Voice Lessons in Atlanta, GA

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Music Keyboard

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
My decision to become a professional musician was a funny combination of gradual and also at a defining moment. I have played and practiced my whole life, and it was always my top extra-curricular activity. I always loved it and at various points tried to envision a life as a professional musician. It seemed, in many ways, like an obvious choice. However, when I went to college, I started a dual-degree program in music and my other passion, computer programming. The program was structured such that I completed my music studies first, then switched to computers. But when it came time to switch, I had already found work playing professionally and I realized that my interest in computers as a career had waned. Even knowing that a career in computer programming would be stable and lucrative, I decided to leave it behind and go full force into building a music career. And I have never looked back! It would have been easier to follow the computer path, since it is a path well-traveled. But forging my own path and being able to keep music in the foreground of my life is far more rewarding!

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music is a family activity for me, and one that constantly brings us together. In fact, my brothers and I just recorded a cover of The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" for my mother, complete with new lyrics about her and three-part vocal harmonies to boot. All five of us play and we love to talk about it and play together!

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
While piano is my primary instrument, I also play trumpet. I wanted to be in band in school, so when we started in 6th grade I gave trumpet a shot and liked it! I practiced both instruments nearly every day throughout middle and high school before I decided to focus more on piano in college.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
First of all, my 'normal' practice session has changed over time. It is not the same today as it was when I was 10, 15, or 20. These days, I practice a lot of difficult classical repertoire, so much of my time is spent on those pieces. I start by picking the hardest spots and working on those, then perhaps I will play through the whole piece to measure my progress and to maintain the easier parts as well. I also spend a lot of time practicing sight reading, since my professional work requires a high level of accurate reading. I will choose a different composer or genre every day for reading, which helps keep things fun and new!

When will I start to see results?
It varies. The more frequent, consistent, and methodical your practicing is, the more quickly you will see results. Patience is a virtue! Some areas of musicianship may take longer to show results than others. Additionally, some results are harder to see than others. For example, progress in scales or a difficult passage are more obvious than progress in sightreading.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Don't just start at the beginning of a piece and struggle your way through it. To practice effectively, zoom in on the spots that give you the most trouble. It is far easier to master one or two measures at a time than to tackle the whole piece at once. And once you can play that spot correctly, repeat repeat repeat! Don't practice until you get it right; practice until you can't get it wrong.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Piano is my primary instrument, and I chose it for several reasons. It is one of the most versatile instruments on the planet - every dance hall, theater, school, church, and even many homes have pianos in them, and they can be used in nearly any style or ensemble. It is the instrument of composers and conductors as well because it allows them to hear a piece holistically. But most importantly, I found piano to be the most fun and challenging. I never get bored! When you find the instrument that does that for you, stick with it.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
I usually don't begin lessons with young children until they can read. Learning to read music is very much like learning to read text, so having that baseline is extremely helpful. The ability to sit and follow directions for 30 minutes is also very helpful!

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