Leo Miller: 🎹 Piano

Originally from Brazil, Leo moved to the United States when he was 12 years old and started playing the piano when he was 15. Leo graduated from the University of South Florida, majoring in Music and English Literature, where he gained experience performing and teaching the piano.

Having now played for 20 years, Leo is passionate about the vast amount of music that has been written for the piano. Leo aims to apply his passion and experience to helping students become the musicians they want to be. 

WM Barrett Simms: 🎸 Guitar & Rock Bands

Wm. Barrett Simms is an accomplished guitarist and entertainer. Barretts guitar journey started at 12 years old and has lead him to play and records with many musical legends. You can see him at the over 150+ local shows he plays each year playing blues, jazz, and pop hits. Barrett leads our rock bands as well as teaches guitar and ukulele.

Jessica Cowan: 🎹 Piano 🎤 Voice

Jessica Cowan has a classical background in voice and piano. Amongst many of her academic musical achievements of studying piano and vocal performance at Rhode Island, she has taught all ages for over a decade and currently is also the pianist at a local church in Georgetown, TX. 

In addition, she enjoys  teaching music theory and encourages the creativity of original composition.

Mary Tongay:  🎹 Piano

Mary Tongay has been teaching piano in Round Rock for the past 24 years. She graduated from University of Maryland with a BA in piano. Mary is a longtime, active member in Austin District Music Teacher’s Association along with Texas Music Teacher’s Association and Music Teacher’s National Association. Along with participating in annual theory tests and music festivals at UT, she has also sent students to the TMTA annual convention to perform.

Stefen Harpin: 🎹 Piano

While he was playing classical pieces in the background, campaign contributors were writing checks and eating fancy hors d’oeuvres. It was magical and pure joy & excitement for him. This was also his first taste of performing music for a crowd. He loved it! It was then he decided to dive headfirst into learning and crafting the Art of songwriting and performing. He writes his own compositions using various techniques and draws from a broad range of musical genres is influenced in some way by almost every style of popular music. He is eclectic with the musical stylings he plays with and can appreciates classical, jazz and contemporary forms of pop and contemporary music the best. He has been greatly influenced by such legends as Dave Matthew Band & Jimi Hendrix, Jazz masters such as Jamie Cullum, Monk & Ellington and pop icons such as David Bowie, Coldplay & of course the Beatles. In 2005 he made the way from his hometown, Victoria, TX, to the music capital of the world, Austin, Texas! Where he again dove straight ahead, into the heart of Austin’s rich music scene, later going on to perform at many of Austin’s top venues, backing various singers and bands, as well as pursuing solo projects of his design. In his down time Stefen enjoys performing at various jams across town. And can often be found hiking in the green belt. He is dedicated to furthering his musical education and attends Austin community college, with goals of attaining his masters degree in Education, with special interest in Music Therapy, and Early Childhood Development, and the role music plays in the growth and development of the brain and consciousness. His mission and goal in life is to make and produce beautiful music for the world & also get you in a good mood! 

Cory Abbott 🎻 Violin and viola

Cory is a classically trained musician with over 25 years of experience on the viola.  Before moving to Texas, Cory was an active performer, recording artist and orchestra teacher for over 8 years.  As an orchestral violist he has been fortunate to share stages with such musicians as Randy Newman, Ray Charles, Martin Chalifour, Zuill Bailey,Vadym Kholodenko, Twila Paris and Branson's Liverpool Legends.  Cory received his BM in Education, as well as his Masters in Viola Performance from the University of Central Arkansas.

His private lesson studio of violin and viola students has ranged from pre-school to retirement.

Dom Cours: 🎸 Guitar

Dom Cours hails from the Texas hill country. As an active artist and performer, with an edgy take on Texas roots music, and a style that's inspired by Southern Rock Legends. 

Before pursuing his passion for music, he served for eight years in the United States Army, three of which were spent in combat as an Infantryman in Iraq. The discipline and focus he developed during his military service now translates into his music, as he pours his heart and soul into every note. As a husband and father of 2 kids, Dom knows how beneficial learning an instrument can be to beginners of all ages.

Kevin Abbenante: Drums and Percussion

Kevinis a gifted percussion teacher who strives to connect with each student, while challenging them to grow and progress. Kevin Abbenante is a lifelong resident of the Austin area. He’s been playing and studying drums for over 25 years, and has been performing and touring professionally for the last 13 years.

Kayla kent: 🎸guitar

Victoria Hammill: 🎻Violin  🎹 Piano 🎤 Voice 🎸guitar

Victoria Hammill is a professional performing artist, musician, and songwriter, who is gifted with the natural ability to teach students of all ages, including those with special needs.

With a rich experience in the arts, music, and sciences, Victoria reaches students of all ages. She honors all cultures and teaches with joy and enthusiasm. With a genuine desire to foster and inspire the growth of every individual, private instruction is tailored to fit each student’s goals and passion.  From August 2011 to present, Victoria has taught 150+ students, ages ranging from 4 yrs. of age to adult.

Learning piano and guitar and taking formal classical violin and orchestral study and voice through the highly regarded public school music program of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; and studying voice at the University of Wisconsin in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Music program, she has performed professionally for more than 24 years at Nashville, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; and regionally in Texas and Wisconsin.

With mastery of multiple instruments – acoustic violin, viola, piano, and guitar – as a professional performing artist, her niche is voice and electric violin blues / rock / jazz / fusion.

Matthew Temple: 🎸Bass/ guitar 🎹Piano 🎷Saxophone/flue

Matthew was born and raised in Austin TX. His musical experience comes from his schooling at UT where he studied Saxophone and Flute. He also teaches Piano, Guitar and Bass and plays frequently around Austin and throughout the world.  

nathan Bixenstine: 🎸 Guitar 🎹 Piano & Drums

Nathan moved to Austin in 2000 and got his first guitar when he was 9 and has been playing it ever since. He started to learn the drums and piano shortly after and would make bands with his friends middle school. In high school he started to play shows down town after school and on the weekends. He also was in the drum-line and played guitar in the jazz band. Jazz sparked his interest in music theory and continued to learn after he graduated. He loves to teach everything he knows about music.

Zac Paz: 🎹 Piano 🎺 Trumpet

Zac comes to Round Rock Music from the entertainment capitol of the world — Las Vegas, Nevada. He studied jazz trumpet and music education at the University of Nevada, Reno. With 13 years of experience on Trumpet and Piano, Zac has played in ensembles of all sizes including Nevada All State Band, Nevada Wind Ensemble, Reno Jazz Orchestra, and the Wolf Pack Marching Band. He is excited to share his love of music with the Austin/Round Rock area.

Matt Slack: Director

Matt has over 29 years of experience playing, practicing, and performing.  Matt started piano lessons as a child and continued for 17 years.  Around middle school he joined the concert band as a percussionist as well as local community orchestras.  Matt studied Percussion Performance at BYU, and as an adult has recorded numerous albums, toured both nationally and internationally, written and recorded music for artists as well as commercial music for Native Instruments, Ableton, BYU, Bad Panda Games, EA Sports: NBA 2K16, and a Super Bowl ad that aired in 2017.
Matt currently is a percussionists for the Cinematic Symphony, as well as educator and adjudicator throughout RRISD.  As a former teacher at Round Rock Music from 2015-2016, Matt got to know many of the students and culture of RRM and took ownership of the school in April of 2017.