Music Lessons in University Park, IL

Instruments: Voice

Mastering technique is the surest way to leave the student free to express themselves musically. After an initial assessment is made of the student's voice, I create a series of vocal exercises to address any vocal weaknesses/problems. The first 20 minutes of a typical lesson are spent warming up/performing technical exercises. The remainder of the lesson focuses on applying what was learned technically to the music that the student and teacher have chosen. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Keyboard Djembe

I am an innovative artist, teacher, and spiritual worker in Chicago. I play in several groups (Bassel & The Supernaturals, Gramps The Vamp, Abud: A Band, Sosha Wolf), and lead projects of my own (Here & Now, Presence Jazz, False Gods, Cold Seasons). My projects tour nationally, and have released several original albums. I graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2010 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, and have since been working as a professional musician. Read More

Instruments: Trombone Euphonium Tuba

The most important thing that I can teach a student is good habits. One of my first teachers always said "I'm not here to teach you to play the trombone, I'm here to teach you how to practice the trombone." That has esentially been my teaching philosophy since then. The half hour to an hour that I would be spending with a student each week is not enough time to turn them into a great trombone player, so the most important thing to do in lessons is to teach them how to practice the instrument when I am not in the room with them. Read More

Instruments: Flute Recorder Piccolo

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with fundamentals in tone (Trevor Wye) and Moyse daily studies (I still use it myself!) . Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I really enjoy watching the week to week progress of a motivated student and sharing in their passion for the wonderful art of music! I remember when I was a young student and didn't understand why my teacher was having me prepare all those scales and arpeggios? Why couldn't he just make me play better. Well I realized many years later that it just didn't work that way. I had to practice the scales because just like professional sports teams work on fundamentals all the time to keep playing well, so do musicians need to work on fundamentals. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

I think my job as a teacher is to help my students find ways to make their day better through music. Music is a language. And in any language, the right words can make anybody smile! With the overwhelming amount of music that the world has to offer; becoming fluent can become a daunting task. By helping students reach realistic goals, exposing them to music they otherwise wouldn't discover, and encouraging them to find ways to practice that they enjoy; Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Keyboard

To me, the most important thing about teaching is listening to a student's goals and interests. I do my best to keep my ears open as we work to make sure I am structuring a program that helps them feel fulfilled and challenged every step of the way. For younger students, the goal is to keep them engaged in music until the point when they have such mastery that they can see the results of their work tangibly. Read More