Instruction

Instructional Staff:

Gil Estes, Low Brass

Gil Estes is a native of Atlanta, Georgia where he studied with Dr. Paul Mann and Mr. Bill Hill. He graduated from the Florida State University where he studied with Dr. William Cramer and Dr. John Drew, later attended the University of Northern Colorado where he studied with Mr. Buddy Baker. Gil is now attending Georgia State University and is continuing his Master of Music in Trombone Performance with Dr. Bill Mann (son of Dr. Paul Mann mentioned above).

As a high school band director in South Florida as well as metro-Atlanta his bands always received high ratings in both marching and concert performance. When he's not playing in the Orchestra at Georgia State University, Gil is an active free-lance musician, performing in various venues around metro-Atlanta. He also maintains a trombone studio and is the musical director for the Atlanta Trombone Ensemble.

Shelly Unger, Bassoon

Shelly Unger, founding director of Summer Bassoon Extravaganza, is a freelance bassoon and contrabassoon player as well as an artist affiliate bassoon instructor at Emory University and Agnes Scott College. Dr. Unger plays in metro Atlanta, in regional orchestras throughout the Southeast and on occasion performs with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She is the second bassoonist with Symphony Orchestra Augusta. Other performing affiliations have included: the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony, Columbus Symphony and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra (one season as acting principal).

Lucy Kowalski, Flute

Lucy Kowalski has been an active flutist and teacher for over 30 years in the Woodstock/Canton area. She has played in many flute choirs, bands, orchestras, and ensembles over the years. Ms. Kowalski is currently the principal flute of the Marietta Pops Orchestra and serves as a flute clinician at several local schools. She has been selected to perform with the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir at the NFA Conventions. Ms. Kowalski has also toured internationally with the International Flute Orchestra, and recorded with the National Flute Choir, Flute Choir of Atlanta, and the National ASK Worship Team. 

Anna McCoy, Cello

Anna McCoy has been teaching private cello lessons for 7+ years, teaching students ages elementary - adult.  Anna has prepared students for orchestra auditions and honor orchestra auditions, orchestra concerts, solo performances, and chamber music performances. She was a member of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra (a professional symphony in California) from 2013-2020.  Anna began her tenure there as the youngest member in the orchestra. She has performed with many orchestras including the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Shafter Symphony Orchestra, the Kings Symphony Orchestra, the Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra (principal cellist), and the Synergy Chamber Players.

Kara McCoy, Violin and Viola

Kara is a dedicated musician with over thirteen years of both professional performing and teaching experience. She discovered her love of music teaching as a freshman in high school and has maintained a growing music studio ever since. While violin is Kara’s primary instrument, she also loves singing, playing piano, and performing on the violin’s nearest kin, the viola. Kara has 20 years of experience teaching private music lessons on violin, viola, voice, and piano. She studied violin technique and pedagogy for six years at the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles under the instruction of Strings Chair Richard Schwabe. In addition, she completed five years of college-level music theory. Kara holds music teacher certifications in the Mark O’Connor Fiddle Method, Books 1 and 2, as well as multiple early childhood music certifications from Musikgarten.

Rex DiPietro, Trumpet

Cohen Molina, Percussion 

Cohen Molina is a part-time percussion instructor for Sequoyah High School. Alongside teaching, he studies as an undergraduate student at Kennesaw State University's Bobbie Bailey School of Music, Lipson Family Percussion Studio. With the intent to graduate with a bachelor's degree in music education, he has an affinity for mallet percussion techniques, as well as snare drum, timpani, and auxiliary percussion competency.

Cohen's experience includes studying percussion and piano since the age of 12 and studying percussion at the collegiate level at Kennesaw State University since 2023, as well as having been a member of the Atlanta Quest Independent Percussion group.

Dr. Erika Arango, Horn