Music Lessons in West Townsend, MA

Instruments: Cello

As I am certified in Suzuki Book 1, I start students with Suzuki books and methods, while also supplementing with other materials and incorporating any extra music/activities a student might be excited about! With students who have already started, I will often still refer to the Suzuki materials, but I will pull more from other books and repertoire. I am very flexible in strategy and method based on where the student is at and where they want to go, no matter their age. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

I let the student guide me from there. If they want to play jazz, we will learn jazz standards, how to read chord charts, and improvisation. If they want to perform classical solo or orchestral literature, we will focus on developing their classical trumpet sound and increasing the artistry and technical demands of the repertoire they perform. More advanced students typically already have an idea of what they want to do and I let them guide me and teach based on the goals they want to accomplish. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Keyboard

My experience goes back to High School when I would give casual tutoring sessions to friends. In college I started teaching lessons in theory and composing/songwriting. I like to encourage students to get on a practicing schedule especially for younger students as it helps them get more interested in the instrument. I like to start with modern pop/rock styles to get the student interested in the instrument then mix in Jazz so we can talk about more complex theory and also mix in a little classical so we can talk about technique and form. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

A class once or twice a week is beneficial I believe for keeping up the continuity of practice. We will work on first the guitar as an instrument, basic chords, chord structures, some basic scales, and over time making chord changes happen as the minds memory/muscle memory for remembering chords grows! This is crucial for making the basic song happen. I encourage my students to find a handful of songs they really enjoy and may want to learn, so that we can learn them piece by peice. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I try my best to lead all lessons with kindness and respect. If those foundations are there, I feel that is the best way to build trust with a student and motivate them to improve. I am very goal driven with my lessons, and want students to always be actively working towards both short term and long term goals while they practice. I also want to enforce the importance of repetition and consistency, as that is crucial for improvement on the instrument. Read More

Instruments: Voice Drums

My lessons for vocalists are divided into two sections: technique and repertoire. For singers, breath management skills are of primary importance as this directly affects intonation. I like to begin with Anne Peckham's The Contemporary Singer. My students can choose any songs they would like to sing while we work on musicianship skills including expression and lyrical phrasing. Singers who want to study jazz and improvisation use one or more of my pedagogical texts on scat singing. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Euphonium Tuba

I would say my second best quality as a teacher is being able to teach the theory behind the musical they are learning. I mainly teach voice, guitar, and piano, but through those styles, I also teach jazz guitar, vocal improvisation, classical and jazz theory, ear training, vocal technique, and composition  and arranging. I want to be able to cover as many areas of music that a student is interested in. Read More