Ryan L  
Instruments: Voice, Flute
Styles: Classical, Gospel, Musical Theater, Showtunes

Growing up with multiple educators in my family has had a huge impact on my life as a volunteer in classrooms.  My volunteer experience began when I was in fifth grade, and has continued throughout all of my education experience at Concordia.  As I kept growing into a stronger individual, I discovered that the age group I wanted to work with also grew older with me.  Working in multiple classrooms throughout my life has only strengthened my resolve to be a teacher because of the communities I have discovered through volunteering.  Encouraging regular practice is one of the key components I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the strudent progress and gain a passion for the instrument.  If a student isn't having fun in their lessons, then I'm not doing my job!  My students are encouraged to enter competitions and recitals, as well as work on composing their own material.  I look forward to working with all new students!

For beginning Flute students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements.  Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their firset recital performance.  For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level.   For voice lessons I will use different songs based on students musical knowledge, skill, experience, and what the student is interested in.  I will also start each flute and voice lesson with basic warm-ups.