Piano Lessons in Upper Black Eddy, PA

Instruments: Piano Voice

My methods depend heavily on the age of the student and the level of student I am working with. An example would be the beginner level. For beginning students, I first focus on helping them understand their range (i.e. bass, tenor, alto, soprano) and important fundamentals of singing (i.e. loose jaw, full use of our body as support for our voice, relaxed tongue, proper breath support with the diaphragm, expansion of the ribs, proper body posture, etc). Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

When teaching both voice and piano I find music literacy vital. In younger students first developing aural skills, I like to sing and repeat tonal and rhythmic patterns. I also give handout assignments to learn notes on the staff. With older and more experienced students, I devote time in each lesson to sight reading and sight singing. I use the Adventure series books for all of my piano students, as well as outside literature. Read More

Instruments: Piano

For beginner students, I first start to see how they learn best if its at a slower pace or if they can absorb quickly. Once I can understand them and their learning habits, I will start by teaching the basics such as how to count, the names of the notes, etc. Understanding the basics is really important so something I will want to make sure is that they understand why the notes are split in a measure a certain way(for example). Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music

My teaching style is very thorough and patient. I welcome mistakes of course! It is not about how often you fall down, but about how you get up again. If you want to work hard, I will work hard as well. My students know the importance of regular practice in order to build dependable muscle memory in their playing. In a lesson we will spend half the amount of time working on technical building exercises and half the time working on repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola Fiddle Keyboard

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Suzuki level books, String Explorer and Fiddletime joggers to increase sightreading and listening skills. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Piano

Over 30 years of private and public/private teaching experience. I love to teach. In my lessons, I get to know each student personally, learn their strengths and weaknesses and proceed from there. Each student is unique and learns at a different pace. It is important for a teacher to know this and to work on technique, pieces, and recital planning to best showcase each individual. My methods have always been successful, and taking a student from point A to point B, C, D and beyond is so rewarding in my work. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I try to provide a good balance between working on theory, technique, and repertoire, and working on aspects that might be more fun like a students favorite song. This allows the student to make progress while also keeping motivated, which is really important for long term goals. For children, the balance has to lean more towards the more entertaining aspect, because of the reduced attention span. I actively work towards getting the younger students to increase their tolerance towards difficult challenges so that they can make more overall progress. Read More