Music Lessons in Shelter Island Heights, NY

Instruments: Flute Clarinet

Playing clarinet has always been a staple of my life. I started mentoring and giving private lessons to younger clarinet students in high school and continued on from there! I have traveled to students homes and worked out of my studio ever since. I like to use a good combination of technique exercises and expressive studies to give my students a well rounded education and understanding of how to perform. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Music

It also gives some tips as I would give such as buzzing the mouthpiece a while before playing. Also when warming up, playing some long tones which is an excellent way of building up your embouchure. Each exercise is basically giving you a little bit of Music Theory as it’s teaching you how to play and understand whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and so on. So now the student can see how these notes are used and related to an actual piece of music. Read More

Instruments: Piano

For beginning students, particularly children, I use the Piano Adventures books. I recommend the student getting their Lesson, Theory, and Technique Artistry books to start. From there I will add in popular and classical pieces based on the students interest and ability. I do almost the same for teens and adults, just using the Piano Adventures adult books. I have used this method for almost my whole career and been nothing but pleased with the content. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba

For beginning students just starting out method books like "Hal Leonard's Essential Elements" is very popular and useful or other similar method books that public schools use. In addition to working from the popular school method books and any band music I will assign different things for my students to work on to keep our lessons fun and engaging. Each student will receive instruction from me that will inspire them to practice and want to learn more and get better. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola Electric Violin Fiddle Music

I love nothing more than to see a student come into or leave their lesson beaming with a sense of pride and self-accomplishment. What that means to a student is as unique as they are. My beginner students may feel overjoyed to have learned their one-octave D major scale played pizzicato, my more experienced students could be proud to announce that they figured out a tricky passage on their own using skills they learned in a lesson. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

My teaching style is, "teaching to enable reaching". Growing up, there was a specific way of learning that got me to understand the lessons being taught to me. I believe in learning the student's methods, before teaching the student what may not work for them. I individualize what needs to be taught, even when teaching in a group atmosphere.    Read More

Instruments: Bass Guitar Double Bass

I try to focus more on technique and the physical approach to the instrument, with the bass being so large and cumbersome it is most important that students are treating their own bodies well! Musicality is also very important, I may ask my students to listen for the longer line within a peace. If they cannot find the larger phrase we can explore it together! The focus on technique may seem tedious at first, but my students see vast pay off in their solo pieces. Read More