About Us

For more than 30 years, Chip Dee has been a professional musician and certified music educator and is the proud founder of the Chip
Dee Academy of Music. The philosophy of the Chip Dee Academy of Music is and will always be based on the belief as evidenced by the
founder’s experiences – that music above all modalities, offers the most profound, universal and all-encompassing emotional and aesthetic experience for the human condition. No other “language” is as universal in its power to heal and bring people of all ages and abilities and disabilities together. This philosophy has evolved to be a Chip Dee Academy of Music quest, “Saving the world from music
illiteracy one note at a time.”

The Chip Dee Academy of Music is a comfortable and acoustically optimized suite of music studios for the professional as well as student
musician who’s interested in music composition and performance ranging from Vocal, Piano and Guitar to Drums, Bass, Violin /
Cello, Woodwinds and Brass. In all styles of music from classical, country, folk, rhythm and blues to doo-wop, jazz, and rock. The Chip
Dee Academy of Music is all about creativity and musical expression – reinvigorate your rock band, bring harmony to your vocal group or learn to scintillate as a soloist.

Concerts/Performances

We have a minimum of 2 concerts per year, one less formal concert about mid year, especially to give our young and first time students a low pressure, positive experience.

Our semester ending concerts are usually the 2 nd week in June. This one features all of our students and ensembles from pre-K up to High School ages. We are planning future concerts featuring our adult students as well!

In addition to these performances, our ensembles are often featured in Town events, Library shows and the annual Street Fair among others.

Special Needs Population

We have over 40 years combined experience working with the special
needs population, having worked with all disabilities on the
spectrum.

We have set up special needs music programs in several North Jersey school districts in the past as well as teaching music at the Jointure in Lodi, ECLC, Manhattan Psychiatric Center, and even Geriatric Centers in NYC.

We are well acquainted with all of the challenges facing this population, but also have witnessed the profound effect Music has on the human condition and the positive,results music can produce in the healing process!

Meet Chip Degaard, Owner

Chip Degaard

Owner

You might say, he’s a “Chip” off the old block. John “Chip” Degaard’s father was a classical pianist, organist, professor of music, composer and music therapist. Chip is an accomplished R&B, Blues, Jazz & Rock piano player, vocalist, composer, drummer, an educator and advocate for the special needs population. Not quite the same, but close enough to be a “Chip” for sure. For more information on Chip’s live performances and original music visit ChipDegaard.com.

Instructors

Evan Ardelle

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

With almost 20 years in Music Education and over half a century of experience as a cellist, Evan Ardelle offers String Instrument instruction in Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass. Mr. Ardelle provides a foundation of Music Theory for his students in conjunction with proper Playing Technique, Intonation, Rhythm, Phrasing and Interpretation. He also focuses on Ensemble Playing by including duets in each lesson, and he helps his students prepare for performances with orchestras and chamber music groups through Performance Coaching.

A proud dad of two sons and a lifelong resident of Bergen County, Mr. Ardelle is a graduate of Montclair State University, is an active member of Rotary and volunteers his time assisting local food pantries and animal shelters.

Carmine Scordo

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

Carmine Scordo graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in Music Education and has been an instructor at the Chip Dee Academy of music since 2010. He is a New Jersey state certified music educator who taught at the South Bergen Jointure Commission – a public school district which provides special education services – and currently teaches general and instruments music at the Holmstead School – a therapeutic school located in Ridgewood, NJ.

Carmine is a classically trained guitarist who performs professionally. He was selected to perform as part of a masterclass at the John J. Cali School of Music – the conservatory of Montclair State University – in the spring of 2016. Along with general music instruction, Carmine provides preparatory instruction for college courses and auditions.

Carmine has worked and continues to work with a diverse population of students with a wide range of abilities.

Pete N. Diamantis

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

Pete Diamantis is a graduate of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State and holds a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education with a focus on Guitar. He is currently pursuing his MAT at Montclair State University with a concentration in Educational Leadership. He has been teaching Pre-K – 8th grade general music, Guitar, Choir and Ukulele for the last 5 years in the Newark Public School system. He has been rated as a highly effective teacher by the state of New Jersey and is currently tenured. Pete has been involved in music since the age of 10 where he started on the saxophone, and then eventually found guitar. Pete has also been involved in various musical acts through-out highschool and college. Within these musical acts Pete has been lucky enough to perform hundreds of shows of his original music within New Jersey and around the country. Pete is also well versed in composing, recording, producing and performing his original music. Pete is inspired to teach through creativity by being versed in all instruments. Pete offers a unique lesson format that focuses on songwriting, technique and performance. Many of the students Pete currently teaches have written, recorded and performed their own music through Pete’s teachings. His ultimate goal is to create lifelong music creators and inspire students to feel confident in their creativity as a musician.

