Voice Lessons in Valencia, CA

Instruments: Piano Voice Acoustic Guitar

Hey there! My name's Dave and I am very passionate about music and through my playing the goal for me has been to inspire people. I doubted my musical abilities and compared myself a lot to others and quit music on several seasons whether that be learning a difficult song or comparing myself to my role model musicians. A family friend inspired me to keep playing and since then I've been writing, performing, and working as a musician. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I think it's important for students to learn interpretation and musicality as much as technique, regardless of their instrument. For piano, I typically start with Hannon's piano exercises, and then move on to repertoire which highlights specific technical challenges, such as crossed hands or mixed meter. In the repertoire is where I also make sure to talk about common interpretation practices, as well as techniques for how to characterize a piece of music. 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

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I believe that choosing lesson material should always be a collaborative experience between student and teacher. Flexibility is one of my core values in teaching music, as I’ve found that each student has unique interests, goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Rather than going into lessons with a set curriculum, I like to give students some agency over what they’d like to learn while making sure to cover fundamentals as they apply along the way. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I've been teaching voice full time for five years. Many students come to my studio in West Hollywood, or I am available to meet at Pierre's Fine Pianos in Santa Monica. Other options include me coming to you. Please see my travel map. :) I host bi annual recitals for my students to perform in, and encourage participation in outside performance and audition opportunities whether at school or a local open mic. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Music

My approach to teaching is to meet the students where they are. I often ask them to write a list of their 'top ten favourite songs' and also encourage them to listen to music. I want to know what moves them and inspires them, so I can adapt my instruction to their needs. I encourage consistency in practising above quantity (hours spent), as a little bit every day goes a long way. Read More

Instruments: Voice

My approach to singing comes from the Bel Canto school of singing. Bel Canto is Italian for beautiful singing and while I was trained this way, I believe in meeting students at their vocal level and build from there. I dont subscribe to the one size fits all method because we all perceive our voices very differently. Throughout my university years, I had some teachers who got frustrated when they instructed me to sing a certain way that I could not understand and I never want my students to be confused or feel misunderstood during our lessons. Read More