Bill Hart was born and raised in Canada and began playing guitar at the young age of nine years old. Hart immediately felt drawn to the instrument and would find every opportunity to covertly rendezvous with his guitar. A lifelong connection was formed.

Hart started taking lessons when he was thirteen. Initially, he played rock, influenced by the diverse guitar styles of Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. One day, in a music store, he saw a jazz musician playing a guitar and doing the most incredible things. Bill wanted to know how the guitarist played that amazing music. Thirty years later, Hart modestly says he is still trying to figure it out. Currently, Hart is the one playing the amazing music, while always keeping it accessible to one and all.

Hart's early training was fairly non-traditional. As a teenager, he spent time playing in theaters performing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Little Shop of Horrors”, where he was the designated musician, providing live music for the shows. Fascinated by the mathematical precision of music, Bill attended the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California, graduating with honors.  Bill has studied under master guitarists Mike Stern, Steve Khan, Wayne Krantz and Scott Henderson. Bill's true joy comes from playing his original compositions.  Bill Hart has opened for jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Lou Rawls, Yellow Jackets, Acoustic Alchemy, Joey Defrancesco, Norman Brown, Rippingtons and Mike Stern.

Hart has been the head of the guitar program at the Atlanta Institute of Music for fifteen years, teaching and mentoring over 1800 students. He has participated in numerous music clinics with seminar partners such as Scott Ambush and Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), Mike Stern (Miles Davis Band), Adam Nitti (Steven Curtis Chapman), Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers) and Jimmy Herring (The Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic).  Mr. Hart has released four albums: "Watch the Sky", "Think About It", "Subject To Change" and the new release "This Is Why".  Bill, his wife, Kristin, and their two daughters are members at McKendree UMC in Lawrenceville.

Learn more about Bill's projects and music at www.billhartmusic.com

Steven Burkholder was born in Linneus, Missouri, a small farming town.  He is the youngest of seven children.  He began his musical career on his seventh birthday when he took his first piano lesson.  Steven, being a precocious and hyperactive child, pursued music passionately throughout his elementary, middle, and high school years.  Music became a very powerful outlet for Steven to channel his energies and to focus his attention.  At the age of ten, Steven won his first piano competition, but that success was saddened by the sudden death of his father two days later.

During the next few years, music became more than an outlet to channel Steven's energies; it became a way to communicate his grief.  He began to play organ at the Catholic Church his family attended at age eleven, and at age thirteen began to instruct his own piano students, under the mentorship of his own instructor.  Also, at the age of thirteen, Steven began to accompany for all the music events at his high school, Linn County R-1.  He played various instrumental, vocal, and choral performances at competitions, concerts, and auditions.

At the age of 15, Steven was asked to perform an a cappella version of "America the Beautiful" for his high school.  Given only a week to prepare, he rose to the challenge and gave his first public vocal performance and received his first standing ovation, much to his surprise!  Steven went on to graduate as valedictorian of his class in 1989.

Steven pursued a music degree at the University of Missouri, on a full academic scholarship.  Steven studied theater, a cappella choral ensemble, music theory, music history, vocal and piano pedagogy, and recital performance prep.  One of his college highlights was being asked to be the Associate Musical Director of the Sondheim musical "Assassins" in which the performance won an Honorable Mention.  Several of the actors in that performance can currently be seen on Broadway, Television, and motion pictures.

After graduating cum laude in 1994, Steven married his beautiful wife, Amy.  They served together as Musical Directors at Victory Christian Church in Columbia, Missouri.  Then went on to have two wonderful sons.  After the birth of their first son in 1996, they moved to Georgia to follow God's call and serve in Christian City Church in Atlanta.  Steven and Amy both serve as musical directors for various sectors of Christian City Church.  In 1997, Steven took a position at Music and Arts in Snellville teaching Piano and Voice.  In 2004, Steven was asked to become the Music Pastor of Christian City Church North Atlanta in Roswell.  Steven also teaches students at Music and Arts in Woodstock and Alpharetta, as well as Snellville! 

Steven and his family now reside in Cumming and he and his wife are currently, as of March 2010, the directors of Forsyth Christian Home Educators' organization.  Steven and Amy still continue to homeschool both of their sons.  Grace Notes is excited to have them as part of our family!