Music Lessons in Thornton, PA

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I believe that every teacher says this, but I teach at my students learning pace. Especially for beginners I want them to learn how to play their instrument the first time around, not the second or third time. For me as a teacher I set high expectations for my students so they know exactly what they should strive for. I always give positive feedback and then some strategies to help them along their musical way. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Conga Djembe

Playing the Drum Set requires strength in a few key areas. Hand to Hand Coordination, 4 limb interdependence , rhythm vocabulary and Timing. No matter what your skill level is we'll always need to maintain it. The saying is, "if you don't use it you lose it". No matter your skill level I believe it's important to understand what it takes to maintain the physical performance on your instrument. That's why I encourage students to memorize songs and exercises. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Euphonium

My teaching experience dates back to my undergrad days, where I began teaching private lessons about 7 years ago. After moving to Philadelphia I have developed a strong concept for teaching which includes a focus on the fundamentals to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. This includes a combination of classical and jazz music to help the students enjoy what they are doing and stay motivated. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo Oboe

My responsibility as an instructor is to develop and refine the students musical skills. With good discipline and earnest effort the student can acquire these goals. I will personally develop a weekly regimen to meet the needs of the individual student according to their ability. I guide my instruction accordingly to keep my lessons interesting and challenging. With diligence one can attain these goals and it can be a rewarding experience for both teacher and student. Read More

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: 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: Piano Guitar Voice Violin

I began teaching lessons in college, but grew my studio while I was preparing for grad school auditions from 2010-2012. Most of my students at that time were beginner piano lessons and I love to teach young children. I also greatly enjoy teaching children with autism. I have had success in combining my music education and music therapy skills to help students accomplish musical goals while also addressing behavioral goals such as increasing verbal or nonverbal communication. Read More