John Marc Degaard

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

John Marc Degaard is a New York based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, music educator and producer. Trained in jazz and Latin styles of music and playing everything from pop to neo-soul/hip hop to metal/hardcore, John Marc is a seasoned professional live/recording drummer, having played for multiple artists domestically and internationally. Most recently, he’s had the honor of being the house drummer for the Richie Cannata (Billy Joel) Monday Night Jam. Currently, he’s a member of the Boston based alternative rock/emo outfit Sounds & Scenarios. A graduate of Berklee College Of Music with a bachelor’s degree in Songwriting and Production, John Marc has a passion for performing music just as much as he does writing.

A versatile multi instrumentalist, whether on Drums, Guitar, or Bass, you can find him performing on many these instruments at various venues in New York City, most notably The Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall and many more. He also has a prominent social media presence on Instagram, among others. John Marc has found a passion for teaching ever since he started sharing some of his licks with fellow musicians. He’s a firm believer that being the best teacher he can be can bring about the best of a student’s ability and direct their interests towards enhancing their life and musical goals. John Marc specializes in College Prep and has gotten several students scholarships to his alma mater as well as helping them in their high school years become the strongest players in their high school programs.

Instructors

Michael

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

Michael Sarbone studied guitar and music theory since age 13 at the Guitar and Bass Academy of Jackson. He received a degree in Music Education at Montclair State University with a concentration in classical guitar. He currently teaches in Passaic Public Schools, where he teaches choir as well as guitar classes. As a classical and rock guitar enthusiast with proficiency in jazz, Michael continues to share his passion for teaching guitar here at Chip Dee Academy.

Jessica Finkelstein

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

Jessica Finkelstein is a graduate of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State and holds a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education. She is currently pursuing her MAT at Montclair State University with a concentration in Special Education. Jessica has been playing music since age 7, starting with guitar. She started the violin in upper elementary school and explored various styles and genres throughout her educational experience. During her time as an undergraduate, Jessica has performed in orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choirs, and has had the privilege to travel to multiple performances and teaching venues across the country. Jessica has also been an avid enthusiast of world music and enjoys studying West African Drumming and Balkan music. Along with performing, Jessica has been consistently teaching in various settings such as group lessons, private lessons, public school, and after-school programs for the past six years. She is inspired by the students she works with and strives to fulfill their unique and individual musical goals.

Andy Giron-Freay

Chip Dee Academy of Music Instructor

Andy Giron-Freay is our newest member of the Chip Dee Academy of Music! He’s a junior studying Music Therapy at Montclair State University with his emphasis in Classical Guitar. Although largely self taught, Andy has taken up music seriously to learn piano and voice as well. With close to 15 years of playing experience he brings a lot of energy and charisma to the team. If you like blues, contemporary, rock, acoustic or classical styles of Guitar, this is your guy

Covid Update: We're Open! And taking all the necessary steps to keep you safe.

Dear Students, Parents,

First of all, on behalf of our teachers and myself I'd like to thank those of you who have stayed with us during this trying time, and have continued your music studies. Words cannot express our gratitude!! Because of your support ,we've been able to survive in this pandemic climate and it looks like we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

As per Gov. Murphys reopening policy, we are following the scheduled openings of hair salons and barber shops because of the fact that these closely mimic our teaching model, which as you know, is one on one. So we're planning on opening starting Tuesday, June 23rd, with some conditions;

1) to start, for myself,I am scheduling students for Wednesdays and Thursdays,and possibly Saturdays only, pretty much the whole day, starting at 10 or 10:30 am. There will be 10-15 minutes between lessons in order to allow people to come and go with minimum contact with others! If you study with someone else, we'd like to do different days to avoid too many people in the studio at the same time.

2), You and/or your child will be required to wear a mask, NO EXCEPTIONS!! Students must also wash their hands before taking their lessons.

3)We will of course also wear masks, we will be wiping down instruments after each lesson, as well as door handles, etc. daily. The studio was completely professionally cleaned when we closed the studio and has not been used since except for myself stopping by once weekly.

4) Due to the fact that some students have health issues and some parents are not yet comfortable with returning to the studio, we will continue to offer virtual lessons on Zoom for those who choose to do so.

5) we usually have a concert this time of year, but for obvious reasons we've postponed this until further notice.

6) for those of you who've discontinued lessons during this pandemic, we'd love to have you back. Please contact us regarding your plans. We are much more flexible at this point! If we don't hear from you we will assume you no longer wish to have lessons and you will be terminated from our student roster.

7) We will close the studio immediately if a student or staff member is affected by the virus. Please feel free to contact me or any of our teachers with any questions or concerns. We want to have a safe and healthy reopening and be able to fill the studio with music once again!

Thank you again for your support,