Piano Lessons Niagara County, NY

Instruments: Piano, Voice, Violin, Saxophone, Clarinet

I have a very creative teaching style. My emphasis is on student-centered learning. Learning should not solely be myself giving instruction and the students listening. In order for students to grow, discovery on their part needs to happen through guided questioning. The more this happens, the more that students are inclined to make their own discoveries and become their own teachers/motivators for improvement. I am also a firm believer in having the student explore who their musical heroes are. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Latin Percussion, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

Because everyone learns differently, I teach from a technique I've developed which I refer to as the blank slate method. Though I do utilize workbooks for their very informative and easy to understand nature, I prefer to teach each student based on what they know or what comes naturally to them. This involves you the student, your instrument, and a pen and paper. For beginner students who are children, we work together to learn a simple song so that they can feel a sense of accomplishment and be further motivated to continue their studies. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet

My first student was a NYC firefighter that I met in October 2001 right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was looking for a way to distract himself from the experience that he had gone through. Working with him and seeing how simply playing a note on the saxophone changed his vibe and relaxed him, I realized that music truly heals. Since then, my approach has been to get to know my student well and discover how I can help them enjoy the learning process. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Trumpet, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Bass Guitar, Recorder, Double Bass, Music

For beginning woodwind students, I have had success using the Rubank method books as a starter. Alongside a method book, I like to work on material chosen by the student, as well as my own supplemntal exercises. It is important for the student to understand the musical concepts associated with the repertoire, as well as focusing on performing well. I also prefer to have my students keep a practice log book, in order to track their progress. For piano and music theory, I like to use the John Thompson method for beginner students, and the Bastien Piano Literature series for more advanced students. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Violin

For beginning students who are children. I typically start with Suzuki Violin Book or Hal Leonard's Essential elements. Once the students has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce some repertoire they can perform. For adults, I try to find out what music the students are interested in and as teaching basic skills, I will teach music what they would like to perform. Also I will guide my instruction to encourage their interest of playing violin so they can have fun with playing violin, not get stress about practicing violin. Read More