About

Helping students of all ages discover confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of music through patient, personalized instruction

Our story

Where Music Becomes a Lifelong Journey

Lifelong Music School was created with one simple goal: to make high-quality music education welcoming, encouraging and accessible for every student. Whether someone is picking up an instrument for the very first time or continuing years of musical study, every lesson is designed around the individual learner.

We believe that learning music is about much more than mastering notes on a page. It builds confidence, creativity, discipline and a lifelong appreciation for the arts. Our supportive environment allows students to grow at their own pace while discovering the joy of making music.

Expert violin and viola instruction

Meet your teacher

Dr. Elizabeth Garbee

Violin • Viola • String Ensembles

Dr. Elizabeth Garbee started her music journey at age 4 learning to play the violin as a Suzuki student. She was the concertmaster of both the Oberlin Orchestra and the Arizona State Community Orchestra while she pursued a bachelor’s degree in physics and a PhD in education policy. A certified Suzuki teacher herself (as well as middle school math instructor), Elizabeth is delighted to join Lifelong Music School as a violin and ensemble teacher!

Expert flute and piccolo instruction

Meet your teacher

Abrielle Scott

Flute • Piccolo • Chamber Ensembles

Abrielle Scott is a flutist, chamber musician, and educator known for her rich sound and versatility. An advocate for new music, Abrielle collaborates regularly with today’s composers and has premiered several works to date. Her most recent premieres include Whitney Sheng’s “Foxfire” for alto flute (2026, University of Miami), as well as a consortium premiere of Juri Seo’s “Birds, Bees, and Electric Fish” for two flutes and two percussionists (2024, Vanderbilt University). Abrielle is flutist with the South Florida New Music Collective, a performer-composer group dedicated to performing new works primarily written by composers of the South Florida community.

An educator particularly interested in amplifying voices of Black and Brown musicians, Abrielle has recently collaborated with the National Flute Association and Music by Black Composers, an organization dedicated to inspiring and diversifying audiences and performers of classical music, to make reference recordings of their first volume of Beginner to Elementary level flute music. In June 2026, she was a flute teaching fellow at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, where she taught masterclasses and coached student ensembles of the festival’s Woodwind Quintet Seminar.

Abrielle is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the CUNY Graduate Center under the tutelage of Professor Tara Helen O’Connor. She has recently received a Master’s degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where she was a flute studio teaching assistant and Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra Fellow. Abrielle also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.

Expert clarinet, saxophone, flute and oboe instruction

Meet your teacher

Hunter McDonald

Clarinet • Saxophone • Oboe • Flute • Piccolo

Hunter McDonald is a highly sought after woodwind doubler and educator based in the NYC-Metropolitan area. Prior to moving to New Jersey in 2025, Hunter lived in Nashville, TN where his private students have earned positions in the Tennessee All State Band, regional honor bands, and the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, a three week intensive for advanced high school musicians.

Hunter teaches B♭, E♭ and bass clarinet, flute and piccolo, soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, and oboe.

Hunter earned a masters degree in multiple woodwind performance from Middle Tennessee State University. He previously earned his bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance from Towson University. In his free time he enjoys reading, knitting, and baking sourdough.

Expert voice instruction

Meet your teacher

Mariana Santiago-Jimenez

Voice • Piano

Mariana Santiago-Jimenez is a mezzo-soprano and vocal instructor who has been teaching voice since 2012. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in Vocal Studies from Kean University and completed two years of coursework in Music Therapy at Montclair State University.

Her performance experience spans opera, musical theater, and sacred music. Her roles have included Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica, and Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. She has also served as an alto section leader at Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit since 2016.

In addition to her musical background, Mariana has worked as a health and wellness coach for more than four years. This experience informs her approach to teaching voice, with an emphasis on healthy vocal habits, breath and body awareness, confidence, and each student’s overall well-being.

Mariana begins by getting to know each student’s voice, musical abilities, interests, and goals. Together, they develop a realistic path for strengthening vocal technique, musicianship, self-awareness, and performance skills. She strives to make every lesson both purposeful and enjoyable, giving students the freedom to explore their creativity, develop practical skills, and feel genuinely excited to sing.

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Meet your teacher

Mr. Steve

Guitar • Piano • Bass Guitar • Ukulele • Banjo

Music has always been at the heart of Mr. Steve’s life, and sharing that passion with students is what inspires his teaching every day. He believes every student can succeed with the right balance of encouragement, patience, and structured learning.

As the founder of Lifelong Music School in 2023, Mr. Steve set out to create a welcoming community where students of all ages can build confidence, develop strong musical foundations, and enjoy the lifelong rewards of learning an instrument. His lessons emphasize steady progress while keeping music enjoyable and motivating.

Our Growing Team

Meet Our Future Teachers

Our school continues to grow. As we expand, we’ll introduce talented instructors across many musical disciplines.

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Voice Teacher

Professional voice instruction for singers of every age and experience level.

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Percussion Teacher

Drumset • Hand Drums • Mallet Instruments & More!

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String Teacher

Violin • Cello & More!

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Woodwind Teacher

Flute • Saxophone • Clarinet • Oboe & More!

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Piano Teacher

Classical • Jazz • Pop & More!

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Guitar Teacher

Classical • Electric • Acoustic • Bass • Ukulele & More!

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