Music Lessons in De Soto, KS

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I started my musical career in Boston playing with various groups around the city. I have played with Arturo O'Farril-Pianist, composer 2009 Grammy Award Winner for best Latin Jazz album, Mike Stern-Guitarist, one of the most important jazz/rock guitarist of his generation performed in the Village in New York City, Nichelle Nichols-Actress/Vocalist, Known for her role as LT. Uhura in Star Trek, Sun Festival at Westworld in Scottsdale, AZ and The St Peter's Church in New York City, NY with Trumpeter Lester Bowie!!! Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Double Bass Classical Guitar

I enjoy using popular method books designed to help develop technique at the student's specific level. I also particularly enjoy creating my own exercises that may be more beneficial to a student's specific technique development. Being a bass/rhythm guitarist, I place a lot of value on tempo and rhythm accuracy, and other key elements to being able to play successfully with others. I believe technique development to be of vital importance and approach it on a student by student basis - no two students have exactly the same lesson plan! Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Clarinet

I have been teaching lessons since High School. Back then, I mostly taught beginner students on the Piano. Since College, I have expanded my teaching repertoir to include Piano, Organ, Violin, and Viola. For the past 7 years, I have been teaching and instructing my students on the best practices as blossoming musicians. Nothing can make you a better musician than practice and consistency. No matter what genre of music you are interested in, you must practice.There will always be times were you have toforce yourself to practice (because it won't always be fun), but the gains are never dull.It has been my experience that those students who apply themselves diligently, love to play the songs that they have mastered over and over again. Read More

Instruments: Voice

 Every student, regardless of their goals or current ability level, will work on vocal exercises, songs, and sightreading.  The choice of repertoire will depend on each student's technical ability, range, experience with foreign language, and other factors such as personality and acting experience.  If a student has an interest in a particular genre of music, I am always glad to explore his/her personal interests (as long as the style uses healthy, supported singing!).  Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I enrolled as a guitar performance music major learning classical guitar with Mark Bentley of Kansas City. I soon began to teach guitar lessons and loved the opportunity to share with students the simple things of making music. I changed my major to music education and took about every music class Missouri Western offered. I became a public school elementary vocal music teacher in Kansas City, Kansas. I went on to get a Masters degree in Education Leadership with an emphasis in elementary education. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Ukulele Music

My teaching style is a little eclectic. I like explaining everything I do because students should know why they're doing certain things. I work with each student to figure out why they're taking voice lessons and figure out accomplishments that they want to achieve. I'm tired of voice teachers only teaching classical music, especially when a student says they want something different. Classical music is important, especially in the music sphere, but singing and playing are not all about that. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Music

I believe that an understanding of music theory and learning to read music is the foundation of success for both my piano and voice students which is why I typically require my voice students to be taking piano simultaneously with voice. For beginning piano students, I will typically begin with the James Bastien Primer/Level 1 Series with the focus split equally between theory and technique. I require students to fill out a practice log monthly to ensure that they are maintaining the knowledge and skills they learn in lessons and so that parents can be involved in their progress. Read More