Cello Lessons in Pacifica, CA

Instruments: Cello

My teaching style is open book. What I find motivates a student is what they wish to learn and music they want to play. The basic foundation is one of the key elements to better musicality but also the study of listening and understanding music drives what we consider the originality of each musician. I believe that as much as physical practice drives the growth of a student, I want to build motivation for the student to pursue greater things with music and allow it to translate to other parts of his/her life as it has for myself. Read More

Instruments: Cello

For beginning students, I usually begin heavily with physical technique, music theory exercises, and scales. From there, I use Rick Mooney's Position Pieces as well as solo repertoire from the Suzuki books to develop musicality and efficiency. The solo works chosen are designed to work toward the interests and goals of the students (competitions and/or genre interests). For advanced or adult students, I treat our lessons more broadly, integrating cello playing, music history, and an exploration of the genre as a whole to establish passion and long-term goals. Read More

Instruments: Cello

My goal is not to make my students play like me but to play more like themselves. I aim to give useful tips, exercises, and musical options as opposed to rigid rules. The beauty of playing is in the nuances that an individual can bring to a performance, so I try to let that individuality shine. I encourage this freedom more specifically through a strong technical foundation. The more secure a player's technique becomes the easier it becomes to express their ideas. Read More

Instruments: Piano Cello Keyboard

I try to balance the needs of my students and work to strengthen their musical weaknesses for example working on Vibrato or bow distribution. Usually, I like to spend 10 minutes warming up both hands with long tones, scales, arpeggios, and other fun exercises. During the next 30 minutes, we tend to focus on fixing issues relating to the music such as rhythms or intonation issues. In the last 20 minutes of the lesson I tend to focus on musicality and finding inspiration to give to my students so they can exploit their potential. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Organ Ukulele Electric Violin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar

My name is Jorge S. I am a 24 year old artist/composer that recently moved to the Bay Area to nurture my passions in painting and making music. I grew up in Texas where I began my classical music education in the 4th grade. I began taking the violin more seriously as I grew older and eventually studied with two particular members of the San Antonio Symphony, Andrew Small and Emily Freudigman, the former of which was Itzhak Perlman's student for many years. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I graduated with a Master's Degree in Music from New York State University at Stony Brook and also earned a performance certificate from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb. My instructors include world celebrated Beaux Arts Trio cellist Bernard Greenhouse and Russian cellist Raya Garbusova. During my college years, I had toured and performed extensively with Young Artists’ Concert Chamber Music Group, which also includes televised performances. In addition to that, I was selected to appear regularly in a chamber music series in New York City with many renowned artists including violinist Raphael Hillyer, bassist Julius Levine, and clarinetist Charles Russo. Read More

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola Electric Violin Music

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Any learning repertoire can be incorporated into lessons depending on the students playing level. Read More