Music Lessons in Middleton, WI

Instruments: Piano Djembe

Taking the teaching perspective that the piano is a percussion instrument, my instructional focuses are on rhythmic development where I use drumming patterns, hemiolas and other metronome tactics to develop your time. I am a Jazz musician, however going deeper means I use music to communicate as a language, taking the language development metaphor further, I use scales, arpeggios, movements, melodies and song forms, just to name a few as methods to communicate or improvise, both with the audience and other musicians. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Flute

I also have deep experience in song writing and producing and love to help students express themselves through words and music. I am the father of three daughters for whom I wrote a book titled, Be Who You Are, A Song For My Children. The book is actually based on a song I wrote for them titled Be Who You Are. Im a Telly Award winning composer/producer whos worked directly with celebrity artists raging from Eric Clapton, Carole King, Avril Lavigne and Joss Stone, to Wynona Judd, Jason Mraz and Dave Mathews among others; written jingles for brands from Mazda to Mattel. Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

I like to start beginning students with a combination of sheet music and by rote teaching. If a student comes to me with method books or other materials, we will start with those and I will suggest other materials as appropriate. I often have more advanced students work through various scales books and Rose etudes, and whatever other type of music interests them. I utilize duets often in lessons to work on sight reading and blend, tuning, and leadership. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I have different methods for piano and voice: depending on the level of the piano student, I will use Faber method books and supplement performance pieces, technique lessons, games, theory discussions, etc. I do not use method books with voice students, although I do have a curriculum that I follow and adjust depending on the level and age of the voice student. I believe that while beginning and intermediate students continue to learn, it is important for them to practice different genres on their instrument -- this allows them to speak different musical languages, improves their understanding of style, and gives them a better context for their own gifts and interests. Read More

Instruments: Violin

I like to teach with the music from the Suzuki books and then the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, out of an interest in teaching with actual music as opposed to scales or etudes, but I also introduce repertoire from outside those books, and isolate sections of standard violin repertoire for learning. This has the advantage of always keeping music in our ears as we play (by this I mean, we do not lose the sound of music in the sound of the violin as I feel can happen in overtly technical exercise), which is essential to growing an authentic relationship to one's sound and, by extension, to learning new ways to improving one's sound. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Organ Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I collaborate with my students to assess their current musical abilities and set reasonable goals to ensure they achieve the very best of their musical experience, leading to higher levels of musical creativity, expression, and performance. Lessons are catered to reinforce proper foundations and techniques, while offering progressive challenges. I utilize a variety of schools of instruction, methods, and techniques to offer students multiple options which will best nurture their musical growth. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Djembe

I graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College and earned an associates Degree in Jazz Music. I went on to U.W. Milwaukee and studied classical music and was part of the U.W. Milwaukee Percussion Ensemble for 4 years. After graduating from U.W. Milwaukee I became a full time musician and traveled as a full time musician working throughout the United States and internationally. I worked in a wide range of venues night clubs, lounges, casino's, U.S.O's bases, musicals I have worked as various schools nursing homes, boy scout groups Native American Reservations etc. Read More