Piano Lessons in Shirley, NY

Instruments: Piano

I've been teaching for 20 years. I love to teach primarily because I like to impart knowledge about music; but I also enjoy interacting with people. I think that the student/teacher relationship is a very importnat element of music education. I'm a patient teacher who creates a comfortable atmosphere for students. I find that this greatly facilitates the learning process. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Drums Bass Guitar

I have been a student of the art since I was 11 years old. I studied at Five Towns College and have since performed with all manner of ensembles including Musical Theatre, Rock and Pop, Metal, Blues, and Opera. As well as teaching and performing, I am also an experienced guitar technician and repair professional. Music, and my commitment to my students has been my life for as long as memory serves. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I graduated with my Bacholers in Music and Pyschology with a focus on opera voice in 2009. In my performance program I really grew as a vocalist and learned how to overcome my own obstacles and improve my vocal technique for myself. I feel confident now in sharing my experience and my education with my students so they are able to really grow and improve as well. I started professionally and privately studying vocal technique when I was 17 and prior to that I was performing musical theater in school and in community performance groups. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Music

I believe that music theory is a fundamental when learning any musical instrument, and I make custom worksheets that cater to the individual's curriculum each week. When learning a new piece, the aural, visual, and written components encapsulate the primary step, as I believe it develops a deeper understanding of the piece before attempting it on the instrument. Students at any level complete scales and work on sight reading each lesson. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I use the score to pose questions about the way musical material is organized, how it reflects the composer’s ideas, and what makes the score coherent to the player and the  listener. In this way, a score is one point of focus for developing interest and a questioning attitude—practices that will serve students for a lifetime. I believe that our ability to talk about music emerges from the experience of “thinking music” as performers and that we truly learn music by using its grammar. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

I have been teaching piano lessons in students' homes and music theory courses on college campuses for over 15 years. My first teaching opportunity was in 2002 at the Douglaston School of Music, Dance, and Art, in Queens, New York, where I taught students ranging from 4-40 years old, mostly beginner and intermediate levels. At the Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY Queens College, I led an auxiliary theory and aural skills lab designed to help students who were struggling pass the main class. Read More

Instruments: Piano Flute Recorder Piccolo

Having taught many students over the years, my favorite books for young beginners are the Rubank series and Pares Scale book. These give a good foundation and progression and have easy to read fingering charts. Once a student gets going with these I introduce simple duet books so that, by playing with me, they develop a strong sense of tone and intonation. The first solo books I recommend are collections of solo's by famous composers, these give the student the chance to gravitate toward the style and composer they like best. Read More