Say hello to our team! 

James Valsaint was born in the neighborhood of Little Haiti in Miami, Florida. After graduating high school, he traveled the world, first to Barcelona where he managed a company and then to Amsterdam where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Engineering. Upon returning to the States, he worked with Greenpeace in LA to fight against deforestation and offshore drilling. Back home in South Florida, James got involved with both the Occupy Movement and Black Lives Matter, with a focus on ending the school-to-prison pipeline. James has always been both an artist and an activist who believes in utilizing the power of music and love to overcome social hardships and uplift his community. He now works with Guitars Over Guns as a mentor at North Miami Middle and Senior High School where he teaches guitar and spoken word poetry.

My name is Sarah Stephens but I’m also known as SJ or Sarah Jean. I was born is colorful Colorado, traveled a bit and have called Miami home for five years. I’ve been passionate about music since I first found rhythm as a toddler. I’ve been singing since I could talk and never wanted to stop.

Although I studied vocal performance formally for over 10 years, my formal education is in Cultural Anthropology. I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and ever since have loved visiting cities around the world, finally ending up in Miami. I was fortunate enough growing up to have music classes both in school and outside of the classroom. I’m proud to share music with children in Miami schools. The best part about the gift of music is that it is meant to be shared, and sharing builds community.

I’ve had many amazing opportunities in life, including working with children in Brazil, Colorado and Miami. I’m currently a singer and songwriter for myself as well as for a band in the Miami area. I love to create and share stories with others through music and to watch what happens when people connect. As long as there is something left to say, there’s a song to sing.

Composer. Vocalist. Poet. Musician. Born and raised in Miami into a family of accomplished musicians, it is no surprise Michelle Forman spends most of her time in front of a microphone. Over the course of roughly 10 years her accomplishments include collaborations, live performances, touring, and recording alongside of Miami’s most talented musicians. Since embarking on her musical journey nearly 10 years ago, Michelle has either shared the stage or recorded with over 30 musical acts, including Grammy/Premio Nuestro nominated artist and various unsigned solo artist. Back in 2004, she organized/directed a one of a kind, multicultural 16pc women’s ensemble called “She Said,” a project involving women who shared different calibers of musical experience and played a variety of instruments, including some of Miami’s best front women. In 2009, Michelle accepted a permanent position as a vocalist in one of Miami’s most recognized and respected bands, Suenalo. Aside from performing both in and out of Miami regularly with Suenalo, Michelle is currently focused on recording an album consisting of original compositions while mentoring inner city children through the power of music as a proud member of the Guitars Over Guns Organization.

Caleb Alcime has been playing drums since the age of nine. Skilled in genres ranging from jazz and gospel to hip hop, R&B and Latin, Caleb is in high-demand, performing with multiple bands across Miami. An alumnus of Guitars Over Guns and Young Musicians Unite, two programs serving Miami-area youth through the power of music education, Caleb is passionate about youth development and giving back to his community. With the Guitars Over Guns alumni band, Unistiq, Caleb has twice been a featured performer at TEDxCoconutGrove, an independently organized TED event, and has headlined at the annual Choose Your Sound Benefit Concert, performing for an audience of esteemed donors, community stakeholders, and public officials. “Drums have somewhat become a part of me,” Caleb says. “I can’t let it go no matter how hard I try.”

Lawrence J. Cohen (Larry) is currently the bookkeeper for Guitars Over Guns.  Larry was born in Miami Beach and grew up in Philadelphia. Following graduation in 1976 from American University in Washington, D.C., with B.A. in accounting and urban development, Larry moved back to the west coast of Florida to work for Lehigh Corporation, a land development and time-share company.  Upon leaving Lehigh Corporation, Larry became Vice President of Romivest, Inc. and subsequently Preferred Equities Corp., both land development and time-share companies. Larry owned and operated five Subway locations in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties after departing the corporate world. In his spare time, Larry plays golf, enjoys the theater and spending time with his five grandchildren.

Calli Scofidio came to Guitars Over Guns straight from the the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Neurologic Music Therapy and hopes to continue on to become a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC). A dedicated mentor by day and performer by night, Calli is a prolific songwriter and keyboardist who gigs all over Miami. Both her mentorship style and unique, emotive music reflect the same principle: music helps to heal us.

