Music Lessons in Prospect Park, PA

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginner students, I usually start off with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once they start to progress. I will move them on to some songs / tab books by their favorite artist. For Intermediate students, I will move them to Guitar Fretboard Workbook by Hal Leonard, as well as Arpeggios for the Modern Guitarist, and a signature Lick book. Once they started to become Advance. I will start them on something by Ear Training using online methods as well as, A Modern Method for Guitar by Berklee Press for Sight Reading. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

For beginning students, I normally start with Alfred's Drum Method. This book works on the fundamentals of reading snare drum music and basic technique. Once the students grasps the basics on reading and playing with a metronome then we tend to move to Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials (while still working on the Alfred's Method). After the student has began to play with the audio tracks and have succesfully gone through a few lessons from Groove Essentials then we begin to work on some solo repertoire and personal favorites as well. Read More

Instruments: Drums

For beginners, I have a special system that implements coordination while utilizing proper counting technique. As their understanding of their limbs grows the more I begin to welcome actual musical notation. This system has proven time and time again to tackle the initial issue that coordination imposes. In intermediate to advanced students I stress the importance of technique, quality of sound, coordination, visualization, and relaxation/movement. I also stress the importance of sightreading and practice this with many of my students.  Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have been performing and teaching music privately in the Philadelphia area since I graduated with a Music education degree in 1991. I have performed on my instruments in a variety of venues (such as television, cruise ships, clubs, musical theater, and outdoor concerts) and styles. Over my career, I have successfully taught students at the elementary, middle and high school level, as well as adults. I've created the curriculum for guitar programs in various school districts and have given seminars to teachers in how to build their own programs. Read More

Instruments: Voice

For beginners and young children, I generally demonstrate and have them practice breathing and certain terminology before we begin singing. Once we begin singing, I use the keyboard and have them practice matching pitch. We then do warm ups, and I teach them a couple phrases that will help with pronunciation and shaping their mouths to make certain sounds. For everyone, after we go over our usual warm ups, I like to find out their actual style and taste in music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ Keyboard

I describe my teaching style as casual in that I tend to encourage creativity along with traditional classical music teaching. Also, I avoid repetitive drill and favor teaching derivation such as intervals as the basis of all scales and chords instead of memorizing scales. I integrate chords and chard variations as appropriate with the execution of a song. To emphasize the fun part of the lesson, which is song, the student participates in the song selections as well as the type of music which is taught. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium Tuba

For my beginning students I usually start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Then we move to the "Arban" book and eventually start working on solo rep. Another thing I like to implement is the breathing gym, which not only helps as a musician but can also assure you having clear lungs! I usually try to do fun things for example if my student is young I ask them whats their favorite pop song and I usually arrange it or find an arrangement and spend a lesson doing that, or even teaching them to learn it by ear. Read More