The Studio
... is your home.
Not only does this make lessons incredibly convenient for your busy family, it makes learning easier for your child. They are more comfortable in their own space, and will make much more progress learning in a familiar environment.
With Musician Makers, every teacher comes to you.
Meet Our Teachers
All of our teachers are passionate about inspiring a love for music in each of their students. We work together as a team to provide an effective and dynamic approach to curriculum and lesson planning. Our teachers all bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, ranging from classical training to years
of live performances & songwriting.
Austin Pillsbury
Owner & Teacher
Austin founded Musician Makers in 2016 after years of teaching guitar on his own. He began learning guitar in middle school and started teaching at the age of 16.
Austin now has a total of 13 years of teaching experience. He also writes & produces music in his home studio & collaborates with other artists. His artist name is Austin Vernon and his music is on all major streaming platforms.
As well as teaching, Austin is also a worship director at his church, is a live musician for parties and events, and is a music producer with multiple published projects.
Jacob Shearer
Guitar Teacher
Jacob has been playing guitar since 2005, and was trained classically for 8 years. Two of those years were at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts where he also studied music theory and piano. He has 10+ years of live performance experience and has been with Musician Makers for 4 years. He has experience teaching people of all ages, and believes that music should be fun!
Mike Pruitt
Piano & Voice Teacher
Mike has been studying piano for 10+ years. He has been with Musician Makers for 4 years and also works as the Director of Music for St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church. Mike has traveled around the country playing piano in multiple bands and in many worship communities! He has a gift for teaching and helping his students find their inner creativity.
"I love what I do, and can’t wait to share the gift of piano with everyone!"
Emily Stewart
Piano & Vocal Teacher
Emily has been performing since she was very young, in ministry and academic settings. Although Emily’s primary instrument is voice, she is also experienced in playing piano and acoustic guitar.
Emily began her study of singing at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. She continued her studies at Florida State College at Jacksonville and Jacksonville University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She has also earned her Master’s degree in Music Performance at Lee University in Cleveland, TN.
Emily has been with Musician Makers for over a year now, and is beloved
by all her students.
Bela D'Amico
Guitar + Piano Teacher
I started teaching myself guitar in 2016 and fell in love with it very quickly. Attending a fine arts high school, I studied classical-style guitar and music theory for 4 years.
I’ve continued my music studies at the University of North Florida, where I am majoring in Music Technology and Production. My motivation for music comes from an eagerness to understand it and create my own.
Writing and producing music is my favorite hobby. I play guitar, bass, and piano in numerous bands outside of school. Although I love writing and producing as a creative outlet, I find working with kids extremely rewarding and hope to teach elementary school music when I graduate.
Sarah Bryan
Piano Teacher
My name is Sarah Bryan, and I teach piano with Musician Makers!
I have my Associate of Arts degree from the University of West Florida, and I am currently studying for a bachelor's degree in music education and music performance at the University of North Florida.
I play the flute and piccolo full-time at school, but before my flute adventures began, I played piano all through grade school! Music is my biggest passion in life, and I want to share the joy that I have found with everyone! I put a lot of love into my studies and all I do, and it is important that I put that same love into my students as well!
In grade school, I entered several piano competitions in my hometown, and also participated in the National Piano Guild for 10 years, receiving a Paderewski medal. I competed in Solo and Ensemble at the district and state level on both flute and piano, and have received superior ratings on each.
I am proud of my career thus far, and I look forward to sharing my passion with students through
Musician Makers!
Teddy Transou
Guitar Teacher
My name is Teddy Transou and I am a guitarist from Tallahassee, FL. I was technically born in St. Louis, MO, but grew up in Tallahassee. I am the middle child to a younger sister and older brother (and soon to be uncle in March!!!) and have a 90 lb black lab mix named Appa.
I have played guitar since I can remember and have been producing and recording music now for about 2 years. When I’m not playing, teaching, or making music, I love playing and keeping up with all of the sports, especially hoops.
Kaden Gaines
Guitar + Piano Teacher
My name is Kaden Gaines. I have extensive experience in the music industry, having worked at four different schools of music. I am a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in playing eight instruments, and I am also fluent in three languages.
My favorite genre of music is Bosa Nova, and I have a passion for sharing my love of music with others.
With a strong background in music education and a versatile skillset, I pride myself on being well-equipped to succeed in any music industry role, including teaching!
Dominik Guerriero
Guitar Teacher
My name’s Dominik and I’ve been a guitar player for 7 years now! I started on a cheap ukulele I got off the internet and taught myself daily for many years before seeking out lessons from a mentor. I then spent several years as a worship guitarist at Melody Church in Live Oak, Fl. playing as often as 5 days a week being the campus’ only guitar player!
While volunteering in church, I got into music production and picked up mixing front of house, as well as producing/mixing songs my church created/covered.
Now, I’m here at Musician Makers inspiring a new generation of creators and chasing a Bachelors of Music Production and Technology at the
University of North Florida.
Leeann Watson
Piano Teacher
Leeann has been playing & performing since the age of 3 when she first started piano lessons. She was classically trained and continued her training throughout college at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Musical Arts with a minor in Psychology.
Leeann has been a part of many orchestras, symphony groups, and chamber ensembles, even playing for the local Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, as well as St. Augustine Orchestra.
Leeann has a passion for spreading her love of music and connecting with individuals and communities through arts performance and mentoring. She has played in International music festivals and given performances around the world, including the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Austria, Greece, and Russia.
Leeann has experience in teaching private lessons for voice, harp, piano, and music theory. Her experience pursuing psychology has allowed her to understand all different kinds of learners and customize lessons to their individual needs.
Chelsea D'Amico
Piano & Vocal Teacher
Chelsea has been playing the piano for about 17 years. She was classically trained, and went to Douglas Anderson School of the Arts for classical piano/vocal music studies from 9-11th grade.
Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the kids finally get that one thing they’ve been struggling to learn - or when they learn their song fully - and seeing the joy on their faces! Teaching brings me great joy as well. Chelsea is a valuable asset to the Musician Makers team.
Chris Fairbanks
Guitar Teacher
Chris was initially trained in piano since age 6, he has been playing guitar since he was 12. Throughout his teens, Chris was in multiple church bands and even lead for his high school chapel band.
When he moved to Jacksonville in 2012, one of his first jobs was teaching guitar for an elementary after care program. He has been teaching with Musician Makers for over 3 years!
"I have a passion for teaching and love passing on knowledge to those who want to learn!"
Our Story
Musician Makers began as a passion project. Austin was teaching many of his own guitar students in their homes, "on the side" from his job and band. With some encouragement, he decided to make it his full-time gig and began teaching 7 days a week while building relationships in the then, brand-new community of Nocatee in northeast Florida.
Within just a few months, Musician Makers began to grow into a large community of students Austin could not teach all on his own. Knowing the needs of musicians - flexibility, solid pay, and an outlet to play music 24/7 - he created a mobile studio setup that would appeal to professional musicians & families alike.
While encouraging creativity, Austin focuses on teaching all of our students the foundations of music with an emphasis on songwriting, excellence and fun! Musician Makers is known for getting students to truly have fun with music! Our teachers always go out of their way to include plenty of creativity and encouragement into lessons.
Austin's desire for this studio is to make musicians, because he believes
everyone can be positively impacted by music.
Want to Teach?
Email your resume & a video of you playing or singing to hello@musicianmakerslessons.com