Music Lessons in La Canada Flintridge, CA

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Music

Emily Retsas is a musician who currently based in Los Angeles. Since 2018 Emily has been playing bass for Phoebe Bridgers as well as having played for artists such as Kim Gordon, Boygenius, Better Oblivion Community Center, Shirley Manson(Garbage), Fiona Apple. Emily recorded bass on the four time Grammy nominated album Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers. In her young career Emily has become a regular on the international festival circuit, playing on huge stages including Glastonbury, Coachella Lollapalooza and Primavera as well as appearances for Saturday Night Live, Ellen, Conan OBrien, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Last Call with Carson Daly, KEXP Radio, Tiny Desk NPR, Google and Spotify. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Inspiring new students to develop enthusiasm for music is incredible. I believe that every student learns in a different way and progresses at their own speed. I set attainable goals each week and give students the tools they need to be great even when they are not in the lesson space. By tailoring my lesson to the student's abilities and preferences, students learn to develop their own musical direction and appreciation. Read More

Instruments: Violin

Teaching has been a part of my life ever since childhood. While I myself was a student in high school, I taught my own students from my community. Throughout college, I was an instructor at the Santa Barbara Strings program, leading ensembles and coaching chamber music. I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at The University of Denver's Lamont School of Music from 2016-2018. While in San Francisco, I taught 20 students weekly at The Amabile School of Music. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

Regardless of their ages, I always attempt to establish what a student's interests in music are as well as their background and present faculties if applicable. From there, I attempt to develop an understanding of musical fundamentals (pitch, rhythm, timbre, dynamics) as they apply to their interests. It is crucial in my opinion to connect these essential elements of music to the context of a student's musical world. I have several books that I use regularly for examples and also, I write individual exercises for more specific issues with a student's technique and approach. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Flute Drums Ukulele Recorder Music Keyboard

I tailor my instruction to the students wants, needs and abilities. It's a creative environment every week and I try to make it fun and rewarding. We set goals for each week and I review what they want to learn on a regular basis. It has to be fun! When they are having fun they learn more, it's easier and they want to continue. Learning the basic elements of their chosen instrument is a place to begin. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

In both piano and voice lessons, I find that a mix of classical and modern repertoire encourages the ideal balance of skill development and enjoyment! For beginning piano students, I begin by assigning Bastien's Piano Books; for children, I usually start with the Basics Primer, and for adults the Piano for Adults. Once the student has developed a foundation of the essentials, I assign repertoire tailored to their musical goals, ability, and interests. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Is always good for beginners to have a book that includes a basic outline of the guitar parts, string names, and general terminology. This includes but is not limited to Hal Leonard's Essential Elements or Guitar for Absolute Beginners by Daniel Emeri. After we passed the fundamentals, the class will be customized to each student's needs. Say for instance, if the student is interested in blues guitar playing, a big part of the lesson will involve transcribing some of the greatest blues players and we will focus on the bend and vibrato technique. Read More