Music Lessons in Somerdale, NJ

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola

I am a strings teacher, teaching privately for 10 years and in public schools for 7. I graduated from Elizabethtown College with a Bachelors of Music in Music Education, with a concentration in violin. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Orchestral Conducting at Messiah College. Strings students can expect to improve week to week in their technique. I teach students strong foundational techniques in order to develop their abilities. I use a mixture of both technical exercises and repertoire to help any student to play with freedom, confidence, and expression. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

For beginner and novice students I start with discovering where they at playing wise and knowing their instrument. Repertoire wise I believe simple Arban studies and nursery rhymes are all a beginner needs to know to improve their skills. As a student becomes more skilled either Rochut studies or Tyrell's 40 Progressive Studies can really help a student tune their skills. For fundamentals, I believe air control, phrasing, and legato playing to be critical to improve. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Ukulele

I feel like I have a very loose teaching style that is grounded in the fundamentals. I do not put deadlines or timelines on any student's progress, and I also realize that each student's needs are unique to each and every person. I work to give each and every student a very solid understanding of music (being able to sit at a piano or pick up a horn and play music, be able to recognize and understand the theoretical aspects of music, aurally discern chord progression and when a wrong not is played to understand why chords move they way they do and be able to easily hear your own musitakes). Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums

For very young guitar students I use Dick Bennett's books 1,2, 3 to start and then as the students progress we will continue to Mel Bay books 1, and 2 then proceed to chord books and charts, some knowledge that i will personally pass on such as finger exercise's and scales, use of the I pad and some guitar apps as well. I will also share my library of songs with them and show them how to play songs they enjoy as requested. Read More

Instruments: Drums Synthesizer Djembe

Students are encouraged to say the play of each voice independently to foster coordination independence as conscious control. My Seven Shapes system provides foundation for the commonalities and distinctions across whatever course of songs they study. For more intermediate students, we take on more challenging songs, exercise greater stick control w/ compound rudiments, and chart entire drum parts of whole songs. Intermediate and Advanced students focus on the specific motifs and skills of more distinct and challenging drumming; speed/endurance for punk/metal, groove and phrasing for hip-hop and pop 4-way independence for latin and afro-cuban, shuffle feel open/improvisational song-form for blues and jazz, Advanced students also learn odd-meter, poly-meter, polyrhythms and ostinato from both traditional African/Indian musics and contemporary progressive examples. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

My name is Joseph. I am a professional performer/teacher located in Hopewell New Jersey county of Mercer. I began studying music at the age of 9. I took up the accordion, then graduated to the console organ and eventually on to the piano/keyboard. I am very much hands on when it comes to teaching. I started at a very early age of 9. I studied privately with a variety of teachers including Doctor Steve Russo who was a well noted instructor in my hometown of New Jersey Hopewell I truly stress these piano techniques with my students. Read More

Instruments: Voice

My teaching style is very student-oriented. So it varies from lesson to lesson and student to student. The goal is for my students to become more confident singers and musicians. In order for that to happen lessons need to be focused on them. I could spout teaching philosophies and strategies all day but in reality every student is different. Everyone learns differently and I make sure my teaching style stays flexible to accommodate that. Read More