instructors

​​​​​Tanya Pellecchia    ​Proprietor, Piano

Tanya, Proprietor of Music 101, a graduate of Wellesley College, holds a BA in Music with a concentration in piano. Tanya has taught music for over 15 years in varied capacities including the elementary general music class in the city of Melrose as well as private piano study. She has been a busy accompanist in the area and was the former resident music director at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Saugus. An active business member, Tanya can be seen around town as a member of various organizations including the Melrose Chamber of Commerce and the board of the East Boston Savings Bank.

Brian Church   

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Piano, Ukulele, Voice; Music 101 instructor Fall 2008

Brian Church holds a BM in Music Education from The College of New Jersey, an MM in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory, and is also an accomplished bassist with the avant-noise post-punk group Tristan da Cunha with whom he has toured the midwest and released several recordings. Brian has been an elementary music educator in the Melrose Public School System teaching at the Roosevelt, Hoover and Horace Mann Schools, and has used his skills to help create almost 30 original songs with his students under his curriculum.

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Matthew Holehan 
Piano; Music 101 instructor Fall 2013
​After receiving his Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the Pennsylvania State University, Matt moved to Ithaca, NY to study piano with Charis Dimaras. During his residence in Ithaca, Matt spent much of his time collaborating with numerous solo vocalists and instrumentalists as well as many prominent ensembles at Ithaca College. In addition to his collaborative work he held a teaching position at the Community School for Music and Arts. Matt currently resides in Boston, works at Boston Conservatory, with the acclaimed children's choir the "Boston City Singers", and spends his weekends to providing music for the Ballardvale United Church of Andover.

Joan Contarino
Piano, Voice; Music 101 instructor Fall 2013
Joan has a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from UMASS Lowell and two subsequent Master's degrees.  She is a licensed Music and Performing Arts teacher in Massachusetts and New Mexico. She has been teaching piano, voice, and music theory for over 40 years in public, private, and home school environments, plus private lessons in music and drama coaching.  She has written and produced plays and musicals for audience entertainment and competition.​
             Joan has directed youth, adult, and ecumenical choirs in both Massachusetts and New Mexico.  She has been accompanist for the Billerica Men's Choir, supply organist for St, Anne's Episcopal Church, and had the privilege of playing the pipe organ at the St. Francis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe.  She sang with the All New England College Choir on tour in Europe. Joan has been a singer/soloist with a variety of church denominations and community choruses including the Los Alamos Choral Society, the Santa Fe Community Orchestra Chorus at the St. Francis Basilica and the auditioned chamber group Coro de Camara of Northern New Mexico, and most recently at St. John's Episcopal Church in Saugus.  Joan has filled in as a substitute for Music 101 instructors for several years.​​​

Galen Willett  

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Piano, Ukulele; Music 101 instructor Fall 2017

Galen Willett graduated magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music with a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Composition and Electric Bass Performance in 2011. With ten years of experience in a wide range of genres, Galen tailors lessons to his students' individual styles and goals. He currently performs with Boston-based artists and bands including Kina Zoré (Afro-pop), Neotolia (fusion pop), Victoria Rios (folk/fusion), Lilla (R&B/hip-hop/reggae), and Azurite (jazz/rock). He has performed at the Outside the Box Festival in Boston, the ArtBeat Festival in Somerville, the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, and more.​​

​​Ha-eun Ryu  

Violin, Piano;  Music 101 instructor Fall 2019
Ha-eun Ryu began violin at the Preucil School of Music, attended the Interlochen Arts Academy, obtained a BM in violin performance at Oberlin Conservatory, and an MM at the Boston Conservatory.  She has won competitions, played in professional orchestras, performed with college faculty, soloed with orchestras, and won the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artists Award.  Ha-eun has completed pedagogy courses in college and at the graduate level.  She instructs children, teens, and adults alike, influencing her teaching methods through the education she received from her mentors and striving to pass on their wisdom.  Ha-eun is passionate about teaching out of a desire to help people express themselves and appreciate music on a deeper level.  She is very enthusiastic and adapts her approach to each student's level, personality, and needs while seeking to build a good rapport.  Ha-eun also has experience working with elementary school kids, having spent three years employed at a Boys and Girls Club. She continues to perform in the greater Boston area. ​

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Calvin Kotrba

Piano; Music 101 instructor Fall 2023

Pianist Calvin Kotrba, originally from Minnesota, is pursuing his Master of Music degree at Longy School of Music.  He studied with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova at the University of Iowa, where he earned degrees in piano performance and mathematics with highest honors.  Calvin was the first-prize winner in the University of Iowa Concerto Competition, and loves to perform both as a soloist and as a chamber musician; he recently went on tour with his piano quintet for the second time.  He is also an organist and a composer.  Calvin’s desire to pass on his love of music to students was kindled by his mother, who taught him piano until he was 15 years old.  When not playing the piano, Calvin enjoys traveling long distances by train, eating steak, and organizing his schedule.

Rose Whitcomb

Piano, Voice, Guitar;  Music 101 instructor Fall 2024

Rose Whitcomb (A.B. '16, M.M. '23) is a multi-instrumentalist and passionate student-centered music educator.  Her dreams of teaching music started with her upbringing in the Hudson Valley (upstate NY), and have actualized as she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University and Boston University, respectively.  She has been teaching music for over 6 years, primarily for the Everett Public Schools, and is always developing new ways to bring music to her community, including special performances, after school programs, and holiday events.  You may see her performing classical clarinet music as a member of the MetroWest Chamber Players, singing alto in a church chorus, playing and singing pop covers, or creating and facilitating new performances for pop, jazz, classical, and more genres.  Rose is an extremely collaborative musician, and her favorite part of teaching is helping her students realize their dreams, just as her teachers have shown her over the years.  She looks forward to joining the Music 101 Studio and community.