Meet The Teachers
Brandon Toney
Guitar • Ukulele • Bass
Owner and manager of Renown Music, certified-luthier and master repairman, Brandon Toney's twenty years of guitarist experience and thirteen years of teaching give him a well-rounded set of skills. He showcases his love for music by finding all the ways to engage with music--be it teaching, learning, performing, building, or repair. Brandon's previous bands range from Olderbrook, The Frail Division, Cities and Thrones, and currenty performs with Little Rock local band, Becoming Elephants. Whether it be pop-punk, indie rock, arena rock, or prog rock, Brandon has national touring and studio experience.
Travis Bowman
Guitar • Ukulele • Bass
Travis Bowman is an acoustic guitarist/harp guitarist and 2018 International Fingerstyle Champion from Little Rock, AR.Travis has won notoriety in national and international guitar competitions such as the Ernie Ball Acoustic Prodigy Competition in 2014, and the Arkansas State Fingerpicking Competition in 2017. Travis placed 1st in the International Fingerpicking Competition at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Visit his website here or his YouTube channel here.
Stephen Sivils
Piano
Currently the assistant band director at Harmony Grove High School in Benton, Arkansas, Stephen received his degree in music education from UCA. He has over twenty years of experience playing piano and has been teaching private lessons for eight years. Stephen also teaches classical percussion. He can be found around town playing with our drum teacher, Christian Whitehead, in their band Any Given Room.
Christian Whitehead
Guitar • Drums • Bass
Christian Whitehead has 17 years of experience playing drums and 11 years of experience playing guitar and bass. Christian has experience in a wide variety of musical styles from marching band to pop to metal to jazz and more. Christian has played in multiple projects, both regional and national, and can be heard playing with one of our piano teachers, Stephen Sivils, playing in local indie pop band, Any Given Room.
Whitman Bransford
Piano
Whitman’s musical journey began when he started taking piano lessons at eight years old. While his focus with piano has always been classical music, he has played in several bands of different styles, including “The Romany Rye”, which toured the US extensively and was featured multiple times in Rolling Stone Magazine, along with having had one of their original songs covered by The Counting Crows. His passions for music expanded to his home studio where he spends much of his time playing, producing original music, and fiddling with synthesizers. In 2015 he added the joy of teaching students of all ages and musical backgrounds to his list of passion and is always looking forward to taking on more!
Olivia Brown
Voice
Olivia Brown has over 10 years experience of competitive choir music and has been singing acapella her entire life. Olivia's expertise is in choral and gospel styles, but has experience in Broadway, pop, and alternative styles.
Bobby Loyd
Guitar • Bass
Bobby Loyd is a singer/songwriter from Athens, Georgia with 14 years of experience playing guitar. Bobby is familiar with many different genres, including jazz, rock, indie, soul, blues, and more. Bobby can also teach beginner to intermediate students looking to expand their knowledge of songwriting and music theory.