TEAM GMC
Josh Margolis
Executive Director
Josh Margolis discovered his passion for drums at the age of five under the guidance of renowned studio and touring drummer Kenny Aronoff, practicing in the family barn. This early start led to playing in jazz big bands as a teen, and the inevitable rock bands shortly after. After attending Berklee College of Music, Josh moved to NYC to study drums and guitar at The New School with Miles Davis' percussionist Mino Cinelu and Steve Tarshis (THE book on Hendrix!)
Over the past 25 years, Josh has performed in rock, jazz, and acoustic groups across New York City as a drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, and singer/songwriter. He has also worked as a live television producer for artists such as the Jonas Brothers, Anna Nalick, and Josh Groban. In addition, Josh is a BMI composer, creating music for ABC News, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Martha Stewart and NBC Sports. His songwriting skills have been praised by Billboard Magazine, NewSong, and the New York Songwriter’s Circle.
Josh has performed, produced, and recorded with Joan Osborne, Peter Brown, Tracy Bonham, Matilda Marigolds, Late Night Thoughts, and many others. He currently runs the music department at Beacon High School and also serves on the board for the non-profit organization Kids Rock For Kids.
Tracy Bonham
Creative Director
A native of Eugene, Oregon, Tracy Bonham began singing at age five, playing the violin at nine, and learning piano at 14. After transferring to Berklee College of Music to study voice, she left behind a full violin scholarship at the University of Southern California and began writing songs on guitar in 1994. She proved to be a quick study—her 1996 major-label debut, The Burdens of Being Upright (Island), went gold in the U.S., as well as in Holland, Australia, and Canada, and spawned the hit single “Mother Mother.” This success earned her two Grammy™ nominations in 1997, as well as an MTV Video Music Award nomination.
Since then, Tracy has toured the world many times and made television appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and A&E’s Breakfast for the Arts. Her third album, Blink the Brightest (Rounder Records, 2005), featured songs that were placed in major network TV shows, including Brothers & Sisters, The L Word, The Closer, What About Brian, and Army Wives.
Tracy’s vocals are also featured on albums by various artists, including Aerosmith (Honkin’ on Bobo, Columbia, 2004), Wayfaring Strangers (This Train, Rounder, 2004), and Ron Sexsmith (Whereabouts, violin, 1999). In 2003 and 2006, she toured extensively with Blue Man Group, singing and playing violin as their featured guest performer and opening act in major arenas.
Tracy is currently writing and recording her next album while teaching violin and voice in Brooklyn.
Check out Tracy’s Spotify
JJ Alleyne
Instructor
JJ is a Brooklyn-born multi-instrumentalist with an impressive range of genres under his many hats. A Berklee College of Music alum and avid knowledge collector, he draws inspiration from Stevie Wonder, Bon Iver, and John Mayer. With over 14 years of experience in writing and performing, JJ has graced stages ranging from Carnegie Hall to Boston’s House of Blues and NYC’s Bitter End.
Currently, he is the drummer for the signed Mifflin Street Music band Archer Violet. JJ possesses a deep understanding of production, music theory, and arranging, coupled with a passion for creating and teaching music.
Check out JJ’s Band - Archer Violet
Here is JJ at GMC’s Instructor Spotlight
Matilda Marigolds
Instructor
Raised amidst the vibrant sounds and community of New York City, Matilda has been surrounded by music for as long as she can remember. The daughter of a drummer, she often attended her dad’s shows, falling asleep at the bar or backstage in the green room. It was almost inevitable that Matilda would blaze her own musical trails.
She took her one (and only) drum lesson at five years old and joined her first band at the age of six. Over the years, Matilda learned to play a variety of instruments, including piano, bass, and guitar. She prides herself on being mostly self-taught but also took several years of classical piano lessons. That foundation would later influence her unique approach to musical creation as she launched her solo career.
In the summer of 2021, Matilda released her debut EP, Union. She unveiled some of her new music during a May performance at RWQuarantunes—becoming one of the few emerging artists ever invited to perform on the platform.
Matilda’s music exists somewhere on the spectrum between Phoebe Bridgers, Fiona Apple, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, and Fleetwood Mac. She describes her nostalgic, genre-bending style as “a time capsule of not only all my feelings but all of my musical influences.
Check out Matilda’s Spotify
Dakota Lopez
Instructor
Surrounded by the bustling, artistically diverse streets of New York City, Dakota has always been drawn to music. At the age of 11, he began his lifelong journey to master the guitar. Over time, his interests expanded to include other instruments, as well as the technology and creative processes that drive music to evoke emotion. This passion led him to enroll in the Sonic Arts program at the City College of New York.
Throughout his life, Dakota has collaborated on a multitude of gigging and recording projects, most notably with Koi and Matter of Minutes. He has performed at various venues across the United States, including the Okeechobee Music Festival, where Matter of Minutes shared the stage with legends such as The Backseat Lovers and Tame Impala.
