Viola Lessons in Eagle Rock, CA

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Electric Violin

When my students first start I start them on the Suzuki method until they get to book 4. While they are learning from that certain method I do encourage students to tell me what songs they enjoy listening to and we will choose easy versions of the song that keeps them motivated and excited. Once my students pass book 4 of Suzuki we start getting advanced music including scale books, etudes, and concertos. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola Music

I'm a passionate and motivated instructor who loves working with students and sharing my love of music. I maintain an active career as an orchestral, chamber, and freelance musician. In addition to performing regularly as a guest violist at the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and Pacific Symphony, I held a section position in the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and served as principal of the Verbier (Switzerland) and Lake George (New York) Music Festival Orchestras and PRISMA Academy Orchestra (Canada.) As a soloist and an active chamber music artist, I gave a solo viola premier at National Sawdust (Brooklyn, NY), and viola recitals in Manchester Music Festival Winter House Series (Stratton Mountain, VT) Piano on Park (New York), Fordham University Church (Bronx, NY) and Percy Grainger Society (White Plains, NY). Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Double Bass Music Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have been teaching for the last 14 years for other music schools as well as my home studio. I love to help new students from the ages of  4-99  in learning the joys of playing an instrument or instruments that they are going to enjoy. Nothing truly satifies me more than to see a student advance in their insturment as each lessons passes by. Daily quality and not quantity practice is something I like to encourage the student to be able to advance much faster in mastering the instrument. Read More

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 Guitar Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Fiddle French Horn Piccolo Oboe

My approach to learning an instruments is to have the students learn to play by ear first before they can start learning to read music. I find that most students are able to progress quickly because it frees them to focus on the playing the instruments rather than reading notes. I consider reading music like different subject that they learn later. Learning music is like learning to speak. First we learn to talk and then we learn to read and write. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

My method varies from student to student - It really depends on the students level. For a beginner student, I would focus giving the basic music foundation for violin: posture and bow hold, solid intonation and tone, and good sense of rhythm. More importantly, I teach the student to be aware of how to create a beautiful sound versus a bad sound. Furthermore, I use Hirmaly Violin Scale book for technique and Suzuki Book for the music pieces for beginner students. Read More