Music Lessons in Hartford, IL

Instruments: Trombone Bass Guitar

I started conducting private lessons while in college. I taught multiple high school age students with varying degrees of experience, making an interesting case of approach in my own teaching style. I have been able to incorporate what I have learned in my own lessons as a student into my lessons as an instructor. In turn, teaching in a smaller setting has helped with clearing some struggles in my own playing. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Classical Guitar

I love Faber and Faber for piano. I have several very young students doing the series for preschoolers. These materials are supplemented with Keith Snell's literature books. All students do at least one duet per year and two recitals.I love to take students as far as they can go in their lesson books and then back that up with the technic books, which are generally a bit easier. That helps with pacing the lessons and it pads the practice times. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

Music lessons are not math class. It is first important to discover what the student is interested in learning. I balance the learning of material that the student is interested in with excercises and other concepts that I know to be important for any musician. I always encourage students to play with their peers! Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Piccolo Keyboard

My teaching style places emphasis on relationship building, knowledge grabbing and demonstration. Developing a relationship includes relatability, comfort & communication. Here humor is used. Smiles & laughs always lessens the stress & makes learning enjoyable. In addition, time-management and the setting of daily goals together encourages the info retention. Verification of individualized overactive is emphasised within my teachings as well. It is highly important for students to demonstrate skills daily & throughout the session. Read More

Instruments: Voice

I am dedicated to training beginner to advanced voices using a mixture of classical and pop techniques.  For younger students, I typically begin with just getting them comfortable to sing by letting them choose the songs they love to listen to, and using vocal techniques that are easy for them to grasp and understand.  For my pre-teen, and teenage students I work on more pre-advanced vocal techniques that they can utilize while singing the songs they love.  When I have an adult student, I like to use pre-advanced to advanced vocal techniques as a larger part of the lesson, and help them to apply those techniques to whatever projects they are already working on outside of the studio. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I consider a number of variables when determining what and how to teach guitar to a student. First, I have to know what kind of music the student enjoys. Next, I need to know what level guitar player they are. If Im teaching a beginning guitarist, I will typically spend a majority of the lesson utilizing fun methods to build basic technique. If a student doesnt have a technical foundation, it may not benefit them to present them with music theory in the beginning. Read More