Teachers

Darren Ronan - Drums/ Percussion, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele

BM Music Performance University of North Florida

Darren Ronan is a professional musician who has been teaching at Grace Episcopal Day School since 2008. He graduated from University of North Florida with a B.A. in Music in 2002, served as Band Director at St. Johns Country Day School '00 -’07, and founded Ronan School of Music in 2010.

While at UNF he was fortunate to study percussion with Charlotte Mabrey and drum set with Rick Kirkland. He has also toured the southern and eastern United States playing in a variety of musical settings; opening shows and sharing stages with such notable performers as Booker T., Diane Schuur, Linda Purl, Elvin Bishop, Dwight Yoakum, Dick Dale, Southern Culture on the Skids, Syl Johnson, Evan Dando, Mickey Thomas from Starship, Vic Chestnut, Randy Weston, Junior Brown, and Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys.

He has provided percussion for local productions of musicals “Pippin” and “Bye Bye Birdie,” and along with respected Broadway pianist Eugene Gwozdz as music director, backed Theater Jacksonville executive director Sarah Boone on her show, "The Double Threats: A Celebration of Composer/Lyricists.” He currently performs as a solo acoustic act and with his rockabilly band, The 77ds and his album of all-original music, ”Good Things," was released in 2009. Most recently, his original song, “Here It Feels the Same” was featured in a Welcome Jax promotional video.

Becky Tibble - Captain of the Ship

A musician and educator at heart, Becky has been an educator since 1996, teaching all grades K-8 except 4th (so far!), and a musician all her life. Having lived in the Riverside area since 2001, and raised her 3 children here, she has been part of the RSOM family almost from the day we opened our doors. Sarah, Henry, and Alison all attended Fishweir, LaVilla, and then Paxon and Douglas Anderson. Their early musical instruction began and was influenced by the wonderful teachers at Ronan School of Music. After they moved on in their musical studies, Becky was still on site, playing with the RSOM Ukelele band, (informally called the Ukeladies) and ultimately joining the staff in 2022. 

"Working at RSOM is a lot of fun, I enjoy every day I am there! I have made a lot of friends, and enjoy seeing some of my own Science students come in and take lessons! Hearing musicians improve and learn their craft, whether they are 5 or 55 is a privilege I truly enjoy."

Tom LeGrand - Piano, Trombone, Guitar, Bass

B.Ed Music Education — Jacksonville University

Tom Legrand grew up in a musical family with five kids learning to play many instruments at an early age – there was always one lying around. He wrote a song on ukulele before starting elementary school, learned “Louie, Louie” on piano (much to his mother’s chagrin) at around age 6 and used to help an older friend who had a band figure out the changes to CCR tunes.

At a summer band program he learned to play drums, flute and clarinet and upon entering junior high school the same band director who led the summer sessions needed trombonists. So Tom played trombone all the way through college at Jacksonville University and beyond. Not only did he earn a scholarship with the trombone, he also played tympani and cello in the orchestra. He was in virtually every ensemble JU had: the jazz vocal octet, the choir and concert chorale, orchestra, band, jazz band and trombone ensemble. He was also able to study jazz piano with Bill Davis.

Tom has played trombone in shows with such jazz greats as Dave Brubeck, Maynard Ferguson, Andy Williams and Benny Goodman and was also in a production with Bob Hope. He has toured with various bands in 34 states and Cuba, including lengthy stays in New York City and New Orleans. He can play nearly any musical style and is very at home on trombone, keyboards, guitar, vocals, and bass guitar.

Anna Strickland - Violin, Piano

Anna Strickland has played the violin for over thirty years and has been teaching for fifteen years. She has studied classical violin, traditional Irish and American fiddle techniques. She began playing old time fiddle in 2010 and is a founding member of the Jacksonville Old Time Jam, a group of musicians who come together weekly to play traditional string band music. Anna also plays traditional clawhammer banjo. She is Vice-President of the Florida Fiddlers Association, an organization that fosters and promotes traditional fiddle music throughout the state.

She has been called upon to be a judge for several fiddle contests around Florida. As Vice-President, she helps officiate the Florida State Fiddle Contest, held each year at the Florida Folk Festival. Anna was the violin teacher for Rain or Shine home school co-op for several years. She has also taught at the Spirit of the Suwannee Kids Music Camp and has been a fiddle instructor at Sparrow Music Camp since 2013. She has been focused on learning and playing tunes from the vast repertoire of old time music for the past decade, and is the lead fiddler in a contra dance string band that plays for dances all over Florida.

