Prestantia: Striving for musical excellence to the glory of God.
Our Mission Statement
"Prestantia Music Academy is dedicated to training and equipping individuals and entire families to be knowledgeable and skillful musicians who, both privately and corporately, desire to use music as a means of worshipping and bringing glory and honor to our Heavenly Father and who, by genuine example, lead and encourage others in the same, both within their own homes and in the greater body of Christ."
About Prestantia
Prestantia Music Academy was founded 1998 by Eric Marts. Eric is a
Christian, Home School graduate and a full-time music instructor. Eric’s vision
for Prestantia was and continues to be to provide music classes of the highest
quality to young men and women that properly equip and train them to be the most
skillful, able and knowledgeable musicians they can be and to encourage them to
always use their skills to bring glory and honor to our Father in Heaven. All
classes are Christ-centered and are taught from the perspective that music was
created by God and should be used, whatever it’s style or genre, to bring glory
and honor to Him at all times. Since its beginnings Prestantia has successfully
instructed hundreds of young musicians in the craft of music challenging
them to make every note and word an offering of worship to Jesus
Christ.
Eric himself has been a studying musician for over 30 years and a
professional music instructor for 23 years. He was homeschooled through Jr. High
and high school and during this time undertook intensive musical studies. He
gained a solid education in musical technique and theory as well as in
effective, cutting edge private teaching skills and communication techniques.
Upon his graduation from home schooling in 1998 the foundation for his own
business had been laid and he was able to open his own full-time teaching studio
which has now grown into Prestantia Music Academy. Eric is a full-time
instructor and is consequently able to dedicate his full attention to the
quality of his classes and to the individual needs and learning styles of each
student.
Eric’s musical education has consisted entirely of intensive private
studies with local maestros including steel string guitar with his father
Douglas Marts (an accomplished guitarist and song writer), theory with Jason
Moore, beginner piano with Molly Mink, Intermediate/advanced piano studies
with Sophia Zalmanova (Conservatory of Music, Ukraine), Classical vocal training with
Mark Greenawalt, and classical guitar with William Jenks (Portland Classical Guitar).
He has participated in master classes with Celin, Pepe, Lito, Celino and Angel Romero
and Gabriel Bianco and in April 2010 was selected to perform one of his own compositions in
a master class with the classical guitar maestro, David Russell. Eric has also
spent much time in independent musical studies in addition to his formal
instruction.
Eric began leading worship corporately alongside his father as a young
man. As a teen he apprenticed and mentored under several full-time worship
leaders and has had the opportunity to lead many times with veteran worship leaders
such as Casey Corum, Randy Butler, Danny Daniels, Scott Underwood,
Larry Hampton, Jimmy John Morris and Tim Smith. During the past 25 years he has
had the privilege of leading worship in churches and large conferences all across the Northwest.
Leading fellow believers before the throne of God in worship and adoration has become a deep
passion for Eric that he desires to pass on to others through the classes he teaches.
He is currently very actively involved in music ministry at his home congregation,
Household of Faith Community Church, in Hillsboro.
Eric has experience on a number of different levels, musically. He has
been performing as a soloist, ensemble member and leader for many years. He has
served as a member and leader in his church’s music ministry. He has also spent
many hours in local studios as a studio musician for others as well as
recording his own original material. Eric has completed six complete
instrumental albums of his own solo, acoustic finger-style guitar, the most
recent of which (Eventide) is a collection of hymns, arranged by Eric for
guitar. In addition to playing music Eric is also a composer and has spent much
time tutoring other songwriters and composers in the craft of creating original
music and lyrics. He has experience playing a wide variety of musical styles,
ranging from fundamental folk-styles to the complexities of Classical, Jazz and
Celtic.
Eric is a 3rd generation musician and is now training up the 4th generation of
young musicians and worshippers in his own home. He takes a very
multi-generational view of music and encourages families to participate and
interact in music together whenever possible, parents with children and siblings
with each other. He believes that parents should be the primary influence in a
child’s life and that parents, regardless of their musical skill, can be a
tremendous support and inspiration to their child’s musical growth.
Eric believes that music should be a facilitator for family-integration and not disintegration
and has a vision to equip and encourage entire households to make music together in
worship to our Heavenly Father. This core principle is encouraged, promoted and
facilitated as much as possible. When multiple members from the same family are
taking classes at Prestantia they learn music from the same perspective and are
taught many of the same songs and are therefore more effectively enabled to play
music together within their homes and during family worship times.
Eric also has a specific vision to help equip fathers with the musical skills they need
to lead their households in times of family worship and he has developed a special, concise
curriculum for the busy father who desires to grow as a musical leader in his home.
Eric’s goal as a teacher is to properly equip and train his students to be the most
skillful, able and knowledgeable musicians they can be and to encourage them at
every opportunity to use all of their skills to the glory of God. Whatever opportunities are
afforded them to use their music in the future, his goal is to see that they are
fully prepared so they can be effective and successful tools in God’s hands with
the gifts and talents He has given them the opportunity to develop.
