Voice Lessons in La Canada, CA

Instruments: Guitar Voice Lap Steel Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I am a guitarist, composer and teacher living in Los Angeles. I am currently a Masters student at Musicians Institute and work there as a faculty member. I have given hundreds of live performances, but, I really enjoy working in a studio environment and have played on dozens of recording projects. I also enjoy working on music equipment and finding new sounds - I studied guitar building directly after high school and have built instruments from scratch. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I have had the passion of teaching piano since I started building experience through further studying Piano Pedagogy. The courses I was honored to take were extremely valuable for the piano teaching jobs I was able to find for the next decade. My most rewarding experience was when my long-term student of 5 years won first place in her first "Battle of the Bands" for playing Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are". Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

To be honest, I didn't become serious about teaching in the arts until I went to graduate school from 2019 - 2022. There, I co-taught a class in the winter 2022 to undergraduates and realized I enjoyed teaching a variety of artists and helping them to feel more open in sharing their art and artistic practices. When I graduated, I knew that the next logical and intuitive step for me was teaching. Not only do I want to help others achieve their goals, I also feel that teaching pays homage to all of the mentors and teachers I've had throughout my life. Read More

Instruments: Voice

It's very important for me to see my students progress without tension and learn to sing with ease and build breath support and ear training over time. Vocal health and improving vocal quality across a singer's range is also of utmost importance. I tailor lessons according to the singer's level of proficiency and the complexity of the material or repertoire covered. Whether the goal is to prepare for an audition or simply improve your singing voice, we then tackle the fun part of performance, where I guide students in bringing the story of the character and song to life. Read More

Instruments: Voice

About me I am a professional session vocalist with over 15 years of experience in the studio and self-recording. I am a seasoned touring musician with insider industry knowledge. I have a decorated discography with recorded works appearing in film, television, radio and the Billboard charts. I am also... Someone that has overcome stage fright. A musician that plays instruments (guitar and bass) while singing. A songwriter who knows how scary it can be to share your work with the world. 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

Derek is most known for his association with the John Daversa Big Band. Derek has had the pleasure of meeting and performing with many of his musical heroes. He has recorded live and studio albums with Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis, John Fedchock, James Morrison, Greg Gisbert, Roger Ingram, Paul Stephens, Scott Englebright, Donny Dyess, the Tastee Bros, Bernard Wright, Gene Coye, Steve Reid, Kate Reid, Melvin Butler, Ed Calle, Richard Todd, Mike Brignola, Alex Norris, Dante Luciani, John Hart, Martin Bejerano, Chuck Bergeron, Rick Margitza, and appears on the Gary Lindsay album "Are We Still Dreaming" with the South Florida Jazz Orchestra. Read More