Music Lessons in Almonesson, PA

Instruments: Guitar

I have been playing guitar since age 10 to the present (age 56). Styles primarily include:rock, blues, jazz, funk and r & b. Studied music with various teachers at various levels during the first 15 of those years. Have extensive experience in live performance in the concert and club venues in Pittsburgh,Pa., and Ft Lauderdale/Miami, Fl regions. Also, have taught private lessons on and off during these years when schedule allowed. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For a beginner vocalist, I will always begin with standard bel canto vocalises. These promote, first and foremost, the health of the voice. They also build flexibility, agility, and suppleness within the vocal cords. As students advance, these vocalises become more and more advanced. The technique built in the vocalises eventually infiltrates a singers' repertoire, and appropriate repertoire choices are extremely important and made thoughtfully. Pianists begin with an introduction through scales and music theory. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Music

For all beginning students who are children, but also adult beginners, I like to focus on vocal warm-ups and exercises to ensure that they develop the fundamentals of healthy singing. After getting to know the student's voice a bit, I believe that coaching solo vocal repertoire is essential to building vocal technique and confidence in performing ability for many different situations. When assigning vocal repertoire, I first like to find out what sort of music the student is interested in and also what their goals are in taking voice lessons and assign repertoire accordingly, but I also like to begin with songs from Schirmer's 24 Italian Songs and Arias book to strengthen basic breath support and a vocal line that is connected to good breath support. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Although I began performing and teaching while still a teenager, I consider the beginning of my full time career to begin upon my graduation from Berklee (1979). I had taught on and off through C.A. House Music in Wheeling, WV, and also as a teaching assistant during my years of graduate study. In 1994, I developed WVU's first program in Guitar Performance, where I taught until 2018. During this period I also taught at Frostburg University, Washington Jefferson University, and West Liberty University, where I continue as an adjunct Professor of Guitar. Read More

Instruments: Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Clarinet Euphonium Tuba

I am using my experience with Musika to hone my skills as an educator. I have participated in clinics in Japan and Korea, where I developed skills in individual and group instruction. I have worked with sectionals in the army in addition to directing rehearsals. The most important lesson I hope to impart on my students is the necessity of quality over quantity while also maintaining a love for the art of music. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I have cultivated several concerto competition winners for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Philharmonic concerto competitions. A number of my students continued to study music in some of the most prestigious music schools in the world including Julliard School of Music, Rice University, Indiana University Bloomington, Northwestern University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Carnegie Mellon University. My teaching prowess has garnered international demand and I have taught masterclasses in the U.S., China and Chile. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching experience covers a number of musical environments. I worked for local non-profit music educational program, Creative Life Support, where I taught songwriting, recording, and performance to underprivileged and homeless youth in Pittsburgh. I have my own private students which I travel to their homes to study, and work for a teaching studio in Mars, PA. Music has always been a special and amazing part of my life, and sharing my love, curiosity, and excitement on the subject is a passion of mine. Read More