Piano Lessons in Purcellville, VA

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

Fundamentals are so important and always addressed first. Things like finding the best sound possible and physically setting yourself up to play in the most efficient way are the most important at every ability level. If you study trumpet with me, you will work on breathing, finding your most beautiful sound, and basics like scales and long tones. These steps are needed to have the fun and growth that playing an instrument brings. Read More

Instruments: Piano

When first starting with a student, I gage what their level of music is and go from there. With all my students regardless, we start off with Hanon exercises and scales. These are the fundamentals of piano. Music theory will also be applied as needed to help students learn music appropriately and efficiently. With beginners, we start with the John Thompson Piano Books so that students are getting the well rounded ins and outs of the piano. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Keyboard

I then started my own studio while working towards my masters degree in New York. I teach at the Larchmont Music Academy, and was very involved with the outreach program at Manhattan School of Music. Through this program, I was able to teach in a variety of different subprograms - giving lectures about the history of jazz music to elderly people as well as teaching at numerous public middle schools' after-school music programs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

My ultimate goal is to instill a love of music in my students. Because of this, I aim to create a positive, encouraging environment that welcomes mistakes and fosters exploration. Since every person is unique, I work with each student at his or her own pace and try to match my teaching style to the student's learning style. I like to set individualized goals and reward students when they achieve those goals; this creates motivated students who are eager to learn more. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I never want to pressure or overwhelm a student with too much information or expectation, because instead of the instruction being seen as a challenge, it is interpreted as an unenjoyable command, and that discourages the student from practicing to meet their goals, instead of motivating and inspiring them. What I find works best is relating lessons to popular current music, further exploring the bridge of dynamics that make up the songs that the student enjoys. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I began teaching a few beginner-level students during my first few years of college, and I have taught at the Bach to Rock music schools, and found that I enjoyed building new musicians. I like to emphasize the benefits of consistent, focused practice, especially to my beginner students, as well as the importance of proper warm-up activities. While I believe that music students should learn what they can of the vast and beautiful classical repertoire, it is also important that they are given the opportunity to learn songs and pieces that are important or interesting to them. Read More