Guitar Masterclass

Acclaimed musician David Russell leads a master class with members of Columbus State and Clayton State University’s music program.

For a sneak peek of what it’s like to work with David, watch a virtual master class he led last spring.

About the Participants

Joshua Milner

Joshua Milner, a Georgia native, is currently a Junior Music Education Major at Clayton State University. Joshua originally began his studies of music on the trombone in 2012. He has played the trombone throughout his career as a musician, and his experiences and accolades include being nominated for Governors Honor Program, participating in District Honor Band his junior and senior year of high school, and being a recipient of the Spivey Music Scholarship. In 2018, Joshua began playing the guitar as a hobby. However, his love for classical guitar quickly grew, and he began receiving private lessons from Dr. William Hearn in 2020. After graduating, Mr. Milner plans to teach K12 music in the Georgia public school system.

Mia Padilla

The youngest of five daughters, Mia Padilla was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Her father started teaching her to play the guitar when she was six years old. At age 10, Mia auditioned and was accepted to La Escuela Libre de Música, Ernesto Ramos Antonini de Mayaguez studying with Carlos Ramos and Alberto Baez. In 2013 she won first prize in Puerto Rico’s Asociación de Padres y Amigos Orquestas Secundarias y Superiores (APAOSS) competition.This achievement led to an invitation from Maestro Roselin Pabon to be part of the ‘Concierto de Reyes’ and play with the Puerto Rican Philharmonic. In 2015 she was able to attend the summer camp of ‘La Familia Los Romero’ at Oklahoma City University where she participated in masterclasses with the Romeros and received private lessons with Pepe Romero. In 2016 she started taking lessons with Dr. Jose Antonio Lopez. He helped her to improve her technique and win the APAOSS competition again. Mia travelled to Columbus, GA in 2018 to compete in the Guitar Symposium. Here she won first prize in Division II and met Dr. Andrew Zohn. She was accepted into Dr. Zohn’s studio in 2019. Mia was a finalist in the Young Artist competition in Ocala, FL in 2021 and recently participated in the Appalachian GuitarFest where she won Third Prize of the Undergrad Division.

Leonela Alejandro

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in April 2000, Leonela formally began her musical education when she was six years old. During her first years, she studied with various Puerto Rican teachers including Jomel Rivera, Julio Reyes, and Rey Nieves. She later became a student of Maestro Iván Rijos at the Escuela Libre de Música de San Juan and then at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where she completed the first two years of her undergraduate studies. In 2018, Leonela transferred to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee to complete her Bachelor’s degree with Professor René Izquierdo.

Leonela has received prizes in various level categories at festivals including Boston GuitarFest, Le Domaine Forget, Indiana Guitar Festival & Competition, Chicago Guitar Festival & Competition, Louisville Guitar Festival & Competition, Columbus Guitar Symposium, Southern Guitar Festival, Florida Guitar Festival, and Troy University Guitar Festival.

Leonela is currently living in Columbus, Georgia where she will be pursuing her graduate studies with Dr. Andrew Zohn at CSU’s Schwob School of Music. Leonela plays a Stephan Connor guitar.