Music Lessons in Belmont, CA

Instruments: Drums

I am a 36 year old Egyptian from Cairo currently living in Oakland, CA. I started drumming at age 12, influenced by my older brother who introduced me to music at an early age. My earliest influence was rock music (classic rock, progressive rock and some metal). My life changed after discovering Miles Davis and my love for jazz. It changed again when I discovered IDM electronic music and came to the realization that good music is good music and quickly embraced all genres and styles, with the belief that in order to be a successful professional drummer, one must be open to all and learn as much styles as one can. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I always say that rhythm is more important than the notes. Play the right rhythm and the notes will come instead of playing every right note while sacrificing rhythm. I encourage students to make their mistakes loud, proud, and in rhythm so everyone has a better idea of what needs to be worked on most. I also emphasize isolating parts to practice and working backwards. Example: play the last two bars of the song until comfortable with it, now play the last 4 bars, last 6, last 8...etc., whole song. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet

So I endeavor to strive first for great sound. 2. Counting: Furthermore, horn players play in horn sections about 90% of the time. Therefore, it is critical that the horn player count extremely accurate so that the section is tight. Also, on live shows or recording sessions, accuracy and execution is imperative for a good performance. So I lay a counting foundation and delve deeply into the subject. Sound and Counting, then everything else. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I think of two things as being central to my teaching style: Fun, and Growth. I think too many music lessons dry out the material, and suck the fun out of something that should be inherently joyful! I try to make every music lesson interesting, and keep my students engaged by giving them material that gets them hyped. Second, I think music is a great chance for people to experience the joy in Growth. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

They wring every bit of emotion out of it. There are passages in a composition like Memories in Black and White, nocturnal moments in The Last Leaves which Fell in Fall, that sound like they could have been written by a nineteenth century Polish Romantic. Then there are moments in the same songs where there are glints of French Impressionists. Jack Goodstein (blogcritics.com) Hristo Vitchev is a gifted composer and master guitarist whose stylish approach to the music makes him a hidden wonder of the jazz world. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I cannot emphasize how much I enjoy the process of creating and reinventing activities, which requires close observation and deep understanding and familiarity of the student's personality, background, attitude and aptitude, preferences, learning style, and communication style. The activities are designed to help students to develop a sense of musicality and rhythm, build techniques, learn about all sorts of musical knowledge, and achieve internal goals like confidence building, improving consistency and practice quality. Read More