Teachers
Austin Jones
Co-Owner/Founder
Austin started Lessons With Austin in 2012. He has been singing and playing guitar, bass, and drums for over 22 years now! He’s performed at many festivals, conferences, venues, radio shows, religious ceremonies, and other events over the years both as a solo artist and with his band “The Austin Jones Band” which has released 4 albums and several music videos and received radio airtime around the world.
Carson Jones
Co-Owner,Operations Manger, Drums
Carson has been playing drums since he was 7 years old. His older brother Austin (yes that Austin!) seemed to be in a different band every week and as if by magic, a new drum set would appear in their garage. He started learning by playing along with Austin and has not stopped since! Carson has continued his music education through private lessons, college music theory programs and a drive to push himself to be a better musician and educator every day. He began teaching drums in 2011 as LWA's second ever instructor! Carson plays regularly at different churches in the Houston area as well as his own band The Causeways.
Blake Carlsen
Senior instructor, Guitar, bass, drums, piano
Blake has been playing music his whole life. his Uncle had started teaching him guitar when he was 4 years old! When he turned 10 his family got him lessons as a gift and from there he went on to learn Violin from orchestra. When he was 14 he wanted to join the youth band at his church where Carson (yes that Carson) was the youth pastor. They needed a bass player and it became very apparent that he needed lessons, so he signed up with Austin Jones. After a few months Austin had hired Blake as an intern and as soon as he turned 16 was hired on as an instructor. Ever since then Blake has been teaching and learning new instruments. Teaching and music are his two greatest passions. Nothing makes him happier than helping his students set and accomplish their goals.
Randall Wright
director of sales, senior instructor, guitar
Randy is our Director of sales and one of our Senior Guitar Instructors. He has been a vital part of Space City School of Music since 2021. He has over 20 years of guitar experience and specializes in instruction with younger students.
Arno Roensch
Drums,Percussion, Piano
Arno is a third generation musician and has loved a good drum performance since he was a child. He began playing trumpet too. His musical endeavors started in the 6th grade and included music programs in public-school and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of New Mexico and post-baccalaureate music study at University of North Texas, Denton, Tx. He enjoys performing in small jazz combos, big bands, and any music genre that requires drums/keyboard percussion. Teaching music is his way of sharing his love for music and music performance in drums, keyboard percussion, and piano. His goal is to support others with similar endeavors and encourage students, including himself, to forge a balance between the inner and outer aspects of music. When he’s not teaching and performing intermittent gigs live around Houston and surrounding areas, he is spending time with family.
Ellis Wendt
Guitar, Ukulele, Bass and Drums
Ellis has been playing guitar and bass since 2015 and ukulele since 2016. He joined LWA as a student in 2016 and eventually became an intern, and joined the staff in 2017. He is currently a student at San Jacinto Community College, with plans to transfer to the University of Houston. Ellis has played music as a solo performer and with different bands through out the years. Ellis loves teaching guitar because he believes music is a life-changer. Music can be a hobby, or it can be a career. Everyone has enough time and energy to play music. "I'm a patient teacher who focuses on the student's preferences and needs. I go out of my way to see students preform, whether it's getting them ready for recital or helping them with songs before a show."
Roberto Rodriguez
Guitar
Roberto picked up guitar at age 10. He saw his sister buy an acoustic guitar and started using it as well whenever she would put it down. Roberto started performing/playing music with his friends around middle school and high school. Around highschool, he began studying and taking music lessons with a local instructor. From then on, he continued playing around town, giving lessons as well to friends and family. One lesson that Roberto strives to teach each of his students is to have fun and the instrument as a form of self expression! You can find Roberto playing guitar every Sunday at his church or anywhere around town supporting local Rnb, country, and jazz artists!
Aniel Flores
Voice, Piano
Aniel has been singing his entire life and became interested in music when he was 7 years old through the drums. Due to the influence of a musically inclined family, Aniel began learning the drums and singing at a young age. As a teenager, he moved on to learning the guitar and piano. In the third grade, Aniel began singing in his school's talent show. By the second performance, he had won the title of #1 middle school vocalist in his department in Honduras, where he was born. This taught him early on that there is always opportunity for improvement. Aniel is a former Audio Engineer at San Jacinto College who has taken private singing and piano instruction for a number of years. His favorite part of teaching is seeing each student grow as they accomplish their objectives. Aniel believes that every student should be encouraged to experience music as a beautiful language with plenty of freedom for expression while learning their instrument. Aniel currently works at Grace Church as a worship leader and audio technician for the Young Adults ministry and worship band.
Matthew Martinez
Guitar, Ukulele, Bass
Matthew has been playing guitar since he was twelve years old. He had always been enamored by the sound of good music, specifically Rock and Metal. His favorite toy as a child was a little toy electric guitar that played some awesome metal tunes. As he grew older, he told his parents he wanted to start taking guitar lessons. They were excited, but not very surprised. He took private lessons from a family friend who taught him all the fundamentals of guitar. After some time, his instructor recommended that he attend Canzion Institute of Music, a Christian based music school that would further his education and technique. In two years, Matthew graduated alongside his younger brother. Since then, he’s been playing at many different churches and his passion for music has only grown. His personal philosophy for music is that it is a tool to be used to express freedom and gratitude for life. Matthew wants to assist his students in finding that same freedom and to play to their hearts’ content and to just have a plain old good time while doing it!
Angel Martinez
Drums
Angel has been playing drums since he was 8 years old. He’s always been fascinated in rhythm and his family knew it! In 2017, Angel graduated at the top of his class from the Canzion Music Institute! Angel is an experienced and natural performer. He has performed at different churches and has experience with different styles in order to be flexible in his craft when it comes to teaching his students. He enjoys all types of genres of music including Jazz, Rock, Funk, and Soul. Angel believes being consistent, having a good groove and feel, and of course having a blast, are all key features in how he teaches drums and wants all his students to be great musicians!
Matthew Coleman
Piano
Dayne DeGroot
Drums, Percussion
Dayne started by playing percussion in his junior high band class. This eventually led to him joining the Clear Lake High School marching band. Late into high school, Dayne had a strong desire to start playing drums for his church’s student worship team, and started taking drum lessons with Carson. With a musical experience and rhythm developed in marching band, and his newfound love for music, Dayne picked up playing drum set quickly and was brought on as an intern only 2 and a half years after starting his first drum lesson. Now as an Instructor, Dayne loves teaching his students and supporting their passion for music. If he could teach his students only one thing, it would be that practicing music doesn’t have to be a chore if you play what you enjoy. Dayne regularly performs at this church on Sunday mornings as well as playing tenor drums for the University of Houston Drumline. You can see him perform at UH football and basketball games across the country.
Sterling Merrill
Voice, Piano
Anna Keston
Voice, Piano
Anna has been taking voice lessons since she was 14 years old, but music has always been a massive part of her life. Her grandfather, John Keston, was a huge part of her decision to pursue music. He was widely known in his time for performing in various on and off broadway plays, musicals, operas, and even acting in some video games while being a record breaking runner! Because of him, Anna decided to further her education in vocal music. She was always a musically inclined person, having been around her grandfather often and learning from him. She is currently enrolled at San Jacinto College for Vocal Music Education, studying Music Theory, Sight Singing and Ear Training, and is in private voice lessons. Because of all of her experience in music and her passion for it, she loves teaching people new things about singing and loves helping her students achieve their goals and make progress! She believes that music brightens everyone’s life and brings a little more happiness to it. You can see Anna perform at San Jacinto College Choir Concerts and Recitals!