​MEET Our Teachers

Encore Music Studios prides itself on providing students with top-notch music education taught by experienced and passionate music teachers. Each teacher has a unique approach to teaching, but all share a dedication to helping students achieve their musical goals. Whether it's learning a new instrument, preparing for a performance, or simply developing a love for music, the teachers at Encore Music Studios are committed to guiding students on their musical journey with patience, skill, and FUN!

Kyle Gavagan

Studio Manager / Instructor- Brass, Woodwinds, Guitar, Piano, Ukulele
Kyle is the studio director and one of our teachers at Encore Music Studios. He has always been passionate about music and loves sharing his passion with his students. Kyle has been playing trumpet for over 15 years and teaches brass, woodwinds, piano and guitar.

Mark gannon

Instructor- Guitar, Voice, Piano, Ukulele
​Hello everyone, my name is Mark Gannon. I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado and my wife and I moved from Denver to Charlotte in 2003. Music has always been a part of my life! I started playing piano at the age of 5, guitar at 11 and have been singing since I
can remember.
I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a B.A. in Music (voice
emphasis). At Northern Colorado, along with my voice lessons, I sang in the Concert Choir, Men’s Glee, and was fortunate to sing bass in an amazing vocal jazz group called The Axidental’s. We recorded two albums and performed in Europe at the North Sea Jazz Fest,
Uppsala Sweden Jazz Fest, and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Also while in college, I sang in a guitar duo called Acoustic Rock-it where we opened for Big Head Todd and the Monsters and The Bellamy brothers.
After college, I spent many years as a solo vocal/acoustic guitarist in many different venues all over the states. I also have been privately teaching guitar, voice, piano, ukulele for over 17 years here in the greater Charlotte area. I was the Contemporary Worship Leader at Philadelphia United Methodist Church for 3 years! I also am very fortunate to sing in the Charlotte Chorale, The Queen City Swing Band and am in a Rock n’ Roll band called Half Past Tomorrow where I sing, play keys and guitar. I am very passionate about music and hope to reflect that when I teach. I absolutely love to teach and do my best to pass on as much knowledge and experience as I can. Hope to meet you soon!

christopher verdecia

Encore Music Fort Mill SC Jimmy Martin
Instructor- Voice, Piano
​Hello! My name is Christopher Verdecia. I am a proud graduate of FIU in Early Childhood Education with a minor in music. I am a preschool teacher at ISWA Headstart where I teach 3-5 year olds. I have been playing piano and singing in choirs and Operas for 12 years. I have sung backup in an album and even performed on “Premio De Nuestros”. Some hobbies I enjoy are cooking, camping, reading, music and video games. I have loved tutoring and teaching my whole life and that drove me to get myself an education in education!​

Kimberly Vinson

Instructor- Violin, Viola, Cello, Upright Bass
​Hi, my name is Kimberly Vinson and I am a strings instructor and performer. I've been teaching music since college for 20 plus years.  I graduated from The University of SC with a degree in Music Education, taught public school for 7 years, and received my Master’s from The University of Georgia.  Since moving back to SC, I have been teaching privately and at schools.  I play and instruct violin, viola, cello, bass, and guitar. I also perform monthly at my church, play for weddings, funerals, and churches. I love teaching, spending time with my family, eating good food, listening to audiobooks, and traveling. ​

Erika Brown

Instructor- Voice, Piano
I've been singing for over 15 years. Music has always been a major part of my life ever since I was a little girl. I'm from the Fort Mill area and recently graduated college specializing in music and theatre. I love singing anything from opera to Disney show tunes to contemporary music.

Ryan DelVasto

Instructor- Voice, Piano, Ukulele
Ryan is a Charlotte native excited to be part of the Fort Mill music scene! She has been performing in musicals since the age of 5 and started piano soon after. Music appreciation was a large part of her household- being raised on genres from classic rock, pop, classical, and musical theatre. She attended Northwest School of the Arts with focuses in musical theatre and piano. Her love for music as a form of self-expression propels her teaching philosophy- a successful lesson creates an environment for a student to feel that love as well.

Jacob Wright

Instructor- Guitar, Drums, Banjo, Bass, Ukulele
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, I was a child filled with musical dreams playing air guitar to Tom Petty, Bon Jovi and Dire Straits.  At the age of 12, the movie School of Rock opened a door inspiring a newfound musical taste as he started listening to Zeppelin, Cream and other classic rock bands that were fresh to his ears.  I wanted to form a band with his friends so he saved to buy his first guitar for his 13th birthday.

I'm currently playing guitar nationally with Kids in America (80s tribute) opening for multiple well known acts such as Tiffany and Grand Funk Railroad.  Now in my 20th year playing music I believe, “Music has the power to heal, bring joy and unite like nothing else.  It is true magic.”

Shauna Gordon

Instructor- Voice, Piano, Flute, Ukulele
Shauna Gordon is an experienced and well-traveled musician who has performed in numerous venues across the globe, from Carnegie Hall in New York City to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. She has previously been a member of multiple professional music groups including choirs, orchestras, and marching bands, and was privileged to study under world-renowned performers including members of the original Broadway casts of ‘Newsies’ and ‘Phantom of the Opera’. She has been teaching music for 3 years now, and looks forward to watching her students grow. ​

Thomas burke

Instructor- Drums
​My dad first introduced me to drums when I was a kid and I’ve been hooked ever since! After my days in a high school classic rock cover band and symphonic band, I studied engineering at LSU while participating in the marching band drum line for 4 years. At the same time I started to perform with a multitude of other groups including original and cover music bands and large church productions. Now even as a full time engineer, I continue to fill as much free time as I can behind a drumset! I have played hundreds of live shows featuring rock, funk, country and many other types of music. I’ve been fortunate to perform in venues small and large: local restaurants and breweries, churches, Tiger Stadium, and even Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. My goal in teaching is that my passion and love for all things drumming is evident and contagious to each of my students. Seeing a student latch on to some of the joy drumming and music can bring is the ultimate reward.​

GARY Chudyk

INSTRUCTOR- Guitar, Woodwinds, Drums, Bass
Gary Chudyk is a transplant from New York. He owned and operated his own private music lesson studio for four decades. During that time, he worked with 3200 private students. Gary holds music degrees from Nazareth College of Rochester, Berklee School of Music, and Eastman School of Music. Gary's goal in lessons is to have fun and help the students succeed.

Bud Burke

Instructor-
Hi, I'm Bud. I am a life long musician, playing guitar for over 35 years, as well as bass guitar, drums,
banjo, mandolin, lap steel, pedal steel, and piano. My first love is heavy metal music and playing lightning
fast, but through the years I've come to enjoy many different styles (and tempos), including country,
classical, and jazz. I grew up in San Jose, California, and as a young man I studied music theory and
classical guitar at the University of Santa Barbara. Following my studies, I had the opportunity to travel
the world, touring in a heavy metal band that would take me to over 40 different countries, on 3 different
continents. Throughout my career, I have learned a lot about music and I very much enjoy sharing what
I've learned with others. When I'm not playing one of my instruments, I like watching movies, spending
time with my wife and our 5 cats, and practicing matial arts, as I train for my 4th degree black belt in
Taekwondo.

DAVE FINch

Instructor-
David has been performing and teaching professionally in the greater Charlotte area for several years and has been playing guitar for over a decade. He loves music and seeing his students progress and perform in recitals. You can expect to learn a variety of genres and music styles including blues, jazz, country and more!

Interested in Working With Us?

Join our team today!