Music Lessons in Springfield, PA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Organ Double Bass Keyboard

Therefore, strong emphasis is placed on being able to become calm, relaxed yet thoughtful and imaginative when playing. I also believe that a lesson serves four purposes. 1) Learning 2) Modeling 3) Experimenting and 4) motivating. True learning; however, occurs between lessons, so the most important thing is to motivate students to want to practice between lessons. This is the most important challenge -- for this reason, no matter how intense the lesson gets, it is important that students leave the lesson feeling confident and good about themselves NO MATTER WHAT. Read More

Instruments: Voice

Maintaining vocal health is my number one priority, no matter the level. I can help you achieve a healthy belt or expand your range. Placement is key! I start every lesson with 30 minutes of vocal warm-ups and encourage you to warm-up on your own between lessons. Your voice is a muscle and it needs to be taken care of. If you have an audition to prepare for, whether it is a college music program or a stage performance, I can help you choose the correct material and make sure you are at your best. Read More

Instruments: Voice

For beginners and young children, I generally demonstrate and have them practice breathing and certain terminology before we begin singing. Once we begin singing, I use the keyboard and have them practice matching pitch. We then do warm ups, and I teach them a couple phrases that will help with pronunciation and shaping their mouths to make certain sounds. For everyone, after we go over our usual warm ups, I like to find out their actual style and taste in music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I have taught students on and off since 2013. Since then, my studio has grown. I now teach over a half dozen students of all ages piano and voice. I personalize each lesson to suit a student's desires and needs. One of my favorite things to do is to try to figure out what type of learner a student is. (Auditory, visual, kinesics, etc.) I tailor the lessons to suit their style and allow them to learn a song easier. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I keep a "Piano Homework Assignment" Word document for each student on my laptop which I can then email to you after your lesson is over for reference during the week.  A usual assignment would consist of a "Warm Up" section where we focus on hand position or scales or technique, a "Lesson Book" or "Repertoire" section where we work on new pieces or songs, a "Theory" section for written assignments, a "Fun" list for pieces we are done with but want to keep playing just for fun and then a number of special sections depending on student interest.  Special sections might be things like - improvisation, composition, playing by ear, recital or competition prep, exam prep, sight reading, ear training, etc.  I'm comfortable in few method series but I prefer Faber Piano Adventures for typical beginning children and The Music Tree for very young beginners.  I try to make sure each student has a piece they love every week. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

I am a passionate instructor looking to teach my knowledge of trombone to any and all students. In May, 2018 I graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a BA in Music Business. For four years I took lessons with James Erdman, retired Marine Band first chair trombone, and performed in over 4 ensembles every semester. I had one solo recital and three recitals where I performed in between other recitalists. I love music and sharing the joy that it gives me and so many other people. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Synthesizer Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Oboe Bassoon English Horn Acoustic Guitar

For my beginning piano students, I emphasize the twelve major and minor scales with proper fingering, first one octave and then two octaves. These exercises strengthens fingers and create more familiarity with the keyboard. I use the book, Level 1 The Older Beginner Piano Course by James Bastien and the companion book, Musicianship for the Older Beginner. I have seen results when these books are used in tandem. The student increases in technique and start to master music theory simultaneously. Read More