Music Lessons in Midtown, MI

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I stress the importance of reading music from the get go. I do understand however that some (adults) only want to learn to play some songs for their own personal gain, and not have to mess around with note reading. (Guitar is an instrument that can be played by ear, and to some degrees at a high level.) To that I do not require any books. I'll always reiterate the importance of reading..."Just think how good Eddie Van Halen would have been had he been able to read music!" For Children: Mel Bay Children Guitar Method 1 (Blue Turquoise cover) For beginners steel string and jazz: Hal Leonard Guitar method book 1 (Black and Orange cover) For Classical: Foundations in Classical guitar by Brian and Mary Lou Roberts I ALWAYS strive for the student to become familiar with performing and playing with others. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

For younger students, I utilize method books to familiarize the student with reading music. Scales, and whole tones to develop the embouchure and intonation. For intermediate and advanced students an emphasis is placed on mastering the essentials necessary to succeed in the musical ensembles and as a soloist.Articulation, timing, phrasing and dynamics are the key focus to further the players technique. Sight Reading, Scales Practice, and various exercises are utilized to build technique and endurance. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ Synthesizer Keyboard

I rely on Alfred's Piano Library as it's proven to be a thorough approach to learning, exercising and memory. After some discussions about what resonates with the student, we will both explore options we can really dig into and present in concert format later. I will also introduce counter material for a better overall perspective of how things work, why they do and don't work (depending on the setting) and to better understand those same elements in different contexts. Read More

Instruments: Flute Ukulele Keyboard

For beginner's I tend to start with lesson books, especially Hal Leonard's Essential Elements because that's what I learned from! I move up from there and like to teach lessons from all different types of genre's and also teach different techniques such as vibrato, jazz flute, etc. Scales and warm-up's are an essential part of every lesson and I always do them no matter what age student I am teaching! Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Synthesizer Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

I try to cater my lessons to the interest of my students. If a pupil’s passion for music can be harnessed, then developing musical skills can be a simple process. I have a wide variety of material I teach from, including Ted Reed’s syncopation, George Lawrence Stone’s Stick Control for the Snare Drummer and basic piano literature. I also use music selected by the student to create custom lessons. Read More

Instruments: Piano Oboe Bassoon

I believe everyone has a song in their heart, and I take it upon myself to give them the tools to make it come to life. Every student needs to learn the basic fundamentals of music theory, ear training, rhythm and dexterity. However, experience has shown me how differently people learn, so I zone in on what works best for the student and customize lessons towards their own goals and strengths. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I have been a high school and middle school teacher of the humanities for a couple of years now, which I have greatly enjoyed. In addition to this, I have a couple of piano students, which I taught for a while now. I encourage them to practice consistently at least for a half an hour a day so that they progress faster. In my lessons, I assign a classical piece, scale exercises, and even a pop piece to motivate them so that they not only continue to improve, but also implement what they learned in the pop piece itself. Read More