Lessons
The Instrument Barn offers lessons on all instruments. Lessons are $30 a half hour and are offered during our normal business hours. We recommend scheduling lessons weekly but we do also offer bi weekly lessons. For more information or to schedule a lesson give us a call at 847-562-6616 or fill out the form by clicking on the link below.
Lesson Interest form
https://forms.gle/cWnzFSVgmFnDfEgE7
Teaching Staff
Harry Choin - Woodwinds, Piano, and Guitar
Harry is the owner of The Instrument Barn, and also an experienced instructor. He recently completed his enlistment in the United States Army. He has a strong passion for music and plays as much as he can. While he was in the United States Army, he was an Army Bandsman. Harry played in all kinds of ensembles including the jazz band, rock band, ceremonial band, and the woodwind quintet playing clarinet, flute, saxophone, and piano. His primary instrument is clarinet. Now he really enjoys playing in community bands, and orchestras, throughout the Chicago area. His goal is to get quality instruments at an affordable cost to all musicians. In his free time he enjoys working on old cars and hanging out with the family.
Nick Lowe - Trumpet, Beginning Strings, and Beginning Piano
Mr. Nick Lowe graduated from Elmhurst College in 2019 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. Prior to graduation, he spent time teaching high school marching band in Wheeling, teaching private lessons in Aurora and Elmhurst, and performing in various pit orchestras around the northwest suburbs. During his time at Elmhurst College, Mr. Lowe performed with the Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra, Jazz Lab Band, Trumpet Ensemble, and Brass Quintet. He has performed in several locations, including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii.
Victoria Choin - Strings, Electric Bass, and High Brass
(Zoom or Skype Only)
Victoria has been playing musical instruments for over 20 years. She studied piano and double bass at Central Michigan University, where she received a Bachelors degree in Music. She has played French Horn with the Arizona State University symphonic band, as well as other groups. Victoria received a Masters degree in Musicology from ASU in 2019. Since graduating, Victoria has been teaching orchestra at a school in Mesa, AZ. She has been teaching strings, brass, and piano privately for 5 years.
Kyle Anderson - Clarinet, Saxophone, Ukulele
Owen Miller - Saxophone, Beginning Piano
Born in Japan in 1985, Owen was raised in Maywood, IL and Decorah, IA. Having grown up in a musical family (mom is a classical trained concert pianist, organist and flautist), Owen pursued music at an early age, starting with piano at five and moving on to saxophone at eight. In 2000 he auditioned and was accepted to attend highschool at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy near Traverse City, MI where he performed and was a soloist with the jazz orchestra, the concert band, and the world-renowned Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra. He had the distinct honor in 2003 of leading the jazz orchestra to the national Essentially Ellington festival at Lincoln Center in downtown New York, where the saxophone section received the highest honors. He studied with Bill Sears and the late David Remington. In 2003 Owen continued his education at Lawrence Conservatory in Appleton, WI, studying with Steven Jordheim and Jose Encarnacion, being named the lead alto player of the Lawrence University Jazz Orchestra his freshman year. Since then he has been a Music Director onboard eleven of Carnival Cruise Line's twenty-six ships. In 2015 he was promoted to the Supervisor of Music Development, where he helped to design and create the music rehearsal spaces at Carnival's premier, industry-first Studio Rehearsal Facility in Davie, FL. Here, Owen rehearsed, coached and mentored hundreds of musicians every year and created new musical offerings that were deployed across the entire fleet. After the pandemic, Owen moved back to Illinois and loves to share his knowledge, experience, joy and FUN of playing music! He's been with us at the Instrument Barn since 2021 and loves teaching beginners, intermediate, and advanced students of all ages.
Ryan Klopfenstein - Drums, Guitar, Electric Bass, Ukulele
A native of northern Illinois, Ryan has played guitar, bass, and drums in numerous indie-rock bands throughout the Chicagoland area since the 1990s. He started playing music at a young age. Being the son of a drummer, growing up there was always music in the house. He played guitar and drums as a teenager. After high school, he attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Then in 1996, he accepted a position at The Player’s Bench music store in Crystal Lake. Ryan worked and taught there on and off for 20+ years until their closing in 2020. While at The Player’s Bench, Ryan studied privately both classical guitar with Ron Pingel and drumset with Bob Roak. He has been teaching at The Instrument Barn since 2021.
When not playing and teaching music, you can find Ryan focusing on his other passion, art. He exhibits his paintings in various art galleries in the area.
Andrew Ossler - Trumpet, Beginning Piano
Andrew Ossler graduated from Illinois State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. During his time at ISU, Andrew played in the ISU Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, and Jazz band. Andrew teaches at Marian Central Catholic High School as the Music Director where he teaches Band, Choir, Guitar, and Piano. Outside of teaching, Andrew performs with the Prairie Brass Band, Rockford Concert Band, and subs with the Chicago Brass Band. In addition, Andrew plays trumpet at St. Mary in Huntley. In his free time, Andrew enjoys volunteering at the railroad museum and spending time with family and friends.
Collin Berg - Guitar, Bass, and Piano
Collin Berg has always been musically inclined. From a young age, he was singing, writing, performing, and playing a variety of instruments. He is passionate about further developing his musical skills and theoretical knowledge, and achieving the next level of success as well as passing along what he has learned over the years to others.
Collin is an American Singer-Songwriter, performer, multi instrumentalist, instructor, producer and engineer from Chicago IL.
Karen Crylen - Trumpet, Band Instruments
Karen Crylen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015. There, she studied trumpet with Ronald Romm of the Canadian Brass and Charles Daval, former principal trumpet of the Boston Pops Orchestra. After graduating college, Karen spent eight years as a school band director, mostly teaching beginning and middle school band. She made a career shift in 2023 and now focuses primarily on teaching private instrumental music lessons as well as substitute teaching. Karen plays trumpet in the Northshore Concert Band and cornet in the Chicago Brass Band, two of Chicagoland’s most elite community music ensembles. Karen resides in Crystal Lake with her husband, Jeff, and their sassy dachshund mix, Maple.
Chris Monzel - Violin
Chris Monzel graduated with high honors from Northern Illinois University with bachelor degrees in Performance and Music Education. He has performed with several orchestras in the Northern Illinois area as well in various chamber ensembles. As a teacher, Chris believes his role is to mentor students to become better musicians in a learning environment that is collaborative, fun, and respectful.
Ryan Danikowski - Low Brass, Beginning Piano
Ryan Danikowski graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Tuba Performance. While at NIU, he performed in the Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra, Tuba Euphonium Ensemble, and a Brass Quintet. Since Graduating, Ryan has been substitute teaching in St. Charles where he lives. Ryan has also been teaching private low brass lessons for the last 3 years in St. Charles, Geneva, and Downers Grove. He is on staff as a Private Instructor and has given masterclasses at Downers Grove South and Glenbard North high school. He has performed in several groups throughout the Chicago suburbs including the ECC Community Band and Fox Valley Brass Band. He is currently the tubist of the Black Willow Brass Quintet.