Pinqy Ring is a Latinx Hip Hop artist from Chicago who has dedicated her artistic career to creating social change through music. After being pulled from a fiery car crash and coming-to from the resulting coma, her sight has been set on inspiring urban youth to find who they truly are, be confident in that person, and pursue that person’s passion with unbridled dedication.

During the span of her career, Pinqy has performed in notable Chicago venues – including Second City and the House of Blues, and has captivated audiences in Houston, Minneapolis, St. Louis, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and even Ghana, West Africa. Pinqy Ring has been featured on Moral Courage, DNAInfo, Vocalo Radio, WVON, Power 92, Fake Shore Drive and CANTV. In 2013 Pinqy Ring was given the cover of The HYPE Magazine, and in 2014 was highlighted in her alma mater’s UIC Alumni Association Magazine. In 2014 Pinqy Ring was a grant recipient of the City of Chicago’s Individual Artist Program, and in 2016 she became The Ragdale Foundation’s first rapper resident. 

Outside of music, Pinqy has engaged in countless hours of philanthropy. She is a first in the family college graduate, and as a teaching artist, mentor and speaker she has spread a message of equality, hope, perseverance, and self-worth to young adults and women across the country. It was a natural fit to team with Guitars Over Guns, and Pinqy is grateful to be able to continue sharing her story of survival through music in Chicago classrooms.

Phil Jacobson is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Chicago, IL. Phil attended University of Miami (FL) where he received a degree in Jazz Vocal Performance from the Frost School of Music in 2008. Since then, he has been performing as an independent artist throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 2018, Phil was accepted into the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) as a voting member and is an active participant in the Chicago chapter.

Phil began his journey with Guitars Over Guns in 2015 as a Mentor and Site Coordinator at Evergreen Academy Middle School in Chicago. Although his focus is on Guitar, he brings his experience with Piano, Drums, Bass and Vocals to the classroom. In addition to being a mentor, Phil has organized multiple networking events that bring together members of the music, education and non-profit communities in Chicago. In 2018, Phil was recognized as the Guitars Over Guns ‘Mentor of The Year (Chicago)’ due to his contributions both in and out of the classroom. As of 2020, Phil officially joined the Guitars Over Guns Leadership Team as the Community Partnerships Coordinator of Chicago.

Outside of his work with Guitars Over Guns and performing solo, Phil can also be found writing, recording and performing with the pop trio, The Shades. The Shades consists of Phil, his brother Mark and Guitars Over Guns’ Regional Director (Chicago), Andrew DeMuro. The Shades have performed at some of Chicago’s most renowned venues such as Navy Pier, House of Blues, City Winery, The Second City, Lincoln Hall and many more. Their most recent EP entitled ‘DRAW’ premiered on Billboard and is available for streaming on all major platforms.

Raised on Chicago’s Southside, Dennis Thompson’s musical education began at the age of 4 with the piano, transitioning to the violin then alto sax and finally drums though his college career. During his undergraduate years at NIU, Dennis began to develop his production skills, working with local artists and finally focusing on producing the group he co-founded, H2O Soul. Upon graduating from NIU, he attended Columbia to pursue his Masters in Music Business. Dennis worked in music advertising at a Chicago Production House called Genuine Music, creating original compositions and sound design for major brands from 2006-2011. Now focused on teaching production and engineering at the Haven Studio, collaborating with other artists and serving the local music community through his nonprofit, Khemistry, Dennis hopes to work through music to make his voice heard and make a positive difference.

Monty Shelton was born and raised in Miami, Florida. From an early age, he fell in love with hip hop & R&B music and began writing his own poetry and rap in the 7th grade. At age 15, Monty recorded in a studio for the first time, and shortly after formed a group with two friends, called 3 Deep. They performed at the Miami Norland Senior High School talent shows, which helped to build a buzz and led to them opening up for Trina from Slip N Slide Records in 2001. During his senior year, Monty took his first recording class and began learning Pro Tools. After graduating high school, Monty continued his education at Full Sail University, where he received a degree in Recording Arts in 2004. During his time there, he also recorded his first mixtape.

