Viola Lessons in Canyon Country, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Harp Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Shakuhachi Oboe Bassoon English Horn Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Most recently Derek was the lead trombonist of the 2018 Disneyland All-American College Band. He has recently performed with Wayne Bergeron, Gordon Goodwin, Dave Holland, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Heath, Shaun Martin, Christian Jacob, John Beasley, Troy Roberts, Frank Greene, Brian Lynch, Jeff Jarvis, Steve Houghton, Jiggs Whigham, Sal Lozano, and John Clayton. Derek has had recent performances at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, the Smithsonian Institute, and the New World Symphony. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Trumpet Recorder Fiddle

My goal is always to take students where they are: beginning, intermediate or advanced and help them discover and develop their own love of music. I do this through introducing music that develops their skill and gives them the satisfaction of playing music that they enjoy. It is not only about playing scales and such but learning to play musically so that people they may play for in the future will enjoy listening to them and they will enjoy sharing what they have learned. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

For beginning students, I start with Gerald E. Anderson and Robert S. Frost's All for Strings. Once the students made progression in basic fundamentals, I use the Suzuki Methods Books and Solo for Young Violinists by Barbara Barber. Along with that, I introduce the students to the chamber music so that the students learn to play with others. For adults, I try to provide the students in their interested music so that, playing music is fun and entertaining to them. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

For beginning students, i like to start with the Essential Elements method book. The pieces in this method book are good for beginners because they are short and simple. For more advanced students, I like to delve into the Suzuki method books and then into more advanced solo repertoire from there. However, each student is different, so each student's lesson may look different. I also like to see what pieces or scales the student is interested in learning and incorporate that into the lesson plan. Read More

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola Double Bass

I was assistant principal cellist of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra for 15 years from 1987 to 2002. I was an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Mississippi in Oxford from 1988 and 1998. After 1998, I teach cello at the prestigious Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. I was also the Music Director and Conductor of the Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra for 9 years. During that time, I led the youth group on inaugural overseas concert tours to stages in Europe and China, reaching their highest level and largest audiences to the date. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

I teach a combination of Suzuki and traditional methods. I grew up as a Suzuki student, but in my professional teaching life have learned to add additional methods into lessons to supplement training. For young, beginner students, I start them off with a method book like "All for Strings," which teaches first by rote. Not long after the students achieve the basic skills of the violin, we incorporate the Suzuki method and note reading. Read More