Take Lessons
at McCabe’s

Classical, finger style, rock, fretboard theory, music theory

B.A. from UCLA in ethnomusicology

M.F.A. from CalArts in guitar

Also available to teach accordion and piano

Rubén teaches guitar students of all ages and levels, with a special welcome for beginners. His musical background includes Classical, R&B, Jazz, Fingerstyle, Blues, Rock, Folk, music theory, and guitar improvisation.

He also teaches voice at all levels, as well as beginning-to-intermediate piano.

Rubén holds a B.A. from UCLA in Music Industry and History and is a graduate of the Applied Music Program at Santa Monica College.

Paula McMath specializes in teaching guitar to children. She believes in allowing a student’s interest to drive material selection, and she strives to help kids “feel” music as well as hear and see it.

Her teaching emphasizes fingerboard knowledge, music notation, chord vocabulary, fingerpicking, right-hand rhythm techniques, scales, scale-tone chords, and songwriting.

Paula also brings extensive training and experience in ORFF Schulwerk, a music-teaching approach that uses singing, speech, movement, body percussion, and small pitched and unpitched percussion instruments.

In addition to teaching, Paula works professionally as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter in the Los Angeles area and in her native Canada.

Kit Alderson teaches primarily folk and country-related guitar styles, with a particular emphasis on fingerstyle singer-songwriter music.

He works with beginning through intermediate students ages 16 and older. Kit does not teach electric guitar.

He can also transcribe songs for fingerstyle guitar and has built a catalog of thousands of transcriptions.

Tom Zehnder enjoys working with students at all levels. Drawing on decades of experience in composing, songwriting, and producing original scores and songs for video games, television, and film, Tom teaches songwriting, voice, and guitar, sometimes combining all three in a single lesson.

He also performs regularly with several bands.

Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude. He grew up making music in the living room with his father, the late John Zehnder, who encouraged the whole family to sing and play by ear together. Most importantly, it was fun.

Vicki Hill teaches beginning guitar to children and adults. She also offers instruction in music theory, note reading, and singing.

Vicki has taught at McCabe’s for more than 20 years. She is a singer-songwriter with performance and recording experience both as a solo artist and with bands.

She also plays banjo.

Zach Lupetin is an award-winning songwriter and the founder and bandleader of the roots-rock group Dustbowl Revival. Formed after Zach posted a hopeful Craigslist ad in Venice Beach, the band has toured in more than ten countries and accumulated more than 20 million streams.

Zach’s songs range from harmony-rich folk ballads and politically charged blues to soul, funk, and Beatles-inspired rock and roll. His collaborations include Keb’ Mo’, The Secret Sisters, and Ivan Neville.

Since 2020, Zach has worked with aspiring songwriters of all ages, helping them develop, complete, and prepare their original work for performance. His years of writing, recording, collaborating, and touring with large ensembles give him a broad well of practical music-making experience.

Zach came to Los Angeles by way of Chicago and the University of Michigan, initially intending to pursue playwriting and screenwriting. In 2018, he launched the music-interview podcast The Show on the Road, through which he has interviewed more than 200 artists and bands.

He also hosts Sway Out West on 88.5 FM, The SoCal Sound.

Steve Rose is a singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and longtime McCabe’s teacher.

Whether a student wants to strum songs, build a richer chord vocabulary, develop solo arrangements, or explore the ukulele beyond the usual three-chord repertoire, lessons are shaped around the student’s interests.

Major fun remains part of the curriculum.

Evan apRoberts is a musician, visual artist, and songwriter from Northeast Los Angeles who has been active in the Los Angeles music scene since the mid-1990s. He records his own music under the name Breezers and has toured and performed as a sideman with artists including Michael Nau, Pink Mountaintops, Joel Jerome, Little Wings, Kath Bloom, and Port O’Brien.

With more than 30 years of experience as a guitarist, slide guitarist, lap steel and mandolin player, Evan brings an unusually broad creative background to his teaching. His path through the arts has been unconventional from the start, and his irrepressible optimism and adaptable approach make him a natural fit for students of any age or skill level.

Hayley Stange is a voice teacher, singer, and songwriter based in Venice, California. She holds a B.A. in Music Industry from Cal Poly Pomona and teaches contemporary styles including pop, jazz, folk, R&B, country, and musical theatre.

Her approach is rooted in classical technique and focuses on helping students develop vocal skill, confidence, and artistry. Lessons may also incorporate songwriting, musical literacy, and performance interpretation, tailored to each student’s individual goals.

Before joining McCabe’s, Hayley founded and ran a successful private voice studio in Redlands, working with students across all age groups, many of whom studied with her for several years.

Hayley especially enjoys presenting twice-yearly student recitals and watching her students grow from year to year. She continues to pursue further education in support of her development as both a teacher and musician.

Tom Zehnder enjoys working with students at all levels. Drawing on decades of experience in composing, songwriting, and producing original scores and songs for video games, television, and film, Tom teaches songwriting, voice, and guitar, sometimes combining all three in a single lesson.

He also performs regularly with several bands.

Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude. He grew up making music in the living room with his father, the late John Zehnder, who encouraged the whole family to sing and play by ear together. Most importantly, it was fun.

Rubén teaches guitar students of all ages and levels, with a special welcome for beginners. His musical background includes Classical, R&B, Jazz, Fingerstyle, Blues, Rock, Folk, music theory, and guitar improvisation.

He also teaches voice at all levels, as well as beginning-to-intermediate piano.

Rubén holds a B.A. from UCLA in Music Industry and History and is a graduate of the Applied Music Program at Santa Monica College.

Classical, finger style, rock, fretboard theory, music theory

B.A. from UCLA in ethnomusicology

M.F.A. from CalArts in guitar

Also available to teach accordion and piano

Paula McMath specializes in teaching guitar to children. She believes in allowing a student’s interest to drive material selection, and she strives to help kids “feel” music as well as hear and see it.

Her teaching emphasizes fingerboard knowledge, music notation, chord vocabulary, fingerpicking, right-hand rhythm techniques, scales, scale-tone chords, and songwriting.

Paula also brings extensive training and experience in ORFF Schulwerk, a music-teaching approach that uses singing, speech, movement, body percussion, and small pitched and unpitched percussion instruments.

In addition to teaching, Paula works professionally as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter in the Los Angeles area and in her native Canada.

Tom Zehnder enjoys working with students at all levels. Drawing on decades of experience in composing, songwriting, and producing original scores and songs for video games, television, and film, Tom teaches songwriting, voice, and guitar, sometimes combining all three in a single lesson.

He also performs regularly with several bands.

Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude. He grew up making music in the living room with his father, the late John Zehnder, who encouraged the whole family to sing and play by ear together. Most importantly, it was fun.