The Newtown School of Music
Our Instructors
Sonny Facenda
Owner - Drums, Trumpet, Saxaphone
Sonny has over 40 years of teaching experience and has spent time directing concert, jazz, and drumline bands. Sonny is the band director at the St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School and Villa Joseph Marie High School.
Steven Kaplan
Piano, Saxophonist, woodwinds, Trumpet, Brass
Steve is a music director at Summer Swing Orchestra and Big Band Express MA in Education and Performance.
Kyle Perella
Guitar, Ukulele
Kyle is the lead guitarist for the band Levee Drivers, based in Philadelphia. The band released its first full-length album, Motel City Honey, in September 2017.
Emily Guglielmi
String Instuments
Emily has a Bachelor of Music, a Bachelor of Music Education, and a Masters’s Degree. She has taught strings for over 30 years. Emily participates in multiple orchestras.
Beth Vilismeir
Woodwind
Beth is an expert with the clarinet and was the band director for over 30 years for Holy Ghost Prep. She plays with four different symphonies.
Brad Gragilla
Piano and Vocal
Brad has a Bachelor’s degree from Temple University, where he majored in piano and minored in vocal. Brad has taught for over 20 years.
Nathalie Hernandez
Violin
Nathalie Hernandez is a skilled violin instructor fluent in English and Spanish, with a degree in Music Education from Rowan University. She has experience as a Faculty Assistant at University Glassboro, where she led orchestra rehearsals and provided individual lessons.