Voice Lessons in Dentsville, MD

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

I customize the curriculum and repertory for each of my students based on their personal goals, which we will discuss in the first lessons. Do you want to play for yourself or to perform publicly? What kinds of repertory appeal to you and how much time do you have to practice? From there we will create a plan that best meets these goals. For beginners, this will include a method book (I often use Faber Piano Adventures for young beginners and Alfred Adult-In-One methods) to get you started. Read More

Instruments: Voice

My name is James and I am an operatic tenor and voice teacher based in Northern Virginia. I most recently graduated from the AJ Fletcher Opera Institute at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and hold a Master's degree in Opera Performance from the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland and a Bachlor's degree in Voice Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice

Aestethics or "beauty" of the voice is subjective. In this method we favor the voice health. The ability to sing without fatigue. The confidence that we can trust in our instrument. The result of this work is after all a "beautiful" sound. And it will sound beautiful for every listener. "The acoustical result of a healthy sound is a beautiful sound. And we will agree in any culture that its beautiful because its an instinct aesthetic." (Eugene Rabine) The method itself comprehends 4 parts: 1) a theory about the functional system (how the instrument works) 2) a theory about the sensomotorial system (how one person learns a sensomotorial activity) And based on those 2 theories: 3) a specific Pedagogy 4) a specific Didactic I don't want to get too "technical" in this section, you're free to ask me if you have further questions about these aspect. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

As far as books go, I prefer the Hal Leonard method, especially for beginner musicians. I combine visual, audio and kinesthetic learning methods to tailor to anyone's needs. After the basics are taught or they're already learned, I assess the student's level and teach the student what they wish to learn to the best of my ability. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For beginners who are children, I typically use Faber and Faber's Piano Adventures. One of my biggest goals while teaching is to provide my students with a well-rounded music education. From my experience, the Piano Adventures series aligns well this goal while providing engaging, fun material for children. After completing a series of method books, I start to focus on classical repertoire. While I believe classical repertoire is the best way to build piano technique, musicianship, and musical knowledge, I love including other genres depending on the student's interest. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I believe making music fun can keep students motivated and improve their skills. When you love music, you are more motivated to improve. I also believe music is based on a lot of techniques. In order to express your feeling through music and have more fun, you will need to practice to mature the technique. Practice makes perfect!!! I believe that everyone is unique. I encourage my students, but insist that they need to learn something new every lesson so they can get closer to their goals. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I use Bastien Piano Basics for young and older beginners, as well as supplemental books from Alfred Piano and Hal Leonard. For intermediate students, we begin building a repertoire together of pieces the student enjoys and plays well. I try to find a nice balance between classical, traditional, and popular music. For voice I use the Little Singers series for kids and supplemental books of songs from Hal Leonard. These songs include Disney favorites and other classic songs such as "Puff, the Magic Dragon". Read More