Music Factory ONLINE

Core Staff

Meet our talented instructors at The Music Factory

These teachers are available for in-person lessons at our Seattle location. Complete our quick intake form HERE to get matched with the perfect instructor for you!

Showing 18 core staff members

Alex Mortland

Alex Mortland

Guitar
Bass
Ukulele

Growing up in Lake Stevens WA, Alex Mortland’s musical life began at age 10, taking guitar lessons with a local instructor & spending nearly every idle moment practicing, learning & listening. His earliest inspirations ranged from 1990s alt-rock heroes (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins) to classic rock icons (The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd), and by his early teen years he was rapidly digesting a massive amount of esoteric influences….. everything from avant-garde rock & classical music (Captain Beefheart, Can, Charles Ives, etc) to jazz & fusion (Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Weather Report, etc) to left-lield pop/rock (The Beach Boys, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, etc) to soul/R&B (Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone, Prince) to acoustic fingerstyle virtuosos (Nick Drake, Michael Hedges, John Fahey, etc) and countless other musical neighborhoods. At age 15, Alex had the opportunity to make his first professional recording, working with Billy Oskay (veteran Windham Hill Records producer/engineer/artist) to produce a 5-song EP of instrumental acoustic guitar compositions at Big Red Studio in Corbett, Oregon. Alex learned a great deal about the recording process from Oskay, and this knowledge would serve him well in the years to come. By 17, Alex had become highly proficient on guitar (electric & acoustic), bass guitar & keyboards, having taught himself the latter two instruments. He was soon gigging regularly with several local jam/cover bands, sometimes switching between several instruments in a single night. In 2002 (age 18), Alex became the bassist/co-songwriter with Othello & The Hipknotics, an experimental hip-hop group specializing in a blend of concious hip-hop lyrics with the crafted arrangements of a live jazz/fusion band. The band’s album “Classic” was issued in Japan (on Miclife Records) as a CD/vinyl release in 2004, and quickly reached the #3 spot on HMV’s Hip Hop Album charts (just behind The Beastie Boys & The Roots). A Japanese tour (also featuring The Procussions, who employed The Hipknotics as their backup band) took place in early 2005, and the band performed to sold-out crowds throughout the country. Back in the USA in 2006, Alex became the guitarist for Sambusa, a six-piece Seattle rock band best described as “alternative soul”. The band self-released one album (Riddle For Reason), toured the West Coast and generated a massive following in the Seattle area before calling it quits in 2010. The next chapter saw a long & extremely fruitful tenure as guitarist & songwriter with Saruna, which also featured Seattle luminaries such as Kent Halvorsen, Christa Wells, Jeremy Lightfoot & Derneill “Woogie D” Washington. Saruna specialized in a unique blend of rock/pop/jazz/r&b, and the band was a major staple of the Seattle scene from 2013 until 2025, with an extraordinary self-titled album released in 2023. At this writing (2025), Alex’s professional performing/recording career focuses around his longtime work with Lee Oskar & Friends (astute listeners will know Mr Oskar’s harmonica wizardry from his legendary work with the band War) and The Witness (a theatrical combo focusing upon classic soul/r&b deep cuts and original music in that same vein). New original music is also brewing in a singer/songwriter context. Besides the above, Alex has worked with MANY other bands & artists as a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, singer, producer & songwriter. A short list would include: Blake Lewis (American Idol), KJ Sawka (Pendulum, Destroid), Thomas Erak (The Fall Of Troy, Just Like Vinyl, Chiodos), Blackout Media, Awake Underwater and many more. After teaching music (on a semi-professional basis) for many years, Alex became a full-time teacher at The Music Factory in 2011. Specializing in guitar instruction, he also provides lessons on electric bass, keyboards and ukulele, for all ages, styles & skill levels. Not being an adherent of the “one size fits all” approach, Alex custom-designs his lesson plans for each individual student based on the student’s goals, influences & personality.