In 2005, Monty returned to Miami and started his own imprint, BMR Entertainment, with friend and manager Chris Bruce. In the Spring of 2006, BMR Entertainment released their first compilation, Street Business, which sold 4,000 units in a span of 9 months without any radio spins! This helped to make a name for Monty all throughout South Florida.

To separate himself as an artist from his company, Monty added the $$ to the end of his name. His hit single “Remember” took off in the Spring of 2009 and gained not only radio play on Power 96 & 99 Jamz and numerous performances, but caught the attention of labels. Currently, Monty $$ has put out another single, “What Would U Do,” and is teaching music production in the Music Solutions Lab at Educate Tomorrow in Downtown Miami as part of Guitars Over Guns’ music mentorship programming.

Monty $$ is dedicated to mentoring disadvantaged youth, keeping them off the streets, and encouraging them to graduate high school and college. His goal is to continue to make great music that will allow him to open businesses and create jobs that will help him provide scholarships for his community. Monty has recently joined full-time staff as the Music Solutions Lab Studio Director in 2019.

Since the release of his mixtape Tale of Two’s City Vol.2 in 2008, Add 2 has been captivating listeners’ and tastemakers’ ears and imaginations with his unique blend of hip hop, jazz and soul. Through his acrobatic wordplay, his detailed storytelling and his no holds barred social commentary, Add 2 has emerged as a respected voice of clarity in a chaotic world.

After years of perfecting his craft, Add 2 has earned a list of accomplishments many emcees dream of. Having appeared on MTV 2, MTV U, FUSE, HOT97, and Shade 45, he is currently sponsored by major clothing company LRG, has performed alongside legendary hip hop band The Roots and is one of Common’s favorite new emcees. Common had this to say:

“Add 2 […] is somebody who seems like he really cares about the culture and cares about uplifting people, and that’s inspirational to see; I get inspired by people that do that. No matter what age you are or where you’re from, when you’re really trying to do something good, I see that and I’m like, ‘man…’  It’s a good reminder of what I should be doing.”

Add 2 grew up on Chicago’s notorious South Side surrounded by an environment that exposed him to many harsh realities at an early age, from gang violence to drug use and poverty. Born the second of three kids, Add 2 found refuge in his writing, determined not to suffer the mistakes of his friends and peers. Through song, Add 2 began telling his story – a story that he felt wasn’t told often but was desperately needed. A story about survival.

After releasing several critically acclaimed projects such as Save.Our.Souls, More Missed Calls and Between Heaven And Hell, Add 2 gained the attention of Grammy Award-winning hip hop producer 9th Wonder. In October 2013, Add 2 officially signed to 9th Wonder’s music label, JAMLA Records.

Natasha Santana-Viera is a Florida native who has a deep passion for supporting others to heal, and strongly believes in the power of young people. As a Social Worker and certified youth facilitator,  Natasha has dedicated her career to supporting young people and creating social change in the realms of educational justice, juvenile justice and social services. Natasha also manages a restorative justice based leadership development and healing program for systems-involved girls, femmes and non-binary youth with S.O.U.L. Sisters Leadership Collective. Additionally, Natasha has operated a nationally-recognized, evidence-based dropout prevention program while working as a Site Coordinator with Communities In Schools, and dedicated two years of service as an AmeriCorps Member with City Year Miami. She has also facilitated an Intergroup Dialogue course on Race and has over 7 years of experience providing individual and family therapy, group facilitation, individual case management, social justice education, college readiness support, curriculum development, and youth leadership development. Natasha holds a Master’s degree from New York University Silver School of Social Work—focusing her studies on adolescents, group work, criminal justice and organizational leadership. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in Sociology with a minor in Theories and Politics of Sexuality.

