Piano Lessons in Bartlett, IL

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
In the wake of the late, great EVH, I've been working on learning the nearly-unbelievable guitar work on 'Hot For Teacher'.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I like to think I'd be some sort of engineer or architect. In reality, I'd probably just listen to a lot of music, cry into a bowl of ice cream, and wish I was Frank Zappa. It's what I do some days already.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
After violin and guitar came drums. My first-ever band met in the drummer's garage, as they usually do, and one day the drummer was, somehow, late to practice at his own house. The bassist started playing, and I thought, psh, let's see how hard it is. Turns out I have a blast playing drums - the physical rush and the multi-limb coordination might make it the most fun I have playing an instrument. I began to play the sitar after spending one night of a balmy spring tour in Raleigh, North Carolina, at a DIY venue inside a converted dance studio - big floor-to-ceiling mirrors everywhere. A resident of the space brought out his sitar and showed me the correct, rather punishing posture and fingerpicking tools needed to play the instrument properly. It hurt! And made me fascinated with the nigh-fretless sound it produced. I've loved the sitar ever since.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
I have seen many guitar who players suffer from the burden of being too excited to play, and having too many things they want to do in their playing in too short a time. All the flashy skill and shredding in the world won't make you sound good if you aren't playing to what's happening around you. The hardest thing to master as a musician, in my eyes, is to learn to listen more than you create - then to create with intention.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
My parents started me on violin lessons when I was four years old. By the time I got to be a pre-teen, I realized I'd gone most of my life playing an instrument I didn't feel that strongly about! It was around this time that a classmate of mine introduced me to Green Day (had to happen sometime), and I felt right away that I should be playing the electric guitar. It happened that my years of violin helped me make the switch just about immediately, and before long I was making tremendous progress - the fruits of actually caring about my instrument! I ran with it and never looked back. A few months ago, my bandmate picked up an old violin, and I felt a great rush of nostalgia. I found that, after taking a couple of days to warm up, I could jump right back into playing it - not as well as I had when I was practicing two hours a day, but not too shabby for someone who hadn't touched one in over ten years.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If your child shows passion or interest in an instrument, they've already got the biggest part down! Get them started with a teacher who will encourage and challenge them to make the most out of their enthusiasm. If you think your child might be interested, but aren't sure, have a conversation with them. Ask them about the music they like. Ask what sounds they like. Often, children don't realize how much they enjoy something until they have a chance to try it out for themselves. If you think they might benefit from a creative outlet, or if you notice them reacting positively to music, give it a shot and see how they like it.

Read More