We are a team of extraordinary musicians and highly qualified & experienced music educators.
Francesca Draughon, Ph.D. (Founder, piano, group piano)
Francesca is a classically trained musician and musicologist. She received a B.A. in Music from Indiana University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Musicology from UCLA. In 1999-2000 she was named a Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, Austria. Her career started at Stanford University, where she taught interdisciplinary humanities courses, music history courses and continuing studies classes as a post-doctoral Fellow in the Humanities. She began teaching private music lessons in 2009, and founded Hummingbird Music School in 2015. Francesca was appointed Arts Commissioner of Redwood City in 2022.
Todd S. (piano, Guitar, electric Bass, Ukulele, group piano, group ukulele, rock band summer camp)
Todd studied music performance at Foothill College and jazz composition at Berklee College of Music. For the past 20 years he has been playing guitar in local indie rock bands, performing and recording original music, as well as performing in a jazz trio. He has recently been concentrating on composing experimental electronic music. He has been teaching music lessons and summer camp to students of all ages and skill levels for the past several years with Hummingbird Music School. He also teaches lessons on music engineering and recording arts.
Yoonsun (sunny) K. (Piano, group piano)
Sunny, a classically trained pianist, started playing at the age of 5. She studied piano at the College of Music at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. She has been teaching private lessons to children and adults for over 30 years, works as an accompanist throughout the Bay Area, and sings and performs with several Bay Area choirs.
Stella L. (Piano, group piano, mandarin group piano)
Having always been involved with music, Stella's passion quickly led her to teaching, giving her decades of experience in music education, singing, and choral performance. Her longest tenure is with Crystal Children's Choir, and she has conducted various levels from Preparatory to Concert Choir (K-12). She has led choirs and received prestigious music festival awards around the US, and globally, she has had the opportunity to bring and conduct choirs to Canada, Taiwan, and Austria. Beyond these two decades of experience, Stella is part of FCSN and a music teacher at the Community School of Music and Art, holding a Music for Minors certificate.
joshUA m. (flute, clarinet, saxophone, piano, ukulele)
Joshua is a multi-instrumentalist and composer/improviser. He graduated from Brown University, earning a B.A. in Music through their multimedia program, and holds an M.F.A. in Music Performance from Mills College. In addition to teaching privately, Joshua has served as a guest instructor at Mills College, and has held various instrument and ensemble teaching positions at local music schools. Joshua has performed and recorded with numerous local music groups, and his own music has been featured in festivals and conferences nationwide.
michelle c. (flute, piano)
Recognized for her “big, lavish sound,” flutist Michelle (B.M., San Francisco Conservatory of Music) enjoys an active career as a soloist and orchestral musician. She has performed in various venues around the world, from the Bayeux Cathedral in France to Carnegie Hall in New York. A pedagogue of flute and piano, Michelle emphasizes the usage of music as a method of storytelling. Students learn the mechanics of the instrument and are given tools on how to practice, problem-solve, and ultimately teach themselves. From here, students develop a freedom of expression that manifests itself into a unique narrative told through the language of music.
ceci l. (violin & viola)
Born and raised in Oakland, Ceci started playing the violin at age 10. As an active orchestral player, she regularly performs with the Stockton Symphony, California Symphony, & Marin Symphony. Ceci has performed and worked with leading musicians such as Michael Bublé, Sarah Brightman, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Riccardo Muti. Ceci also maintains a full studio teaching violin and is the violin teacher at Music for Minors. She received her B.M. and M.M. in Violin Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts.
ethan t. (cello, group PIANO)
Ethan is currently a Senior at Sequoia High School and has been playing the cello for 8 years. Currently studying under Zhaoxu Chen, Ethan works as an advanced soloist and an accomplished symphonic musician as a cellist with the Golden State Youth Orchestra Senior Symphony, in which he toured Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Additionally, Ethan works with the Sequoia High School Drama Program, playing as principal cellist in "Beauty and the Beast" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Ethan's passion comes from helping young and developing musicians find their love for music and keeping that passion fed by providing new information and learning opportunities.
julie h. (PIANO, voice)
Born in England, Julie began playing the piano and composing music at the age of five. At age ten, her musical “The Magic Ring” was performed by her local children’s theatre group. Ms. Homi holds a Master’s degree in music composition from Mills College, and she has performed all over the world with various recording artists and Broadway musicals. Julie has many years of experience teaching students of all ages and is happy to retire from the road and join the staff of Hummingbird Music.
GARRETT M. (DRUMS & PERCUSSION)
Holding a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance, Garrett is a solo and collaborative percussionist specializing in contemporary percussion performance and new music in a wide variety of settings. Though his focus has primarily been geared toward 20th and 21st century music, Garrett also has played in symphony orchestras, jazz bands, and other various musical ensembles worldwide. As an educator, Garrett has presented masterclasses and clinics at universities and conservatories around the world, and we are thrilled for him to join the Hummingbird team.
Teaching Mentorship:
We are proud to offer exceptional Senior high school musicians an opportunity to teach with hummingbird. Our class of 2023-24 teachers are:
Ethan T. (Cello, Group Piano)
Sofia R. (Voice, Piano)
Alex M. (Piano)
Emma Y. (Piano, Group Piano, Flute)
Alex W. (Piano, Group Piano, Viola)
Lina S. (Piano, Guitar)
Max L. (Piano)
Angie S. (Piano, Violin)
Caelyn C. (Piano)
Elena B. (Brass)