We are proud to have a team of highly qualified and dedicated instructors who are committed to helping each student reach their full potential.

Hollis Hahn is the owner and operator of The Ultimate School of Guitar. Hollis was the lead guitarist for the signed National act Jezebel's Church. She also played lead guitar in bands PornLab, Eden, Fatal Beauty, and Heiress. Self-taught, Hollis then studied with David Shankle of Manowar, who currently holds three Gold Albums. Her main style is Heavy Rock, but she loves playing the Blues. You might catch her on stage at her favorite club Buddy Guy's, where she has performed with various artists, including Buddy Guy and Shamekia Copeland. She instructs all styles, levels, and ages. Her young students not only learn to read music but also learn to express themselves through little riffs and fun songs. When students get to play songs they like, they learn much faster and enjoy practicing. Hollis has been instructing at The Ultimate School of Guitar for over 20 years.

Kyle Gilbertson has been studying, teaching, and performing on the guitar for over 30 years. He has studied with the classical guitar masters Nicholas Goluses, Stephen Aron, and the composer Dusan Bogdanovic. In 2001, he received his BA in Classical Guitar Performance from Oberlin College. In 2009, he received his K-12 teaching certificate from Northeastern Illinois University, with an endorsement in instrumental music. From 2009 - 2016, he taught general music and band at Phoenix Military Academy, a high school in Chicago. As a band director, Kyle taught his students to play all the woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. The band played at football games, marched in parades, performed in concerts, and went to competitions. In 2015, the band took 2nd place in the city-wide JROTC Drum and Bugle Competition. In the general music classes, he taught guitar, keyboard, bass, drum set, and voice. For many years, Kyle performed regularly around the Chicago area with blues singer Darby Tillis. Passionate about music, he enjoys sharing that passion with his students. Kyle been teaching at The Ultimate School of Guitar for over 9 years.

Sacha Mullin holds a Bachelor's of Music in Contemporary Vocal Performance from McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has studied privately with luminaries like jazz singer Judi Donaghy, rap artist Dessa Darling, and composer Janika Vandervelde.

Sacha is experienced in instructing voice and piano students and has creative ways to keep his younger students engaged. Sacha is competent in preparing students for auditions, building confidence and teaching essential technique. He concentrates on making his voice students smart singers by improving breath support, increasing resonance and power, and using music theory, among other fundamentals.

Sacha is a Chicago-based singer-songwriter noted for his "commanding yet vulnerable" singing style, wide vocal range, and jazzy, intense, and ethereal compositions. Critics have often summoned names like David Sylvian and Jeff Buckley, but Sacha comes more directly from the “schools” of Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Yoko Kanno, and Sugababes. Sacha has been instructing at The Ultimate School of Guitar for over 10 years.

Daniel received his Bachelor Degree in Music from Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA. Originating in Chicago, Daniel started playing in 5th grade through the instruction of Berklee alumni Matt Berger. Daniel has played with names such as Frank Catalano, Xazz, Cardinal Karma, etc. At the Music Institute of Chicago he studied under Victor Garcia and then during his time at Berklee College of Music he studied under Jack Pezanelli. He also studied at JamLab University in Vienna, Austria. Daniel is a performing musician and a multi-instrumentalist composer and producer with a background in genre-fusion, gypsy jazz guitar, and heavy metal. Daniel’s teaching style combines solfège and ear training with reading techniques to help students gain meaningful connections from the songs they play, and encourages everyone to develop their own unique musical voice. He has been teaching for over 6 years and specializes in Jazz Guitar. He is our newest member of the Ultimate School of Guitar.

Colton received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College, Chicago, IL. He Majored in Contemporary Urban and Popular Music, Minor in Music Business and Marketing. Colton is driven to use his skills and knowledge to teach students how to better utilize the guitar to perform the music they wish to perform. His main goals would be to make his students better guitar players and deepen their desire for all things musical. Colton is one of the newest members of The Ultimate School of Guitar.

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• The Untold, Chicago, IL - Guitarist October 2018 to present

• Heathers 101 Musical, JJ Pearce Theatre, Richardson, TX - Performer August 2016 to June 2017

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Ben graduated from Northeastern Illinois in ​Music Education. Ben's specialization was in playing guitar and french horn. Ben has been teaching for over six years. He is also a gigging musician in his band Big Fans. Ben is one of the newest members of The Ultimate School of Guitar.

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Learning jazz from seasoned big band players and ear training from avant-garde classical composers greatly expanded my palate. My students range in age, skill, and style of music. They describe me as engaging and patient, able to break down complex concepts into digestible pieces. I pride myself in allowing those I teach to follow their own unique curiosities rather than fit them into my own beliefs.

Savino Izzi is a graduate of GIT from the Musicians Institute, Hollywood. Savino has been playing for 20 years and is interested in funk, blues, jazz, and rock music. Students learn the importance of timing. "Good time means having a good feel which leads to great rhythm playing." Other areas of development include technique, sight reading, and improvisation. Songs of the students choosing are also analyzed and learned together during lessons. Savino currently plays with the Chicago rock band Seratonin Telegram. He has been instructing for The Ultimate School of Guitar for over 14 years.

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Guitar Column by Savino Izzi - Axeology - Spring 2018