Piano Lessons in Walnut Grove, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Organ

I'm a lover of music and want those who pursue music to be as well! I am passionately motivated as a musician, minister of music, and singer. I have performed throughout this nation as a guest musician and in my own backyard as a vocalist and musician. Even though my college was not specifically a school of music but of biblical academics, I as highly involved in anything that music was apart of eventually graduating and becoming the schools minister of worship. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Organ Synthesizer Keyboard

If you’ve tried and failed, or even if you’ve never touched a piano, Smiley can teach you. And, you’ll have fun doing it because with my easy approach to learning, you will start playing the songs you like from day one, not practicing endless scales all the time, and boring music language that would be difficult to understand the first day. With my easy learning how to play approach, you would lean your first song and be able to play it, over and over until you learn a new song to share. Read More

Instruments: Piano Flute

In addition to working with standard repertoire and method books, I devise my own exercises to help with breath control, tone production, rhythm, aural skills, and other topics. I dedicate particular time and attention to the areas where I believe each individual student can benefit the most (e.g., tone quality, counting, etc.). For young students, I like to incorporate music games and improvisation into my teaching, both of which help the student develop essential musical skills in a fun, relaxed way. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

Flowing between the presentation of new information and the actual active playing music is very important to the way I conduct lessons. Especially for the young, I place much more emphasis on facilitating musical experiences rather than the integration of musical nomenclature and conceptualization. When we learn to speak, our ears guide us first, and we imitate. Writing and reading comes later. I've found that this pertains to music as well, if not even moreso. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trombone

For three years I was a camp counselor in the La Honda Music Camp (Hayward, CA). As a counselor, I looked after 10-12 middle school-aged girls, oversaw brass sectionals, coached trombone, and assisted in the junior wind ensemble. In high school I used to coach my classmates in the trombone section. In my grad school years I began to teach beginning piano and trombone. My hope when teaching music is that the kids have a lot of fun learning their instrument, so I always encourage them to learn songs they'd like to sing/play along to. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I approach teaching in a way that encourages students to learn at a pace that's comfortable for them. Since the lessons are one -on-one, there is no need to keep up with a herd like you're in school. So I try to give a healthy balance of goals that are attainable only if the student practices and reviewing material from the past to see what has been retained while also showing how certain musical material is not like riding a bike... you will forget without some upkeep. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Conga Latin Percussion

I was raised up in Northern California in the arts of music and dance since a young age of three. I started lessons in Oakland, CA in dance, music and acrobats with Peggy and Leon Valdez and then tap performance and theater arts with Chorlene and Art Duane in Hayward, CA. I became very active in elementary school choirs with music instructor, Ms. Bell. My father was head coach for Oakland Dynamites-Pop Warner in which I would do cheerleading and coordinate field marches. Read More