Our Teachers
We’ve got ’em, and they’re good.
At the heart of the Blues Angel School of Music is our team of passionate, experienced educators. Each of our instructors brings not only skill and training, but also a deep love for teaching and a commitment to helping students grow. Whether you’re learning your very first notes or preparing for advanced auditions, our teachers are here to support your journey.
Lessons are offered at both our Pensacola and Gulf Breeze locations. Meet our team below to learn more about who we are and what we teach!
Bobby Butterfield
Drums | PensacolaBobby has been playing drums for more than 45 years, and teaching drummers for more than 30. Bobby comes to us from New Jersey where he studied under teachers including Charles Maresca, who taught Danny Seraphine of Chicago, and Joe Morello. He taught privately and as faculty at several music schools while living in New Jersey. Bobby tailors his lesson plan around each student’s needs. He plays rock, jazz, Latin, funk, fusion, and R&B drums, but he has been known to fill in on other genres as well.
Dawson Caluger
Guitar & Fretted Instruments | Gulf BreezeDawson Caluger was born in Nashville into a musically inclined family and relocated to Pensacola in 2013. He has been involved with music since the age of 12, initially playing bass and transitioning to guitar at age 13. He has been working professionally as a musician since age 19, while also studying jazz and classical guitar at Coastal Alabama, PSC, and UWF, earning an associate’s degree in jazz studies and a bachelor’s degree in Classical Guitar Performance. Dawson has been teaching guitar since 2021 and continues to perform regularly throughout the week. He also remains dedicated to teaching and enjoys sharing his musical knowledge with interested students.
Jimmy Cross
Guitar & Fretted Instruments, Upright Bass | PensacolaJimmy is quite a versatile musician. He has been playing guitar for 35 years, bass for 22 years, lap steel and mandolin for 10 years, and banjo for 8 years. In addition to his on-the-job training while touring with several professional bands, Jimmy studied with jazz guitarist Ari Lehtela and also completed online courses with the Berklee College of Music. “To listen to what the students’ needs are and to help them achieve their goals” is Jimmy’s teaching motto. Jimmy plays in the popular band Cadillac Attack. He likes to play rockabilly, rock, honky tonk, and country music, but his experience includes all genres of music.
Olivia Enkey
Orchestral Strings | Gulf BreezeOlivia has been playing viola, violin and piano for over a decade. She has a bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance from the University of West Florida, where she gained extensive training in musical collaboration and string/piano techniques. She has enjoyed teaching for several years as well as performing with honors orchestras, both in the United States and internationally in the InterHarmony International Music Festival. While classically trained, she always enjoys branching out to other genres of music, like jazz, rock, and film music. She is passionate about helping students to grow musically and develop a lifelong love of music.
Ashley Gawle
Woodwinds | Pensacola & Gulf BreezeAshley has been playing clarinet for more than 20 years and has been teaching for more than a decade throughout multiple states. She teaches all woodwind instruments including recorder. Ashley comes to us from Ohio where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Clarinet Performance. Ashley focuses on making her lessons fun and engaging while helping students progress and grow as musicians. Ashley enjoys playing for musical and opera pits in her spare time.
John Hart
Guitar & Fretted Instruments | Pensacola
Renata Jaffe
Orchestral Strings | PensacolaDaniel Kern
Piano | PensacolaDaniel started playing piano over 25 years ago. They began teaching in 2013, and joined the staff of Blues Angel School of Music in 2016. They earned an Associate’s degree in Piano Performance from Chipola College as a student of Dr. Joshua Martin and a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from the University of West Florida, where they studied under Dr. Hedi Salanki-Rubardt. Daniel uses method books in their instruction up through the intermediate level to develop a solid technical foundation, then gradually introduces repertoire to expand their students’ knowledge in desired literature. They are classically trained, but also have experience in traditional worship music and basic jazz.
Joshua Kinser
Drums | Gulf BreezeJoshua Kinser, a Pensacola native, is an accomplished drummer with a diverse performance background, including touring internationally on cruise ships, playing for U.S. troops with Armed Forces Entertainment, performing with top wedding and corporate bands, and various original music acts. He began teaching drums in 1998 and has developed a method to help beginners quickly play basic beats. Joshua studied music and journalism at Pensacola State College, where he performed with the college jazz band under Tim Jackson and took lessons from Wayne Webster, former drummer for the President’s Band. He is trained in a wide range of musical styles, including rock, country, contemporary Christian worship, pop, funk, R&B, jazz, and marching or drum-line styles. As a drum instructor, he focuses on teaching songs, techniques, and music reading while helping students build coordination, focus, and confidence. He offers a screen-free, engaging outlet for kids and adults alike.
