Music Lessons in Fosterville, TN

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

My performance experience started at a very young age and consisted of entertaining myself in front of the mirror (at age 2), and creating shows for family. I started doing musicals and concerts at church around age 4 and entered community theatre around age 6. My enthusiasm for the performing arts continued to grow throughout childhood, and my teenage years. I started private Voice lessons at age 16 and studied Musical Theatre at Kent State University for the first two years of college. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums

For new learners I always start with an introduction to the instrument i.e. its makeup, terminologies, history etc . . . and printed material to help the student acheive an understanding of the fundamentals of the instrument. For Intermediate/Adult learners, I will get to know whath he/she is looking to learn or what area they want to grow in and plan the lessons accordingly. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

The method used for teaching a student how to enjoy music should be practical, intuitive, and natural. I begin by training a student how to listen (in the same way that a child would hear words before he could speak). From that point, a student learns to "speak" or play musical sentences. Finally, the reading skills are developed. Through this approach, musical literacy is founded and then the art of mastering the instrument begins by developing sensitivity and fine musicianship. Read More

Instruments: Bass Guitar Double Bass

For my first lesson, I ask my student to simply play something, whether it be a song he/she may have learned or something entirely impromptu. From listening to and seeing my student play, I can gauge his/her skill level in timekeeping, rhythmic phrasing, melodic phrasing, tone, musical interest, and hand technique. From there I can create a practice regimen that will facilitate my student's development in the most effective way possible. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Saxophone Synthesizer Keyboard

For beginner students, we start off using the beginning books from "Piano Adventures" by Faber Faber, and published by Hal Leonard. They learn to read music, improvise, music theory, and play all style of music. A typical lesson for an elementary school student would be 10 min of playing assigned pieces that they've practiced for the week, 10 min of new songs for the next week, 5 min of music theory, and 5 min of some sort of musical game. Read More

Instruments: Trombone Euphonium

I hold my students accountable to maintaining a practice journal and finding a practice routine that works for them. I don't normally give an outline of how practice should go because it's an extremely personal time and each students playing and needs are as unique as their personalities. IN a typical lesson I am fast to work on the basics and implementing playing tunes by ear. This gets the mundane fundamentals mixed in with the fun of playing music! Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

Each method has it's own advantages; I like to select a method based on the learning style and needs of the student. I get students into playing many positions earlier than most method books teach with my own system, which aids in perception of the shape-oriented and chordal (voicing) structures that are present in all pieces. The sooner someone grasps the "words" in the language of music, the better the student's reading and comprehension will be. Read More