Music Lessons in Lake Barrington, IL

Instruments: Bass Guitar Double Bass Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching methods involve a mix of real music, etudes, dexterity exercises, and rudimentary technical drilling. In each of these lessons I choose in one of the aforementioned areas the one I feel is the most pressing and in need of improvement. I am very strict about students using their metronomes to practice what I teach them. My view is that playing a song or drill slowly and in time with a metronome is better than playing it at the proper tempo incorrectly. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

It's very important to me that you come out of each lesson feeling proud of what you've accomplished. Of course some days are going to be harder than other days, but I always want you to feel encouraged and nurtured and aware of your progress. I have a very good balance in my lessons of supporting the student, but also pushing the student to his or her highest potential. I always remain encouraging and warm. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Flute Piccolo

I always figure out where a student is at, and prefer to grow off the student's strengths as opposed to harping on their weaknesses. I have been in lessons before where teachers couldn't get past the smallest details, and these ruined the experience for me, as well as greatly affected what I was able to accomplish in my lessons. The opposite is also true, in that I have had teachers that haven't even informed me of a weakness that I had, and I wasn't able to improve because of it. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

I have loved music for as long as I can remember. At three years old I was dancing around my dad’s office as he played Stevie Ray Vaughn. At four I was begging my older brothers to teach me something on their guitars. By eight I was teaching myself “I Want It That Way” on my MIDI keyboard and by nine I finally decided to play the violin through my school orchestra program. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's guitar lesson books 1-3. I also have material for younger children. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce songs of artists they would like to learn. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

When I first sit down with a student, my number one goal is to figure out what they are excited about. I personally never spent much time practicing music that I wasn't excited about, so I don't expect my students to either. Whether it ends up being rock, classical, jazz, folk, or maybe a specific band or artist, I feel that students learn best when they are excited about the music they are learning. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Viola

I am a passionate instructor who believes that every student can learn and love music.  I graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 2010 with a Music Education degree.  My certifications are K-12 choral, general, and instrumental music.  I have been involved in several performance groups throughout my career, including the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, the UWM Symphony, the Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra, and the Rock River Philharmonic.  I have performed solo in venues throughout the Milwaukee area.  Read More