Music Lessons in San Pablo, CA

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet Music

During my entire career, I have worked as a private teacher of Clarinet and Saxophone, with people from all ages, 10 to 60. In 2011, I also worked as a Clarinet and Saxophone teacher for Altamira School, a private school in Santiago, Chile. I have Classical, Jazz and Latin-American music experience; learning, performing, recording and teaching. I developed my career as a musician in Chile as a Saxophone and Clarinet player, performing with many different styles of bands and orchestras, so I have experience playing Jazz, Latin Jazz, Blues, Funk, Afro Beat, Salsa (Son, Rumba, Mambo, etc), Bossa Nova, Samba, Tango, etc.  I also Performed, Collaborated and Recorded with: La Pozze Latina, Irazú Big Band, Gitano, Carlos Cabezas, Tonino Carotone, Luis Jara, Leo Quinteros, Gonzales y los Asistentes and Benjamín Lechuga. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

When I first meet a student I ask them to tell me what kinds of music they love to listen to and what strikes a chord in them about this particular music. Then I assess their level, if they have played for awhile. If they are a beginner, I start with correct posture, hand position, and elbow position as these are very important ergonomic considerations any of which can cause stress on the joints and additional tension in both the hands and wrists. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I graduated from High School in 2002, and I've taught on and off since then. I've moved 4 times, but in each place I kept a high standard for my students and taught them in a way that would help them accomplish their personal goals. In Tampa I was a teachers assistant, filling in to teach college students technique and repertoire, and I kept small private studios in Boston and New Jersey as well. Read More

Instruments: Flute Piccolo

Depending on a student's musical background, I would typically start with foundational exercises like scales/arpeggios/broken chords and discussions of essential music theory elements to help a student progress. If the student is brand new to the flute, I would also do some breath work, and introduce exercises to improve tone and understand tuning. After the basics, I'd introduce solo repertoire and help students prepare for any performances they would like to take part in. Read More

Instruments: Piano Ukulele Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I'd say my teaching style is first tailored to each individual student- their learning style, their genre interest, and their goals. Some student respond to more traditional classical structure, and some respond to improvisation as a way of learning musical concepts. What's exciting is finding out which style each student has, and always come back to the joy keeps them motivated. While I am flexible in this regard, I do have specific practice assignments and repetition exercises that are the work of learning an instrument. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Organ Synthesizer

I have no hard strict rules when it comes to teaching, because every student is different and they all learn at different speeds in different ways. I've taught out of the following books: Bastien Piano Basics Alfred Piano Method Faber Method John Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers to Play For more advanced students, I'm open to spending on time on whatever concepts they most want to cover. I also have a broad repetoire of jazz and classical as well as modern pop, rock, and even country and TV Themes to select from if the student has a specific style or song in mind.  Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I approach teaching in a way that encourages students to learn at a pace that's comfortable for them. Since the lessons are one -on-one, there is no need to keep up with a herd like you're in school. So I try to give a healthy balance of goals that are attainable only if the student practices and reviewing material from the past to see what has been retained while also showing how certain musical material is not like riding a bike... you will forget without some upkeep. Read More