Ken Litton
Voice, Piano, Trumpet | Gulf BreezeKen Litton (Carol) is a native of Ponca City, OK and a 1975 graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University (Music Education). In addition to serving as a Baptist music missionary to both north and south Brazil for more that a decade and as the music consultant/worship team leader for the Missouri Baptist Convention’s nearly 2000 churches, Ken recently retired after 17 years as Minister of Music and Worship for the Parkway Baptist Church of St. Louis, Missouri. Now teaching guitar, voice, trumpet and other instruments he is still active in church music and worship leadership in the northwest Florida area. Both Carol and Ken have children’s choral compositions published by Celebrating Grace/Growing in Grace and Ken’s compositions and arrangements, both choral and instrumental are published by Shawnee Press/Hal Leonard as well as their ArrangeMe.com division.
Gene Lopez
Trumpet | Gulf BreezeJuan Meza-Jimenez
Violin | VirtualJuan is a violinist originally from Colombia with over a decade of playing experience. He specializes in classical music, but he also enjoys performing pop pieces and Catholic hymns, combining technical skill with personal expression and faith.
He is currently a student at the University of Florida, where he is an active member of the Symphonic Orchestra. Being part of such a dynamic musical community has deepened his love for performance and collaboration. In addition to traditional instruction, he also specializes in the Suzuki Method, which emphasizes learning by ear, parental involvement, and creating a nurturing environment for young musicians. As a teacher, he aims to create a supportive and engaging space where students can develop strong technique, musicality, and confidence.
Jackson Miller
Trombone | Gulf BreezeAn Escambia County Fine Arts product, Jackson has been playing trombone since middle school in 2002, began playing professionally in 2008 and graduated from J.M. Tate High School in 2009. He continued his study at Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida, graduating in 2015 with a degree in Music Performance. Jackson has been an active instructor teaching brass instruments and jazz improvisation since 2013. He is also a 3-time winner of Jazz Pensacola’s student jazz competition at the collegiate level. On top of being an extremely active professional musician playing a wide variety of styles and genres along the Gulf Coast, Jackson also serves as Blues Angel Music’s school band and orchestra road representative relishing in the opportunity to give back to the community that made him who he is today.
Jade Ronca
Piano | PensacolaJade Ronca, a Pensacola native, found early inspiration in her hometown, where she actively engaged in opportunities that honed her perspective and fostered a deep appreciation for the piano. She is the first-place recipient of the 2019 International Piano Composition Contest for her piece “Voice of Strength” by the (ACM), (NGPT), and (NFSM). In 2024, she continued her interest by traveling to Ireland where she studied the culture of Irish Traditional Music. Jade holds a B.A. Degree in Music & a Minor in Finance from the University of West Florida.
Mitch Smegelski
Guitar & Fretted Instruments | PensacolaMitch has been playing guitar for 22 years and has a background in metal, rock, and blues. His other instrument specialties include mandolin, banjo, and ukulele. Mitch spent the last 15 years devoted to classical guitar and performed at colleges across the country. In 2008, he won the Artist Award in Classical Guitar from the Florida Community College Activities Association. Mitch continues to perform original and cover acts all around the southeast.
Cindy Stewart
Voice, Piano | PensacolaCindy began her teaching career by studying music education at Pensacola Christian College and gained experience through church ministries at Trinity Baptist College. She also attended the University of West Florida and the Baptist College of Florida. She began teaching at the West Florida School of Music in 2005, and has continued her teaching career at various other schools of music. She began teaching at Blues Angel Music in October of 2019. Cindy is an accomplished mezzo-soprano singer, pianist and composer. Her published CD, Sacred Tapestry is an orchestrated arrangement of peaceful worship songs woven together.
Joshua Theriot
Guitar & Fretted Instruments | Gulf BreezeBorn and raised in the rich Cajun French culture of south Louisiana, Josh Theriot graduated at the age of 20 from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Now residing in northwest Florida, this multi-genre guitarist, singer-songwriter, and composer contributes to a plethora of original projects including Abigail’s Ghost (Progressive Rock), Another Hot Club Special (Jazz), and Brynne and Bones (Folk, R&B). His catalog of 500+ released compositions regularly finds international usage in television, traditional radio and digital streaming.
Erin Toler
Brass | PensacolaErin has been playing brass instruments since joining her middle school band in 2001. She studied trumpet at Pensacola Junior College and the University of West Florida, graduating from UWF in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Trumpet Performance. Erin served as the Band Director at Woodham Middle School in Pensacola for 3 years before making a career move into full-time web development. She now performs actively in the greater Pensacola area, both as a gigging musician and as a member of the Sol Brass Quintet.
Cheyenne Warren
Voice | Gulf BreezeCheyenne is a classically trained vocalist with experience in opera, musical theatre, jazz, and other genres. She graduated with her bachelor’s from the University of West Florida and is currently working on a Masters in Ethnomusicology at Liberty University. She has performed in productions of “The Sound of Music,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Considering Mathew Shepherd,” and more. Cheyenne has had the opportunity to work with professional musicians from Italy, France, Canada, Japan, and Korea. She is a passionate teacher capable of working with vocalists of different ages and levels.