Dakota is thrilled to bring his experience to GMC students while also learning from their creative processes!
Ian Su
Instructor
Raised amidst the electric streets of New York City, Ian Su has always believed in the importance of pursuing one’s greatest passions. A multi-instrumentalist, record producer, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and visual artist with a love for film, Ian serves as the frontman of his own band and plays guitar for other bands in the scene.
Ian has amassed an extensive range of live music experience, performing everywhere from intimate clubs to large arenas. Most notably, he is set to play Governor’s Ball 2025. He has also had the privilege of collaborating with a wide range of musicians and bands, including Julia Miranda, Monica McShane, and Dakota Lopez.
Currently, Ian is enrolled in the Sonic Arts program at the City College of New York, where he is studying music technology. He is excited to inspire the next generation of GMC students with his passion for music and live performance.
Check out Ian’s Spotify
Alex Kerkoff
Instructor
Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex began teaching himself guitar at the age of 13 and immediately fell in love with the instrument. His passion for music led to years of dedicated practice, eventually bringing him to USC’s Thornton School of Music.
At the university level, Alex was able to expand upon his rock and roll roots by immersing himself in a variety of musical styles, including jazz, classical, flamenco, and country. He is deeply influenced by the sonic explorations of Jeff Beck, the restless creativity of Tom Waits, and the dangerously funky rhythms of James Brown.
Eliza Densmore
Instructor
Eliza Densmore is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and educator based in Brooklyn, originally from the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. She began writing songs on the piano as a teenager, inspired by singers like Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, and Billie Holiday. Her interest in fingerstyle guitar and alternate tunings soon followed, leading her to explore the music of Nick Drake, Bon Iver, and Joni Mitchell—a journey that continues to this day.
Eliza studied music at Colorado College and was recently a finalist in the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival’s songwriting competition. She has released two albums of original music, toured nationally, and is fluent in songwriting, music theory, intermediate piano and guitar, and ukulele. Folk Radio UK praised her most recent release, stating: “Like a good photo, how you frame a subject makes all the difference, and Edens provides a masterclass in composition.”
Eliza brings passion, patience, and humor to her teaching, tailoring lessons to each student’s needs with the goal of instilling a lifelong love of music.
Jed Becker
Instructor
Jed Becker is the composer and music director for the Nick Jr. series Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! He has written over 60 underscores and 120 songs for these two award-winning series and earned an Emmy nomination for Best Original Score. As a children’s TV composer, Jed has also contributed music to Sesame Studios and Universal Kids.
His band, Joy Buzzer, has had songs featured in film and television, including NBC’s The Mysteries of Laura and Aquarius.
As an educator, Jed has worked with students of all ages for the past 20 years, tailoring lessons to fit their individual needs on piano, guitar, bass, and ukulele. He also teaches music production and sound editing using Pro Tools and GarageBand. Jed is a proud graduate of Berklee College of Music
Check out Jed’s Band - Joy Buzzer on Spotify
Melissa Carter
Instructor
Melissa Kaitlyn Carter is a Brooklyn-based vocalist and performer. She is the frontwoman of the indie-folk project Hattie, described as “achingly honest and full of heart.”
As a vocalist, Melissa has worked across the United States with artists including Mary Zimmerman and The Bengsons and in theaters such as Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Z Space, Joe Goode Studio, and The Huntington Theatre. She has been an artist-in-residence at The Sable Project and the Paul Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency. Melissa has received funding from The Awesome Foundation and the Musicians Foundation and was a Music/Sound Artist Fellow for the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Melissa is the founder of Making Audio Magic, where she teaches songwriting, music production, and DIY-at-home recording.
In her downtime, she loves practicing yoga, learning about herbs, reading tarot, and immersing herself in nature.
Learn more at www.melissakaitlyncarter.com
Ellie Conley
Instructor
Growing up in Los Angeles, Ellie fell in love with music when she started learning Beatles songs on the piano at age 12. Soon after, she became immersed in the world of classical music, studying French horn at LA County High School for the Arts and later at McGill University. She has performed as a soloist at Walt Disney Concert Hall and as a member of The Orchestra Now at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ellie returned to her rock roots when she fell in love with the electric guitar. After moving to Brooklyn in 2021, she joined the experimental folk-rock project The Cradle, spending last summer touring across the US and Canada. She co-founded the prog-rock band Kissy Noises with her fiancée Jamie Weil and is also a founding member of the experimental composer trio Chew Toy, led by Vera Much.
Ellie recently began a Composer/Performer Master’s program at The New School, where she is studying with Wendy Eisenberg. Her influences include Deerhoof and Tricot, but her heart is deeply connected to the vibrant music of the Brooklyn DIY scene.