About Us
BVM is the place to go for individual private instruction tailored to the needs and abilities of the aspiring musician. We have an excellent staff of knowledgeable, professional teachers, all of whom love music and will train each student in the correct methods of playing their instruments.
Students of all ages and abilities are welcome here.
BVM currently serves members of your community, conveniently located within a 30 minute drive from Uxbridge, Northbridge, Whitinsville, Upton, Millbury, Grafton, Douglas, Webster, Oxford, Sutton, Mendon, Millville, Milford, Hopedale, Blackstone, Bellingham and Franklin, not to mention our neighbors in northern Rhode Island - Woonsocket, North Smithfield, Cumberland, Pascoag and Burrillville.
Come check out our facility complete with multiple lesson rooms, group classroom, comfortable waiting area, and live performance space, all conveniently located in the center of Uxbridge, MA. In addition to music lessons, BVM also offers an affordable selection of student level instruments, musical accessories, school band instrument rental and repairs.
Plenty of parking is available behind the Uxbridge Public Library, entering through UniBank (Rt. 122) or on either side of the Honey Farms gas station (Rt. 122/Rt. 16).
BVM regularly hosts public events, such as a monthly Community Coffeehouse sponsored by the Local Cultural Councils, free annual recitals, educational workshops, and more. During school vacations and throughout the summer, we also facilitate a long standing Rock Band Camp program for teens.
We pride ourselves in our community values and the reputation we have built as a quality, all ages music school. Come meet new friends, learn about music and relax in a warm, friendly environment.
Meet The Team
Mark
Executive Director, Teacher, Repairs
Guitar, Banjo (3 finger, melodic, clawhammer) , Bass, Mandolin, Songwriting & Music Theory
Mark graduated from Becker College in 2010 with an initial teaching license for MA grades 1-6, a B.A. in elementary education and has over 20 years of professional experience as a touring musician/recording artist. Mark shares his love of music and teaching with BVM through private lessons, workshops, and weeklong band camps. He has cultivated a monthly Coffeehouse Series funded in part by the Uxbridge Cultural Council and serves as the in-house repair technician for setups, evaluation, and minor repair for stringed instruments.
Doug
Teacher
Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Harmonica, Mandolin & Music Theory
Doug graduated from Berklee in 1986 summa cum laude. He has been a professional musician and teacher for many years. In 2009, he took over for Gig Stop owner Glenn Randall, rebranding as Blackstone Valley Music and keeping affordable, quality music lessons available in downtown Uxbridge. He has since stepped down from ownership in 2024 to focus solely on teaching, for which he is deeply dedicated.
Tyler
Teacher
Drums & Percussion
Tyler began private lessons in percussion at a young age. He continued through highschool and college attending both Berklee College of Music and Bridgewater State University, completing his Bachelors of Arts in music. While pursuing his degrees Tyler has worked in various school systems from preschool to high school, expanding his knowledge of teaching methods for kids with various disabilities and providing music lessons to learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Throughout his career he has played in various bands (rock, blues, jazz, funk, hip-hop, zydeco, pop punk) and performed for musical theater and orchestras.
Diane
Teacher
Saxophone (Alto, Soprano, Tenor, Baritone), Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute, & Oboe
Diane comes from North Smithfield, Rhode Island and began playing clarinet at a young age. When she reached highschool she picked up the tenor saxophone and played in a general business band as well as the highschool band. She has been teaching at BVM for several years and enjoys meeting new students to help them develop their musical talents. She has performed widely, playing in various pit orchestras for drama production in venues such as the Stadium Theatre, Bradley Playhouse, and Mildford Performing Arts Center. She is currently a clarinetist in the Blackstone Valley Community Concert Band.
Raianne
Teacher
Ukulele, Clarinet & Voice
Raianne has been playing clarinet since grade school and the ukulele since 2010. She has been writing, recording, and performing original music both regionally and internationally with her husband since 2005. She is a self taught and self made musician who enjoys working with her students to find music that excites and inspires them to play, all while learning the basics to understand music. She leads a beginner ukulele group class at the Northbridge Senior Center, and has co-led a summer program for concert band students at BVM.
Randy
Teacher
Guitar, Ukulele & Bass
Randy comes from a musical family, beginning trumpet at a young age but then switching to guitar when he was 15. He has been teaching at BVM since 2010, adopting a variation of the Suzuki Method. He has performed music across southern New England, New York, Canada, Greece and toured through the northern Midwest. Originally employed at the Gig Stop in 2002, he continues to provide quality instruction at BVM.
Sam
Teacher
Piano, Music Theory, Music Composition, Trumpet, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba & Voice
Sam is a former student at BVM prior to college, graduating Westfield State University magna cum laude with degrees in music composition, sound design, a minor in theater and a focus in classical piano. In addition to private lessons, he now works as the band director and assistant chorus director for Douglas High School while also taking on the role of director for the Blackstone Valley Music Student Orchestra.
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Alumni from BVM's Rock Band Camp program, he continues to perform in our annual tribute fundraiser concerts, lending his talents on keyboard and vocals.
