Music Lessons in Durham, NC

Instruments: Piano

I started teaching piano at age 16 after being certified by my own instructor. I had one student I saw weekly and though at first she was against the piano, I worked with her intensely on genres and styles that she enjoyed playing. I also substituted for my piano instructor when she was sick and taught a plethora of children. When I volunteered at the local elementary school, I taught grade schoolers piano on the upright in the auditorium and that's when I fell in love with inspiring future musicians. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I strive to make my students as passionate about music as I am! I encourage students to try their best and reach they accomplishments. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student reach their personal goals. I use my own methods and the students desires to create a personal lesson plan. I realize each student has a different learning style so I will always asses the best way to teach them using a variety of materials. Read More

Instruments: Voice Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I take a very detailed and analytical approach to music performance, and this is reflected in my teaching. I believe many students look at a piece of music that seems too difficult and become too overwhelmed to realize that's it's not as difficult as it may first appear. By breaking down music into its components, pitch, rhythm, dynamic, articulation, etc., and tackling each item one at a time, students who thought of music as a strange and foreign language begin to see it as something that just works and makes sense. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion

Teaching must be a two way street between the instructor and the student. There must be an understanding of the relationship and a willingness on both ends to take everything that they can out of the experience. I believe once this is done, a relationship can start to form between the two which will naturally help in the learning progress. For adults especially, constructive criticism is just as important as the praise when you do a good job. 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