Music Lessons in Durham, NC

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Guitar Method as well as learning their favorite songs. For adults, I find out what the students are interested in, and guide my instruction accordinly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter they are beginners, songwriters, blues,jazz, classical, pop, funk, rock, fusion lovers or advanced players. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet Music

I believe my role as a teacher is to help students improve their musical abilities in a holistic manner. This means in addition to talking about technique, we will discuss theory and history related to the instrument and repertoire (depending on level of the student) as well as healthy and productive practice habits. I will help students to set realistic weekly goals so each student is improving consistently and feeling satisfied with his/her accomplishments each week. Read More

Instruments: Piano

What drives my passion for teaching is the collaborative atmosphere and those "a-ha!" moments when a lightbulb goes off. Learning is all about the act of discovery, and I facilitate students in finding their natural love of music. I challenge students to approach problems from all angles to help them understand music on a deeper level. Recognizing and rewarding every small improvement helps the student gain confidence, which in the long run makes for better musicianship. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

I like to customize my lesson plans based on the student's needs. It also depends on the style of music that is being learned. I typically like to start with the Rubank method books. These books follow a progressive sequence of beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. However, this is not necessary; the concept of these books is to get a grasp of the fundamentals. I also provide many fundamental exercises I have created and used in my daily practice. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet Recorder Bassoon

I use a mixture of my own custom lesson plans as well as working from a book if the student is a beginner. I use different books for different instruments but I don’t like to rely on them completely as all students learn at different rates and have different strengths and weaknesses. So sometimes I will source more music or activities from elsewhere or miss pieces or sections out. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

Cyndi emphasizes note reading, rhythm, technic and theory at every lesson to prepare students to ultimately learn independently.  Building confidence is key factor in music lessons. Each student is unique.  Everyone has their own learning style, appreciation for music, coordination and goals. In the 1:1 lesson, the teacher has the responsibility to meet the students' unique learning style for the best results. Having conducted research in The Mozart Effect in graduate school, Cyndi firmly believes that music increases spacial ability which leads to better math skills and increases intelligence/apptitude in children. Read More