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Maddie picked up her first guitar at 13, aiming to learn a few basic chords. That spark of curiosity quickly grew into a lifelong passion for guitar, songwriting, production, and live performance. She studied under Drum & Strum instructor Mike Harrington for six years, while majoring in music technology and audio engineering at Colgan High School in Manassas, VA. By 18, she was playing guitar for independent bands and artists across the East Coast. Maddie went on to earn her B.F.A in Music Production, Technology, and Entrepreneurship from the Roc Nation School of Music in Brooklyn, New York, performing throughout NYC’s iconic music scene and working with independent musicians and artists throughout Brooklyn.

With more than a decade of experience in writing and producing, she blends indie, alt-rock, folk, and electronic influences into a sound and style of her own. Since returning to her Northern Virginia roots in 2026, Maddie has continued performing and supporting independent artists, and she is excited to help guitar students build strong foundations, gain confidence, and discover the joy of making their own music.

Lauren teaches violin and viola and brings nearly two decades of experience as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. She began studying viola through the Suzuki Method at the age of seven after first discovering her love for the instrument in kindergarten. Lauren studied under Tsuna Sakamoto of the National Symphony Orchestra and continued her training through the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, the prestigious Meadowmount School of Music in New York, and the Karen Tuttle Viola Workshops at both NYU and Oberlin Conservatory, where she performed in masterclasses with many of the country’s leading viola educators. A former member of the American Youth Philharmonic, Lauren also participated in the organization’s Music Buddies Mentorship Program, teaching violin and viola to underserved children throughout Northern Virginia. She served as principal violist for Osbourn Park High School’s Chamber Orchestra, All-County, and All-Regional Orchestras, and performed at the Kennedy Center as part of the World Projects Washington, D.C. International Music Festival. Lauren is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Masao Kawasaki of The Juilliard School. She enjoys helping students of all ages and abilities develop strong technique, confidence, and musical expression while fostering a lifelong love of music.

Caren holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, cum laude, from George Mason University. With over 14 years of teaching experience, she works with students of all ages and skill levels, encouraging a well-rounded appreciation for music across a variety of genres. In her lessons, Caren emphasizes strong practice techniques, vocal health, and a clear understanding of new material and music theory. In addition to teaching, she performs as a soloist and sings with the Sam Bonds Chorale in Washington, D.C. and Maryland.

Colin Ashby is a passionate multi-instrumentalist and proud descendant of one of Fauquier County’s most celebrated musical families. A distant cousin of legendary fiddler John Ashby, Colin carries forward a rich Old-Time tradition that helped shape Virginia’s musical landscape. His great-great-grandfather was part of the original Free State Ramblers formed in the 1930s alongside John and Marshall Ashby — a band that became a cornerstone of the region’s folk heritage. Colin began playing guitar at age 10 and later took up cello, studying under Deborah Price through the Fauquier County Schools music program. He discovered clawhammer banjo four years ago, inspired by his father Jason Ashby, banjoist for the local Old-Time group The Cabin Raiders. After spending time at the University of Lynchburg performing in ensembles, Colin returned to Warrenton and now performs with his family band Home Still. A longtime friend and part of the Drum & Strum family, Colin is excited to now be part of the teaching staff, offering lessons in cello, guitar, and clawhammer banjo. His blend of tradition, family roots, and a modern teaching approach makes him a valued instructor for students of all levels.

Shane began his musical journey at the age of 14, picking up the guitar to play along with his favorite country and folk songs. While in high school, he studied under legendary Washington, D.C. guitarist and Drum & Strum instructor Mike Harrington, whose mentorship helped shape his early development and led him to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. During his time in Boston, Shane studied music theory, composition, and production while gaining experience performing live throughout the Northeast. A dedicated singer-songwriter, he has been writing and developing his own original music since the age of 18. After returning to Virginia in 2024, Shane has been performing throughout Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., while also writing, recording, and producing music for both himself and other artists, and enjoys helping students of all levels build strong musical foundations while encouraging creativity and a lifelong love of music.

Charlie is an accomplished woodwind musician whose lifelong dedication to music began in Philadelphia, PA. He started playing clarinet at age 12 and later expanded to alto and tenor saxophone, quickly distinguishing himself as the lead saxophonist in his high school band and orchestra. His talent earned him a music scholarship with the Valley Forge Military Academy Band, widely regarded as one of the finest military bands in the nation. During his time there, the band performed in multiple Presidential Inaugural parades, presented concerts at the White House, and joined the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture in celebration of the conductor’s 70th birthday.

