Voice Lessons in San Antonio, TX

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Bass Guitar Ukulele Electric Violin Fiddle Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Have fun with it! Take bite-size pieces of music at a time and slow them down ridiculously, and then speed them up ridiculously. Then try and do that with the whole song!

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
When they show a reoccurring interest and are at least school-aged. Fifth grade through ninth grade is actually the prime when your motor skills and cognitive growth are at an all-time high! But of course those are just broad observations. The best way to truly know is to have your child come in and simply start playing around and observing their learning styles on basic instruments such as the ukulele, and the piano. Older kids catch on to harder string instruments such as guitar and violin faster than little ones.

When will I start to see results?
In a long term context, this all depends on you and I will double down on that. In any instrument, you could go a month in a week or a week in a month. I can give the tools to excel and grow in your instrument of choice, and as a teacher, I try and go a step further and show you HOW to practice. It's always more than merely running through your exercises or music. I will show you how to compartmentalize and have fun with it! If you follow my advice, you will certainly see exponential growth starting from your first lesson.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
My first teacher was my fifth grade violin teacher. She inspired me to think outside the box from day one and that learning would be a life long project. She then was my high school orchestra conductor who showed me that I could expand my music horizons on the guitar and sing folk music. By the end of my high school career, she sat me down to have a chat about how it is truly possible to go into music and make in a lucrative career with the right set of skills and looking into the right options. Teaching private lessons was the first step, performing and writing was the second!

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I decided to choose the violin because an older sibling had excelled at the violin and I was captivated by the sound. As it turns out, studies show that hearing the violin lights up the same part of the brain as when we hear a person sing. The motor skills I acquired playing the violin then made picking up the guitar fairly easy. Today I must say it is the guitar that is my primary instrument. The guitar became a tool for songwriting, composition, and self expression that feels central to who I am. Still, I always say the violin was my first love!

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am beyond blown away at the very fact that I got to perform at Carnegie Hall when I was 17 with my high school orchestra and got my own solo! These days I am happy of the fact that I have been making a living for myself just playing at teaching music since the day I left college. I am proud of the fact that I get up each morning and decide how to fill my days with musical experiences! I am also proud of the fact that I've been able to record my own band and other artists in Austin, Texas and showcase my work live in premier venues around the country. You can find my work under the name City of Decades!

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
My students have won songwriter awards in their english programs at school from our private lessons. I have been able to help each kid by breaking down what they enjoy musically, and what they do not enjoy. From there, I show them how to create musical progressions and sprinkle melodies and lyrics on top of them! My students have also won top awards in Region, All-state, and Solo Ensemble competitions all over the south central region of Texas. The most basic reason to explain their success is that these kids come in driven and when that drive wanes for any reason, I help to pump them back up again!

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Muscle memory is by far the hardest thing to master with any instrument. I teach mostly stringed instruments (along with piano and voice. With stringed instruments, the individual must train their fingers to be nimble enough for the correct intonation. In other words, it takes some accuracy and strength to make the correct notes come out with some gloss. When someone pushes the piano key, the note should sound properly every time. With strings, it takes a bit more effort to get a good sound every time.

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