Teachers

Jessica Moidel

Hi, I’m Jess, owner of Moidel Music. I am passionate about helping students young and old navigate their musical journey, dream and aspire, and enjoy the ride.

[violin, electric bass, guitar, ukulele]

Born and raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Jessica began her music studies at age 5. A participant in pre-collegiate programs at both Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon University, she was very involved with her school and Three Rivers Youth Symphony in and around Pittsburgh. Teachers include Janet Caputo, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members Sergei Galperin and Eugene Phillips.

After earning her Bachelor’s of Music at Florida State with violin professor Karen Clarke, she moved to Summit County Colorado to pursue a progressive creative path. Jessica’s career revolves entirely around her passions including performing, teaching music, skiing, rock climbing and her family.

Jessica has been teaching since Middle School, where she would assist the orchestra with her orchestra directors Rebecca MacLeod & Sarah Lavelle, and taught all the way through college. She officially opened Moidel Music in Frisco in 2010, and for the past 10 years has maintained a diverse group of students, and plays in local and nationally touring bands.

Jessica has been teaching private lessons to a growing group of kids and adults, and performing over 150 gig/shows a year for the past 10 years. She performs with Shaky Hand String Band (Bluegrass), Satellite13 (rock).

Patrick O’Halloran

[banjo instructor]

Patrick began playing music in elementary school, starting on clarinet and moving to trombone through his middle school years. Patrick discovered the banjo and bluegrass music while earning his BA of Marketing at Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado.  Bartending for the Durango Bluegrass Meltdown Festival there was a new light lit within, which has stayed on ever since.   Post college, Patrick bought his first banjo at the age of 21 while living in San Diego, and was hooked.  Taking lessons from the start was the critical step to his progress, which was addicting and enjoyable. Patrick decided to leave his Insurance job in San Diego to relocate back to Colorado to work for Planet Bluegrass to allow more time for music. 

Fast forward 15 years and Patrick is still a student of the banjo and instructing beginners to pursue their passion in banjo.  Patrick spent the last few years managing and performing with Shaky Hand String Band, touring the western United States, and performing every type of venue under the sun.  Before Shaky Hand, Patrick played with the Durango based band ‘The Scrugglers,’ which paved the way to take banjo playing more seriously as a career.  Patrick continues to study daily on the banjo as the journey of music is ever-enduring.    

Banjo lessons from Patrick can go many directions.  His focus is on the 3 finger styles of Scruggs, Melodic and single string playing.  If you are a first timer, lessons will start off easy and move at a pace that gives the student that same sense of enjoyment and progress Patrick received those many years ago.  If you’ve been playing around on the banjo for a short time, we can start off by finding out where your strengths are, build on those while also focusing on some weaknesses and strengthening those as well.   Building up knowledge of the fretboard is a main priority and goal that every student should want to learn while studying with Patrick.  The main focus on banjo is having fun though, and although music can be difficult and frustrating at times the process with Patrick’s methods make the journey enjoyable and encouraging.