Music Lessons in Alexander Valley, CA

Instruments: Piano

I fell in love with music at the young age of four years old. I began taking lessons then and studied music formally until I was twenty years old. I went on to play in several bands, compose songs and musical scores and make recordings. I have a lot of experience teaching classical and pop music styles and I have a lot of patience. After high school, I began setting my poems to music which led to a reenactment of the well-known songwriter fable, moving from Toronto, Ontario, to California to follow my dream of becoming a successful songwriter. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

Each of my students is an individual with specific needs. I learn from all of them to help me be a better teacher, but keep in mind that they will have different strengths and proceed at different rates - and that's okay! I also believe that learning the violin is not a race to the end of book 10, but rather a journey, and that each student's place along that journey comes in many shades of grey. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I've blended my methods with a response to each student I work with by requesting their trust, listening to their places of comfort and interest in playing music, and discovering new avenues of development with the student. I encourage them to draw from those areas in our sessions as we develop our repertoire and enhance individual growth from there. For beginners I tend to start with either Standard of Excellence books or Rubank and build custom practices from there. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I have been teaching piano for over twenty years. My teaching philosophy is that every piano lesson should be fun. For young beginners, I focus on basic technique. The reason is that it is very important to form good playing skills right from the beginning. For older students, I broaden their musical knowlege by introducing piano literature from different time periods. I also encourage them to pick songs that they like to play. Read More

Instruments: Flute Piccolo

I like to tailor each lesson to a student's personal goals and skill level. If the student is a beginner, I typically begin with the method book Flute 101 to learn the appropriate fingerings, sound production, posture, etc. If the student does not have a prior musical background, we will also discuss note reading, ear training, and other aspects of musical education. If the student already knows the basic fundamentals of the instrument, I like to have a discussion about what the student is looking to achieve from their lessons. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar

I always begin with an informal conversation to get to know your interests and music goals are. Depending on the instrument and objective, I might follow traditional curriculum, such as Hal Leonard or Alfred Music. In reality, every student has a different way to approach the music. My job as a teacher is finding out what makes you tick, and use that to cultivate your passion and develop a study practice. Read More