about
WELCOME!
Jesse and Leaa Cruce have been partners in life and music for over 25 years. With a shared passion for community, creativity, and family, they’ve built a music education program rooted in connection, joy, and lifelong learning.
Jesse Cruce grew up surrounded by music at his family's business, Palatka Music Center, where he first discovered his love for playing and teaching. He later studied in Jazz Performance and Music Education at the University of North Florida, developing a well-rounded approach to instruction that blends technical skill with creativity and heart. A multi-instrumentalist and natural teacher, Jesse brings decades of experience and a deep belief in the power of music to every lesson and class.
Together they continue the Cruce family’s 50 -year tradition of enriching lives through music. Their mission is simple: to create a space where families connect, students grow, and music becomes a joyful part of everyday life.
LESSONS AVAILABLE
MONDAY-THURSDAY
New Location and New Teachers!
Fun and focused private and group lessons for all ages. Guitar, Piano, Voice, Bass, Drums, Brass/Woodwinds, Violin,Mandolin, Banjo, Student Bands, Audio Engineering,
Music Theory and more!
Hello!
Jesse Cruce here. I wanted to give you an update on our new studio space. One year after beginning renovations, we are welcoming our third teacher in to the mix.
St. Augustine native, Jesse Montgomery, will be teaching guitar,piano,and drums with us in 2026 starting with Tuesday afternoons. Jesse was a student of mine way back. By the time I met him as a teenager he was already a great player, but he studied music theory with me and was accepted into the music program at UNF. We recently reconnected and I can tell he is going to be a perfect fit to our program.
Our other teachers, Mike Spottswood (piano,guitar,trumpet) and Jessica Hope (piano,uke,voice) have been doing fantastic work with their students for over 8 months now. They have a few afterschool/evening times available and are looking for more homeschool and adult students who are available for AM/midday time slots. I’m teaching Mon-Thurs and still have some availability thanks to our new teachers.
We are thrilled to introduce these outstanding additions to our team:
All are talented musicians and educators, but most importantly to us—longtime family friends who understand and share our passion for music. We’ve played in bands together, shared lots of musical memories, and its been so fun for me introducing them to our community.
With their help, we’re now expanding our offerings to include:
Mike: Classical piano, trumpet, guitar, bass, and music theory
Jessica: Voice, ukulele, beginner piano and guitar,
Jesse Montgomery: Guitar, Piano, Audio Production Software
Jesse Cruce: Guitar,Drums, Violin, Piano, and more.
We’re excited to welcome new students and to continue building this amazing family of music-makers here in St. Augustine. As always, please help us spread the word—there’s more room in the circle for more great families!
Jesse and Leaa Cruce
