Company
Bio Picture Anthony Costa
Music Director

A New Jersey native, Anthony Costa first began playing guitar at the age of 10 after being inspired by the playing of his older brother. Continued inspiration by the legendary sounds of classic rock greats, such as Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin, helped Anthony quickly become proficient with the instrument. Throughout his high school years, he was in various cover bands as well as an original acoustic trio called Three's A Charm. Also during this period, he became involved with the school chorus as well as the high school theater projects and received vocal lessons from his high school theater director.
 
When he received a bass amplifier as a gift, Anthony decided to pick up bass in order to make use of it. After graduating high school and enrolling in college for graphic design, he briefly filled-in as bass player for the Woodstock, NY based power-pop band Frankie and His Fingers (now known as By Land Or Sea) and in the months following he bought a drum set and began playing drums. Shortly thereafter at age 19, Anthony left college and became a full-time bass player/vocalist for the touring pop/rock act The Crash Moderns with whom he toured all over the United States playing with various well known acts such as Eve6, The Pink Spiders, The Click Five, and Bret Michaels as well as playing well-known music festivals such as SXSW in Austin, TX and Spring Break at South Padre Island. During this time, Anthony recorded with multi-platinum music producer, Kenny Gioia (Marcy Playground, Hall & Oates, Bayside, Head Automatica). Costa also played a short tour of shows in Japan with The Crash Moderns for the U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa.
 
In early 2010, Anthony left The Crash Moderns in order to finish college and get his degree. Now a college graduate, Anthony continues to play guitar, bass, and drums, as well as sing. He has a home studio with which he occasionally records original demos or covers and he always enjoys a good jam session! Though he may not be playing professionally anymore, he will always have a deep love for music and sharing the joys of music with others.

Bio Picture Colin Bell
Drum/Keyboard Instructor

 

Born and raised in Old Bridge, NJ, Colin began drumming at the age of 10. Taught by his father, he started drumming in the Scottish style with bagpipe bands all around North America.  Early performances with the Scottish pipe bands included opening for Rod Stewart at Madison Square Garden, Brendan Byrne Arena, and the Garden State Arts Center over several years.

 

Colin went on throughout high school performing marching percussion with some of the top scholastic percussion ensembles in the state.  This led to a 3 year national touring spot playing snare drum with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps from 2001-2003.  Following the touring with Boston Crusaders, he then completed his college education with a BA in Music Education from Kean University in Union, NJ.  

 

Colin currently is a composer/arranger, performer and educator.  He composes music for some of the top scholastic percussion programs in the state such as Old Bridge High School and Morris Knolls High School.  As a teacher, Colin teaches drum lessons privately, teaches percussion at Old Bridge High School, and is an instrumental music teacher at Wall Central Elementary School in Wall, NJ. He performs in NJ as a freelance percussionist in musicals, jazz combos, and pipe band performances.  Most notably, Colin tours with the reggae rock band Echo Movement, who tours North America, has been on the Warped Tour in 2009 and 2010 amongst other tours, and has shared the stage with The Original Wailers, John Brown's Body, Pepper, Streetlight Manifesto, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, State Radio, and Donovan Frankenreiter to name a few.

 
Bio Picture Jason Koniecko
Guitar, Bass Instructor

Jason has been studying and playing guitar for almost 20 years and has been teaching for the last 9.  Playing in bands since he was 15 he's touched most forms of rock, from indie to metal and is still plenty active with his current band of 4 years.  Since picking up the guitar, Jason's never been without an instructor and is eager to pass on any and all knowledge he's gained to his students whether it's techniques he learned years ago right up to new tricks he picked up last week.  Kids of all ages as well as adults, if the willingness to learn is there, Jason will get you where you want to go