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MUSIC > Instructors
Meet the talented group of teachers who instruct and inspire at Bird:
Nick Culp | Ben Davila | Dave Mihaly | Peter Murray | Tony Peebles | James Touzel
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Nick Culp: Piano/Keyboards
Nick is a classically-trained pianist whose influences include classical, jazz, pop, Brazilian,
Latin and contemporary music. Shaped by diverse musical experiences and achievements, from L.A.
jazz clubs to formal classical competition and a conservatory degree from the École Normale de Musique
in Paris, Nick composes, records and performs solo, with local artists and with his band, The Culprits.
More info: www.myspace.com/yourculprit
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Nick Culp: Piano/Keyboards
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Ben Davila: Guitar
After graduating from music school in June of 2006, Ben packed up and moved from Liverpool
to San Francisco, where he lives "at the peak of three enormous hills." His influences include
Jim Henson, The Marx Brothers, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen Hawking and "all the music (good and bad)
that has ever crawled in my ear and layed its eggs in my brain."
More info: www.myspace.com/bendavila
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Ben Davila: Guitar
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Dave Mihaly: Drums
Dave has been teaching music for 31 years, in New York, New Jersey and California.
He received a B.A. in music theory and history and a B.A. in psychology from Drew University,
and studied drums and percussion privately in New York and San Francisco with Andrew Cyrille,
Barry Altschul, Zakir Hussain, Jack Van der Wyck and Richard Perrini.
He also plays piano, marimba and guitar. Mihaly has toured the U.S, Canada, Europe and the
South Seas and is featured on recordings by Iron & the Albatross, Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes,
After the End of the World Coretet, and his own Shimmering Leaves. His first string quartet
was played at U.C. Berkeley's Center for New Music and Audio Technology and the
S.F. musician's union hall, and he has written for singers, jazz bands, dance bands, rock bands
and other idioms.
Mihaly taught music in New Traditions, the Video Drums Clinic, and though the auspices of the
S.F. Academy of Sciences. He has had hundreds of students from the ages of 3 through 70 and
learns much through his teaching practice.
More info: www.davemihaly.com
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Dave Mihaly: Drums
Photo: Andrew Carver
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Peter Murray: Guitar
Peter says: "I have no band. I work alone. I am not lonely. I divide my time equally between writing "popular"
and "classical" music. In addition to my current pop project, I am finishing up a piece for string
quartet and clarinet. Next I will start work on a symphony. I write pop music constantly. I played
in all sorts of bands when I was younger. I can't be in a band anymore. Must have complete creative
control. I play piano, guitar and the human voice with equal proficiency. My music can be taken
seriously, as a joke, or anywhere in between. I have no preference."
More info: www.myspace.com/petercmurray
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Peter Murray: Guitar
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Tony Peebles: Saxophone
Tony was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, then moved to Philadelphia, where he has spent the
last 8 years studying music theory at the University of Pennsylvania, and jazz saxophone at
The University of the Arts. He has studied saxophone with Chris Farr, Ron Kerber and Ben Schachter.
In 2000, he toured Europe with the Hamilton All-Star Jazz Band, including stops at the Juan-les-Pins
and Montreux jazz festivals. Since then, Tony has played and recorded with a variety of fine original
groups including Big Breakfast, The Half Of It and the Abstract Truth.
In early summer 2008, Tony moved to San Francisco, where he currently lives, teaches and performs.
In his duo Illy Bogart (with Carl Barone), Tony stretches to his limits, playing both saxophone and
foot-pedal bass parts simultaneously, typically the work of two separate musicians.
More info: www.tonypeebles.com
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Tony Peebles: Sax
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James Touzel: Bass
James is a freelance clarinetist and bassist in San Francisco, CA. Before moving to the Bay Area,
he held the Bass Clarinet Chair in the Augusta (GA) Symphony Orchestra and the 2nd/Eb Clarinet
position with the Long Bay (Myrtle Beach, SC) Symphony. Additionally, he has played with the
Wilmington (NC) Symphony and the Aspen Festival Orchestra. James has played for such conductors as
David Zinman, James Dupriest, Julias Ruduel, Micheal Stern, Alasadair Neale, Donald Portnoy and
Damin Gupton. He has participated in the Aspen Music Festival.
Originally from Georgetown, SC, James completed his Bachelor of Music in Clarinet at the University of
South Carolina where he studied clarinet with Doug Graham. Other clarinet teachers have included
Gloria Campione, Dennis Smylie, Mark Brandon, Carey Bell and Ted Gurch. Currently, he studies with
Jerome Simas.
In addition to his interest in classical music, James is currently exploring many other styles of
music such as jazz, blues, soul, rock, reggae, hip hop, country/bluegrass, Klezmer, funk and latin.
He has performed with The Stylistics, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, Danielle Howle,
The Earl Brothers, The Sinators, Kenley Young and The Restless, Jackie Gore, and The Tams.
While at USC, James studied Jazz Bass with Jim Mings and Jazz with Bert Ligon. Presently, he studies
Upright Bass and Jazz with Ken Miller. Other upright bass teachers have included Craig Butterfield,
Djordje Stijepovic and Reggie Sullivan.
As well as freelancing on electric and upright bass, James is also comfortable on the saxophone and
flute, acting as a woodwind specialist for many musical theatre pits and jazz big bands.
James also enjoys spending time with his cat, Drusilla. Additionally, he enjoys professional baseball,
college sports, world cup soccer, surfing, food, wine, maps, tea, biking, swimming, reading, movies
and snakes.
More info: www.jamestouzel.com
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James Touzel: Bass
Photo: Pete Johnson
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