Meet the MMPA Team
Erin Rubin, Founder
Erin Rubin (she/her) opened Mode Music Studios in 2014, where she was able to focus her passion for music and music education into a thriving local music studio that employs working artists, giving them the opportunity to share their musical passion with new learners. She has recorded and played in many local bands and has been teaching music since 2006. Erin saw that there was a need for affordable performing arts education in the Seattle area, which prompted her to found Mode Music and Performing Arts (MMPA) in 2018. Mode Music Studios on Vashon, opened in February of 2020, is a multipurpose space for music and arts education and record sales. Erin’s drive for equity in arts education has created several affordable programs in surrounding schools and communities and provided hundreds of students with discounted and free music, dance, theatre, and art classes throughout MMPA’s existence.
Teaching Artists
Eva Sprague has been a student of the arts her whole life. She has an associates degree in Digital Media. She has certifications of training in Graphic Design, Photography, Imaging, and Video Production.
Eva has worked for Fancy Fairytale parties as a character performer for the past couple years. With that job, she works with kids, engaging them through storytelling, song, dance and creative games, all while using her acting abilities to bring fairytale characters to life.
She has had one-on-one training with an acting coach and a vocal technician for the past three years to build her skills. She has taken several improv, acting, voice, and other arts classes. She is always actively training to expand her skillsets. She has been in several plays and musicals, as well as choir and worship team.
She also has worked with children most of her life, from her current job with Fancy Fairytale parties, to her past experience working as a babysitter and a Sunday School teacher for her local church.
Eva is passionate about storytelling, creativity, art, and music in all its forms. She is looking forward to continuing to express herself through art, while guiding others on doing the same!
Martyn is a teaching artist with over ten years of acting experience on Seattle stages, including the Seattle Rep, ACT, Intiman, Book-It, and Seattle Shakespeare. He's also appeared in film, commercials, and television. He taught English and drama in Korea, incorporating plays and improv into his lessons.
He's a professional and personal writer, with a degree from the University of Washington and experience as a copywriter, scriptwriter, and journalist. He also writes plays, screenplays, stories, and poems.
He studied architecture at Ohio State University and enjoys drawing, sketching, and sculpture. His two grown daughters inspire his creativity.
After spending many years in the music business - retail, merchandising and production with One Reel (Bumbershoot, Summer Night at the Pier and Teatro Zinzani) Ava Chakravarti (she/her) found her passion as an advocate for Early Childhood Music Education.
Implementing the “Little Wing” Pre-K music program at the Seattle School of Rock (2013 - 2017) opened the door and she went on to do classes with Sweetpea Cottage Preschool of the Arts as a specialty teacher and various other schools.
She continues to enjoy the music she makes as a vocalist for the Mrs Bill Larsen’s, one of the many bands she’s been a part of.
As a “Tiny Modes” instructor, she continues to find her joy watching the “Littles” explore music without barriers - holding the future in their hands.
Kristen (she/her) has worked in a teaching capacity in Wisconsin, California, and Washington, including teaching at the Keyboard Art School of Music in Wrightwood, CA. She was also a member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California while running her own home studio in San Diego. Kristen has been a clinician for multiple schools, helping students with both classical and jazz music. Kristen stands out as an instructor with her engaging and adaptable teaching. Her approach to lessons centers on the understanding of different learning styles—no two people are exactly the same, so no two lessons should be exactly the same.
Her time working with individuals with developmental disabilities cultivated her talent for teaching private lessons. She enhanced these emotional intelligence skills with mental health first aid classes. As a result, Kristen creates a kind, welcoming environment where students feel confident about their talents. Kristen earned her B.A. in Saxophone Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying with Richard Davis and Les Thimmig. While in Madison, Kristen organized her own jazz quartet, in addition to working with various big bands, dance bands, and jazz combos. She has performed with Wisconsin musicians such as Nick Moran, Paul Hastil, Dave Stoler, and the Bill Sargent Big Band. She has provided music for a variety of functions ranging from formal parties to festivals throughout the Midwest. She has also recorded for Madison's 89.9 WORT radio station. In California, Kristen recorded for America's Community Network with Empire Swing, as well as performed locally for festivals, private events, and musical theater.
Franco Weaver is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Seattle, Washington. Growing up, he utilized theatre, visual arts, and dance classes to develop a performance-art mindset. While receiving his BFA in Musical Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts in 2023, Franco was an intern for the Village Theatre Kidstage as a costume designer as well as a teaching artist with Intiman Theatre's K-6 summer program "South End Stories". During his senior year at Cornish, Franco collaborated with radio artist and activist Noelani Tonaltzin to create "Play Date"; a senior thesis about letting go of judgement or perfection and allowing ourselves to play with music, art, dance, writing, and puppetry.
Since graduating college, Franco has performed in various theatres in the Seattle area as an actor and dancer, as well as a costume and props designer for both youth and main-stage theatres. Franco is pleased to be a teacher at MMPA, putting his patience-driven teaching style to work. Franco's favorite thing about teaching is that he continues to learn every day.
Jaelin (she/her) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California but has been in Seattle since fall of 2021. She has been working with kids since early high school as a theatre director, improv coach, and dungeon master and has found a deep love for the combination of children and structured creativity. In her free time, Jaelin enjoys making music and playing dungeons with friends.
Nathaniel Lee (he/him) is a 4th year at the University of Washington studying Education and Drama. He started performing in theatre in the 11th grade, quickly finding a passion for it.
He's performed with local production companies such as University of Washington Stage Notes (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts (A Chorus Line & Sweeney Todd), and Ballyhoo Theatre (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever & Ride the Cyclone).
Nathaniel strives to become a high school drama teacher in order to provide a safe and encouraging space for students to fall in love with theatre.
Outside of MMPA, Nathaniel also teaches classes at the Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, having taught acting and stage combat. He also works for the UW Huskies Football Team as a video worker. He is so grateful for such an amazing opportunity to work with MMPA!
Andie Ades (they/she) is a musician hailing from Kent, Washington and based in Central Seattle. She has been singing since she could talk and storytelling since she learned to write.
They are a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, where they studied vocal performance and creative writing. From singing in operas, theatrical productions, choirs and acapella groups, to performing with rock n roll bands, jazz bands, and producing independent synthpop projects—Andie has experience with a broad variety of music and is thrilled to share her knowledge and love for music with the brilliant and brazen younger generation.
Outside of singing and composing, Andie makes collage art, embroidery and enjoys reading short fiction.
Jared's love of music began in elementary school, always jumping at the opportunity for a solo, or auditioning for honor choir. His interests shifted to drums and percussion in middle school, where he found a position in his church's youth group band for a few years. Jared transitioned back to choir in high school. He joined honor choir, all state choir, and spring musicals, and eventually found a love for songwriting, which led him to Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Jared was able to take private voice, guitar, and piano lessons, enhancing his abilities in both songwriting and playing parts in studio sessions. In 2010, Jared graduated with a degree in Music Business, with an emphasis on Songwriting. He released his debut album, The Maiden Voyage, two years later. In 2014, Jared signed an independent publishing deal with Catch This Music. Between 2015 and 2020, he was performing between 100 to 150 tour dates a year, building towards dreams of owning his own studio and space. His newest releases include The Last Gemini in 2017 and This Week-Last Year in 2020.
Board of Directors
President: Kerrick Olson
Vice President: Naomi Lewis
Secretary: Leslie Martinka
Treasurer: Asia Arbolante
Member: Tara Sharp
Member: Bo Gilliland
Visit us
3801 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Hours
Monday–Friday
10am–6pm
Phone
(206) 659–0463
