Music Lessons in Clayton, NC

Instruments: Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have been in love with music since I was a very young child. I was studying and performing singing and piano by the time I was five. I toured as a second soprano with the North Carolina Boys Choir for almost four years starting at age nine. I began teaching myself guitar at age fourteen. I was playing semi professionally as a performing songwriter when I studied guitar under master teacher Michael Kovitz in Raleigh NC. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

Over the years I have developed my own method for teaching guitar students of different levels. The first step is always to determine the current knowledge and experience so we know where to start. For beginners, I like to help the student learn basic chords so that they can quickly play a few songs and have fun right away. The more a beginner enjoys playing, the more they will want to learn and practice. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Latin Percussion

Over the years I have larned invaluable lessons about drum kit instruction. Teaching many different students with many different personalities, lesson needs, practice habits, and so on has led me to develop a flexability in my teaching that allows the individual student to get the most from each lesson. I encourage my students to push their musical boundaries and reach beyond what they belive they are capable of. I have found that at the end of the sometimes frustrating road to achievement lies the feeling of success that propels learning. Read More

Instruments: Piano

My teaching method begins with fundamentals. First, I teach about the piano itself. Second, I teach the notes. Third, I teach tones and steps. Fourth, I teach about major and minor scales. After I lay that foundation for the student I continue with theory and note identification. The student is ready to take off from there. I usually at this point let them select a song to play as well as I assign music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Piccolo Mallet Percussion Music Keyboard

My teaching experience dates back to when I was still in high school. I would go to middle schools and give lessons. Now as a college music graduate, I have taught many ages including college peers. I think it is important to teach skills and methods that will help the student problem-solve and continue to learn even when they are alone. My students have done well in auditions and chair tests, and I always encourage both recitals and competitions. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin

As mentioned above, I first began teaching guitar and piano during my college years. Also, I have taught music and English as a Second Language in North Carolina Public Schools, and guitar classes in community colleges. My instruction has included beginning to advanced elements of playing the guitar and music theory as it relates to the study of guitar. Additional areas of study included: different genres of music; playing rhythms of different song styles; understanding chord diagrams & reading tablature; and developing improvisation skills by learning how chords fit in a musical key, and relative scales. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

I started teaching way back in 2001, my first year of college, at a music festival in Vermont.  It was a group clarinet & sax class, and it was so much fun!  I gradually realized as college went by and I began teaching more and more, that while enjoyed performing, teaching was my real passion!  I have been teaching both the clarinet and the piano full-time since 2007, and consider that my passion and my profession. Read More