Music Lessons in Rural Hall, NC

Instruments: Drums

I gave my first drum lesson when I was just 14 years old. I can still remember how satisfying it was to be with students and witness the wonder and awe they had in their own hidden ability. My training has been both formal and informal, self-taught and others-taught, over the course of 4 decades of life. Equally, for many years Ive been fiercely committed to my own professional, spiritual, personal, and inter-personal development, which I feel is a potent path for any potential teacher/mentor/coach. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I like to start out with extremely simple fundamentals which can then be seen in most every piece of music. Connections like that are important for any student. For younger students I heavily emphasize just having fun, and that every lesson they can go home and say 'look mom/dad at what I can do!' I believe that keeping students interested and focused on having fun while learning new material and techniques is the best strategy to ensure growth as a musician. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a musician is seeing the development and growth of the next generation and their take on the music. That being said it is important that each student have a personalized style to fit the needs of the student. By setting goals and task to be practiced in between lessons I am encouraging students to push themselves and find passion and gratitude in their accomplishments. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

I am a strong believer that students should learn how to read music, they should learn proper technique, and that they should maintain a regular practice schedule. Lessons are geared towards the individual student's abilities and interests. I draw from a wide variety of teaching resources and authors, such as Joel Rothman, Jim Chapin, Rick Latham, Frank Briggs, Carmine Appice, George Stone, Charlie Wilcoxen, David Garibaldi, Rick Dior, Les DeMerle. Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

I let my students set their own goals from a list of basic/intermediate goals I come up with that may be good for them to improve on or learn for future sucess. I let them set their own pace and never let them get discourage or be hard on themselves. Music is fun! It should never be something a student feels is a burden or something they no longer want to do simply because it may take them a little longer to pick up on. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

I like to say that while I have a very methodical and systematic approach to teaching that I am also relaxed and laid back. I never want my students to fear their lesson. While I expect progress for the serious student I also fully recognize the limitations and conflicts of "life getting in the way". I am a big proponent of giving compliments whenever possible. I am not a cookie cutter teacher in that I can adapt my teaching style to meet the needs and goals of the student. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo Oboe English Horn

For beginning students, we will spend a good amount of the first few lessons in developing core fundamentals. Once we have a solid foundation, I will start to add in some exercises. I work out of many books to expose my students to different methods of playing. For more advanced students, I will work with them on developing more characteristic sounds. We will also dive into deeper topics such as tone color, articulation style, and period specific styles. Read More