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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Peter Aburto
piano + voice
- 20 years of playing and performing
- has a Bachelor’s from Northern Illinois in Music Performance
- likes to focus on the fundamentals of singing and playing
fun fact: loves to talk about his cat
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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
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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!
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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
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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