Jonathan D
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, R&b, Gospel, Musical Theater, Opera, Hip Hop, Showtunes, Spirituals, New Age, Soul, Avant-Garde

My experience with teaching started when I was completing my Bachelors degree. I taught both privately from my own home studio as well as a contracted teaching artist at several music schools. For me, teaching has always been one of my biggest passions. I enjoy creating an environment where students can not only grow and develop their skills but also explore the different nuances in music. One thing that is very important to me as a teacher is encouraging students to be consistent in their practice time. My job as a teacher is to inspire them every lesson so that when they are on their own in between lessons, they feel great about their accomplishments that they are making on their own.

For beginner students, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the students starts to understand the fundamentals, I begin to incorporate elements of beginner music theory. I do this because it allows the student to take to fundamentals and gives them the tools to get creative with the knowledge that they already have. Once we have this, I begin to incorporate solo repertoire while we refine our music theory skills. The solo repertoire is to prepare the students for their recitals. For adults and non-beginners, I start with asking them what specific genres and styles they want to cover. This typically ranges from classical to pop and everything in between. I then tailor each lesson specifically for them.