Lesson Special - Up to 20% OFF! Get Started Now with a Risk-Free Trial!

Derek S In Home
avatar
5
  5.0 (6)

Instruments: Piano, Ukulele, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Electronic, Showtunes

avatar

Derek S  
5
  5.0 (6)
In Home
Instruments: Piano, Ukulele, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Electronic, Showtunes

Where I Teach:
In Your Home
Ages Taught: 7-80
Levels Taught:

EMAIL US OR CALL 877-687-4524

Verification

Background check cleared

Social security verified

Name verified

Phone verified

Email verified

Address verified

ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:

Master Degree: California State University East Bay

Awards:

2019-2020 Glenn Glasow Graduate Fellowship, CSUEB

2019-2020 Glenn Glasow Graduate Fellowship, CSUEB

Overview:

I love everything about music, and that includes teaching music to my students! I bring over 20 years of experience as a composer, songwriter, sound designer, and performer to my music instruction. I've performed nationally, collaborated with theater and dance companies, received grant money from the San Francisco Arts commission for the completion of original music, and now I have just completed my master's in composition and music theory at California State University East Bay. I'm always working on new compositions and collaborations, and love how my teaching pushes me to be a better composer and musician.

EXPERIENCE

I have 5 years of varied teaching experience, as a private instructor, working in several K-12 school environments, and I also hold teaching experience at the undergraduate college level. I enjoy working with students of all ages, and I bring an enthusiasm that centers fun for my young students, while also grounding my lessons in music theory that's tailored to the age and skill of my student. I like to encourage improvisation and spontaneity, but also provide a structure of lesson assignments and exercises.

METHODS USED

For my young piano students, I use the structure of the Faber series to slowly introduce concepts. For my guitar students I have had great success with the Mel Bay series, which combines initial chord playing and some music reading fundamentals. For ukulele, I utilize the Hal Leonard service. With all of my students, I always want to have the students choose songs they like and that they can set as realistic goals. I do emphasize some exercises in all instruments and to ground all lessons in the importance of practice and repetition. For my adult students, I tailor more specifically to the student's interests and definitely emphasize songs as practice goals.

LESSON STYLE

I'd say my teaching style is first tailored to each individual student- their learning style, their genre interest, and their goals. Some student respond to more traditional classical structure, and some respond to improvisation as a way of learning musical concepts. What's exciting is finding out which style each student has, and always come back to the joy keeps them motivated. While I am flexible in this regard, I do have specific practice assignments and repetition exercises that are the work of learning an instrument. I also love working with students that are interested in creating their own music, whether it's songwriting or composing, and helping them achieve their goals.

PHOTOS & VIDEOS
Leave a Review
RATING & REVIEWS
5
  5.0  (6)
5 star
(6)
4 star
(0)
3 star
(0)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Veronica Triplett

5

“Derek is an amazing instructor. He has extensive knowledge of music theory and composition, and is an incredibly talented musician. He knows how to explain things in a way that makes it easy to understand. As a beginner, he has really demystified the process of learning music and helped me progress in my ukelele playing. He is very patient and can really bring you to where you want to be musically. I highly recommend him!”

Trey Johnson

5

“I’ve been wanting to continue my learning of ukulele and guitar. Derek is such a knowledgeable and patient teacher. I love how he breaks down the understanding of music theory and composition. I’ve had other guitar teachers that have taught me how to copy music tabs but Derek is really great in explaining the why of music!”

Verification

Background check cleared

Social security verified

Name verified

Phone verified

Email verified

Address verified

BBB A+ rating
Check out our A+

Rating from the Better Business Bureau

Risk Free Trial Lesson
100% Risk-Free Trial Lesson

If you are not satisfied after your trial lesson, you will not be charged and we can match you with another teacher.

Ready to Get Started? Take a Risk Free Trial Lesson!

No credit card required.

Up to 20% OFF!
GET A RISK-FREE TRIAL

Select all the days/times the student would be available to start lessons. Selecting "3pm - 7pm" means the student can start as early as 3pm or start as late as 7pm. It is important that you select as many days and the widest window of start times for each day as possible. That will help us make a match with one of our teachers.

Ok

Are you sure that's your only availability? The more availability you easier it will be to arrange a teacher for you.