Sasha Aaronson is a career social worker with more than 20 years of experience working within the social service, non-profit and education landscape. As a clinical social worker, Sasha spent seven years working with children and young adults in the child welfare system in both Rhode Island and Florida. Following her tenure in the child welfare system, she embarked on a career in secondary and higher education. As a school social worker, Sasha witnessed the gaps in the public school system that were not being addressed in the current climate of accountability and standardized testing. Hoping to make a difference, she joined City Year Miami where she served as both a Program Director and Clinical Director supervising full-time AmeriCorps Members, Program Managers, and clinical interns. During her tenure at City Year Miami, Sasha started the clinical program and was crucial in the site’s expansion from 83 AmeriCorps Members to 213. At the same time, she began her academic career as a social work educator. Currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Sacred Heart University, Ms. Aaronson’s teaching focuses on social work policy, advocacy, and social justice. Ms. Aaronson is originally from Providence, RI where she attended Moses Brown School and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in sociology from The University of Massachusetts. She earned her Master’s in Social Work in 2006 and her Master’s in Public Administration in 2017, both from Barry University.

Amanda De Jesus has joined the team at Guitars Over Guns to support in marketing, communications, and development. Amanda has over fifteen years of experience in managing all facets of marketing. Amanda worked for The Standard hotels for almost a decade, starting in Miami Beach and then moving cross country to oversee marketing for hotels in Downtown LA and Hollywood.

Amanda is skilled in building complex marketing plans with a creative yet calculated approach. She’s known for being collaborative, adaptable, and hard-working. Amanda is not new to the Guitars Over Guns family! Her husband Amin was the first rap mentor and has assisted with graphic design over the years.

Marte Siebenhar, founder of Cultured Innovations, creates success on purpose. A classically trained musician and strategic planner, she sparks creativity to catalyze innovation. Marte is a speaker, facilitator, author and consultant with a knack for translating vision into value. Among her achievements are the creation of New World Symphony’s annual Open House program, later adopted by a six-figure sponsor, and Bakehouse Art Complex’s triple-digit increase in annual attendance, funding growth in excess of six figures and the U.S. premiere of a Pablo Picasso exhibition, during her tenure as Executive Director. At the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, she created strategic plans and training resources used by hundreds of organizations worldwide, and she led elementary education programs at Carnegie Hall. An alumna of Manhattan School of Music and fellowships with the Kennedy Center and The Miami Foundation, Marte also coaches leaders worldwide and social impact accelerators including the Watson Institute and Radical Partners.

Tiffany Cannava is a seasoned nonprofit executive with a proven ability to build and lead dynamic development programs, including major gifts, capital campaigns, galas, peer-to-peer fundraising and government/private grants. She specializes in donor and staff relations, excels in the ambassador role and has over 20 years of experience with nonprofit education and social service organizations in board development, operations, staff restructuring, budgeting, strategic planning and program management. Tiffany is a collaborative team-builder working alongside board members, volunteer committees and all levels of staff.

Most recently, Tiffany successfully created and executed all aspects of a feasibility study on behalf of the Church by the Sea to assess and determine the overall viability of the creation of a church-funded nonprofit foundation, while she simultaneously expanded the church’s volunteer network and community engagement efforts. As Director of Advancement, Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns at The Cushman School, Tiffany launched Cushman’s first-ever capital campaign, raising over $6 million. Before joining Cushman, Tiffany served as Vice President, State Operations & Programs for Best Buddies International, where she oversaw the organization’s expansion and operations of 21 state offices across the country with a combined annual budget of $14 million and a department of 180 employees.

Tiffany currently facilitates a monthly nonprofit forum with The Commonwealth Institute, serves as a volunteer on the Executive Committee for the Northeast Corridor Together for Children Coalition, and as the Development Chair on the Early Learning Foundation Board.  She holds a B.A. in Special Education and Psychology from the University of Miami, and lives in Miami with her husband and three children.

An innovative collaborator both on stage and behind the scenes, Carly Gordon enjoys a multifaceted career as an oboist and arts administrator active throughout South Florida and Canada. Lauded for her “warmly phrased” playing (Classical Voice of North Carolina), Carly has performed for two seasons as Second Oboe with the Palm Beach Symphony and Florida Grand Opera, joining the Miami City Ballet orchestra in the 2019-20 season.