Eric lives in Hillsboro, OR with his wife, Hannah, where they home school their seven children.
Christian, Home School graduate and a full-time music instructor. Eric’s vision
for Prestantia was and continues to be to provide music classes of the highest
quality to young men and women that properly equip and train them to be the most
skillful, able and knowledgeable musicians they can be and to encourage them to
always use their skills to bring glory and honor to our Father in Heaven. All
classes are Christ-centered and are taught from the perspective that music was
created by God and should be used, whatever it’s style or genre, to bring glory
and honor to Him at all times. Since its beginnings Prestantia has successfully
instructed hundreds of young musicians in the craft of music challenging
them to make every note and word an offering of worship to Jesus
Christ.
Eric himself has been a studying musician for over 30 years and a
professional music instructor for 23 years. He was homeschooled through Jr. High
and high school and during this time undertook intensive musical studies. He
gained a solid education in musical technique and theory as well as in
effective, cutting edge private teaching skills and communication techniques.
Upon his graduation from home schooling in 1998 the foundation for his own
business had been laid and he was able to open his own full-time teaching studio
which has now grown into Prestantia Music Academy. Eric is a full-time
instructor and is consequently able to dedicate his full attention to the
quality of his classes and to the individual needs and learning styles of each
student.
Eric’s musical education has consisted entirely of intensive private
studies with local maestros including steel string guitar with his father
Douglas Marts (an accomplished guitarist and song writer), theory with Jason
Moore, beginner piano with Molly Mink, Intermediate/advanced piano studies
with Sophia Zalmanova (Conservatory of Music, Ukraine), Classical vocal training with
Mark Greenawalt, and classical guitar with William Jenks (Portland Classical Guitar).
He has participated in master classes with Celin, Pepe, Lito, Celino and Angel Romero
and Gabriel Bianco and in April 2010 was selected to perform one of his own compositions in
a master class with the classical guitar maestro, David Russell. Eric has also
spent much time in independent musical studies in addition to his formal
instruction.
Eric began leading worship corporately alongside his father as a young
man. As a teen he apprenticed and mentored under several full-time worship
leaders and has had the opportunity to lead many times with veteran worship leaders
such as Casey Corum, Randy Butler, Danny Daniels, Scott Underwood,
Larry Hampton, Jimmy John Morris and Tim Smith. During the past 25 years he has
had the privilege of leading worship in churches and large conferences all across the Northwest.
Leading fellow believers before the throne of God in worship and adoration has become a deep
passion for Eric that he desires to pass on to others through the classes he teaches.
He is currently very actively involved in music ministry at his home congregation,
Household of Faith Community Church, in Hillsboro.
Eric has experience on a number of different levels, musically. He has
been performing as a soloist, ensemble member and leader for many years. He has
served as a member and leader in his church’s music ministry. He has also spent
many hours in local studios as a studio musician for others as well as
recording his own original material. Eric has completed six complete
instrumental albums of his own solo, acoustic finger-style guitar, the most
recent of which (Eventide) is a collection of hymns, arranged by Eric for
guitar. In addition to playing music Eric is also a composer and has spent much
time tutoring other songwriters and composers in the craft of creating original
music and lyrics. He has experience playing a wide variety of musical styles,
ranging from fundamental folk-styles to the complexities of Classical, Jazz and
Celtic.
Eric is a 3rd generation musician and is now training up the 4th generation of
young musicians and worshippers in his own home. He takes a very
multi-generational view of music and encourages families to participate and
interact in music together whenever possible, parents with children and siblings
with each other. He believes that parents should be the primary influence in a
child’s life and that parents, regardless of their musical skill, can be a
tremendous support and inspiration to their child’s musical growth.
Eric believes that music should be a facilitator for family-integration and not disintegration
and has a vision to equip and encourage entire households to make music together in
worship to our Heavenly Father. This core principle is encouraged, promoted and
facilitated as much as possible. When multiple members from the same family are
taking classes at Prestantia they learn music from the same perspective and are
taught many of the same songs and are therefore more effectively enabled to play
music together within their homes and during family worship times.
Eric also has a specific vision to help equip fathers with the musical skills they need
to lead their households in times of family worship and he has developed a special, concise
curriculum for the busy father who desires to grow as a musical leader in his home.
Eric’s goal as a teacher is to properly equip and train his students to be the most
skillful, able and knowledgeable musicians they can be and to encourage them at
every opportunity to use all of their skills to the glory of God. Whatever opportunities are
afforded them to use their music in the future, his goal is to see that they are
fully prepared so they can be effective and successful tools in God’s hands with
the gifts and talents He has given them the opportunity to develop.
Eric lives in Hillsboro, OR with his wife, Hannah, where they home school their seven children.