MackMusicStudio

Tricia Mack

Owner – Piano – Voice – Composition

Tricia Mack (owner) teaches piano, voice, and composition at Mack Music Studio. She has a Music Education degree from Westminster College with piano as her focal instrument. Tricia strives to provide well-rounded lessons to her students focusing on technique, strong music reading skills and understanding of theory, as well as encouraging expression and creativity. Her hope is to tailor each student’s lessons to their individual needs in order to provide them with the best opportunity for success in music.

Kalista Heidkamp

Flute – Littles’ Music

Kalista Heidkamp is the Flute teacher at Mack Music Studio! She graduated in December 2021 from Slippery Rock University with two Bachelor’s degrees. One in Music Education and the other in Flute Performance. She has been playing the flute for 17 years and continues to find new opportunities to expand her skills and knowledge, such as continuing to return to her alma mater every year for the Honors Flute Ensemble. She currently works for Everbrook Academy associated with Dick’s Sporting Goods where she is an Infant teacher and the Early Childhood Music Teacher. 

Her philosophy of teaching is completely student centered. She strives to ensure the student is succeeding, enjoying the process of learning a new instrument, and achieving their music goals. She has been with Mack Music for 4 years now and cannot wait to continue helping students succeed in the amazing world of music!

Ken Russo

Horn

Ken Russo began studying music at an early age, however he did not take up his current instrument until the age of 15 when he switched from trumpet to French Horn. He studied in his native New York City with Scott Brubaker from the Metropolitan Opera, Carmine Caruso, and then on to Carnegie- Mellon University with the late Forrest Standley. In 1982 he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Performance and joined the River City Brass Band for its second season in 1983. That same year, Mr. Russo founded the Metro Brass Quintet, ultimate winner of the 1987 Pittsburgh Concert Society Competition and active performing group throughout the area. Additionally, he
has performed with such organizations as the Westmoreland, McKeesport, Johnstown, Butler, and Wheeling Symphony orchestras. Mr. Russo has extensive chamber music experience performing with Metro Brass, various freelance brass groups in the Pittsburgh area, as well as such national groups the Laurel Arts Festival Chamber Orchestra in Ligonier and the LeMont Woodwind Festival in Tanglewood, Ma. Mr. Russo has maintained an active teaching studio of private students, a number of whom have gone on to major in music in college, as well as professional performance. While semi-retired from his business career, he continues to perform as second horn with River City Brass

Zack Harper

Guitar

Zack Harper is a professional guitarist, transcriber, arranger, and teacher residing in the Pittsburgh area. He is a graduate of Westminster College holding a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. While teaching around Pittsburgh and Washington DC, Zack joined multiple private lesson studios with students ranging from ages 3 to 65, instructing in many instrumental areas. In addition to teaching in the classroom, he also worked with local high schools arranging and directing for their marching bands, primarily at Montour, Brentwood, and South Side Area.

As a performer, Zack has freelanced locally with (and transcribed/arranged for) many groups including Ferdinand the Bull, Natalie Rogers, Walk of Shame, and the Bachelor Boys as a multi-instrumentalist but mainly focusing on guitar. On a national level, Zack has been fortunate enough to play trumpet for Stevie Wonder, The Killers, and the Pennsylvania All-State Lion’s Band, though thanks to a career-ending injury, he no longer plays trumpet professionally.

While not performing or fighting with Sibelius engraving, Zack can be found outside hiking or playing disc golf, bowling, or in the kitchen perfecting a new recipe he found from short form media – some favorite recipes being chicken tinga, salsa tatemada, and crème brû·lée.

Are you a musician looking to share your knowledge and education with others in an encouraging and fulfilling way? Reach out to us! We are looking for music educators to join our team of private teachers!