At MF
15 years experience
Bailey Ehrgott

Bailey Ehrgott

Guitar
Piano
Bass

Dr. Bailey Ehrgott is a jazz guitarist, performer, clinician, adjudicator, and educator whose work spans jazz, contemporary improvisation, and groove-based music. A 2026 DownBeat Student Music Award winner in the Graduate Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist category, she has performed professionally with Sheryl Bailey, Kellin Hanas, Molly Redfield, Ada Rovatti, Shirazette Tinnin, Chuck Bergeron, Steve Tressler, Neil Smith, and many others. Her performance credits include appearances at the Jazz Education Network Conference, Siena Jazz Symposium, TMEA, Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy, Jazz Point Ibiza Festival, New Orleans Jazz Museum, and Dallas LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival, where she appeared on a featured lineup alongside artists including Mark Lettieri. She has also performed with the One O'Clock Lab Band, headlined the North Bend Jazz Walk in Washington State, was selected as an Airmen of Note Diversity Fellow, and has been a PRS Guitars Pulse Artist since 2023. Ehrgott serves on the faculty of Berklee Guitar Sessions and has taught at the University of North Texas Jazz Combo Workshop. Her work as a clinician and adjudicator includes presentations at Berklee College of Music, TMEA All-State jazz guitar workshops at the University of Texas at Tyler, adjudication for the Bainbridge Jazz Combo Workshop in Washington State, and directing the University of North Texas's award-winning L-5 Jazz Guitar Ensemble. Her current projects include an organ trio recording and two books in development.

At MF
Dylan Bell

Dylan Bell

Piano
Violin
Cello

Dylan is a cello and fiddle player and teacher who believes deeply in music as a way to connect people, traditions, and communities. With a 10+ year background in classical performance and extensive orchestral and chamber music study, Dylan uplifts students and serves as a compassionate guide on their musical journey. Dylan studied cello at Central Washington University and holds an Associate’s degree in Arts and Humanities from Columbia Basin College. His teachers include legends like Dr. Edward Dixon, John Michel, and Bruce Walker. Dylan is Suzuki Book 1 certified and has performed with ensembles such as the Mid-Columbia Symphony, WMEA All-state orchestra, and served as principal cellist of multiple youth and collegiate orchestras. His musical path began with piano lessons from his grandfather and led him to the cello in middle school. He later found a musical home in folk traditions and has since studied Irish, Scottish, Swedish, and old-time music at festivals and intensives across the U.S. Dylan now performs regularly for musicals, weddings, music festivals, and dances.

At MF
5 years experience
Erik Esvelt

Erik Esvelt

Piano
Clarinet
Trumpet

Erik began playing trumpet at the age of 11 and began studying piano at the age of 17 when he realized he wanted music to be a big part of his life. Private lessons were extremely helpful in getting through a difficult start on the trumpet, and also led to high marks at solo competitions and doing well in school ensembles. Erik's performance career began in his late teen years with small brass ensembles and jazz bands, and has led to performing a wide range of music styles including rock, classical and latin. He continues to perform regularly in the Seattle area. While in high school, Erik started tutoring young trumpeters and found that his early difficulties helped him understand how to help others work through problems with learning an instrument. Several hundred students later, he has many different approaches to learning and finds what is best with each new student.

At MF
30 years experience
Josef La Bolle

Josef La Bolle

Violin
Viola
Cello

Josef is a passionate music teacher who loves sharing music with others. He performs and teaches: The Violin family, the Piano, and the Concert Flute. Josef has worked with hundreds of young and adult students, from beginner to advanced levels, as they develop on their music journey. Music is a language and Josef gives his students a strong foundation in music by providing a thorough education in: Notation, Theory, Rhythm, Expression, Intonation & Improvisation. His students develop a relationship with music through their instrument that enables them to thrive in any musical setting. Violin / Viola / Cello The Violin Family is a soulful and expressive family of instruments. In Josef's classes, you will learn to: Read sheet music, master your intonation, shift with accuracy and confidence, develop a measured and balanced vibrato, use good technique to develop a wide range of expression, intonation, and dynamics. You will learn to perform solos; as well as accompany others. Piano The Piano is a brilliant and versatile instrument whose repertoire spans across all genres of music. The piano is very special, as it allows a single musician to play melodies with their own accompaniment. In Josef's classes, you will learn to read sheet music and analyze musical structure, learn proper fingering and form, learn to navigate the piano with your senses which liberates your eyes from staring at the keyboard, voice all chord types & learn to play all genres of songs and accompany others. Concert Flute The Concert Flute is a highly-agile, chromatic, soprano woodwind that is an extension of our voice and breath. It has a wide range of expression and access to three octaves (C4 - C7). It excels at producing music that is bright and energetic, dark and powerful, or soulful and somber melodies. In Josef's classes, you will learn excellent embouchure technique (how to properly produce a clear tone), read sheet music, create balanced trills and articulation, and navigate difficult passages with excellent rhythm and expression.

At MF