Music Lessons in Westchester, IL

Instruments: Saxophone

I have a passion for music that I hope one day to pass on to my students. Even if one of my students develops a love for music, I can say I have lived a fulfilling life. In spring of 2023, I graduated from UIC with a Jazz studies degree and my main instrument is Tenor Saxophone. I graduated with college honors and I received the Presser Foundation Undergraduate Scholar award for my musical achievements. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I have spent over 10 years teaching preschool and working in a myriad of educational settings, ranging from public and private schools to nonprofits and camp settings. My piano teaching experience dates back about 5 years to when I began passing on my love of music to my own father. My philosophy in teaching is to encourage a love of music and more specifically, the process of learning! Once a love of learning is cultivated, students can take that anywhere. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet Harp

Hello! My name is Tia J. and I am a professional music educator. I first discovered my passion for music when I started playing the harp at 7 years old and fell in love with teaching in 2006 when I first started teaching private music lessons. My priorities as a teacher revolve around tailoring instruction to help students achieve their individual goals, whether they are personal goals and/or closely tied to educational/ career goals. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

For beginning students I usually start with either Fundamentals of Piano Theory or just basic note reading and writing. Since each student is different and responds differently to any variety of instruction methods, it’s important for me to be flexible and find the right one for the student. For kids, keeping the material light enough to understand while being challenging and engaging is important. For adults, being aware that they have busy lives with not as much time to practice as kids is something I always take into consideration. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

I mainly teach the Suzuki method, especially for beginner/intermediate players. After Book 5, I tend to use conservatory repertoire such as technique books ( Sevcik, Hrimaly), Scale Books, Etudes, and concertos. When it comes to keeping my students interested, I try to find songs that my students are interested in learning. I find those songs according to their level and the technique I want to teach them and then move on from there. Read More

Instruments: Voice

The best thing about teaching are the "a ha" moments! I love seeing a smile - that tells me a student LOVES what they were just able to do. And then we high-five, of course! I love when students tell me they surprised themselves , saying something along the lines of , "I didn't know I could make that sound!". I start everyone with the same vocal overview when we first meet , to show you what your amazing voice is capable of doing. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I typically divide my lessons into quarters so that the first part is just scale work. The second part is scale patterns and technique. The third portion is prepared materials, and the final portion is listening. I bring an Ipod with close to 750,000 songs on it for kids to choose pieces featuring their own instruments for inspirational purposes. I find that listening can be just as informative as pressing down keys:) Read More