Our Staff of Instructors
To get more information on each of our instructors including their bios, schedule, and contact information, please click the links below. If you would like to discuss our lessons with our sales staff and have us get a teacher in touch with you, please don't hesitate to give us a call at (404) 231-5214 anytime!
Mary Akerman
Classical Guitar
B.M., M.F.A. from UGA; D.M.A. studies at FSU. Well known as an outstanding solo guitarist and chamber player, Mary has taught classical guitar at MSG since 1986.
Rick Burgess
Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Pop; beginning to intermediate Bass
Rick has extensive performing and teaching experience. He holds BM and MM degrees from the University of Georgia and holds a certificate from the Berklee College of Music. He also has a K-12 teaching certificate from the State of Georgia. His jazz studies have included private lessons with Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, Larry Baione, Bret Willmott, and Ted Howe as well as master classes with Jim Hall, Pat Martino, Dave Leibman, Tommy Tedesco, Cal Collins, John Scofield, Mike Stern, and others. He has studied classical guitar with John Sutherland at the University of Georgia and was a graduate assistant in guitar and jazz studies.
John McNicholas
Pop, Rock, Alternative, Folk, Punk, Blues, Songwriting, and Music Theory
John studied music theory, jazz and classical guitar with Frank Mullen at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, FL. and began teaching music full-time in 1988 at Bringe School of Music.
Sam McPherson
Rock, Blues, Jazz, and Acoustic Fingerstyle; beg. - intermediate Bass
Having been born into a musical family, the guitar was presented to him at an early age as a way to earn a living. By the time he was fifteen years old, Sam was playing regularly in the bars and clubs in and around his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. His musical development would soon expand from country and rockabilly to include rock and blues, and upon entering college, classical, jazz and theory would be added. Sam's formal studies have taken him from the University of South Alabama to Laval University.
Bucky Motter
Acoustic Blues, Rock/Pop, Country, Songwriting, Vocal Accompaniment
Bucky has been teaching guitar since age 18. Currently he is known for his work with students studying a variety of styles: acoustic slide, fingerstyle, pop, blues, folk, rock, and songwriting. Bucky teaches all ages.
George Petsch
Classical Guitar
George started classical guitar lessons with John Sutherland in the Spring of 1971 when he was twenty years old. A passion for the guitar was ignited. A door opened. A new path beckoned. He crossed the threshold and began an uncertain journey of challenge and discovery.
Charles Williams
Gypsy Swing, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Songwriting, Ukulele
A native of Atlanta, Charles has an AA from Emory and a BM in classical guitar from GSU. He has attended master classes with Christopher Parkening and Jose Thomas. As a founding member of the seminal jam band ‘The Aquarium Rescue Unit featuring Col. Bruce Hampton’ (which included Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic, Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Bros, and Jeff Sipe from Trey Anastasio), he contributed songs to the ARU’s Capricorn CDs. Two of these have been performed regularly on the Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno. He has also performed with Charles Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, the Platters, recorded national commercials for Coke, Turner and others, opened for Steve Morse, NRBQ, Widespread Panic and has performed and recorded with members of Widespread Panic, the Allman Bros, and Phish.