816-463-3583
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23 Years
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816-463-3583
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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Music lessons in Kansas City . Whether you are looking for beginner guitar lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, the instructors in our network are ready to help you now!
Instruments: Guitar Voice Acoustic Guitar
My teaching experience dates back to my early 20s and my college days. i started teaching private lessons part time, for some family and friends etc, and have been teaching and meeting new people and students ever since. the number one factor in learning your craft is to dedicate yourself to regular and consistent practice or rehearsal into your schedule and stick to it if you want to be successful. and i will always encourage my students to maintain a healthy balance of rehearsal into your daily life. i can't emphasize this enough; especially the younger students, to build a routine, as it tends to really help the student progress and gain a passion for the their craft. i encourage my students to enter competitions and recitals, when the time is right of course.. as well as work on composing their own original material, so they can feel good about their accomplishments and stay motivated to learn. i am my own students resource and im always willing to help out anyone i can and im always looking to bring on new students of all ages! Read More
Instruments: Trumpet
I have been teaching since I was a senior in high school. Over the last 10 years I have come to realize that all students learn differently and all will encounter problems in different ways. Some students will overcome these challenges in a few days, others it may take a few months. I know because I was one of those students where it took a few months. I always tell my students that I will do everything I can to help them as long as I can tell they are practicing (and I will be able to tell). Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice Music
I believe that an understanding of music theory and learning to read music is the foundation of success for both my piano and voice students which is why I typically require my voice students to be taking piano simultaneously with voice. For beginning piano students, I will typically begin with the James Bastien Primer/Level 1 Series with the focus split equally between theory and technique. I require students to fill out a practice log monthly to ensure that they are maintaining the knowledge and skills they learn in lessons and so that parents can be involved in their progress. Read More
Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar
As an Guitar Instructor my first priority is instilling each student with a love for music and the tools to reach their goals. I also enjoy having fun while meeting their needs! Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer
I have been fortunate to study under some remarkable professors as well as musicians. There are three individuals in particular that I will never forget. They changed my life. Their determination, work ethic, pure genius and passion for what they do will always stick with me. They raised my bar as a musician and set the bar for my teaching. As a teacher I strive to leave the same imprint on others that they left on me. Read More
Instruments: Piano
Other experiences I have teaching include being a Mentor in Illini Mentoring Program (mentioned above), along with being a part of the UofI-Juvenile Detention Center Arts Project in spring of 2017. This coalition formed of UI students and professors helped to generate meaningful musical experiences for incarcerated youth, providing them with a possibility to be kids again in trying times, and to promote restorative justice. Since 2017, I have gotten the opportunity to teach lessons here and their to peers (college age), but I'm ready to delve into the exciting world of private teaching and help share my knowledge and passion for music with others ready to learn. Read More
Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Harmonica Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I would say my earliest accomplishment was getting into music school after having played guitar for just over two years. At the University of Kansas, I also provided classical guitar accompaniment for a DMA flute student, and played on several of his doctoral recitals. For a 19 year old, it was greatly stressful, but I managed to help him to execute successful performances despite my relative lack of experience. Later, some of my favorite performances were with a gypsy jazz quartet where we performed in an idiom similar to Django Reinhard, and st the same time I performed many solo acoustic shows playing both original compositions and covers.
What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
In terms of mechanics, I believe right hand technique is one of the most tedious to develop, and takes an immense amount of time to hone in. In a larger-scale sense, I would say mastery of jazz or classical styles are some of the most difficult, and for two totally different reasons. For jazz, a guitarist has the dual role (like piano) of rhythm and lead. Many guitarists start on styles more akin to pop or rock, and do not develop sight reading skills that other instrumentalists do, so that is always a battle for guitarists. Also, there are multiple positions you can use to play the same note, so certain judgements have to be made. Sight reading is even more paramount in classical music, thus, classical guitarists must work extra diligently to develop this skill.
Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I prefer as much as possible to not use these methods, as I have found them to be disinteresting for most students. I prefer to make notes by hand, or selecting printouts from the internet. I also encourage students to look through various websites, and searching through YouTube to help their practicing throughout the week. For more advanced students, I do encourage them to purchase Real Books and other materials that give explicit education to music theory. I have a printer, and will print materials before a lesson, or will email suggestions as needed.
What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I like to begin with technique warmups for 5-10 minutes. In my most focused practice time, I will set a timer on each idea I’m working on. In general, I like to limit my intense focus on a couple of keys per week, and run through different ideas in each of them. For instance, recently I’ve been looking at half-diminished chords and their inversions and arpeggios. I will take two keys that are generally unrelated (Dmaj and A-flat maj this week) and execute the exercises until they feel comfortable. This extends for all ideas and sets of scales. Then if I have time, I will do some ear training, and sight reading. Afterwards, I usually work on repertoire for the remainder of my practice session. I have a few apps on my phone that I will browse through if I have free time and am away from an instrument.
23 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
Trusted as the industry leader, for over 21 years the teachers in our network have been providing Music lessons in Kansas City to students of all ages and abilities.
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