Meet Our Teachers
Lisa Sinibaldi
Lisa is the founder and owner of Sinibaldi Music. She has been teaching and performing in the Hampton Roads area for more than 20 years. Since earning her Bachelor of Music from Old Dominion University, she has taught all levels of band, chorus, and general music in schools, as well as private and group lessons. Lisa served 8 years in the 380th Army Reserve Band where she performed regularly on woodwinds and as a vocal soloist. She has performed in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Madison Square Garden with the ODU Wind Ensemble and Pep Band. When Lisa is not teaching lessons, find her leading worship at Great Bridge UMC or teaching music to little ones at Broad Bay Manor School.
Rock School, Woodwinds, Voice, Piano
Erik Mathesius
Erik has been playing trumpet for 30 years and guitar and harmonica for 20 years. He is a Navy veteran and acoustic analyst originally from Pittsburgh who traveled around the world with the Navy and ended up in Hampton Roads. Erik has played with several local bands and is currently the trumpet and harmonica player for The James Henry Morgan Gang, a local band that records and performs mostly original music. When he’s not playing with them, you might catch him on bass, trumpet, or guitar in a local church or band.
Rock School, Trumpet, Guitar, Bass
John Presto
Piano, Low Brass, Strings
John Presto started studying music with piano lessons at the age of 5. He later joined his middle school band playing the alto sax. In high school, he was selected to District Band in 1991, earning 2nd tenor sax. He was also selected to perform with the Armed Forces Eastern Band Clinic under the baton of composer James Barnes. For 3 summers, he studied jazz with such notable instructors as Dr. Steven Ambrose and Roy Muth. Also in attendance at those summer jazz camps were pop stars Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo.
In the Fall of 1991, he studied music at East Carolina University on a partial scholarship majoring in music performance. From 1997-2011, he mostly served with the United States Navy Band with 7 of those years overseas in Naples, Italy under Commander 6th Fleet (now Commander Naval Forces Europe). Upon leaving the Navy, he decided to finish his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Old Dominion University in Music Education.
Michael Malinowski
Michael Malinowski is a freelance drummer and percussionist who has performed with artists such as Blue Man Group and Sheila E. He has had the privilege of performing at some of the biggest venues in Los Angeles, including the Hollywood Bowl, Ford Amphitheatre, and Microsoft Theater. Michael graduated from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, at California State University, Long Beach, with a degree in Percussion Performance. There, he studied classical, jazz, and world music.
Michael’s passion for music, whether performing or educating, is instantly apparent upon meeting him. Michael recently moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he is focused on playing, teaching, and recording locally, as well as touring nationally.
Rock School, Drums, Piano
Josh McDonald
Trumpeter Josh McDonald is currently based in the Hampton Roads Area. He was the Coordinator of the Jazz Ensembles at Boston University, where he directed the BU Big Band, several jazz combos, and the Jazz Chamber Lab. He also taught courses in jazz history focusing on race and the #BAM movement. He is a member of NAfME, KKPsi, and Music Performance and Education, Inc.
Josh has performed all over the country, including at Somethin’ (NYC), Fenway Park (Boston), Bank of American Pavilion (Boston), House of Blues (Boston), Steamers (Los Angeles), the Jazz Station (Eugene, OR), and the Institute of Contemporary Art. His big band compositions have been performed by Boston University Big Band, Fresno City College Big Band, the College of Holy Cross Big Band, the Old Dominion University Big Band, and the Nipomo High School Big Band. His small group compositions have been performed in the US, Singapore, and Germany.
He has performed with a host of jazz greats, including Wayne Bergeron, Brian Blade, Conrad Herwig, Ryan Keberle, Geoff Keezer, Kevin Mahogany, Andy Martin, Christian McBride, Dick Oatts, John Patitucci, Danilo Perez, Houston Person, Carl Saunders, Ed Shaughnessy, Bobby Shew, Rick Stone, Katie Thiroux, Anthony Wilson, and Gerald Wilson. He’s also performed with Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, soul singer Lou Pride, and rock group Foster the People. His recent chapter on Spider-Man and theology is available now.
Connect with him at https://joshmcdonaldmusic.com/
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