Music Lessons in Shelton, CT

Instruments: Flute

I am an enthusiastic and talented music instructor who loves working with students and sharing my passion for music.  I graduated from the University of Mary Washington in the Fall of 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music.  I have a wide variety of musical talents, including theory, performance and composition.  My primary instrument is flute and I am comfortable teaching any age group and any skill level. I have taught students as young as seven as well as adults.  I am also well-versed in piano. Read More

Instruments: Piano

For beginning students I use graded methods such as Schultz Piano Course or Alfred Basic Piano to enable students to play a song from the very first lesson.  These graded methods introduce basic note reading, the layout of the piano keys, and proper posture and hand positioning, allowing students to progress gradually and systematically to more advanced music.  Interests and skill levels of older beginners and intermediate students are assessed individually, and a plan of study is tailored for them. Read More

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: Piano Guitar Trumpet Drums Recorder Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

For beginning students I start with an Alfred's beginning drum method to help with reading. We also start on the basic understanding of musical concepts such as tempo, dynamics and so on.  While reading is important I do also include learning by wrote or by ear.  A good ear is just as important as good reading skills for the complete musician.  I always include music that the student is interested in to keep the lessons fun and engaging! Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Euphonium Tuba

For beginning students, I like to start them on the Hal Leonard Essential Elements. I believe it moves at the proper pacing for young children. For intermediate students, Accent on Achievement works well because I find the music is more challenging. Also I require older students to know scales, primarily Bb, Eb, and F major being that they are the easiest to learn. It is from there that I gradually add a new scale (one every few weeks) until ultimately all 12 major scales are learned. Read More

Instruments: Bass Guitar Double Bass

One of my favorite things as a teacher and a musician is finding creative ways to relate certain musical aspects. Want to learn to play funky slap bass lines? let's start with a few octave excercises. Having trouble with a passage in Beethovens 5th? Maybe we can finger it a different way for less string crossings. Not sure how to count in 7/8? Try grouping beats together differently. These are just a few examples! Read More

Instruments: Guitar

Lessons will vary, depending on each student's needs, wants, and capability. I think it's important to consistently accomplish small goals in order to raise one's self esteem and motivation to practice the instrument. I put a strong emphasis on listening, reading, writing, improvisation, and playing with others. Students who are new to the instrument will be introduced to the fundamentals of the guitar. From then on, students will work to set their own goals, ranging from wanting to be to play their favorite Justin Bieber songs, or if diving deep into the world of jazz. Read More