Piano Lessons in West Orange, NJ

Instruments: Piano Voice Flute Ukulele

I can also teach people to sing and play piano at the same time. My teaching philosophy is to take away negative self-talk like "I can't" or "I'm bad at this" and replace this with "this is uncomfortable right now, and together we'll make it comfortable". So many times people get hung up on what seems like an unsolvable issue, and the resolution can be as simple as fixing a vowel. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

truly believe that singing should be a combination of passion and also technique. My lessons will focus on the fundamentals of singing in order to provide healthy vocal technique and a beautiful tone. It is extremely important in all genres for singing to have support, be able to use breath properly and have an understanding how of use the voice as an instrument properly to acheive a beautiful tone. After a few I would like students to not only have improved their sound and have songs they are confident in performing, but an understanding of how to read music and sight singing at the level of the student. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Recorder Oboe Music Keyboard

I began teaching while I was in college to young band students who had never before picked up an instrument, whether it was the keyboard or the oboe. This required teaching not only the technique of the instrument but also foundational musicianship. I also worked consistently with other college-aged students while they completed their piano skills courses, as well as the younger oboists in their technique courses and reed making classes. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

All of my students have personalized lesson plans. I take into account their learning style, their musical passions, where they struggle, and where they thrive. With beginning vocal and piano students who are younger, I often use a music theory book right away. I use the Hal Leonard theory books and the Full Voice Vocal Series books. For my adult students, I do a lot of my own worksheet-making. When it comes to vocal repertoire, I pick everything individually. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

Depending on how experienced the student is, I make sure to gauge where they are at regarding music theory and music history. Although the main goal of learning an instrument is to learn how to express yourself through music, it is important to understand how we can do that by having a solid understanding of theory and history. I've found that teaching students on a week-by-week basis through exercises that I create for them has been very successful, especially since a lot of method books are very limiting, and they expect every student to be starting out with the same baseline. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Viola Electric Violin

I started my teaching career my sophomore year of college while studying the performing arts. I first began teaching at a music school in Greenwich, CT after being referred by my orchestra conductor. After teaching there for a few months i was then recommended by a fellow teacher to instruct at a school in Darien, CT as well as their sister store where I developed a strong clientele. After teaching for the past six years i know that this is my passion in life. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin

For students that are complete beginners, I like to start away from the instrument to instill some confidence in reading music and a basic understanding of harmony. Flash cards and memory games have proven to be extremely effective for me, and I've seen a huge change in confidence around a violin when the student isn't overwhelmed with trying to grasp many difficult concepts at once. Hal Leonard's books are a favorite of mine, as well as Harvey Whistler's "Introducing the --" series. Read More