Piano Lessons in Fair Oaks, CA

Instruments: Piano

I analyze each individual student. I design a plan according to their needs.  I give students arrangements of pieces that they will be inspired to play.  A lot of my teaching is based on some of the great teachers that I studied with in the past. I am 59 years old and currently teach in the San Diego area. I have been teaching for 40 years. I was playing professionally in the Chicago area when I was 16 years old. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

It wasn't until I was 12 years old that I really started to play and learn guitar, being further motivated by my brother who was just learning guitar himself. We started out learning songs by Metallica and Led Zeppelin. Later, I took a deep interest in learning blues, classical, jazz, and more classic rock like Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Santana etc. After years of studying and practice, I believe I have a firm grasp of music theory, how to play different styles of music, and the ins and outs of guitar playing. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trombone

For beginners, I like to start with the Standard of Excellence book 1, and intermediate students with book 2. The trombone is such a versatile instrument that there are tons of different styles of playing to practice. Depending on the student's level I will build curriculum for them. We will also play duets together, because it's very important to learn how to play well with others. Scales, lip slurs, and other exercises will be implemented as well. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Organ Synthesizer Keyboard

Smiley has studied piano since the age of 5 and has been fortunate to study with the Carl Wheeler the musician who wrote and played for Tony Toni tone, as well as Beyonce and high profile headliners. Smiley has played for celebrity singers including Carlos Santana, comedian Tommy Davidson, as well as John Witherspoon. He a Degree in music from the University of Berklee, and has taught piano and voice since 2005. he enjoys working with people and uses his patience and perceptiveness to communicate music to others. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Ukulele Keyboard

My teaching experience dates all the way back to early high school, when I taught piano lessons to kids in my local neighborhood. In college, I continued teaching as a part time job while at home during the summers, and when I returned home from touring, I taught at several studios in the Sacramento area, teaching private voice and piano, and classes I designed curriculum for, such as Musical Theatre for Beginners, "We Sing Disney", and Singing for Ages 8-12. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

As a teacher, my aim is to help students unlock the meaning and message of any piece of music. For me, teaching and learning are both about exploration, inquiry and experimentation. And I approach each lesson fully committed to spark a student’s imagination and musical understanding through these principles. The joy in my teaching is seeing students’ ideas develop and being there to guide them each step of the way! Read More

Instruments: Piano Flute

I am happy to work on standard classical flute repertoire, contemporary flute repertoire, and music in non-classical styles. For young piano students, our first few lessons will be dedicated to posture, hand position, basic rhythm, and learning note names on the piano keyboard. We will then progress to music reading. I usually use Faber's Piano Adventures series for fun, level-appropriate pieces. We will also continue to play rhythm games and ear-training games in order to develop musicality. Read More