Piano Lessons in Dane, WI

Instruments: Piano Voice

The most important goal I have in teaching voice and piano is to grow the student's love of music. I love customizing lessons to a student's abilities, interests, and learning style. I prioritize the student's enjoyment above all else, but students who make an effort to work and learn will always find their instrument to be more exciting and fun. For this reason, my lessons are always highly goal-oriented, regardless of how fun they are! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar

I have found nothing in my professional life more satisfying that developing lasting relationships with my students. Watching someone grow in their ability to play music, especially music they love, is an experience that is second to none. I will help you become the musician you long to be, and hopefully point you in some new and exciting directions along the way. We embark on this journey together, and no matter where we end up it will be a wonderful ride getting there! Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Djembe

I graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College and earned an associates Degree in Jazz Music. I went on to U.W. Milwaukee and studied classical music and was part of the U.W. Milwaukee Percussion Ensemble for 4 years. After graduating from U.W. Milwaukee I became a full time musician and traveled as a full time musician working throughout the United States and internationally. I worked in a wide range of venues night clubs, lounges, casino's, U.S.O's bases, musicals I have worked as various schools nursing homes, boy scout groups Native American Reservations etc. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Organ Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

Ray has been hailed by Opera News as, "terrific!", the New York Times praised, "Ray C. was effectively cast...a solid professional with vocal elegance." The Taconic Press acclaims him as, an exceptional voiceleaving audiences cheering" with his performances being, ardent and utterly convincing." The New York Sun said of his stage craft: Ray C. makes the most of it, combining savvy stage business with a warm voiceexpertly straddling that razor thin line between parody and poignancyscored a direct hit." While the Berkshire Review simply calls him, "...Perfect!" His travels have led him to make appearances with Grandview Opera (General Co Artistic Director), the Light Opera Company Of Salisbury (General Artistic Director), Prelude to Performance (Associate Conductor), Amore Opera (Principal Conductor), the Opera Orchestra of New York, New York Grand Opera, Connecticut Opera, Connecticut Concert Opera, Greater New Britain Opera, Berkshire Opera, Bardavon Opera, Jacksonville Lyric Opera, Opera Ischia (Italy), Bronx Opera, New Rochelle Opera, Amato Opera, Bleecker Street Opera (Associate Conductor), Regina Opera, Long Island Opera, the New Britain Symphony Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Staten Island Philharmonic, the Belleayre Music Festival, American Opera Preview, in collaboration with artists and staff of the Metropolitan Opera, at Carnegie Hall, Bechstein Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Read More

Instruments: Piano Djembe

Taking the teaching perspective that the piano is a percussion instrument, my instructional focuses are on rhythmic development where I use drumming patterns, hemiolas and other metronome tactics to develop your time. I am a Jazz musician, however going deeper means I use music to communicate as a language, taking the language development metaphor further, I use scales, arpeggios, movements, melodies and song forms, just to name a few as methods to communicate or improvise, both with the audience and other musicians. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Synthesizer Recorder Electric Violin Double Bass Conga Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe

For beginning students, I usually start by creating a strong foundation in the student's mind of why they want to learn how to play an instrument and what goals, if any, they initially have for themselves. I then utilize this to help create individual based lesson plans that are driven by the inner workings of the student's mind. I incorporate music theory into every instrument at every skill level because I believe it to be something that is extremely important to understand and that not a lot of students are exposed to before they get to college. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For beginning piano students who are children, we will typically either start with Alfred or Piano Adventures series. I find that both these series introduce the concepts of technique, theory, solo playing, and terminology in ways that help them learn effectively. Depending on the age, they will be placed in either early beginner's series or the beginner series. For adults, I look at what they are interested in and build a course for them based on that. Read More