Our course creators are top tier artists and educators. Get to know them!
Course Creator Directory
Colin Botts
Courses Colin has created:
Ukulele Basics 1
Ukulele Basics 2
From studying guitar with gauchos in Argentina to learning the fiddle with gypsies in Romania, Colin Botts has traveled around the world with his music.
Colin has proven himself an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. He’s performed across the United States and internationally, working alongside artists such as Keith Urban, Bob Dylan, and Kristin Chenoweth.
With a bachelor’s degree in guitar education, Colin has taught and lectured in university classrooms, private lessons, music camps, and more. In 2013, he was awarded a master’s degree in Irish traditional music performance from the University of Limerick in Ireland. He is also the co-author of Killer Technique: Flatpicking Guitar, from Mel Bay Productions.
Corey Christiansen
Courses Corey has created:
Guitar Basics 1
Guitar Basics 2
Corey Christiansen is quickly becoming one of the world’s most distinguished guitarists and educators. He received his bachelor’s degree from Utah State University and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Florida. Playing and teaching around the world for the past decade, Corey has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Danny Gottlieb, Jeff Coffin, and many others.
His latest album with Origin Records, Lone Prairie, received critical acclaim for blending jazz, rock, and blues styles with classic songs from the American frontier. Along with developing the Modern Guitar Community—an online guitar-learning website—Corey has authored and co-authored more than 70 method books and projects for Mel Bay Productions.
Cindy Dewey
Courses Cindy has created:
Voice Basics 1
Voice Basics 2
Cindy Dewey is the music department head at Utah State University. Before joining the music faculty at USU, Cindy was a tenured associate professor of music at West Virginia University, directing the graduate and undergraduate programs in voice performance and pedagogy.
With both a bachelor’s and doctoral degree in voice performance, Cindy has performed with symphonies in the U.S. and Canada as well as the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra. Some of her recent performances include Cundick’s The Redeemer, Mozart’s Requiem, and Haydn’s Creation.
A nationally recognized voice teacher, Cindy has maintained a private voice studio for more than three decades. She works with singers of all levels.
Braun Khan
Courses Braun has created:
Bass Guitar Basics 1
Braun Khan is an accomplished professional bassist in various musical styles, including jazz and classical.
With his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in bass performance from Central Michigan University and a doctorate in jazz studies and bass performance from the University of North Carolina, Braun has extensive musical experience.
He instructed jazz theory and served as community outreach coordinator at CMU before becoming an assistant professor of double bass and jazz studies at Utah State University. He has also taught on the JamPlay Online Instructional website—one of the largest music-learning sites in the world—since 2013.
An active performer, Braun has played with Howard Levy, Jeff Hamilton, the Cadillac Symphony Orchestra, and many others. He has won numerous awards, including Best College Big Band as bassist with UNC’s Jazz Lab Band 1 and Outstanding Ensemble Composition for his original composition, Airplanes.
John Riley
Courses John has created:
Drums Basics 1
Drums Basics 2
From playing his first snare drum at the age of eight to teaching master classes around the world, John Riley has filled his life with rock and jazz music.
John has a bachelor’s degree in jazz education from the University of North Texas and a master’s in jazz studies from the Manhattan School of Music. While studying at UNT, John played in, toured, and recorded with the famed One O’Clock Lab Band. After moving to New York City, he was asked to join the Woody Herman Band. Since then, John has freelanced with a wide spectrum of world-class musicians like Stan Getz, Milton Jackson, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band.
John also authored The Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming, and The Jazz Drummer's Workshop, and is featured on a DVD titled The Master Drummer.
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“We are very thankful for the courses you offer and the credibility they carry with universities.”
—HS counselor, Oregon
