UPBEAT MUSIC COMPANY - Key Persons

Alex Nelson has been described as a dynamic and versatile musician, teacher, composer, and performer, with a passion for inspiring creativity in his students. He teaches guitar, piano, ukulele, and composition, with a focus on jazz, classical, folk, rock, pop, and blues styles. He has taught students of all ages, from 6 to 65, and prides himself on his ability to meet students where they are on their musical journeys to help them achieve their goals. He's served as Music and Artistic Director for performing arts camps, worked as a recording artist and producer, conducted jazz ensembles and ukulele bands, lead workshops on composition and songwriting, and taught classes on performance practice, as well as private lessons, at the university level. As a graduate of UNCSA's guitar program for his undergraduate studies, and currently pursuing a master's degree in guitar performance at UNCSA, Alex has honed his craft under the guidance of some of the world's most renowned guitarists. During his career he has participated in masterclasses, performing both original and others' works, given by artists such as Grammy winners Sergio Assad and William Kanengiser, Guitar Foundation of America winners Lorenzo Michelli and Jason Vieaux, and renowned composer, teacher, and conductor Alan Hirsh. He's excited to be a part of Upbeat Music Company.

Brandon Noftle is a music educator located here in Lewisville, where he spent his childhood. Brandon attended Lewisville Elementary, Meadowlark Middle and West Forsyth High School. He received his bachelor's degree in Music Education from UNC Greensboro in 2012 under the instruction of Dr. Steven Stusek. Throughout his college years he performed with the Grammy-nominated UNCG Wind Ensemble, the Foothills Saxophone Quartet and the UNCG Saxophone Ensemble. He also met his wife Robyn while attending music school. He spent 7 years working as a magician and balloon artist at Moes Southwestern Grill while attending high school and college. Throughout this time, he spent many hours a week working with hundreds of children. Brandon has taught private music lessons in the area for the past 8 years and taught at Lewisville Elementary from 2012 through 2018. He has worked as a woodwind instructor for West Forsyth High School and Mount Tabor High School Marching Bands. Brandon was the recipient of the Yearbook Dedication in 2013-14, voted on by the graduating class. In 2015-16, he was awarded Lewisville Elementary's Teacher of the Year and nominated Top 10 Teacher of the Year for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Above all else, Brandon has a passion for helping others discover a love of performing music.

Josh Waldron is a graduate of UNC School of the Arts, where he earned his high school diploma, as well as his undergraduate degree in Piano Performance. His principal teachers at UNCSA included Eric Larsen in piano and Kenneth Frazelle in Orchestration and Counterpoint. In addition to his studies at UNCSA, he attended summer courses at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Boston Conservatory, and Meadowmount School of Music. In 2008-2009, he attended courses at Salem College under Professor Barbara Lister-Sink, focusing on Injury-Preventative Keyboard Technique and Pedagogy. During this time, Josh also began to turn his attention to electroacoustic music composition, eventually leading him to pursue courses at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, Netherlands. He has been teaching piano since 2006, both privately and for the UNC School of the Arts Community Music School. Josh enjoys sharing and communicating his love of music and helping students at all levels to access their own connection to music.

Job Titles:

• Owner
• Owner and Music Instructor