Instructors

Meet our talented faculty!

    Photo of Matt Fassas
    Matt Fassas
    Instructor Acoustic, Classical, Electric, and Bass GuitarsSpecializing in Rock and Blues

    Matt Fassas was born and raised in Irvine, Kentucky. A childhood in a musical household led Fassas to start playing guitar at age 10. While continuing an arduous practice schedule on the guitar throughout his school years, Matt also found time to pick up clarinet, saxophone, piano, bass, mandolin, dobro, and lapsteel among others. After graduating high school, Matt attended the 2005 Berklee Summer Guitar Sessions, then began studying jazz guitar at Morehead State University under the tutelage of Glenn Ginn and Clancy Hatfield.  He also studied classical guitar at Eastern Kentucky University under Dennis Davis, performing in numerous recitals as a solo instrumentalist, as well as with various trios and ensembles. Matt’s teaching career began at age 15, and has continuously grown since. Matt (now age 24) has successfully taught all levels of students of all ages in a variety of genres. All musical education aside, Matt’s roots dig deep into rock and blues music. Currently performing with the bands The Cold Roses, Funky White Monkey, The Go Getters, and The Big Jar of Jamm, he stays busy with his musical career, performing on a weekly basis all around upstate SC and occasionally back in his homestate of Kentucky.

    Photo of Sam Kruer
    Sam Kruer

    Sam was born and raised in the central Kentucky area, and has been teaching music since 2001. With a bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory from Eastern Kentucky University, Sam has a wide range of musical styles, genres, ensembles, and teaching approaches. Since the age of 14, he has performed in countless bands and groups ranging from rock, funk, jazz, bluegrass, country, blues, musicals, classical, Latin, and drum corps. Sam has performed with some great acts such as Florence Larue of Fifth Dimension, Grammy award winning Maria Schneider, Jazz Trumpeter Vince DeMartino, and former David Allen Coe harpist Harmonica Red. Other groups include The Westbrook Trio, The Blind Corn Liquor Pickers, The EKU Faculty Jazz, and Starless.
    Now living in Greenville, Sam can be seen playing in several different scenarios on several different instruments.

    Photo of Stephen Williams
    Stephen Williams
    Owner/Instructor Electric, Acoustic, and Bass GuitarsSpecializing in Rock, Blues, Slide, and Theory

    Stephen was born and raised in Columbia, SC and has been teaching guitar professionally since 2000. He moved to Greenville  during the summer of 2007 and opened Greenville Guitar Academy in November of that year. His teaching style is very student oriented, and he places emphasis on creativity and initiative in both playing and writing music. More than anything else, Stephen wants his students to have as much fun playing the guitar as he does, he requires this same philosophy from all of the staff teachers at Greenville Guitar Academy. Stephen studied music at the University of South Carolina and guitar under jazz guitarist Robert Newton (Grover Washington Jr.). He gigged around Columbia with various groups for the better part of a decade and was a frequent guest performer with King Hippo. Most recently, Stephen entered the studio with The Fossil Record and laid down the lead guitar tracks for their first album “Living in Reverse.”  About which M. Miller from Columbia’s Free Times said “But the secret weapon is guitarist Stephen Williams, whose fiery solos give the whole deal a scintillating glow.”  His musical tastes include blues, classical, country, hip-hop, jazz and especially rock. He has shared the stage with musicians like drummer John Blackwell (Prince, Patti Labelle, Justin Timberlake), Ryan Monroe (Band of Horses), Patrick Davis (solo artist), and guitarist/keyboardist Les Hall (Trey Anastasio, Howie Day, Crossfade).