Our Instructors
Meet our team of passionate music instructors
Adam Block
My name is Adam Block and I am the business owner and head Guitar Teacher at the Block Academy of Music. I teach bass guitar lessons, acoustic guitar lessons, and electric guitar lessons music theory lessons and group lessons. I am a native of Sacramento and I have played the guitar for 25 years. I earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UC Davis, before attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston where I earned a second bachelor’s degree in Music and Guitar. I have extensive experience performing as a band leader, as a session musician in recording studio on numerous projects, and touring in bands throughout the East and West coasts.
I love playing music, but my true passion is being a music teacher. I love to teach people how to play the guitar, and why music works. Like music, teaching is an art. Teaching is the art of communication, and a successful music teacher is one who knows how to communicate abstract guitar techniques and music concepts to new guitar students in ways that are clear, concise, accessible and easy to understand. I truly thrive on seeing my students succeed.
Sergio Zazueta
My name is Sergio Zazueta, I am a guitar teacher at the Block Academy of Music. I am from Sacramento, and I have been playing guitar for ten years. I am currently pursuing a degree in music at Sacramento City College. I play a variety of music styles and I have performed in various groups for the past seven years. I have a passion for writing music and teaching others, and I hope to help my students achieve their music goals and beyond.
Lew Fratis
Lew Fratis is a local Sacramento guitar legend, and music teacher with decades of experience as a band leader, song writer, and recording artist. In 1993 he led his band to win a Sammie award for “best blues band” and in 2013 he was inducted to the Sacramento Blues hall of fame. For Lew, teaching guitar is about inspiring students, and helping them to acquire the skills they need to express their selves with music.
Avery Stafslien
My name is Avery Stafslien, and I am a bass instructor for Block Academy of music. I've been involved in music my whole life, and am currently pursuing a degree in Music Theory and Composition. As a bassist, I have experience across a wide variety of genres and styles, including jazz, classical, rock, punk, and metal. My goal as an instructor is to help students learn and perform the music that inspires them, and to develop their own voice as musicians.
