Meet Our Teachers

Massachusetts native, Bill Ricciardelli, is an enthusiastic and patient instructor who has been immersed in music his entire life. He began his musical journey at age five playing the alto saxophone before switching to drums at age 12. Upon graduating high school, Bill attended Berklee College of Music to further his studies on the drum set and percussion. Since earning his B.M. from Berklee, he has performed and recorded with various artists throughout the U.S. and Canada, and also maintains a busy schedule as a private instructor. As of 2019, Bill has been the Director of Percussion at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, MA, where he instructs the FXD7/8 percussion sections as well as the Concert Band & Hawkforce1 Drumline. Since 2011, Bill has been a private drum set instructor at Needham Music!

Alexandra Stoetzel began studying piano at age 5 after tagging along to her mother’s classical piano lessons, and has been teaching piano for 15+ years. Graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Music Performance from Berklee College of Music, she continues her education through apprenticeships, private lessons, and real-world experience. She also led as a musical director in several contemporary ensembles, including blues, pop/rock, country, and jazz. Alexandra is passionate about introducing students of all ages to music and its powerful ability to lift their spirits, help them grow, and have fun. As a teacher, she focuses on balancing inspiration, explanation, and technique!

With Needham Music since 2003, Boston’s Bruce Millard teaches a range of string instruments and styles, from rock to jazz to folk and more, on guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele and bass. A Berklee College Professional Music Scholarship and John Abercrombie Award recipient, he’s performed both locally and nationally since 1990. He has worked with Howard ‘Louie Bluie’ Armstrong, Tarbox Ramblers, the Tower of Power Horns, Toni Lynn Washington, Jim Kweskin, Men & Volts, Bob Moses, Jethro Burns, Dennis Brennan, Luther ‘Guitar Jr.’ Johnson and others, in venues as diverse as The New York City Blues Festival, Boston Folk Festival, PBS-TV, Boston Rock Pipeline Festival, and Country Music Hall of Fame. Patience, empathy, inspiration and fun are the cornerstones of his teaching.

Tobias Duke graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2022 from Castleton University with a B.A. in Music and A.S. in Business Administration. He subsequently graduated in August 2023 from Castleton's MBA program with a concentration in “Leading Organizational Change”.
Beyond his work as a Freelance Musician (Music Director, Collaborative Pianist, and Baritone) and Business Consultant (Marketing & Brand Strategy,
Organizational Change, and Strategic Planning) in the Greater Boston Area, Tobias works at Needham Music as a Private Piano/Voice/Trumpet Teacher and has served as an Administrator at the front desk since August 2023.
As a musician, Tobias has always enjoyed working as a collaborative artist and helping others perform at their best, whether it be as their accompanist or supporting on stage myself. As a person, Tobias always enjoys working with people and helping them reach their goals.

Liana Perlman is a soprano and aspiring choral director in Needham, MA. She earned a B.A. in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA., and is looking forward to pursuing a degree in Choral Conducting in the coming years. She is currently singing in the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and serving as a conducting intern with the Zamir Chorale of Boston. Liana has a strong background in classical vocal technique, with repertoire that ranges from J.S. Bach to Aaron Copland, as well as a variety of musical theater. She enjoys teaching singers of all ages, levels and voice types, and loves to explore new music introduced to her by teachers, students, friends and family. Liana is also licensed to teach music in grades K-12 in Massachusetts public schools, and has previously worked with high school and middle school voices.

Rachel Shurland is a composer, producer, pianist, and singer from the Boston area. She graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelors of Science in Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Music, and Masters of Music in Composition. She has performed in various operas and productions and has composed for short films, podcasts, and marketing campaigns. Outside of composing, Rachel collaborates with local artists, plays gigs, and is in the process of producing her first album. Rachel encourages her students to create, learn, and explore with their instruments in a comfortable environment. She also teaches private songwriting workshops and is open to all styles of creativity and musical expression.

A versatile vocalist, pianist and songwriter Olivia has been involved in the performing arts world her entire life. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music where she studied Vocal performance, Music Business and Drama and a Master’s Degree from Harvard University in Psychology where she specialized in artistic creativity. Olivia has over 12 years of Musical Theater performance experience and incorporates stage performance techniques into her unique methodology. As a voice and piano instructor she strives to inspire enthusiasm and deep engagement in her lessons by providing students with opportunities for self-expression and artistic growth. She is proficient in a variety of music genres such as Classical, Pop, Rock, R&B, EDM, and Indie.