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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in Kailua . 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 Trumpet
I use a broad amount of materials that I tailor to each individual student. Trumpet students use a variety of materials from the Arban Book, H. L. Clarks "Technical Studies," Max Schlossberg's "Daily Drills and Technical Studies" and a variety of solo and duet books. It is important that each student learns at a speed suited to them and each lesson is personalized so the student is challenged to grow but not overwhelmed. Read More
Instruments: Piano
For beginning students, I like to start with John Thompson piano serios to build a solid fundation in both technique and music theory. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
My approach varies depending on the student. For younger students I usually take a very systematic step by step approach using method books. If the student already knows what they want to learn and has specific goals I try to tailor to their needs. For guitar students who are starting from scratch I usually begin with the Hal Leonard Guitar method book or give them the option to use a classical method book if they're really interested in classical guitar. Read More
Instruments: Piano
I find that individualizing repertoire is a powerful motivational tool as it encourages students to want to progress in order to meet the challenge of playing their preferred musical genre. To make lessons more fun and engaging for my younger students, i utilize the learning games and features that are programmed on my digital piano, Since my students enjoy them so much, I use it as a reward activity as well. Read More
Instruments: Piano Keyboard
Beginner students start off by progressing through a method book series like Piano Adventures or Alfred Premier. These books, along with supplementary materials, help the student to learn how to read music and become more comfortable with the piano. Along the way, students will develop their music theory knowledge and gradually become more fluent with their scales, chords, and rhythm. By doing so, they are building their musicality and technique. Read More
Instruments: Saxophone
If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Connecticut State University in Jazz Saxophone Performance. Before I attended WCSU, I was in a classically oriented program at a liberal arts college and I found it to be stifling creatively. I greatly respect the classical saxophone tradition, but as a tenor player I found that there was a lack of interesting tenor repertoire that I was able to play.
By pursuing a jazz performance degree, I found that it gave me more than enough time to practice what I was interested in while giving me a lot of time to perform outside of school and make my network bigger.
What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
There are a few that come to mind. One of the most prominent is the first time I performed a composition that I wrote in front of an audience. The feeling of being able to share my work with people while playing with a great band was indescribable.
Another proud accomplishment of mine was performing with one of my longtime heroes Orrin Evans at a concert while I was a student at WCSU. Orrin is one of my absolute favorite musicians and being able to play with him was truly a blessing.
Finally, winning the Jazz Chamber Group portion of the 2016 James Furman Concerto Competition. I was placed in a great combo with some of my best friends, and being able to win while we were just being ourselves felt great.
Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I actually have had a few teachers who have inspired me to be a musician full time. The first was one of my saxophone teachers in high school, John Lowery. John taught at a summer camp I attended, and he introduced me to some of the older jazz records that helped me shape my concept of how to play the saxophone.
The second was Mike DiRubbo, who taught me while I was at working Litchfield Jazz Camp in college. At this stage I was feeling very unmotivated about pursuing music as a career and I wasn't practicing as much as I should have been. Mike gave me a tough love speech about how I wasn't doing myself any favors by not trying my hardest, and that all the natural talent I had wouldn't help me if I wasn't willing to work hard. This was the wake-up call I needed to start studying music with everything I had.
When will I start to see results?
This greatly depends on the student and how much they practice on a daily basis. If a student is highly motivated to learn and they practice consistently on a daily basis and they grasp the material, you could see results in as little as 1 or 2 weeks.
For some students, there will be some difficulties with certain topics or with finding the time to practice, so the process will take a bit longer. It's important to be patient and understanding with each student while they try to find their way. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
I find that splitting the allotted time I have to practice into 3 topics helps me tackle the most important elements of the saxophone: sound, technique, and music.
For example, let's say I have 1 hour to practice some things before I leave for work. By following the "rule of 3", I have 20 minutes for sound, 20 minutes for technique, and 20 minutes for music. I'd probably divide it up like this
Sound: 10 minutes of longtones with a tuner, 5 minutes of overtone exercises, and 5 minutes of altissimo practice.
Technique: 5 minutes of working on triad patterns, 10 minutes of scales in 3rds, and 5 minutes on arpeggios.
Music: 10 minutes working on a melody for a tune, 5 minutes on a transcription, and 5 minutes on an etude.
By doing this, I've covered a wide variety of topics in just 1 hour.
25 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 Kailua to students of all ages and abilities.
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