Woodwinds
Guitar, Piano

Education

BME Hartt School of Music

Eugene Cantera

Eugene grew up in New Jersey where the summers were filled with sunny days on Long Beach Island and his early musical influences were shaped by his parents and older siblings.  They include big band jazz, Frank Sinatra,  the music of Motown and 60's and 70's rock. He began formal music training at age 11 when the family moved to Westboro, Massachusetts, a town whose programs consistently rate among the "Best Communities for Music Education in the US". 

Eugene went on to attended the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education. He was on "the road" for 10 years with a regional band called Thunder Road and began teaching at Hartt's award-winning Community Division immediately upon graduation. 

Eugene visited Dallas in 1994 and relocated shortly thereafter. He has been a mainstay of the DSM staff since shortly after the doors opened and has worked with a wide array of students, from novice learners to professional musicians. He has taught just about every instrument and has worked with students from age 3 to 80+.  Eugene also has experience in teaching both physically and emotionally challenged learners.

Eugene performs often in the Dallas area; you are just as likely to see him playing with a small jazz combo as you are with a number of local pop, rock, and R & B bands. He was recently invited to be "Artist in Residence" at the prestigious Wilderness School in Adelaide, Australia. While in attending the residency, he spent time coaching ensembles, teaching private lessons, visiting music classes and exploring the city's culture. At the end of his stay, Eugene performed a concert as guest soloist with nearly a dozen Wilderness ensembles.
The Dallas School of Music
Best music education in North Texas by CBS DFW, D Magazine and Dallas Child Magazine