Carly is passionate about blending research, storytelling, and new media with creative performance. Specializing in contemporary music, she is an alumna of the Toronto Creative Music Lab, Labo de musique contemporaine de Montréal, and Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. With Against the Grain Theatre, Carly was part of the “awe-inspiring” 2017 debut (Calgary Herald) of a new production of Claude Vivier’s Kopernikus, rejoining the “heroic” instrumental ensemble (Bachtrack) for the opera’s 2019 Toronto premiere and receiving a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her role.

As an administrator, Carly completed a Public Relations internship at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. After two years serving a roster of nonprofit clients as a copywriter/strategist for Miami-based communications firm theAOinsight Group, Carly now works as Special Assistant to the President/CEO of Guitars Over Guns. Here, she implements innovative administrative practices to support the organization’s nationally recognized music education programming.

Carly completed her undergraduate degree in Oboe Performance at the Eastman School of Music, simultaneously pursuing a dual-degree in Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester. In 2017, she completed a Master of Music degree at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University.

Elaysha Powell is a Washington, D.C. native who is passionate about education and youth development. While attending Florida International University’s Honors College studying Public Administration and Statistics, she led the Global Civic Engagement Student Advisory Board, who funded student-led projects that address social issues both domestically and abroad. During her time at FIU, her desire to work with youth led her to become a tutor and mentor with the Little Lighthouse Foundation and the Li’l Abner Foundation. Her love of travel and education merged when she seized the opportunity to travel abroad for a teaching position at a preparatory college in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Elaysha enjoys painting and ceramics, where she specializes in throwing pots on the wheel. Using art as a creative outlet, she has studied pottery in high school, at FIU and during her travels to Southeast Asia.

Upon graduating, Elaysha entered the classroom in Miami-Dade as a geometry teacher through Teach for America. Her passion for students’ growth, both personally and academically, has led her to pursue leadership roles within the school system, including serving as the In-School Coordinator for Guitars Over Guns. In her current role as Programs Manager, she looks forward to continuing to empower youth to discover their purpose and passion!

Walker Moseley was born and raised in Boone, North Carolina, a small town located in the Appalachian mountains. After graduating from North Carolina State University in 2010, he moved to Miami to complete an AmeriCorps year of service with City Year. Upon completing his year of service with City Year, he accepted a Program Manager position with the organization and oversaw City Year’s implementation in Allapattah and Liberty City public schools.

In the fall of 2014, Walker moved to Philadelphia to attend graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania and completed a master’s degree in Public Administration and Organizational Development. While in graduate school, Walker was a Lipman Fellow with the Wharton School of Business and worked for the Committee of Seventy, a think tank focused on ethical governance, where he launched a successful pilot program that engages juniors and seniors in Philadelphia high schools through elections-focused service learning.

Upon completing his graduate degree, Walker accepted a position at the School of Education at Drexel University. At Drexel, he oversaw the creation, development, and implementation of a pilot program called DragonsTeach Middle Years, which aims to expand the middle school teacher pipeline in Philadelphia by creating a pathway for Drexel undergraduates from any major, to add a teacher-certification track to their plan of study without changing their major.

Andrew DeMuro has long balanced a “double life” between music and education. As an undergraduate at the University of Miami’s School of Education & Human Development, he logged over 700 hours in Miami’s low-income schools and communities, including a culminating student- teaching experience at Booker T. Washington Senior High School which earned him UM’s “Excellence in Student Teaching” Award in 2012. He also put his musical talents to work at the renowned Frost School of Music, and became the first freshman non-music major selected for the Jazz Vocal 1 group. 

After graduation, Andrew moved to Chicago to join Teach For America, and was employed at an all-boys charter high school on the city’s West Side. While teaching, Andrew developed a passion for shifting and rebuilding adult mindsets around students from marginalized backgrounds, particularly those with disabilities. He also started his charter network’s first sustained extracurricular choir, UPliftment, which twice earned superior ratings at the Illinois “Trills & Thrills” Music Festival at Six Flags: Great America.

In an effort to better combine his two passions, Andrew joined the Guitars Over Guns family in the fall of 2015 as a founding mentor and site coordinator at Evergreen Academy Middle School on Chicago’s South Side. During this time, he wrote and played music extensively with his acoustic trio, The Shades – a trio University of Miami alumni – and was honored with the unique opportunity to represent “Team Adam” on Season 11 of NBC’s The Voice.

