Steinway Academy of Music

Spanish Fort

Our instruction is tailored to meet the needs of each student to make the study of music engaging, fulfilling, and fun. We offer weekly private lessons in Piano, Violin, Voice, Guitar and Ukulele. Students of all ages and levels are welcome, including adults. Lessons are offered starting at $120/month for 30-minute lessons depending on the age and level of the student. Contact us today to schedule your lessons!

Why should you study with us?

• One-on-one, personalized instruction is the standard in our academy. Our instructors are devoted to helping you succeed, and customize their instruction to fit your learning style and musical goals.
• Our academy’s piano studios feature Steinway-designed, acoustic pianos.
• All studio recitals are held on Steinway 9’ concert grand pianos.
• All of our teachers hold university degrees in music and have extensive experience in music education and performing.
• We offer many diverse performing opportunities for our students, such as frequent studio recitals, competitions, music camps, and masterclasses with guest artists.
• Our convenient location next to the Eastern Shore Center in Spanish Fort makes our academy easily accessible for students from all over the Eastern Shore and beyond.

Meet Our Teachers

Daniel DeKonty, Piano and Voice Teacher 

Daniel K. DeKonty, Jr. is the manager of the academy at Steinway Piano Gallery and is a member of MTNA, BCMTA, and serves on the state board of AMTA. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in piano and voice from Kennesaw State University. Daniel has also been a member of ACDA, AMEA, NAfME, and Mobile MTA. He studied undergraduate music at Shorter College and Lee University as well as post-graduate work in music education at West Georgia University.

Daniel has been involved in music education for the last ten years and has had two of his students perform at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, New York. Prior to teaching, Daniel spent 25 years working full-time in church music. He has worked as director of music and fine arts at West Union Baptist Church, Gray’s Chapel A.M.E. church, Church on the Word, and First Assembly of God. Along with teaching, Daniel currently serves as the part-time minister of music at Stockton First Baptist Church in Stockton, Alabama. He believes that a good musician should be capable of performing multiple genres of music and teaches his students based on bringing out their strengths in the styles they enjoy and can most excel in.

Daniel has been in many choral and performance groups through his music career. He has performed in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Russia. A background vocalist for live performances by Alvin Slaughter, Ron Kenoly, Lily Knowles, and Karen Wheaton; He has also been involved in recordings for Integrity Music, Brentwood Records, Benson and Pathway Press.

Dr. Colin Pang, Piano Teacher

Dr. Colin Pang began pursuing piano at the age of five. A member of the Baldwin County Music Teachers Association and the Mobile County Music Teachers Association, he has studied at the City Music Center of Duquesne University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and with world-class musicians around the country, such as Douglas Buys of New England Conservatory. In addition to his training as a classical pianist, he has earned a PhD in Classical Studies from Boston University. Colin maintains an ambitious performance schedule, playing at venues in California, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Colin believes that pianists need to get out into their communities and make friends musically, so he makes performing chamber music and accompanying church choirs a regular part of his professional portfolio. He is also a composer for film and television, and has been writing to picture for over a decade.

Colin maintains a private studio of pianists and has been teaching young musicians since his high school years. His philosophy is that music is not only a school of beauty in and of itself, but that the craft of making music is mentally, morally and physically uplifting. The study of music teaches us not only how to love music, but how to become self-sufficient, curious, and industrious people. For these reasons, Colin's focus is on instilling in his students a deep and abiding passion for music, while teaching them how to approach the activity of making music from both an intellectual and physical standpoint. Powerful piano playing, he says, depends as much on how we think about music as it depends on our posture or technique. He teaches students of all ages and musical backgrounds, and looks forward to imparting his knowledge and experience to the next generation of artists.

Dianne Nickel, Piano and Voice Teacher 

J. Dianne Anderson-Nickel is recently retired from over 40 years of full time teaching as a general music and choral educator. “Dr. Music” (as she is affectionately called by students) has earned degrees from Arizona State University (D.M.A., General Music); M.Ed., Educational Administration and Supervision), Georgia State University, (M.M. in Music Education) and Tennessee Temple University (B.S in Secondary Education/Music). Additionally, she completed post graduate work in music therapy and world drumming.  Dianne has taught in both public and private schools along with a private studio. She has served as minister of music and the director of choirs in churches in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Arizona. 

