Music Lessons in Pinellas Park, FL

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

Music and teaching it to others has been my life's work and passion. I am classically trained (obviously) and I am the first and still only person in my family to graduate from a four year college and later graduate school, having earned BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance with a minor in organ at Shenandoah University. In addition to 27 years of music ministry, 26 years as an accompanist and/or MD (classical and music theatre settings) and of course 16 years of private piano teaching, my greatest professional accomplishment is having played at Carnegie Hall in June 2014. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Violin Mandolin Fiddle Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Regardless of which instrument(s) my student is learning, I generally teach at the pace of the student. I never rush a student, and I keep with a scenario that is COMFORTABLE for both of us. Being relaxed is important to learning, and I always stress having students' hands relatively loose while holding and playing their instrument. I have lesson plans that I devise myself, while referring slightly to instructional videos and books also. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Bass Guitar Electric Violin Double Bass Music

First lesson I start by assessing what level the student is at and what goals they have with their music and develop a lesson plan from there. I focus first on fundamentals of sound and technique to build a foundation for the student then work on scales and repertoire to get them playing music. From there it is a focus on musicality and performance. A lesson plan for example may be working on solo repertoire by breaking down the piece by focusing on different elements that make the song; the scale, they rhythm, certain patterns by measure, techniques required, etc. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola

Throughout the process, I also integrate tidbits of music theory and history to give the student a more well-rounded experience.  As for guitar and piano, I normally take a more custom approach to teaching that tends to not revolve around any specific method book. However, I typically teach beginning pianists and guitarists how to read through and play simple pieces of music so that they understand the fundamentals before moving on to a mix of songs or pieces that I select and songs or pieces that the student wishes to play so as to keep things fresh and exciting.  Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Violin Viola Electric Violin Fiddle

When teaching strings to beginners I tend to teach out of a string methods book but I also offer stylistic direction outside of the book. I find this method helps the student with dependency of string books and helps to harbor curiosity to the vast world of music and methods beyond one book. I offer compositions fit to the level of the student and give them the opportunity to bring them up to performance standard. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Synthesizer Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. 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. I truly believe in giving my students the freedom to select the songs and/or genres they like and that's because I believe passion is an integral aspect of learning. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Ukulele

I'm not one to push a student too hard; after a certain point, it becomes counter-productive. Everyone is going to progress at their own rate and it's my job to find out what that rate is. Naturally different people will gravitate towards different things. By putting some time in and figuring out their strengths and weaknesses, I can address certain concepts accordingly. Personal preference is very important; you can't force enthusiasm. Read More