Cynthia H
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Ukulele, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Pop, Rock, Folk
Cynthia H
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Ukulele, Music, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Pop, Rock, Folk
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
Bachelor of Music Degree, Magna Cum Laude, from CSU Northridge, 2014
BA in Theater with Cinema Emphasis, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Voice coach and guitar/music theory teacher to teen student who has been cast in multiple local young people's musical theater productions in Marin County, 2016 - present.
- Lead singer-songwriter for two pop-rock bands: Yoko Eno (Los Angeles), and The Bang Bang Men (San Francisco).
- Winner of Leslie Johnstone Poetry Award, CSU Northridge, 2011.
- Choral singer in Capitol Records recording session for film score composed by Penka Kouneva, for "The Picture of Dorian Gray," 2005
- Recorded backing vocal for Frank Black and The Catholics' ballad "Manitoba" on the Show Me Your Tears studio album, 2003.
- Guided a young first-time songwriter to write, arrange, record, and perform a peace-themed song that won four awards, including a National Medal, in the PTA's Reflections Competition, 1996.
- Published Movie Theme Songwriter, "The Secrets of My Heart," for the motion picture "Ruby Cairo," starring Andie MacDowell, Liam Neeson, Viggo Mortensen, 1992.
A dedicated guitar, piano, voice, ukulele, and songwriting/music theory instructor with considerable recording, performing, and pop band experience, my teaching expertise is born of more than two decades of coaching private students and leading public school musical ensemble classes. A teen student whom I prepared for several auditions has been cast in local music theater productions as an actor-singer-dancer. One of my strengths as an instrumental teacher is that I know how to create easily playable arrangements of popular songs that students are keen to learn. In 2014, I received my Bachelor of Music degree Magna Cum Laude in the Music Composition Option from CSU Northridge, which included a Creative Writing Minor; prior to this, a movie theme I had co-written with film composer John Barry was selected to be the title track of the motion picture Ruby Cairo, starring Andie MacDowell, Liam Neeson, and Viggo Mortensen. The video I've uploaded here includes the movie's opening montage with the title theme I co-wrote. My teaching expertise and ability to guide young musicians and performers is furthered by my BA in Film/Theater from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
My teaching centers on preparing students for successful musical performance. I do this by providing easily doable practice techniques and exercises that will advance their ability to perform the songs and pieces they are keen to learn and are practicing, as students are more likely to continue with music if they are having fun at it.
Very often, notation for pop songs doesn't convey the actual recorded song, and many songs have never been notated. With excellent listening and transcription skills, I accurately notate and guide students to learn the songs they favor.
I emphasize that students need to practice music regularly and for short intervals of time, as it is well-established that the brain learns best through repetition. I create and assign practice exercises that will facilitate mastery of the more challenging areas within the songs and pieces they are learning.
It is my primary aim to nurture each student’s unique musical talent while expanding their knowledge and technical skills. I do this by guiding my students to take on and achieve both immediate and long term musical goals. Students' immediate goals usually center on learning a specific song they like, and would like to cover, while long term goals include improving one’s technique, understanding of how to produce a good sound on the instrument, achieving consistency in playing, knowledge of music theory, and more. I always encourage students to study and master their favorite songs. In this, not only will they have the most fun performing, but they will also sound great, which can only add to the fun. I want my students to enjoy their learning process! There is plenty of benefit in this approach, as each song may be thought of as a teacher with something new and different to offer-- new chords and chord progressions; new melodies that can be sung and/or played; new rhythms, and in some instances, new metric patterns. I make a point of explaining each of these elements to the student, then breaking songs down into smaller, more easily assimilated units, then guiding students to learn these. In the beginning, too, I focus on basics such as: how to hold and position the guitar, how to strike and/or plucki the strings to achieve specific effects; how to position one’s hands on the piano, and how to sit. This may sound very technical, but technique is an important stepping stone toward sounding great on any instrument.
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