Elizabeth De Deus (Candelas)

Operations Manager & Instructor

Elizabeth is a vocal coach, music producer, and songwriter based in New York City. She grew up singing a wide range of styles from opera and gospel to blues and classic rock. As she got older, she discovered a passion for metal, particularly progressive metal, which led her to perform in metal bands throughout the Tri-State area.

Driven by a desire to deepen her craft, Elizabeth studied Music Production and Audio Engineering at the Music Production Program at Queensborough College and at The Sonic Arts Center at The City College New York. There, she composed an original progressive metal album using DAWs such as Sibelius and Pro Tools. She is currently preparing to bring her original music to the stage with a full live band and immersive visual production.

While in college, Elizabeth began vocal coaching, specializing in vocal technique, music theory, composition, and production. She now teaches the Metal Vocal Virtuoso course and serves as a Metal Vocal Instructor at Metal Mastermind®.

Alfred Potter

Instructor

Alfred is a progressive metal soloist and online guitar tutor living in Wellington, New Zealand. He has released two albums: “Argonaut” and “Splendor of Sands”, and dozens of ebooks and video courses, featuring such standout works as Lead Guitar Practice Methodology and Sweep Picking Master. He is partnered with prominent platforms and companies like Metal Mastermind, Spectre Media Group, Ultimate-Guitar.com, Musescore.com, and Hawk Picks, and has played on tracks alongside players like Michael Romeo of Symphony X, Stéphan Forté of Adagio, and others.

Nic Z

Instructor

Nic is an experienced audio engineer, producer, and music teacher based in Springfield, Massachusetts. He started Fermata Face Studios in 2016 and has worked on everything from extreme French death metal to country music. His musical journey began at age four, and he’s been involved in audio production since 1996.

Over the years, Nic has worked with award-winning bands, helped on early recordings for The Acacia Strain, and run live sound at events like the Nantucket Film Festival. He’s known for stepping in when needed and getting the job done, earning the nickname “audio superhero.”

Nic is also passionate about teaching. He started giving piano lessons at 14 and now teaches guitar, bass, piano, cello, and music production (including mixing and mastering). Helping people grow and reach their musical goals is what drives him.

Rich Gray

Instructor

Rich is the bassist for multi-million selling thrash metal legends Annihilator, as well as creator and multi-instrumentalist for progressive-metal group Aeon Zen of which he also serves as sole songwriter and producer.
Working as a session bassist from his studio in the UK, Gray Matter Audio, he records bass for hundreds of artists each year in a wide range of styles. He also produces and mixes a number of bands each year, including working with members of bands such as Carcass, Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen and many more.
In addition to this, Rich has also worked in several leading internationally touring theatre shows as guitarist, bassist, saxophonist, and keyboardist.
Rich is endorsed by several leading brands such as Dingwall Guitars, Roland, and MeldaProduction.

Todd Burke

Instructor

Todd Burke came up in the legendary analog studios of Hollywood, cutting his teeth on tape before riding the first wave of digital audio in the ’90s. Over the past 30+ years, he’s stayed on the front edge of every major shift in recording—from Pro Tools to Dolby Atmos—mixing records for artists like Ben Harper, M83, Belle and Sebastian, and Fitz and the Tantrums.

He’s recently mixed Atmos releases for Albert Hammond Jr., Christina Perri, and Jeff Goldblum, and his film score credits include The Big Sick, Daddy’s Home, The King of Staten Island, and The Bubble.

Todd works primarily out of Listening Room LA, an immersive and stereo mix room nestled in the foothills east of Hollywood. He’s a core contributor to the recordBetter project, and also teaches on Metal Mastermind and Spectre Academy, sharing his expertise with the next generation of producers and engineers. His work with Antelope Audio helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge tools and the engineers learning to master them.

Emily McKenna

Community Manager (Volunteer)

Emily has been involved in music since she was young; her first love was the tuba, but she discovered the bass guitar as a teenager. She primarily plays the bass, but also guitar and synthesizers, and is currently the bassist and primary songwriter for her band. She is the community manager of the Metal Mastermind® Discord server and helps keep the conversation going.

Bryden MacGregor

Moderator (Volunteer)

Bryden has enjoyed music since he was young and picked up his first guitar at the age of 7. Throughout his schooling, he played in school bands and completed music production for school events and theatre performances, with some vocal training in between. At the end of school, Bryden graduated with his high school diploma with music as his main focus. Today he is focusing on songwriting and starting a band in the future. Bryden is a moderator of the Metal Mastermind® Discord community.