Following his time on The Voice, Andrew immediately returned to the Windy City to begin working as Chicago’s founding Regional Director for Guitars Over Guns. While managing  the experiences of nearly 350 students, fifteen mentors, and four local school partners, he was recognized by his alma mater as one of the University of Miami’s “30 Under 30.” Through his work with Guitars Over Guns, Andrew hopes to continue to strike a balance between his two passions.

Jono De Leon earned a Master’s degree in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami in 2011 after joining Teach For America in 2007 to help close the achievement gap for high-need students in Miami-Dade County. He joined the Guitars Over Guns family in 2012, acting as a mentor, Site Coordinator and Director of Education before stepping into his current role as Chief Operating Officer. 

During his eight years in the classroom, Jono co-founded a guitar program that reached over 2,000 students. He pursued several leadership roles within his school community, serving as the Activities and Athletics Director and the Enrichments Department Chair. From 2011-2015, De Leon was also Director of the Museums and Communications Magnet Programs, planning and overseeing the implementation of magnet curriculum through academic and enrichment courses, and co-facilitating all countywide recruitment efforts along with the school’s International Baccalaureate program. 

Passionate about civic engagement, Jono is an active member of the Miami chapter of Miami’s Next Leaders – an organization focused on training and engaging our nation’s next generation of progressive leaders. After completing his fellowship in 2013, he remained a fixture at the MNL Institute, serving on the Curriculum Council in 2014 and as Capstone Director in 2015 and 2019. Jono also joined Miami’s Next Leaders Executive Board in 2019.

Chad Bernstein is a husband and father of four amazing kids, the co-founder of Guitars Over Guns, and a professional musician who has been instrumental in the evolution of the “Latin Funk” sound of Miami. Through the universal language of music, Chad galvanized the artist community to use music as a bridge to reach and empower Miami and Chicago’s most vulnerable youth. 

Chad received a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami in 2012, turning the focus of his academic studies to Guitars Over Guns in his dissertation, “The Effectiveness of Music Mentoring for At-Risk Youth Through the GOGO Program,” published in 2012. This paved the way for Guitars Over Guns’ research-based methodology and set the stage for Chad and his father, Bob, a Chicago investment professional, to collaborate on the organization’s creation in 2008.  Chad took on Guitars Over Guns as a full-time career upon graduating (while continuing a rigorous performance schedule) and was named CEO in 2012.  Today, Guitars Over Guns has a $2,000,000 budget with 90 musicians serving nearly 1,000 students a year in 30 sites between Miami and Chicago. In April of 2015, Chad was honored as a CNN Hero for his work and has since been featured on the Steve Harvey Show and in People Magazine. Most recently, Chad received the Ruth Shack Leadership Award, an honor held in Miami’s highest regard.

Chad remains one of South Florida’s premier Latin, jazz, and funk artists. While trombone remains his primary instrument, he also plays conch shells, sousaphone, and keyboards with multiple bands.  He performs most prominently with the Latin Grammy-nominated Spam Allstars, with whom he has toured throughout Europe and the U.S., and the highly popular Miami-based Latin-funk band, ¡Suénalo!, the inspiration for Guitars Over Guns.  He has also worked with Pitbull, Shakira, will.i.am, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Chaka Kahn, John Legend, Phil Ramone, and many more. 

Chad is currently serving his second term as a Governor on the board of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), where he co-chairs their Education Committee. In addition to his work with The Spam Allstars and ¡Suénalo!, two groups that have pioneered Miami’s signature Latin-Funk sound, Chad also works with James Brown’s long-time musical director, Pee Wee Ellis, and Latin pop star, Jencarlos Canela.

Chad released his first full-length CD, Suite for 2nd Lieutenant, in 2012, an original body of work he wrote in dedication to his brother, Max Bernstein, upon his first deployment to Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine Corps combat platoon leader.  He released that CD after his brother completed his very distinguished service as a Captain and Company Commander in 2014.