After graduating from Valley Forge, Charlie served as lead saxophonist for the St. Joseph’s University Swing Band before embarking on distinguished careers with the United States Air Force, Delta Airlines, and the Boeing Company. Upon retirement, he returned to his musical roots, performing with the Fauquier County Community Band and the Nitehawk’s Swing Band, as well as playing saxophone and clarinet for Highland Park’s production of Oliver! and the Fauquier Community Theatre’s production of Holiday Inn.

Charlie brings decades of performance experience, a deep love of music, and a warm, encouraging teaching style to Drum & Strum. His rich musical background and commitment to inspiring students make him a valuable addition to our team of instructors.

Dustin Sebes has dedicated over 33 years to studying, performing, and teaching music. He began his musical journey under the guidance of renowned jazz guitarist Walt Bibinger and soon started teaching private guitar lessons while attending Ramapo College of New Jersey in the late 1990s. Graduating with honors, he earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a concentration in music.

For the past 25 years, Dustin has continued to teach privately and at esteemed music schools, including The Fairfax Conservatory of Music, Rahway Music Company, Stevens School of Music & The Arts, Bayshore Music Center, and currently, Drum & Strum in Warrenton, Virginia.

As a composer and performer, Dustin has created and performed original music with a wide range of bands and artists, such as The Green Room, Coma Ghost, Capita, KSSH!, Sister Ancestor, The Red Room, Spookey Ruben, Joe Harvard, Jack “Jacko” Monahan, ELO II, and Graphene. Beyond his work with bands, he also performs solo as an instrumentalist and singer-songwriter.

Dustin’s teaching expertise covers topics such as guitar fretboard theory, music theory, songwriting, improvisation, sight reading, and soloing. He currently offers lessons in guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, intermediate piano, and mandolin.

Rocky began playing the drums as a young child. He was inspired by the great jazz drummer Buddy Rich and the legendary Beatles. He attended the prestigious Drummers Collective in New York and studied under Frank Katz, Fred Klatz, Kim Plainfield, Jim Chapin, Michael Lauren, Bobby Sanabria, Duduka Da Fonseca, and Kenwood Denard.

Rocky has almost 40 years of percussion experience. Students enjoy his upbeat personality, positive attitude, and commitment to his profession. With almost 30 years at Drum & Strum, Rocky is an integral part of our commitment to provide the best instructors available for the best learning experience.

Steve has been studying, playing, and performing guitar for the last 22 years. He has been teaching all ages, beginner through advanced, for the last nine. Steve has played with numerous bands over the years including being one of the founding members of the local nationally signed rock outfit, the Daycare Swindlers. His main influences range the full scope from The Clash to Dick Dale. He covers many styles ranging from country, blues, rock, and ska to reggae, rockabilly, surf, metal, flamenco, and punk rock.In addition to his many musical skills, Steve has studied recording at Northern Virginia Community College, and recording engineering with Shannon Walton, former Fleetwood Mac Sound Engineer of Walton Recording. His diverse musical ability, combined with his friendly personality and long-time tenure with Drum & Strum, have made Steve a favorite to many students.
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Loren plays folk songs, bluegrass, and fiddle tunes using flat picking, fingerstyle, and rhythm techniques. He is a natural teacher with plenty of patience and encouragement for students of all ages, interests, and abilities.

An avid learner, he has attended the Augusta Heritage Center’s summer old-time and bluegrass camps for several years, and studied with world-class artists Joe Newberry, Tyler Grant and Russ Barenberg, and local fingerstyle master Doug Rainoff.

He has performed for several weddings and gigs at Sully Plantation, Colvin Run Mill, and Ireland’s Four Provinces with a family bluegrass band. Loren has coordinated and hosted several open mic shows around Warrenton over the years, including a current virtual open mic that began during the 2020 virus pandemic and lockdown.

Paul was the teenage son of a Peace Corps director growing up in Chile and Colombia in the late ’60’s. He began his musical career taking classical guitar lessons while simultaneously playing in garage bands and learning folk, blues, and ukulele from the Peace Corps volunteers. Paul later studied music theory at NOVA and then attended Berkley College of Music from 1978-79. His professional career has included touring with Nils Lofgren throughout the U.S. and Europe from 1986-2003, with sit-ins from Bruce Springsteen and Joe Walsh, where he was part of the full electric band as well as acoustic duo and trio formats, appearing on 2 live albums and a DVD. Paul then toured nationally and internationally with the Nighthawks from 2004-2018, recording 7 albums, and playing live shows backing up blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton and Bob Margolin from the Muddy Waters’ band, Hubert Sumlin from Howling Wolf’s band, Muddy Water’s son, Kid Ramos, and others. Paul has 27 years of studio experience including the recording of many albums by top D.C. area artists, several TV/film scores from Animal Planet to America’s Most Wanted, and many documentaries. Paul’s decades of experience includes performing in local bands which have included the Tommy Lepson Band, the Soul Crackers (including three appearances at the White House), The Newkeys, Jr. Cline and the Recliners, Mike Cotter, Mary Ann Redmond Band, Catfish Hodge, Billy Hancock, and many others.  in addition to freelance work including rock, R&B, folk, and big band gigs. With 52 years of performing Paul has decided to take a break from the road and offer his years of experience here at Drum & Strum so that students don’t have to learn the hard way. Paul’s ability to transcend multiple styles, his years of experience and his easy-going personality make him a wealth of knowledge for those eager to learn and a perfect fit to the Drum & Strum team.

