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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in Burke . Whether you are looking for beginner guitar lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, the instructors in our network are ready to help you now!
Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar
I began teaching my senoir year of college. I have been working with students of all ages ranging from 5 to 70. I tend to specialize in the beginner and intermediate. I Believe a firm foundation mixed with exploration is the key to a succeful music experience. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Acoustic Guitar
Nothing is more enjoyable than seeing a music student climb the learning curve and self recognize and appreciate their progress other than, perhaps watching their passion grow over the long term as they successfully step into the performance phase and play a well practiced piece for their friends, family, peers, or others. Each student's lesson selection plan is always a collaborative agreement between the instructor and learner as well as the practice plan in terms of both frequency and repetition pattern. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice
My teaching experience began during college, roughly four years ago, while teaching several private students during a summer break. While studying music in college, I received training in topics such as keyboard pedagogy, keyboard literature, collaborative piano, improvisation, music theory, and musicianship (aural skills). I worked as a Music Theory/Musicianship Grader and Tutor for several years, and I assisted in some group piano classes. For the past three years, I have spent a lot of time working as a collaborative pianist for vocalists and instrumentalists, performing in juries, recitals, and other student evaluations. Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet
I have my students spend a great deal of time on rhythmic accuracy, scales, and sight-reading. I create my own lesson plans and provide students with a variety of instructional materials. Students begin each lesson with rhythmic drills and scales with gradual increases in difficulty levels. I prefer using Rubank method books and the Klose Complete Method for the clarinet. Students are always free to bring in music from their school band program and/or solos and etudes of their choice. Read More
Instruments: Piano Trumpet
My master's degree in trumpet performance at the University of Denver included a teaching assistantship: I taught trumpet lessons, coached brass quintets, trumpet ensembles, and more. I had a private studio in Denver and again in Cleveland, where I was before relocating to DC. In Cleveland I taught full-time and ended up with over fifty private students. My students there received such honors as entrance into the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Youth Wind Symphonies. Read More
Instruments: Piano Violin Viola
My teaching methods depend on the age and ability of the student. From younger students and beginners to older or more advanced students. For violin, I use my own tailored curriculum. I teaches basic scales, essential techniques to all levels, and various pieces of music depending on the studentxe2x80x99s needs. I use Suzuki, Kayser, Hohmann, the Third Position, etc. and various concertos for advanced students. For piano, I use Alfred Piano course for beginners, and then use Hanon, Sonatine, and other piano pieces. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar
I always encourage students to study and practice on a regular basis. This greatly helps them make progress and like the instrument over time. Nonetheless, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. My homework sheets are designed to address both of those points. I always encourage them to practice well; when they practice well, they improved and once they improve they start to like the instrument more. Read More
Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar
What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
The Blues. I love a lot of genres, especially classic rock from the 1960s and 1970s and I enjoy writing songs in that genre. I absolutely love The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Beatles and those are probably my favorite to listen to, however nothing compares to playing the Blues. It flows out of me naturally and puts me in a meditative like state. Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and perhaps most importantly, Robert Johnson, those Bluesman created what was to become Rock and Roll. Chuck Berry sped up the 12 bar blues, added cool lead guitar parts and loud guitar solos and boom! You have Rock and Roll. I love playing the Blues and I am in it for life. Even if it's on my front porch with my dog, I'll be playing the Blues for however much time I have.
If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
Well, I started off on saxophone while in 4th grade for the school band. My grandfather, who is a professional drummer heard that I had rhythm, so under his tutelage, I began playing the drums and became an exceptional drummer. While I was playing drums for a band that started while I was in 8th grade and lasted through high school, I started picking up the guitarists guitar and learned a few things from the two guitarists and kept going with it and began teaching myself and even started to write songs for the group. I was lucky to have a first band like I had, because we were all versatile and we all wanted to learn all the instruments. Later on in life, in more serious bands, I had to learn how to pick up any instrument while in the studio. A lot of experiments go on while recording, so if a song needed a little of this or a little of that, I was usually the first one to give it a go.
Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
I only know my family's musical history starting in the 20th century, but the word is, my family goes back further than that, particularly on my maternal grandfathers family. In the early 1900's, practically right off the boat from Europe I know of my grandfather's great uncle John and his son were jazz bassists and reached professional status, playing on records and were members of the Musicians union. My grandfather also had another uncle who was a professional saxophonist and he too was a part of the union. My grandfather was a professional drummer and landed his first big gig in 1955 at the 500 club in Atlantic city, owned by "Skinny" DiAmata and played alongside legends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and many others. He was there for about 5 years and continued to play professionally into the 1990s. Although, my uncles can play the drums, they never did anything with it, but along came me. It's important to me to keep my family's musical legacy alive by passing on the gift of music by teaching it to the younger generations (or older, for that matter,) and keeping the spirit of real music played with real instruments alive. As well as being an experienced music teacher, I was in a few gigging bands, one of which wrote songs used in BMX movies sold all around the world.
When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
Well, I kind of stumbled into it as a teenager. It was my first band and I was the drummer. I had Doug Sabolic (A Life Once Lost) on guitar and vocals as well as two other very talented and versatile musicians. We all knew how to play eachothers instruments to a pretty high degree and that's how I got into playing guitar. I started writing songs for that band and when we split up, I kept playing more and more guitar while still practicing the drums. I was basically just a musician and really didn't take part in the financial side of things until later on. For instance if I put X amount of dollars into t shirts and we sell out, than I get this much back. Same with the cover charges at the door. If you see 200 people that came out for you, make sure you get paid what you're owed. My most successful band had a following right away because the rhythm guitarist/vocalist was a major professional BMX rider and I was also professional, but not as high profile as he was. The BMXers loved us and we did very well, packing the Khyber in Olde City Philadelphia PA. We also composed songs for BMX movies sold all around the world.
24 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
Trusted as the industry leader, for over 21 years the teachers in our network have been providing Piano lessons in Burke to students of all ages and abilities.
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