Guitar Instruction
Jordan Phillips
Jordan Phillips is a guitarist from Charleston, West Virginia and has been playing guitar for over 10 years. He has performed with various groups such as The Charleston Light Opera Guild, The Marshall University Guitar Ensemble, and as a soloist. During his time at Marshall University he was selected as a semi-finalist in the Belle and Lynum Jackson music competition. Jordan has experience in classical guitar as well as various styles of electric guitar and is excited to help students achieve their goals with the instrument.
Mark Hopkins
Mark began playing guitar in the 7th grade in a lunchtime guitar club. This led to studying classical and folk style fingerpicking privately at DeVincents Music Store in Morgantown. In high school, he began playing in the jazz band and studied blues and jazz guitar with Charlie Berwinkle, a renowned Chet Atkins fingerstyle picker from the Parkersburg area. He enjoyed many performing opportunities during his high school and college years.
He became a high school music teacher after earning his Music Education degree at WVU and developed guitar classes at both Martinsburg and Buffalo High Schools. Mark estimates he has taught beginning and intermediate guitar to around 1,200 students during his 41 years of teaching. Many of his students became outstanding performers and many others developed a lifelong hobby that helped them cope with the stress of daily life.
Mark has also been a recording engineer and producer for seven high school albums, a gospel Christmas Album, and produced “The Esquires” live New Years Millennium Party at the Charleston Civic Center while enjoying fifteen years as the Charleston bands sound man. He enjoys helping students and adults learn how to use mixing boards and digital recording techniques and is looking forward to providing that service through Atkins Music Studios.
His recognitions include Putnam County Teacher of the Year, WV Representative on the ACDA National Committee for Vocal Jazz and Show Choirs, one of 50 teachers selected to experience Japanese Schools with the Toyota International Teacher Program, Featured Music Technology Educator in the School Band and Orchestra (SBO) magazine.
Karen Atkins
Karen is an experienced vocalist and instrumentalist. She has played guitar since college and has since moved on to bass guitar and fiddle. Karen has been the praise and worship leader at Trinity Fellowship in St. Albans for over 25 years.