Music Lessons in St Petersburgh, PA

Instruments: Saxophone Flute

I believe it is important for any teacher to be patient and compassionate. Every student is different in their abilities and learning processes. So I remain flexible in trying new ways to keep students engaged and not be distracted if certain techniques become difficult. Unlike a course where you receive a grade, lessons are like coaching sessions. Similar to coaching sports, consistent workouts and drills help build the foundation to perform. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

As a teacher, I'm interested in more than just my students' success on the saxophone. I want to cultivate their understanding of music from all angles - to get them listening to new styles, learning the history, analyzing the pieces they play. I also want to ingrain habits that will help them in all areas of their life - setting achievable goals, developing discipline, respecting others, and loving to learn. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

For teaching clarinet students who are beginners, I use the book authored by Texas Lutheran University clarinet professor, Paula Corley entitled "So You Want to Play the Clarinet". Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I usually move to the Rubank books because of their varied content. If the student is working with a school group, we will sometimes work on that repertoire, but improving technique in general is always my focus. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For young beginners, I like to use the Faber and Faber series. They do a wonderful job incorporating reading, listening, and writing into the curriculum. I also think creativity is a huge part of music. I love asking students to write their own songs. When I play their compositions on the piano, their reactions are priceless! For older beginners, advanced students, and voice students I use a similar approach but with supplemental materials. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums

It is very easy today to record lessons and send students home with different songs to play along to. Drums are much more fun when you play with other musicians and one way to do that is with recordings. Again there is room for me to bring music to the student, but also room for the student to bring something to me that they want to learn. Also a great opportunity to show the similarities between and differences between these two events. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ Synthesizer Keyboard

I have many books for beginners that I used growing up. I usually get a feel how the student is going to learn to enjoy music and then go from there. There are different types of beginner books, one focusing more on the technical aspect and the other one on note reading right from the start, so its really based on how the student learns and take small steps from there. Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

While there are certain etude books and pieces that I recommend due to their musical quality and educational value, such as the 32 Etudes & 40 Studies by Cyrille Rose, I allow the student to chose from a list of pieces to ensure that the music we work on is engaging and fun. If the student is interested in learning bass clarinet or E-flat clarinet, we can work on these instruments as part of each lesson or in a separate lesson. Read More