Music Lessons in Portola Valley, CA

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

I am a passionate and motivated music instructor who loves working with students and sharing my love of music. My greatest happines is seeing students learn, grow and develop a deep love of music and learning. Music Director at 1st Trinity Lutheran Church and Instuctor with Musika. Lessons in piano, performance, technique, theory, music arranging and composition. Prepared young teenager for successful career in composition for National Geographic and Hollywood Films. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

I see no difference between method and style so I will just try to add more to what has already been mentioned. I think of myself as very supportive and encouraging but I believe in having standards. When a student does well I applaud them and let them know how happy I am to see their progress. I will also let a student know when they are not doing well and not meeting some reasonable expectations. Read More

Instruments: Voice

As a vocal instructor, Im known for being patient, encouraging, and fun. My students feel supported every step of the way as we build confidence and technique together. I ensure every concept is clearly understood, so you're never left guessing. Drawing on my background as a classically trained vocalist and former professional dancer, I integrate movement and breath work into lessons, helping students develop vocal strength, expression, and control in a holistic, engaging, and joyful learning experience. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

Since my teaching philosophy is that every piano lesson should be fun, I tailor each lesson according to the student's age and interests. For young beginners, I choose method books that contain fun songs. I also teach music theory through story telling. For older students, I tailor each lesson according to their interests.However, I encourage them to learn Classical music, so that students develop good musicality. My goal is that all my students enjoy music for the rest of their lives. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

For beginners, I typically focus on teaching straightforward open chords, along with scales and exercises to improve finger dexterity. Following that, I guide them in incorporating melodies or soloing over chords. We delve into strumming patterns and cover fundamental techniques for warming up. With intermediate players, my approach involves introducing chord inversions and delving into basic music theory. Topics include understanding how to stay in a key and identifying the diatonic chords within it. Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

I like to ground my teaching in a line my own teacher, Carey Bell, often told me-- "if you make a mistake, no one dies!" Music is a challenging discipline in every respect, so I encourage my students to approach it from as positive and joyful a place as possible where mistakes are not a failure but simply a sign that further work needs to be done. Achievement in performance is only rewarding when the student takes ownership of their playing, so I do everything I can to allow clarinet to be a real and positive presence in my students' lives. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I started and loved to play the guitar since when I was 12 years old. I started out by self teaching myself how to play the style called "Finger-Style" on the steel string acoustic guitar and posted videos of myself playing this style on the instrument on YouTube. I was able to progress fast by posting videos consistently, and I had collected a big following as well. After a few years, my interest and love had grown for the classical nylon strung guitar and I continued to pursue it in a collegiate level. Read More