Mary Steinbrecher

BIO

Mary Steinbrecher is a multi-instrumentalist and music instructor based in Asheville, NC. She teaches private lessons for voice, guitar, bass, and piano, as well as group band classes.

Mary grew up in North Stonington, CT, and got her start with music in the elementary school band, playing clarinet. In middle school she picked up the guitar, and this took her love for music to a new level. It wasn’t long before she began taking guitar lessons, writing songs, and performing at open mics. Singing was also always a big part of her life, and her fascination with jazz singing lead her to eventually switch from guitar lessons to voice lessons in high school.

In 2015, Mary moved to Asheville, NC to pursue a degree in Jazz and Contemporary Studies from the University of North Carolina Asheville. It was there that she studied with a variety of great teachers, including Simone Vigilante, Paul Templon, and Richard Shulman. While at UNCA her main focus was on singing, but she also took several classes on piano and guitar. During that time she also began gigging professionally with jazz bands and as a hired singer in choral groups.

After graduating from UNCA in 2019, Mary applied to New England Conservatory and was accepted into the master’s degree program as a guitarist for the Contemporary Improvisation major. At NEC she was introduced to free jazz, and honed her technique as a guitarist with her teacher Joe Morris. She also continued vocal lessons with Dominique Eade, who focused on the biological mechanics of the voice.

In 2020 Mary decided to leave NEC due to the interruption of the Covid pandemic, and she returned to Asheville. Upon her return she bought a bass and started playing in rock bands as a bass player. Now she is the bassist for several Asheville-based bands, including BEX, Night Walks, and Lavender Blue.

Lessons with Mary

As a teacher Mary focuses on the musician as a whole. Her teaching style utilizes technique and creativity to help foster each students unique voice. She tailors each lesson to the students individual needs and goals. A typical lesson will include exercises to improve technique and application of those techniques on repertoire that consists of everything from Mozart to Metallica. While her expertise lies in Jazz and contemporary music, she also loves to help students foster their own voice through songwriting and improvisation.