The Team
Joe Elliott
CEO, Lead Instructor
Joe Elliott is an American guitarist, author, composer and music educator, and is the creator of the Fretboard Biology program. He was the Director of Education and Vice President at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, headed the Guitar Department at McNally Smith College of Music, is the CEO and Director of Education for Music Biology, Inc., and is the author of several instructional books for guitar.
Todd Berntson
COO, Producer, Editor
Todd is a musician, psychologist, author, and video producer. He is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology from Argosy University, and has written or edited over 30 published books. He was the lead guitar and vocalist for the Pink Floyd tribute show, Run Like Hell. He is the Chief Operations Officer and co-founder of Music Biology, Inc.
Harry Chalmiers
Director of Academic Programs
Harry is a musician and music educator who was an instructor for many years at Berklee College of Music and the University of Massachusetts, Harry added institutional leadership to his repertoire by becoming the Executive Director of MacPhail Center for Music, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Berklee College of Music, and President of McNally Smith College of Music.
Mike Salow
Private Instructor
Mike Salow graduated with honors from McNally Smith College of Music receiving a B.M. in guitar performance with a music business minor. Mike joined the McNally Smith guitar department as an instructor where he worked for the next five years. Mike is currently teaching instrumental music at St. Paul Conservatory of Performing Artists.
JoJo Draven
Private Instructor
Jojo Draven holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. She was the lead guitarist for Shrapnel Records’ all-female metal band Phantom Blue, co-founder and first guitarist for The Iron Maidens, live guitarist for Blue Man Group, and Resident Guitarist/Programmer for illusionist Criss Angel’s The Supernaturalists. She is also actively working as a film composer.
Brian Metreyeon
Private Instructor
Brian has a degree in music from Chico State University, and is a graduate from Guitar Institute of Technology. He was a core faculty member in the guitar program at McNally Smith College of Music and currently lives in California where he leads the Brian Metreyeon Band.
Chris Olson
Private Instructor
After being musically educated at the Universities of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and North Texas, Chris taught at UWSP, UW-Marathon Center, the Wausau Conservatory of Music, Inver Hills Community College, MacPhail Center for Music, and McNally Smith College of Music, where he worked for nearly 20 years.
Liz DeYoe
Private Instructor
Liz holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Guitar Performance from McNally Smith College of Music and a degree in Music Occupations from Milwaukee Area Technical College. She currently teaches privately and is a former instructor for Saint Paul Public Schools Community Education. Liz is endorsed by the acoustic guitar luthier House Guitars from Ontario, Canada.
Tim Lyles
Private Instructor
Tim Lyles is a guitarist and instructor in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and a former member of the Guitar Department at McNally Smith College of Music. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis in Music and Media. He holds a master’s degree in Guitar Performance from McNally Smith. Tim continues to be very active in performing, recording, and teaching professionally, as well as engaging the guitar community through social media.
David Singley
Board of Advisors
David formerly taught at the McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, MN, and Carleton College in Northfield, MN. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging from Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University.
Sean Nilsen
Software Developer
Sean is the Chief Solutions Architect for LaSalle Solutions, and over the past 20 years in software development has been the Software Development Manager for Presidio, the Global Design Lead at Thomson Reuters, a Senior Principal at eLoyalty, Technology Architect for Best Buy, and Lead ICM Engineer at Ameriprise Financial.
Eliot Briggs
Web Developer
Eliot is a graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Bethel University. He has worked in IT administration, web development and technical support for over 20 years. Eliot was the guitarist in Minneapolis-based U2 tribute band, Rattle and Hum.
Monique Berntson
Editor, Data Analyst
Monique has a law degree from Hamline University, and a Master of Science in Data Science from the University of St. Thomas. She has worked as a data scientist for Ingersoll Rand and Thomson Reuters, and has worked as a copy editor on over a dozen books.