John has been playing banjo and multiple other instruments for more than 40 years. His keen sense of musicianship along with his multi-instrumental ability gives John an understanding of music from several different perspectives. Students love his vast knowledge, capacity to play various styles, and his easy going personality.John has numerous years of teaching experience with both Drum & Strum and Fauquier County Public Schools, as well as many years involved in special education. John is a tremendous asset to Drum & Strum and to his students regardless of their age or ability.

Melissa received her bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in Music Education with a minor in Spanish and a Master’s degree from George Mason University and Shenandoah University. Melissa is currently teaching at Flint Hill Elementary School in Vienna, VA, and taught in Fairfax County schools for thirty-two years. Melissa holds multiple certifications in Orff, World Music Drumming, and Zumba. She was awarded teacher of the year in 2005 and music teacher of the year in 2006. She is also a recipient of the grant for the education recycle program from Annandale Community College where students created their own instruments and performed with them on the campus during the Earth Day celebration. Melissa feels that FCPS has provided countless resources and training for teachers to assist students in unveiling their multiple talents in the music classroom through POG, PBL, and creative and critical thinking skills.

Kathy Mullen started playing the violin at age 12 in the Fauquier County Public School system. She was introduced to classical music through her parents. It was through listening to albums her parents played that Kathy developed her true love for violin.

After graduating from Fauquier High School, Kathy attended Shenandoah University where she began pursuing a degree in Music Education. Kathy played with various orchestras and churches and performed at weddings and many other events throughout the years.

From 1994 to 2002 Kathy played first and second violin with the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra of Leesburg, Virginia. Currently, she plays with the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra (PSO) as a co-principal second violinist. The PSO performs at the Highland Center for the Arts in Warrenton, Virginia.

In addition, Kathy plays for Oak Shade Baptist Church of Catlett, Virginia and Reid Temple AME Church in Glenn Dale, Virginia. Kathy’s one of a kind smile, and her easy going personality have made her an instant favorite among students of all ages here at Drum & Strum.

Jack began playing mandolin at the age of 12 and picked up the guitar and the bass soon after. He has won countless instrumental competitions up and down the east coast, including the Watermelon Park mandolin and guitar competitions in Berryville, VA, the Fiddler’s Grove guitar competition in Union Grove, NC, the Loudoun Bluegrass Festival guitar competition in Leesburg, VA and he has placed in prestigious competitions like The Galax Old Time Fiddler’s Convention and the Mount Airy Fiddler’s Convention.At the young age of 23, Jack is a Wammie award winning artist for his album Chop, Shred & Split, plays for Wammie nominated group Bud’s Collective, and is already endorsed by Fairbuilt Guitars, Carey Mandolins and Eastman Guitars. He is also a hand chosen apprentice to the legendary Danny Knicely.Jack teaches mandolin and guitar at the Front Porch Roots Music School in Charlottesville, VA, the guitar at Divinum Auxilium Academy in Front Royal and teaches privately all around the Shenandoah Valley. Jack is fluent in many different styles of music including Bluegrass, Country, Swing, Blues, Rock, and Jazz and he enjoys working with all students from beginner to advanced. His easy-going personality and world class musicianship make him right at home with the Drum & Strum team of instructors.

Beth has been singing, playing the piano, and performing since she was ten years old. She has performed in recitals, concerts, and competitions in the United States and Europe for more than 20 years. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington with a major in Music Performance in 2004, she served for a year as the assistant music director at St. John’s Catholic Church in Warrenton.Beth has also been the piano accompanist for Fauquier County’s Taylor, Cedar Lee, and Liberty School choirs. This combined experience along with her angelic voice and passion to teach have made her one of the top piano instructors in the area. Beth has been teaching since 2003 and enjoys introducing people of all ages to the world of music.