Calgary Chinook - Bass Lessons

Nikol Popovics

Carlos Cruz -B Mus (Ukulele, Bass Guitar, Guitar)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

As a versatile musician, he has devoted his life to music, teaching and performing in bands with different styles of music. Carlos Cruz has a Bachelor's degree in music education and winner of Rock recording of the year YYC Music Awards 2020. With over 10 years of teaching experience, he is eager to pass on his passion for music to all his students in a way that motivates them to meet their needs and goals. Carlos offers lessons at the Calgary Chinook store and his rate is $32 per half hour.

Lara Taillon (Voice, Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday

Lara Taillon is a Canadian singer, actress, pianist, writer, producer, dancer, and teacher who focuses on finding and nurturing a student’s natural talent. Everyone has something unique to give, and she loves to find it, bring it out, and let it be heard.

A professionally trained singer, Lara has performed all her life and has taught voice, piano, dance, and drama through most of the prairies, so she specializes in building a performance. She has toured Canada in many bands, stage plays, and musicals. Lara recently won multiple competitions with her original music, and headlined the Nickelback after-party on their recent tour. She is currently the lead singer in the local band SorryNotSorry, as well as her original band, simply “Lara Taillon.” Lara offers lessons at the Calgary Chinook location, and her rate is $33 per half hour.

Ryan Milliken (Drums, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Upright Bass)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: jazz, rock, Pop

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Ryan Milliken started playing drums and guitar at age 5. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Music from Humber College and has been teaching group and private lessons for over a decade. He believes in a balanced approach to all aspects of music literacy. Ryan teaches at the Calgary Chinook store, and his rate is $32 per half hour.

Steve Pineo (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Saturday

Guitarist, singer, song-writer, entertainer; Steve Pineo is a multifaceted artist. Writer of hundreds of songs, his tunes have been covered by country artists Paul Brandt (Canadian
Man) and Prairie Oyster (Too Bad For Me). Steve’s songs have also been recorded by blues
artists such as Willie Mac Calder, Tim Williams and Harp Dog Brown. Steve has five solo albums, and appears on the legendary recordings by The Co Dependents, featuring the late great Billy Cowsill. Currently, Steve performs solo, or with an acoustic trio (featuring guitar, piano and tuba!), an electric blues band(who have held down Monday nights at Calgary nightspot Mikey’s Juke Joint for the last ten years), a six piece New Orleans Rhythm and Blues revue called Trick Bag, and a five piece vintage jazz ensemble called Prohibition Hall. “Steve Pineo With Horns” is a show that runs annually featuring original songs and interesting (and sometimes bizarre) covers. Steve’s Christmas Show is a Calgary tradition which sells out a week’s worth of shows at Calgary’s primo live music venue-Ironwood Stage and Grill. Steve’s loving tribute to Elvis (featuring a five piece band and vocal quartet “The Heebee Jeebees”) has played in cities and towns all over Alberta. Steve’s newest show is a collaboration with singer/songwriter Brooke Wylie called “A Night of Guilty Pleasures” where a group of Calgary luminaries pick songs they shouldn’t do. It’s a blast!

Steve is also an in demand session guitarist and vocal, string and horn arranger, and has written over thirty choral arrangements for Calgary vocal ensemble Revv 52.

Not surprisingly, Steve’s musical influences are vast and include blues, jazz, vintage rock and roll, country and western, soul, gospel and world music. His writing is influenced by everyone from Cole Porter to Bob Dylan, Merle Travis to Mose Allison. He has written songs about everything from broken hearts to Artificial Intelligence!

Steve plays guitar in four different tunings, slide guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica. His shows are fast paced and entertaining, and they take you to unexpected places. A thirty year musical veteran, Steve continues to grow as an artist. He offers lessons at the Calgary Chinook location, and his rate is $32 per half hour.