Music Lessons in South Holland, IL

Instruments: Piano Drums Keyboard

For beginning students and youth, I typically start with music theory and proper positioning. I have found an easy method for playing songs almost immediately. For students that desire sight reading as a priority, I will start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements and walk them through exercises that will keep them sharp and focused. For adults, I want to learn their goal and their niche. I will structure my course around their needs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Keyboard

My name is Amber, and I am a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education, as well as my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance. In addition to directing the Crimson Youth Choir and teaching privately in the IUPCMS, I directed/arranged music for the IUP Crimson Chords, an elite all-female a capella jazz ensemble. Last fall, I also directed Homer-Center’s Musical Annie and worked on Marion Center’s Musical Marry Poppins. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I started out teaching when I moved to Chicago and have since enjoyed working with students of different ages with different levels of experience. Whether students pick up the cello with goals to pursue a career in music or decide to start playing as a hobby, I am passionate about working together to achieve their goals and to enjoy the process along the way. I encourage consistent and regular practice and emphasize a holistic, kinesthetically based mentality and approach to learning the cello, promoting healthy and happy cellists! Read More

Instruments: Drums

First and foremost, my number one goal is to help my students achieve their goals - always! I believe that in order for anyone to make progress in anything, there must first be a (decently) strong foundation on which to build upon. What that means in terms of an overall application towards the drums (and percussion instruments in general) is that I believe having a strong understanding and foundation in reading music and general hand/feet technique (i.e. how to hold the sticks) should be developed in order to, for example, properly facilitate around the drum kit, regardless of genre and/or style. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola Electric Violin Fiddle

With advancing students of any age, I start to slowly introduce scale and etude books, as well as solo repertoire by major composers, not found in their method books. String students: For both younger and adult beginners, I like to use a combination of the Suzuki books and the Essential Elements series. I do not teach the Suzuki method, but use the books for their staple and universally well-known repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

For beginning students, I like to start them off with the Essential Elements for band method books. Once they progress with those books and grasp the fundamentals, I would introduce to solo literature. For adults, I find out what they are interested in and work my way from there. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Conga

Seeing a student progress week-by-week is an exubertant experience. I encourage all of my students to be honest about what makes them inspired to play music and from there we work on capturing all of the components of that source of inspiration. What is so effective about this approach is that it blends both discipline and humanism. By critically examining our strengths and weaknesses in a musical context, we become better able to do the same in other areas of life. Read More