Music Lessons in Kensington, MD

Instruments: Piano Voice

I am a music lover who would like to teach piano to help others to relieve stress, to develop a career in music or to learn something new. I have played for over ten years. I am a singer, songwriter, choir director, pianist and a music teacher. I enjoy teaching music to students, who are new to music education. Currently, I am working on getting my Associate degree in music. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

I have 12 years of experience teaching at all levels. I encourage my students to participate in recitals, competitions, and orchestra auditions to gain performance experience and to help motivate them to practice. I also find that performing can give students a sense of accomplishment and seeing their peers perform can be inspiring. I usually host two recitals yearly. The student may perform solo or with a pianist. I have also helped many students prepare for auditions. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Djembe

My approach to teaching is based on a large amount of communication between the students, the parents, and I. I love to know what my students are thinking in order to enhance what they are looking for in musicianship. I believe that musicians should be allowed to play and learn freely, however, the foundation given by learning jazz theory, gives any musicianship a bigger dynamic of playing for whatever genre they specifically like to play. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder

I was also a member of the school's jazz ensembles and began to study improvisation. Between 2008 and 2013 I taught classes and lessons, mostly classical in nature, but also played regularly in jazz ensembles around Washington DC. I honed my improvisation skills through attending Barry Harris' Jazz Workshop in NY and recieving lessons from the great Lee Konitz. I've had the opportunity to play with many formidable members of the jazz community, both old and young, and have performed at many venues. Read More

Instruments: Piano Music

I start elementary students with learning about the piano, its history and show them the internal parts. We learn finger numbers and our first songs are using those finger numbers to encourage the correct hand position and strengthen our fingers. I build rapport with the student and introduce pieces I feel they would enjoy playing . I use djembe drums to help keep the beat steady and improve listening skills. Each student is different so a "one size fits all" book is not used. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I consider myself to be both traditional and old school at certain times, however. I firmly believe that students will lose interest in music quickly if I always teach all students the same techniques and follow conventional music theory. For piano lessons I usually begin without any books until they are comfortable with the weight and the feel of the piano keys. After that I really like to use the John Thompson's piano book grade 1, and I have had many good results with my students in the past. Read More