Music Lessons in Vermillion, MN

Instruments: Guitar

For beginng students i like to start with Hal Lenords guitar 1 book and progress from there. I like to start kids with reading notation and little melodies cause it will help them in the long run. As they progress we will move to more advanced methods. I also use books when teaching such as guitar 1 to 3 it helps students learn how to correctly play rhythms as well as read music notation. Read More

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola

THE DOUNIS METHOD - The secret of being a truly great string player is to make the instrument an extension of the body not vice versa. This is accomplished by using your native instincts which are strongest when you are a child, but can be rediscovered later. When all technique is based on these instinctive movements then the expression is released. Your creative potential is unlocked. This kind of playing conveys a natural musical authority because it is completely based on your own musical impulses. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet

My primary objective in my teaching is to use the multitude of different musical styles within my arsenal to help each of my students find what type of music they are most interested in learning, and to be the best resource I can to help them achieve his/her musical goals. My beginning students generally work out of the Standard of Excellence Book 1, and then graduate to a combination of the Rubank Intermediate/Advanced Methods combined with a mixture of various jazz methods (Jamey Aebersold, Jim Snidero, etc.) as well as a variety of pop/folk/movie theme collections depending on the interests of the individual student. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Double Bass French Horn

My teaching experience goes back to my high school years, as I began teaching guitar lessons part time about 8 years ago. Since them I have held studios in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio including Double Bass, Bass Guitar, Guitar, and Horn. During my Bachelors degree I had the opportunity to student teach at Red Land High School and Middle School where I ran a concert band and taught private lessons on all instruments. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I am classically trained but I also compose music extensively on a daily basis . I have had a life long passion for music and started playing when I was eight years old. I am currently the pianist for the ballet program at Macalester College, LIse Houlton's professional class at MDT, the Metropolitan Ballet, and Ballet Minnesota. Growing up I studied 10 years with Yakov Gelfand, Phd from St. Petersburg Conservatory. I also studied in Hungary with Gulays Istvan, professor at the Franz List Conservatory in Budapest. Read More

Instruments: Violin

For beginners, particularly children, I use the Suzuki method due to the emphasis on learning the instrument before learning how to read notes. I do this in part because, regardless of method, listening to experts play pieces that you are working on is a big part of string playing, and the Suzuki method has become standardized enough that the beginner and intermediate pieces have readily available recordings. Once a baseline of the instrument is established, I add outside repertoire and workbooks. Read More

Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion

With a new student I always start by getting to know their abilities and experience with the drums or any other musical instrument up to this point and then go from there. With someone starting out with no experience I begin with basic match-grip technique, striking the drum, and some basic counting to get the fundamentals down. I generally use George Lawrence Stones Stick Control for the Snare Drummer to introduce various sticking patterns and the upstroke/downstroke concept. Read More