ABOUT

Hunt House is home to a variety of ultra-talented professionals who care deeply about each individual’s learning journey.

Faculty & Staff

Our mission is to enrich the community with our passion for music and songwriting by creating a nurturing space centered around connection and creative expression. With a focus on personal expansion, peer support and inclusivity, we aim for each student to feel seen + heard.

  • Leslie Hunt, owner/artistic director

    Leslie Hunt

    piano + voice + songwriting + ukulele

    - owner

    - lead singer and co composer of ‘District 97’

    - has been playing and singing her own music for over 35 years

    fun fact: was a semi-finalist on American Idol, a.k.a top 10 females

  • Mike Ullegue

    guitar + drums + electric bass

    - has been playing for 34 years

    - guitarist for ‘Too Much Molly’ + ‘Leslie Hunt Band’

    fun fact: rick rolled Rick Astley on live TV

  • Hannah Adams

    house manager

    - singer songwriter

    - 15 years of piano and singing experience

    - 3 years of management experience

    fun fact: spends her free time obsessing over her 2 cats Mac + Mae and dog Stella

  • Lucas Bennett

    piano + voice

    - singer songwriter

    - has a bachelor’s degree in music composition

    - enjoys mentoring students and bringing the emotional impact of music to lessons

    fun fact: Lucas performed at the Chicago House of Blues when he was only 17 years old

  • Diane Handler

    voice

    - classically trained

    - was the lead vocalist in the Boston rock bands, ‘Which Doctor?’ and ‘Zeitgeist’

    - emphasizes singing fundamentals including correct posture, breathing, pitch, rhythm, tone, diction, placement and vocal health

    fun fact: Diane has written two of her very own musicals

  • Travis Ziegler

    guitar

    - dynamic and expansive guitarist

    - all about making your experience feel like a jam session with a good friend

    - composes original music

    fun fact: he has gigged in many different bands

  • Peter Aburto

    piano + voice

    - 20 years of playing and performing

    - has a Bachelor’s from North Central in Music Performance

    - likes to focus on the fundamentals of singing and playing

    fun fact: loves to talk about his cat

  • Sara Richert

    piano + voice

    - has an Associates in Fine Arts in Music at College of DuPage

    - has performed in a multitude of vocal and piano recitals, jazz combos, and choirs

    - is bilingual in Spanish and teaches both classical and jazz styles

    fun fact: loves to spend time with her 17-year old Dachshund named Frank

  • Jess Coffey

    voice + piano

    - licensed K-12 music educator

    - has been private teaching since 2017

    - focuses on creating a safe space for self expression and social-emotional learning

    fun fact: she was on the price is right!

  • Tommy Faulds

    music production + drums

    - one of the top certified Ableton trainers in the country

    - education development manager for US and Canada

    - specializes in beat-making, sound design, synthesis + recording techniques

  • Grace Bardsley

    piano

    - has a bachelor’s degree in music composition

    - looks forward to nurturing piano students, helping them achieve their musical goals

    - has been teaching for 20 years

    fun fact: founding member of st charles chamber sings and sang with them for 30 years