Music Lessons in Big Pool, DC

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I began teaching in the music performance/ production field in 2010, while away at Morgan State University in Baltimore Maryland. I started teaching production to middle school students first, using my laptop, audio interface, and midi keyboard. What surprised me the most was that the students wanted to play the keyboard more than record their voices, so with that being the case, my journey as a piano teacher began. After that class I became a music teachers aid and eventually found a position as a part time piano teacher at a performing arts camp. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium French Horn Tuba

For beginning students, I typically work out of basic method books used in band classes, like the Standard of Excellence series. With more experienced students, I utilize standard brass methods, such as the Arban Complete Trombone Method, the Bordogni/Rochut Melodious Etudes, and the Kopprasch 60 Selected Studies. With all of my students, I customize a daily fundamentals routine tailored to their specific needs with various exercises to help solidify each student's technical fluency. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Double Bass Piccolo Oboe Bassoon Music Keyboard

I'm most comfortable working with beginner to intermediate students, ages 7-11. Initially, I will provide my students with an assessment to learn more about the student's interest and performance level. Subsequently, based upon the assessment results, I will provide my students with a series of warm-up exercises designed to support proper posture, breathing and the overall handling of their respective instrument for every session . Each session and lesson plans are customized for my students, and will be scheduled as followed: 5 minutes - Greeting and Warm-Up Exercise(s); 10 minutes - Modeling/ Recap and Collaborative Instruction of Core Skill(s); 10 minutes - Independent Application Recording Assessment of Core Skill(s); 5 minutes - Critiquing of Core Skill(s) Wrap-Up Activity. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Synthesizer Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning piano students, I use a combination of books from Alfred's, Faber, John Thompson's. At the same time, I emphasize proper finger technique, shape, and position. For more advanced piano students I prefer exercises from Hanon, Czerny, and Bartk. For beginning guitar students, I prefer Mel Bay books. However, for guitar students I also use a much more individual and custom approach for learning how to get a good sound out of the guitar through proper hand position, finger placement and pressure, and string picking. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Bass Guitar Organ Music Keyboard

Recently I was hired as piano instructor for Quartertonez Music, in Washington DC. Also, I have had experience teaching and studying music education under my high school mentor, renowned music teacher Tim Savage; I was his student-teacher for a semester course at St. Lawrence University. Additionally, throughout my experience as his music student, his teaching approach has infused music education and facilitation lessons within the musical instruction itself. My past teaching experience also includes being a Drill Instructor for the Italian Department at Vassar College for two years during my time as an undergrad (I not only "ran drills" for students who had already started learning the material, but also had to compensate in a variety of ways for the unsuccessful, dysfunctional, or half-hearted engagement that is typical in a foreign language class). Read More

Instruments: Piano

I believe that motivating and inspiring students requires a different approach. But nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music. Therefore, its important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a student desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn and practice more. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trombone

Piano: For beginning students who are children, I start by teaching out of the Faber Piano Adventure books. I find that they focus on the more exciting aspects of music, such as sight reading. This is different from the Bastion books which I think focus too much on more challenging (and boring) methods such as articulation. The Faber books are great because they have fun short songs that the student can play with the teacher in a duet. Read More