Arvid Smith- Guitar, Piano, Mandolin, Sitar

Arvid is a well-respected instructor, composer, performer and author. His focus instruments are guitar (acoustic finger style solo and flat picked improvisational approach), the dobro and lap steel as well as beginning piano . In addition, he offers instruction on more exotic instruments such as The Indian Sitar, the Tanpura and Mandolin. He studied music education at The University of Florida and for more than four decades has pursued educating listeners of all ages in all settings, (group/individual, private or classroom ), as well as performing in a wide variety of venues, from The Kennedy Center to the legendary CBGB’s. His varied and eclectic approach to music has instructed and entertained audiences in settings as different as Planetarium sound designs to Bluegrass festivals. He is the author of the best selling “Contemporary Slide Guitar “ for Mel Bay Publications.

Richard Rosado - Voice/Beginning Piano

BA Fine Arts in Musical Theatre — University of Florida

Richard Rosado holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Florida where he trained with the well-respected Matt Morgan. He has been an frequent participator in academic and local community theatre productions including: “Kiss Me, Kate;” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Spring Awakening,” “In The Heights,” “Bridges of Madison County,” “Jacques Brel,” and countless others. He looks forward to giving his students the tools they need to free their own personal singing voices.

Mary Joan Hinson - Art

Mary Joan took painting lessons as a small child, developing a love of oils and the unique pigments they offered. She continued her studies into adulthood in the United States, Europe, and the Far East, immersing herself in the cultures and the stimulation they provided. Her work reflects a world that exists deep in cognitive awareness. Looking at nature, she sees the organic interaction of color, shape and form. The momentary effects of light, air and water movement are considered when she develops her compositions.

Natalie Ealum - Voice/Musical Theater

Natalie Ealum is entering her freshman year on a full scholarship to Jacksonville University, she will be attending and working towards her BFA in Musical Theatre and Music Education. Natalie was a member of TheSilhouettes, Douglas Anderson’s School of the Arts top Vocal Jazz Ensemble, along with her advanced studies in Music Theatre. Throughout Natalie’s time at D.A. she has had the privilege of being a part of RENT The Musical and also A Chorus Line as Maggie. Every Christmas season Natalie looks forward to the opportunity she has to perform as a Caroler at the Cloister in Sea Island. She has been training and performing for over 8 years and is excited to bring her teaching style to Ronan School of Music.

William Bast - Guitar

William Bast studied classical guitar at Stetson University under Dr. Stephen Robinson, one of the leading professors of classical guitar in the Southeast. He began playing guitar at the age of 9 with Rick NesSmith, here at Ronan School of Music, who used classic rock to engage his interest on the electric guitar. In high school, Will shifted his focus primarily to classical guitar under Dr. Thomas Harrison, Jacksonville University and the University of Central Florida. Will was awarded the Duckwitz Music Talent Scholarship from Stetson and has experience in solo and ensemble performances. He loves both the technical and artistic expression in music but is particularly drawn to the guitar as it allows the musician to develop several “voices” on one instrument.Will wants to teach guitar because he enjoys playing and thinks that other people can find joy playing as well.

Molly Sweet - Clarinet

BM – Clarinet Performance, Florida State University

Molly Sweet has been playing clarinet for over twenty years. She received her Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from Florida State University during which time she was fortunate to have studied with clarinetists Dr. Frank Kowalsky and Dr. Deborah Bish. Following her formal education at Florida State, Molly has maintained an active presence in the Jacksonville music community, performing in various ensembles. One of her most constant performance ensembles is the New Orleans style traditional jazz band, The Junco Royals, in which she plays clarinet, arranges music and sings. Molly is also a founding board member and performing musician with the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville and plays in a few chamber music ensembles. While her training makes her particularly well-suited to teaching clarinet for orchestra and wind band settings, she is passionate about exploring clarinet in other musical genres and celebrating the versatility of the instrument. 

Ernie Ealum - Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Cello

BM Music Performance — Jacksonville University

Ernie Ealum has been one of the top, in-demand bassists for performing and recording in the southeast for 30 years. He is a Jacksonville University alumni and also studied at the University of Florida and the University of North Florida. Ernie has been teaching upright and electric bass in the Jacksonville/Orange Park area for over 20 years and had his teaching studio at the well-known music store, Nice Music in Orange Park, Florida, for much of that time. He has been teaching bass and cello for the Ronan School of Music since 2010. In addition, he has also been the adjunct bass professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville since 2002.

