Music Lessons in Castle Hill, NY

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Djembe

A New York native and life-long professional drummer, I played Dvorak at Carnegie Hall, punk and ska music at CBGB's and classic rock at Wetlands in NYC all during high school. After furthering my studies in percussion performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I founded progressive jazz quartet Schleigho, hit the road in 1991 and toured nationally until 2004 , releasing 5 CD's and playing over 3000 shows with the likes of jazz great John Scofield, funk legend Maceo Parker and rock icons The Allman Bothers Band, who signed them in 1998 to their record label, Flying Frog Records. Read More

Instruments: Voice

What separates me from many other voice teachers is my varied background as both a performer and an educator. I have performed in musical theatre, operas, contemporary American plays, and Shakespeares classics. I also am an experienced educator, having taught middle school chorus and drama, directed student plays, coached students through New York State School Music Solo festivals, taught group singing to adult beginners, and worked with private students ages 11- older adults. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Conga Latin Percussion Music Djembe

While teaching at Tri-Key, I began working at Guitar Center in drums and percussion shortly before being promoted to Lesson and Studio Manager. I attended to the students, teachers, and the department overall. After a while I was offered a teaching position for introductory guitar at the Ridgewood Montessori school in Paramus and a clinic style teaching position for drums and percussion at Master Your Guitar Music Academy in Fairfield where I currently teach from. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

You can learn with me: - Piano technique- from the very beginning to the highest level. - Piano comping- how to play along with a singer, how to play in a band and how to read chord symbols. - Music theory- chords, scales, intervals and many other interesting elements in music. - Improvisation- in Jazz, Blues, Pop and World music - Learning more styles and genres around the globe! - Composition- how to compose a melody, or how to arrange a melody to be played on the piano. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

The key to progress is a solid foundation. For all students I will focus on core techniques and practice habits - from there we will dive into repertoire. Through our discovery of what music elicits a passionate response we will tailor our work towards building a foundation that best fits each student. Materials will vary widely based on the students needs. I employ techniques such as the Jaques Dalcroze Method and the Alexander Technique - both of which are rooted in the physical aspects of playing music. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Phase 4: Intermediate Riffs and Techniques This is an extension of Phase 2 but expands on the difficulty and span of the riffs. At this point, the student will have very quick and strong hands and will be able to play difficult songs. We also will dive into the "why" here. I'll start to explain scales and scale degrees in relation to the same songs the student loves to play. Here we will also hone in techniques like bending, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Acoustic Guitar

I approach every lesson with every student with a focus on patience, empathy, dedication to excellence for myself and my student, and a big dose of fun! For younger students and for beginners, I spend a good amount of time on laying out the basics of the instrument, the foundational techniques of playing, basic music theory, and discussions that allow the student to tell me what influences them and what they most want to achieve in music. Read More