Dianne believes strongly that performance, technique, and music literacy are equally important in the development of musicianship and offers her students opportunities to perform in their churches, schools, and civic events. During her tenure in Phoenix, Dr. Anderson-Nickel served as the liaison and co-facilitator for the district’s general music and choral educators.  In Georgia, she accepted responsibility for GMEA’s and ACSI’s choral and solo/ensemble festivals. 

After retiring in May 2021, Dianne and her husband Ed relocated back to her home state of Alabama.  Though retired, Dr. Music is at home with students, instilling the magic and beauty of all musics. She continues to teach (part-time) elementary general music and high school choir at Central Christian School. They enjoy being with family, establishing their home, and gardening.

Juanita Luginbuhl- Piano and Voice teacher

Over the past 30 + years, Juanita has been teaching piano and voice to children and adults. Her lessons are tailored to fit the learning style of each student. She has taught students with learning and physical disabilities. Locally, she has been involved in many singing groups. She has directed small children's choirs as well as mixed vocal groups. She was a judge for 11 years for a national Fine Arts competition and has been a part of and led praise and worship teams at churches locally. During college, and after, she has appeared on local TV programs as well as National Christian TV stations and traveled with various contemporary Christian singing groups. Her studies include piano, voice and music theory at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio and a BA in Music from Central Bible College, Springfield, Missouri. Born and raised in Ohio, she recently moved to the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay to be closer to her grandchildren and is excited to continue teaching piano in a new part of the country.

Kedra Kinney, Violin and Viola Teacher  

Kedra has played violin since starting at the age of nine in a fourth grade string class. She knows the value of both the school orchestra setting and private lessons. She credits her early violin teachers with passing on a passion for music by learning a repertoire of violin classics and moving ahead with challenging and enjoyable music. Kedra desires to pass on that passion for music to her students. Kedra values the benefit of playing an instrument with skill and the ability to pick it up and play anytime, anywhere, and for any occasion. She endeavors to pass onto students a joy in performing and sharing their music with others.

Kedra has over ten years of teaching experience. In addition to teaching private violin lessons, she has taught general music and orchestra classes at schools in Idaho, Washington, and Minnesota.

Kedra played violin with the Everett Symphony and currently plays at her church, Zion Lutheran in Silverhill. From 2001 to 2011 she worked as an ethnomusicologist specialist with Lutheran Bible Translators - facilitating and conducting songwriting and audio drama workshops in Botswana, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.

Kedra holds a Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology from Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota and a Bachelor of Music, music education major, from the University of Wyoming.

Eric Marerro, Guitar, Electric Bass and Ukulele Instructor

Eric performed with the United States Air Force Band in Tampa, Fl. on trumpet, guitar and electric bass entertaining world famous dignitaries and TV and movie personalities and backing up celebrities such as Anita Bryant. In Miami, Florida he was on the same billing as the Cowsills (Partridge Family starring David Cassidy) and host Peter Marshall of Hollywood Squares fame.

He has also played in bands that opened on concerts and shows, and/or performed with such names as Maynard Furgeson, Shelby Lynn, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Reba McEntire, Marie Osmond and others. And performing in conjunction with Miss America 2005, Diedre Downs.

Eric has done radio and TV commercials, national as well as local. He also appears along with songwriter/performer/creative genius Jerry Powell on the award winning song "Bodine Brown" on the nationally famous Dr. Demento's album "Demento's Mementos".

On April 2020 - In a contest, two 6 sec. sound bites Eric submitted, and were chosen to represent THE MOBILE ARTS COUNCIL.  In 2019, Eric, Chris Miller and Jerry Powell had the #1 song "Carolina Shore" for 14 weeks on the National Beach Music Top 40. In 2020, he and Jerry Powell had the #1 song on the Radio A1A Trop Rock Trop40, "You And The Yucatan," from the CD, "Highly Recreational Man." You And The Yucatan remained in the Top 10 for weeks , and of March, 2020, still ranks high on the charts. Eric has taught at Covenant Christian School in Mobile for the last 18 years.  Eric is the 2024 LAGNIAPPE READER'S CHOICE WINNER - BEST Blues Artist and BEST Jazz Musician.