Ernie works as bassist with many musicians and bands in the North Florida and South Georgia areas covering all genres. He was the staff bassist at the Cloister at Sea Island for 10 years and has worked with artists as diverse as The Platters, Michael W. Smith, Percy Sledge, the Cox Family, Les DeMerle and Syl Johnson. In addition to his steady performing schedule he is currently the co-owner of the wedding and music event coordinator business, “Music by Pegge, LLC,” providing music for weddings, corporate, and other various events up and down the east coast.






Bob Moore - Piano 

BM Music Theory and Composition - Jacksonville University

Bob Moore is a composer with a multifaceted résumé.

To date he has published over 300 choral and instrumental works, many of which have been recorded on six CDs and appear in various hymnals. He was a resident composer in the Faith Partners Program, sponsored by the American Composers Forum, a finalist in the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Fresh Ink Competition, a recipient of an arts grant from the Community Foundation (resulting in the virtual Pandemic Recital ), and composer in residence for the St. Augustine Music Festival (of which he was a co-founder). La Década was commissioned to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the festival. As composer in residence with the St. Augustine Orchestra, he premiered several works, including Aurelia, which celebrated the orchestra’s 50th (golden) anniversary. He recently completed a commission to celebrate their 60th (diamond) anniversay, Diamanté. This work, as well as Someday (premiered by the Jacksonville University choruses), are finalists for the 2023 American Prize in Composition. In addition to sacred music, his catalog contains art songs and compositions for solo piano, chorus, chamber ensembles, band and orchestra, as well as electroacoustic music. Several of his works have received awards and many have been composed on commission.

He served as the Director of Liturgical Music at San Jose Catholic Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and was the Director of Music Ministry at the Cathedral- Basilica of St. Augustine (FL) and St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church. He is currently the Director of Music Ministry at The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Jacksonville, where in addition to his liturgical music work, he is championing the legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe, a founder of the church. The Other World: a Requiem, a setting of her poetry for soloists and chamber ensemble, was premiered to great acclaim in 2022. It will be followed in 2023 by a concept album based on the essays of her memoir, Palmetto Leaves.

He has taught privately as well as band, chorus and general music in public and private schools while serving as artistic director for two community choruses (The Amelia Island Chorale and The Orange Park Chorale). With Joe Yorio and Tony Steve, he performs in the trio, De Profundis, which specializes in sacred jazz and world music. With Tony Steve he performs live accompaniment to classic silent films.

In 2023, he was recognized as an Honored Alumni by Jacksonville University.

His publishers include G.I.A. Publications, Oregon Catholic Press, World Library Publications, Santa Barbara Music Publishers, Augsburg Fortress, Morningstar Music Publishers, Musicspoke and Hal Leonard Publications.

Bob studied composition with Richard Proulx, William Schirmer, Gordon Goodwin, and Bud Udell at the University of South Carolina, Jacksonville University, and the University of Florida.

Jay Deen - Piano

Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts Education

Jay Deen has a Master of Fine Arts in theatre arts education and has taught high school and college for the last seventeen years. He has designed professionally for a number of theater companies and played professionally in numerous piano bars and bands. He has been music director for a number of shows and cabarets around north east Florida including Smokey Joe’s Cafe at the Alhambra Dinner Theater. Jay has been playing piano for over forty-five years and has a number of online albums to his credit with listeners in over fifty countries. His teaching philosophy is a simple one; learn all you can, be creative, and practice to get it right!

Naudimar "Mars" Ricardo - Piano

BA in Music Education - Senior at Jacksonville University 

Naudimar Ricardo, better know as “Mars” is a music education major/Jazz minor at Jacksonville University in my senior year. I stared playing music when I was eight years old; starting on violin, then flute, then voice and then piano. My favorite kind of music to play on piano is jazz and contemporary music. Aside from playing for myself at home for fun I have played a recital for my collegiate piano class and aspire to join a jazz chamber group.

 

Justin Lane - Guitar

Justin Lane is a professional musician and live sound engineer at Anastasia Baptist Church. He studied guitar and music technology under James Hogan at The University of North Florida. His past teaching positions include a role as guitar instructor at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind which was deeply impactful to his teaching and playing styles. Justin performs as a guitarist and bassist in many bands around St. Augustine and Jacksonville including The Committee, King Peach, Auggie Style, Lonesome Ride, and The Taildraggers. He is proficient in many styles including rock, blues, funk, and bluegrass. Along with his work as a professional musician, Justin is regularly involved in studio projects for independent artists, bands, video productions, and commercial productions.

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