Music Lessons in Magnolia, WA

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone

For beginning brass players I generally start out with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements series of books. After going through that, with some other material on the side, such as performance pieces, etc, they would progress to the Arban book (at around high school age for the student who began in sixth grade, as I did). For piano, I much prefer starting out with basic fundamentals, but not to any specific method, in contrast to brass. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Mandolin

For adults, I always start off with the list of five: five songs and/or artists that inspire them. This gives me an idea of what they want to be learning in the coming months, and I create a path for them that leads that direction, from the very first step. We will spend a lot of time on the fundamentals (scales, chords, rhythm, sight-reading) but all in the interest of using these tools on the songs they love. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music

With my teaching style, I prefer to work on what the student has an interest in if they are old enough to know. There is no better feeling than to work with a student who is enjoying the study of the current material. I also enjoy teaching beginning composition and bringing out the music from within. When the child is at a young age, I incorporate curriculum that targets ear-training and listening, reading, rhythmic awareness and time-keeping, and theory. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola Electric Violin Fiddle

I approach each student as an individual. Some students take things slow and steady, while others I can barely fit enough into their weekly lessons to keep them happy, and either way is just fine. My ultimate goal as a teacher is to make myself obsolete - I aim to teach my students how to learn, how to be critics of themselves for more effective practice time, and eventually, how to either need a teacher that can take them to more advanced levels, or to play without a teacher. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

I am a very hands-on teacher. We do lots of improvisation and call and response games and sometimes I turn on a record or even bring a guitar to jam with the student. Playing drums is a very visceral, tactile excersize, and I often tell students, "That right there,that is how it's supposed to sound! Memorize that feeling and try to recreate it everytime." I am also a huge advocate of having students listen to as much music as possible. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion

I've been teaching for the last year and a half in both the private capacity and for a music school in West Seattle. I've helped students prepare for recitals, parades, living room performances or to start a band of their own and I love the variety that teaching the drums provides. My focus is on the students' interests first as I find that this is the best way to encourage practice and make the instrument fun! Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I started teaching privately as a student at Pacific Lutheran University. I taught a steady 4 students, while also doing coaching for the theater department when musical season came along. I have been sightreading music once before I could read English, and I am well-versed is several different sets of training booklets for piano. One of the only ways to learn music, is to have fun while doing it. I like to think my sense of humor can help dissolve tough lessons. Read More