Music Lessons in Spinnerstown, PA

Instruments: Piano

I think that students learn best when they are relaxed and having fun.  So, anything I can do to keep it light - whether it's drawing a picture to make a point or making up silly words to learn a complex rhythm or using crayons to mark the sections in our music - is a win in my book!  Laughing and making mistakes are a big part of learning.  When my students make errors, I don't scold, I say "good for you, now we can learn something!" I believe that it is both possible and critical to develop the student-teacher relationship as a collaboration. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

A beautiful sound is the beginning of the creation of beautiful music! I find it most important to do work on a student's sound in the beginning stages of playing. To achieve the foundations of a good sound, playing pitches (beginning with A on alto) on the mouthpiece alone will develop the student's sound from the beginning as well as lay the foundations for a good embouchure. Doing this brings awareness to the students use of air by showing him/her the muscules used within and around the oral cavity in order to produce an optimal sound on the saxophone without developing bad habits that could be detrimental to a student's health. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching experience started back in 2008. Before I even went to college for music. I learned a lot of theory on my own but I went to college to further my knowledge. I have studied orchestra arrangement, Serialism, as well as Classical, Jazz and Rock music. I am most experiences in Rock / Metal music. I've been playing Metal since I was about 13 and I started to look at more complex music when I was about 16. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Ukulele

For beginner flute and sax students, I like to work out of the Standard of Excellence Books, and for beginner piano I like to use Bastien Series books. I have used these books in my development and am very comfortable and confident with their ability to help studnets progress. Once my students reach a level where they have a pretty solid understanding of music, I start to give them more freedom into choosing what they want to do. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I structure my lessons in the same way I structure my own personal practice. I usually start off with a few technical exercises, then cover some theory, and then work on repertoire. How much time goes in to each category will depend on the student. A beginner tends to need more time on technique, whereas someone who has an audition or recital coming up will spend most of their time on repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Electric Violin

My teaching style revolves around a student's interests, and my lessons are modified and personalized for each individual. Every student has a different style of their own, and I work hard to help them develope their style. Learning music should never feel like a chore; it should be a form of self expression. Rather than using only lesson books to teach, i also provide them a blank and personalized lesson journal, in which they learn the foundations of writing, reading and understanding sheet music and music theory. Read More

Instruments: Voice

I have a routine that I use for the lesson time--breath exercises followed by the vocal warm up and then working on a piece. During that process I always encourage an open dialogue between myself and every student. I want to student to feel as comfortable as possible and always have the option to ask questions and take part in their development as a singer. My goal is to provide a nurturing and inspirational environment for every singer, despite that individual's level of singing or experience. Read More