Music Lessons in Southeast Magnolia, WA

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I like to start by asking about a student about their prior experience (if any), interests and goals on their instrument. With my students, I generally start by tackling basics like healthy breathing and posture, producing good tone, note-reading, and rhythm. Depending on students interests, we may then gradually incorporate more advanced techniques such as playing by ear, learning longer, more complex classical or jazz pieces, music theory, and improvisation. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I am easygoing to every student I meet. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a student's desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn and practice more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Read More

Instruments: Voice

There is no point in learning what to do if you don't know why you are doing it, so teaching "the why" of every exercise is very important to me. The idea is to eventually teach myself out of a job! While I provide a general syllabus to each student, I prefer to customize my lesson plans to the individual, first finding out what their goals are and then deciding what will help us achieve them. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Mandolin Recorder Electric Violin Fiddle

Although I am classically trained and have extensive orchestral experience as a violinist and violist, I was a founding member of an Irish group and several early music ensembles, performed with folk and classical guitarists, and played in a rock and roll nightclub band.I continue to play in many churches and synagogues, do strolling violin work, perform jazz standards, and act as lead violin in an internationally acclaimed big band. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

I have been playing drums since I was twelve years old and have performed in many rock and jazz bands. I studied music in college and graduated with a Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from San Francisco State University in 1992. Since then I have continued to perform in local rock, jazz and blues groups as well performing with the Berkeley Symphony, The Santa Rosa Symphony and others. Read More

Instruments: Harp

I always start my lessons with a brief warm-up to get those fingers flexing! Then, we go through each assignment that was chosen for a particular skill development and look for where there is opportunity for celebration of progress/success. We then home or skills and understanding of tricky spots and continue developing our muscles, knowledge, and overall harping skills. I always try to select music pieces that appeal to my students based on their interests and goals for learning the harp. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Recorder Double Bass Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I take one lesson at a time while careful to scaffold the information. I want students to improve, but I also want them to know what it is that they must do in order to become a competent musician. I can be tough, but at the same time, I don't mind changing directions and moving from say, ear training to sight reading or some other approach. At the base, I believe that rhythm is the most important concern for a student. Read More