Kenny
Teacher
Drums & Percussion
Kenny has been playing drums since his early grade school years and teaching since his freshman year of college. He fervently studied jazz throughout highschool and early college, then shifted gears towards funk and fusion from the end of his schooling to present. He has a degree in sound recording technology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and currently works at Soundtrack Boston as a General Assistant and Secondary Machine Room Engineer when he isn’t teaching at our shop. Suited more so for the intermediate player, Kenny can teach anything from prog metal to gospel chops or any other technically advanced rhythm. On his days off, he can be found at Soundtrack Boston recording Indie bands, performing the odd gig here and there, or producing EDM and instructional videos for his side-project, Lttlfire.
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John
Teacher
Piano
John has been teaching piano with over forty years of teaching experience. Growing up in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, John figured out how to play before taking lessons at the age of seven. John performed in school and church choirs, rock bands, bell choirs, and a recorder consort. He became very serious when studying organ with Elizabeth Lange who was a fellow of the American Guild of Organists. He was an organ major at Valparaiso University and received a grant as a result of his audition performance. While at VU, John also studied piano and fine art, and later continued to study fine art at The Ohio State University. He believes that learning to play an instrument can be a powerful and exciting experience that has untold rewards. John was fortunate to have had some great teachers, and he strives to pass on the best of what he received to his many students on their own musical journey.
Sue
Teacher
Violin
With over 40 years of private teaching experience and just as much time and experience with various ensembles and orchestras, she is a very accomplished and proficient player. Beyond skill and ability, Sue is also very kind, humorous and passionate and works very well with children. She is an active musician doing freelance violin, fiddle and viola work in the New England area and we're grateful to have some of her time here
Kyle
Teacher
Piano
Kyle has been taking lessons at BVM for over 6 years and continues to take lessons both here and at the New England Conservatory in Boston in addition to teaching here weekly. He graduated from Douglas High School in 2021. Kyle brings a youthful energy and serious dedication to the craft that is very much appreciated and comes across in his playing as well as his teaching. He is a very technically proficient classical player motivated to help students expand their ability and explore their passion for music much like he does.
Mary Hannah
Teacher
Piano and Harp
Mary Hannah is originally from Memphis, TN, and moved to Massachusetts late last year. She began her musical journey with harp lessons at age 4 and later added piano when she was 12. Mary Hannah has enjoyed playing with a variety of musical groups, including harp ensembles, orchestras, and her church worship team. She is a passionate educator with college studies in music theory, elementary school music, and music education philosophy. In her free time, Mary Hannah enjoys exploring her new hometown, thrifting, and playing board games with her husband.
David
Teacher
Guitar
David is a long-time student of Blackstone Valley Music and has been an active participant in BVM’s seasonal “Band Camp” programs, where he developed his ensemble skills and collaborated with fellow musicians. Building on these experiences, David went on to organize two ambitious concerts with his bandmates, including a full performance of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and an hour-long Rush tribute featuring the complete 2112 suite. David later studied Composition for New Media at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, creating projects in film scoring, game audio, and related disciplines. Throughout his time at UMass Lowell, he continued to perform in a wide range of ensembles, exploring styles from video game music to Renaissance choral works. His diverse musical background and extensive performance experience inform his well-rounded and enthusiastic approach to teaching guitar.
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Natasha
Lesson Administrator
She’s been part of our fine establishment for over a decade—first as a bright-eyed student and now as our ever-present front desk associate and administrator. In fact, she’s here so often that some wonder if she ever actually goes home (a mystery she has yet to clarify).
For more than fourteen years, Natasha has dedicated herself to the art of music, studying guitar, bass, and voice with equal enthusiasm. Her musical tastes are as varied as they come—country, folk, EDM, classic rock—each dear to her in its own way.
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James
Lesson Administrator
James is a guitarist, band camp instructor, and administrative assistant at Blackstone Valley Music and Chorus director/General music teacher at Grafton Middle School. He has been playing guitar for 13 years, and some of his biggest influences have been The Beatles, Huey Lewis and The News, and as well as many other classic rock bands. James graduated from Northbridge High School in 2018, where he received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. He went on to attend Westfield State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education in May 2022.
Lesson Administrator
Olaf
Olaf first began taking guitar lessons at BVM in 2016 and began working as a part time lesson administrator in 2020. He has participated in numerous band camps and through taking lessons has developed a passion for music in which he hopes to continue professionally.
Ashley
Lesson Administrator
Ashley grew up in Douglas, MA and has been playing flute since 4th grade. Growing up, she was involved in many activities including playing in the HS band, playing varsity soccer (goalkeeper), and studying kenpo karate. After graduating, she took on a job at Homewood Suites Hilton as a Breakfast Attendant alongside her work as a lesson administrator. In her spare time she enjoys getting outside, hiking mountains and identifying/logging plants that she finds while outdoors. For the future, she hopes to continue performing music in live settings and getting new and interesting opportunities to grow as a musician!
Lesson Administrator
Charlie
Charlie has been taking drum lessons at BVM for more than seven years, and began working as front desk lesson administrator in 2025. He has played in many band camps, and has been involved in the Tom Petty Tribute band for BVM. Charlie currently serves as a sit in drummer for the cover band Far From Eden.