Guitar Lessons in Fort Worth, TX

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Ukulele Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Yes! My mother is the most musical of them all. Her mother played saxophone, banjo, and piano. My mother plays piano and taught it to my siblings and I when we were younger. They went on to learn some different instruments while I stuck with piano and then more. My father also played trumpet!

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
That's a great question! I decided to start teaching full time after I realized that I simply adore teaching and having a life filled with creating, teaching, listening to and producing music.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Folk, Indie, and Classical. I enjoy the predictable but beautiful nature of classical music, while I also enjoy the unpredictable and fun elements in folk and indie.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I thought, "How cool would it be to play guitar?" and I wanted to be able to play it in the worship team at my church. At 15, I picked up the guitar and the rest is history! Then I learned ukulele because it's such a happy and fun instrument. I started singing more and joined choir, and then I picked up the bass!

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I believe if I wasn't a musician I would be a nutritionist or lawyer instead! Those two seem pretty distant from each other. I am passionate about finding the truth and also about health.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I actually really enjoy conducting and would love to conduct Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. The music in The Legend of Zelda is just so beautiful and you can get so easily immersed in it!

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a Bachelor's of Science in Music Business due to my interest in music production. I went on to pursue a Master's in Music Theory because i couldn't get enough of how Music works and why! I wanted to understand it more and chose this field because I also want to teach theory.

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Some of my students have gotten callbacks for auditions for a musical and gotten the part they wanted. Others have recieved small trophies based on passing a musical test.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Playing with both hands at different speeds! You just have to remember to take it one step at a time and it will come gradually get easier. :)

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Keith Snell Faber Piano Adventures Hal Leonard I am most familiar with these methods. The main reason I choose piano adventures is because they have multiple books that go along with what you learn in the lesson, which helps with repetition and completely explaining a concept!

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
First, I play through multiple scales, chord progressions, and arpeggios. I make sure they are all the same speed and if I have some mistakes, I slow it down and clean it up. Then I observe my piece of music. If I have a general understanding of the piece, I play through it all together and then go over the problem spots slowly and hands together! That's how I handle practicing piano.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
My albums on Spotify and my compositions for brass quintet, string trio, and string quintet plus woodwinds! I'm also very proud of some of my other compositions.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
For younger students, practice 15 minutes at a time. Make this time dedicated and very intentional. You can achieve a lot more in 15 minutes of focused work than 30 minutes of distracted work. For 12 and up, I recommend practicing for about 30 minutes and taking small breaks to play whatever you would like..

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
It definitely depends on the instrument! See how well they do with their attention span. Staying focused for 30 minutes can be difficult even for us adults! If the student is under 5 I do not recommend lessons just yet. They also need their fingers to be a bit more developed so they can control their fine motor skills on these instruments.

When will I start to see results?
This all depends on how much the student practices and their aptitude. It does come down to the teacher, but practicing and progressing is both the teacher's responsibility and the student's/parent's.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Piano is a fantastic base instrument. You can learn the concepts of music on an instrument where you can see the keys, as well as learn concepts that are much easier to teach using the piano. My mother taught me at a very young age. I gave up piano around 6 years old and took lessons again when I was 12. I fell in love with how beautiful it sounded.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
Music in general inspired me. I couldn't imagine a life without it And because it was so impactful to me, I wanted to share that joy with others!

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