory Glaser is a versatile vocalist who has performed in jazz, folk, rhythm & blues, rock, electronic, and free improvisational settings. Mallory holds a B.A. from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and she has been studying vocal technique, improvisation, and approach for over 13 years. Through exploration with different methods, styles, and groups, she has found that effective singing is based on the body’s natural instincts and capabilities, and fosters resonance, power, agility and tone. She is currently a member of the Brooklyn-based bands, “In One Wind” and “Gym, Deer”.

Keith Golden is a professional bassist who has performed around the world with artists like Dido, Eminem and Youssou N’Dour. He was a classically trained pianist as a child before picking up guitar, drums and bass in various ensembles in grade school. The son of two teachers, Keith is proud to follow in their footsteps by sharing his knowledge of music with students of various levels. Keith currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Jesse is a music teacher, singer, songwriter, and pianist that has resided in New York City since 2005. He currently teaches at the Brooklyn Music Factory while also attending the Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU. Jesse has studied music at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, at Mannes College the New School for Music and at The City College of New York.

Jenn Hyjack grew up playing piano in New Jersey.   She received her BA from Rutgers University, learned guitar, then got her MFA in acting from the Actors Studio Drama School.   After working in television production for many years, Jenn found the much more fun and rewarding job of teaching kids!  Jenn has been teaching music classes since 2006.   She produced, wrote and starred in her own kids TV pilot, Boom Chicka Boom.   You can watch it at www.boomchickaboom.tv   She lives with her husband and son in Park Slope.

Russ grew up in Toronto, Canada and began playing pillows at age 3 (apparently after seeing Mel Torme) and moved on to drums around age 11. His older brother, Canadian Singer/Songwriter/Producer, Stan Meissner bought him his first drumset and set him up with headphones and a record player to play along with. In grade 8 he was accepted into the Claude Watson School for the Arts and began taking lessons from percussionist Dave Campion, after being told he was a “drum banger” by his 8th grade band teacher. During high school Russ took lessons from local jazz drummer, Barry Elmes and in 1991 he attended William Paterson University where he studied with John Riley graduating with a BA in jazz performance. He moved to NYC in 1996 and since then has performed with diverse artists including John Abercrombie, Bill Charlap, Lori Carson, Norah Jones, the Silos, John Scofield, Jim Campilongo, Lucy Wainwright Roche and many others.

Adam Podd is an active freelance musician whose work and play is based in and around New York City. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Hartt School of Music where he studied classical and jazz piano, orchestration, arranging, and music production. Adam has performed as a pianist and keyboardist with a variety of artists, ensembles, and organizations.  Additional services and experience include music directing, composition, orchestration, arranging, and education. HIs credits include Composer/Music Director for The Spidey Project (NYC), Music Director at NYC Fringe Festival & NYC Fringe Encore Series, Pianist/Accompanist for musical improv troupes at The Magnet Theatre (NYC), Keyboards/Music Director for singer/songwriter Dan Mills, Composer/Studio Musician for NY Noise (NYC)

Matt Podd is a freelance pianist, composer, and educator based in New York City. He holds degrees from The Eastman School of Music and Ithaca College. Matt is a passionate and innovative educator, mentor, and author. As a well-rounded musician himself, Matt’s teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of developing all areas of a student’s musicianship, including performance, improvisation, and composition. Credits include: Lead author for Inside Music, a groundbreaking online composition curriculum; pianist for the Young People’s Chorus of NYC, having performed at the White House for President Obama, as well as many NYC concerts.

Nikolaus Schuhbeck is a professional drummer/multi instrumentalist, who leads his own band Holding Back Entirely, and has worked with artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Leah Siegel/Firehorse, The Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout, David Kolker, Otis,
The Break Mission and The Love Rockit.