Geoff Hansplant

Owner / Director

Cappella School of Music

Guitar, Mandolin, Songwriting

Geoff has been passionate about the guitar for over 40 years. His specialty is the Piedmont Blues finger picking style but he is also proficient at many other styles from rock to blues and pop. He has a Masters in Education and has taught at public schools  from the elementary to college level. Geoff released his first CD, "Pilgrim's Progress" in 2009,  a live album, "Swimming To The Sun" in January 2012,  and "Kick Off Your Muddy Boots,"  in January 2014 as Geoff Hansplant & Dirt Track Racer with bandmates Paul Deck, Julie Myers and Nick Terramani.  A single from the album, "Bucket Full of Rain," reached #2 in the nation on the Roots Music Report's Top 50 Rock songs for the weeks ending February 14 & 21, 2014.  In March, 2015, Kick Off Your Muddy Boots earned the Americana Album of the Month Award from The Akademia Music Awards.  The band's next studio album, "Something's Gotta Give," is set to be released later in 2018.

Monique Canniere

Piano, Violin, Viola, Voice, Guitar, Mandolin, Flute, Ukulele

Monique Canniere has established herself as a prominent music performer and teacher in the Philadelphia area since arriving in 2004.  She received her BM in Performance at Mansfield University and her MM in Jazz Studies /  Performance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She is primarily known as a singer, violinist and pianist and performs in many styles and genres.  She appeared as the lead role in Roger & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" and has also played lead or supporting roles in "Annie" and "Is There Life After High School?"  She is the lead violinist and vocalist in the Divine Hand Ensemble, an internationally acclaimed chamber group featuring strings and Theremin.  Also a songwriter and composer, Monique has been commissioned to compose numerous songs and pieces which have been performed and recorded by the Divine Hand Ensemble and other groups.  She released her first solo album, "Preachin' to the Choir," in 2015 and performs throughout the area as one third of Acoustic Martin and Company,

Paul Deck

Drum Set & Hand Percussion

Over the years Paul has played in many ensembles and in a wide variety of styles including orchestral, funk, classic rock and jazz.  He studied for many years with a variety of teachers including Tommy Campbell who played with jazz greats John McLaughlin and Dizzy Gillespie. Paul performed as a member of the house band at the famed Zanzibar Blue jazz club in Philadelphia. His wide experience gives him great insight into the ways that drums can be used. His goal is to teach the art of drumming with a contemporary flair while respecting the traditions of the past and helping students develop the required dexterity to express their own creativity.  In high demand throughout the region for his session work, Paul also works closely with Geoff Hansplant in their Americana band, Dirt Track Racer, where his flair for Latin percussion establishes the great grooves for which they are becoming known.

Julie Myers

Violin, Voice, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele

Born into a musical family, Julie began performing at the age of three, and professionally at eight.  She has performed in many notable venues including the Count Basie Theatre, Keswick Theatre, World Cafe Live and the Kennedy Center, sharing the stage with Wynonna Judd, Little Big Town and Trout Fishing in America.  Julie has extensive training in theatrical singing and has been cast in leading roles in "Into the Woods" and "The Music Man." As a violinist, she earned the Helen Buckman Award for Outstanding Musicianship at the age of seventeen.  Today, Julie is a fiddler and vocalist for Nashville recording artist Liv Divine, and a featured violinist in the classically based Divine Hand Ensemble.  Julie has also lent her talents to Dirt Track Racer's 2014 CD, "Kick Off Your Muddy Boots," with contributions on a violin, organ, piano and vocals, as well as being a songwriter and arranger with the band.  Her instrumental and vocal gifts feature prominently on their new and soon to be released album, "Something's Gotta Give."  As Geoff has said about her, "In our band, Julie is a spark plug.  Her ideas and musicality bring a tremendous depth and sensitivity to the music and make it come alive in ways I could not have imagined."  As a teacher, Julie is flexible and adapts easily to situations and people.  In developing her students' overall musiciality, she uses ear training, music theory, reading, technique, and songwriting  as a basis for her teaching.  In her own words, "I will always teach music, as long as I live.  Music enhances life; it makes the world a better place.  Everybody has music inside them; I'm just here to show them which door to open." 

Rory Flynn

Bass, Piano, Guitar, Violin, Ukulele

Rory Flynn began playing guitar while very young, but found his passion for bass soon after beginning to play.  While studying bass with Don Grabowski Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Rory spent four years in both the Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra.  During his last two years,  he was the principal of the bass section. While at Millersville, Rory also studied piano and violin.  With a passion for various genres, Rory has an understanding of the role and repertoire of bass in rock, jazz, funk, country, pop, and classical music. As founder and member of several bands, Rory also has an adept understanding of composition. Since returning from Millersville, he has been playing the greater Philadelphia area with Chaos Thompson, Memphis Hat, and, most recently and extensively with the Dirk Quinn Band.

Nick Terramani

Bass, Piano, Guitar, Violin, Ukulele

Nick Terramani returns to us from our original SoundStage staff and brings a wealth of experience as a music teacher, performer and recording artist.  Nick is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College's prestigious music program and is currently studying toward his Masters at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  Nick is skilled in all styles of music from classical to rock and jazz, has a warm and easy-going teaching style, and has been a student favorite for many years.  Along with Julie Myers, Paul Deck, and Geoff Hansplant, Nick is the bassist in Dirt Track Racer, helping to set the groove for their #4 in the country, 2014 album, "KIck Off Your Muddy Boots" and continuing on their latest project, "Something's Gotta Give."  In addition to teaching at Cappella, Nick is also a Music teacher at the Tacony Academy Charter School in Philadelphia.

Mary Consoli

Voice, Piano

Mary Consoli is a passionate and empathetic music instructor and performer.  She started singing in choirs and ensembles at a young age, and by the time she graduated from Eastern University with a BA in General Music and an emphasis on voice, she had international experience performing with groups such as the International Opera Theater in both Philadelphia and Italy.  Beyond that, she has performed with a variety of groups and orchestras, including polyphonic music with select chorales in the tri-state area.This experience included multiple world premiers of cantatas and operas, as well as providing additional training and instructional support for her fellow vocalists.  Since graduation, she has focused on providing personalized instruction to students of all ages by creating individualized lesson plans.  Her ancillary studies of psychology and educational settings have resulted in a personable, friendly, and earnest teaching style. Mary's musical interests vary tremendously, which includes instruction of classical, folk, pop, and musical theater styles of music.  She provides piano instruction for beginners, as well as beginner to advanced vocal instruction.

Chris Caulder

Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums, Songwriting, Music Production

Chris Caulder has been teaching and performing in the Philadelphia metropolitan area for the past twenty years.  He enjoys performing on guitar, bass, drums and piano in small independent ensembles.  Favorite genres include indie, folk, and alternative.  Chris is passionate about educating growing musicians and has developed a straightforward and fun curriculum for teaching songwriting to teens.  He also has experience in music production and recording.