Lyons Guitar & String Lesson Studio
CALL FOR INFO: 412-833-2111
Faculty
Brannon Lyons (Guitar)
Guitarist Brannon Lyons received his Bachelor of Music degree from Seton Hill College, where he studied classical guitar with James Ross and John Marcinizyn and later with James Boyce at Duquesne University.
Brannon went on to perform with the Guitar and Guitar Classical Guitar Duo, was a founding member of the Westmoreland Guitar Trio and helped start and develop the guitar lesson program at Cindy's Guitar Plus in North Versailles , PA. Brannon has been teaching privately in the Pittsburgh area for the past 23 years.
Brannon is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, a member of the Guitar Foundation of America, Committee member of the Pittsburgh Classical Guitar Society (education) and the owner of Lyons Guitar and String Lesson Studio in Mount Lebanon, PA. He is a registered Suzuki guitar instructor (books 1- 7 and Suzuki Guitar Practicum, under the training of Andrea Cannon & William Kossler) and continues guitar studies with well-known guitarist and teacher, Mir Ali. Brannon also served as an adjudicator at the Rantucci Guitar Festival in Buffalo, New York. Brannon also performs in the Pittsburgh area as a soloist at events and private engagements and is listed in the Pittsburgh Artist Registry.
Brannon started Lyons Guitar and String Lesson studio to offer parents and young children an alternative to music store lessons in a fun, nurturing, homey environment.
Maria Withum (Violin)
Maria Withum began her musical career through piano lessons at age 9 and added the violin in middle school, playing in high school, college and community orchestras. She also began studying voice and earned a Bachelor of Music Education at Duquesne University's Mary Pappart School of Music, from which she graduated magna cum laude. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, she has received violin instruction from Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Roy Sonnet, and voice instruction from Anne Kopta, Maureen Budway, Charlotte Sonnet, and Kim Stenhauer.
Maria is a registered Suzuki violin teacher and has received her training from the Central PA Suzuki Workshop, the Ithaca Suzuki Institute, the Harrt Suzuki Institute, and the Capital University Suzuki Institute, and from master teachers such as Teri Einfeldt, Lind Fiore, and Rhonda Cole.
Maria began teaching violin at the Seton Center Suzuki School, where she taught for ten years. At the school she taught dozens of students ranging from age 3 to high school, both in private and various group class settings. Maria has been teaching in a private home studio for 15 years, here she also teaches voice lessons. She has performed vocally in the Pittsburgh area in theaters such as the CLO, Pittsburgh Playhouse and dinner theaters. Currently, her performance work is primarily for weddings and church services.
Maria lives in Mount Lebanon with her husband Jeff , and has three children.
Liam Bull (Guitar)
Liam Bull is a recent graduate of Duquesne University, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Technology/Sound Recording. While at Duquesne, Liam was enrolled in the Mary Pappert School of Music where he studied recording arts, music theory, and the classical guitar. During this time, Liam studied guitar privately with Thomas Kikta, Chair of Classical Guitar and Sound Recording at Duquesne, and Mir Ali, Director of the Amherst School of Guitar in Williamsville, New York. While at Duquesne he was a member of various music ensembles including the Pappert Men’s Chorale and the Classical Guitar Ensemble. Also, during this time Liam began training to teach the Suzuki Method for guitar. Liam has attended a number of Suzuki Summer Institutes offered in the Pittsburgh area, and as a result he has become a registered to teach Suzuki Guitar Book 1 under the training of William Kossler. In the winter of 2014 Liam was on staff for the Rantucci Guitar festival as the Audio Technician for performances. He was alongside Michael Gendron, William Kossler, Mark Marston, Mir Ali, And Brannon Lyons. Liam has also attended the Aaron Shearer Summer Institute in Zion National Park in Utah. There he had the opportunity to work with various guitar teachers such as Kami Rowan, Alan Hirsch, Will Adams, and Ricardo Cobo. Liam currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania doing various live sound work and is a teacher at Lyons Guitar and Strings. Liam also continues to study the guitar and guitar pedagogy under Mir Ali to improve upon his skills and knowledge.
All teachers have PA State Police and PA Childline Child Abuse Clearances
