Music Lessons in Dunnigan, CA

Instruments: Voice

I love to see my students realize their growth as they work on their singing. The way their faces light up or the way they grow an extra inch with pride simply fills me with joy. I tailor each of my lessons around the student that I am teaching because no two voices are alike. I look for their strengths and help them showcase those and I discover their weaknesses so we can strengthen those. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For a long time I did not want to teach. I thought that those who can't do, teach- as the saying goes. As a father of a young boy few things give me more joy than to see my son learn about music, and Drums/Percussion in particular. As a musician I taught many musicians music theory; from diatonic scales/circle of fifths to pitch clusters and counterpoint. My best students were my band mates in In An Airplane who learned octatonic scales, modes, freetime, atonality and poly rhythm during our goings on. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Organ Synthesizer Keyboard

If you’ve tried and failed, or even if you’ve never touched a piano, Smiley can teach you. And, you’ll have fun doing it because with my easy approach to learning, you will start playing the songs you like from day one, not practicing endless scales all the time, and boring music language that would be difficult to understand the first day. With my easy learning how to play approach, you would lean your first song and be able to play it, over and over until you learn a new song to share. Read More

Instruments: Bass Guitar Electric Guitar

Most of my curriculum will be based around what you'd like to do. For example, if you'd like to get into the start of great electric bass playing, we can cover Larry Graham, James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, and all the intricacies of the lines that they made. And if you'd like to learn how to keep up with 16th note double bass at 280bpm or higher, I can show you that too! Read More

Instruments: Piano Cello

After a year and after completing the teacher training program, I started to teach piano from my home studio.During this time, I took upon myself two more years of intense composition study and experimenting with some of the secrets of this art, which now has become one of my passion.In 2007 I enrolled in a music program at the Music Conservatory of San Francisco, where I learned and expanded my knowledge on technique, performing, and music ensembles. Read More