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25 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Music lessons in Mesa . 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: Piano Clarinet Recorder Bassoon Keyboard
For beginning students who are younger, I prefer starting them with beginner method books and ear training. Brain and physical development can proceed at very different rates. I believe in the constant testing of the student's readiness of various musical elements such as absolute pitch, rhythm, reading, finger control, note reading, attention span, interest in music, intelligence, etc. Finding each child's strength and weakness will be the key to determine the path of the repertoire they will be playing. Read More
Instruments: Drums Orchestral Percussion
He was also a featured clinician at the Percussive Arts Society International Conventions in Columbus Ohio & Nashville Tennessee. A "Teacher’s Teacher", I love to help students lay the musical and technical foundations that will let them reach their full potential. I headed the percussion department at FortHaysState University in Kansas for eight years, and have performed and taught at the International Festival of Percussive Arts and lectured at the International Percussion Congress in Warsaw Poland. Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet
I have been playing music for as long as I can remember and teaching it since high school. In 2012, I graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA with a Bachelors degree in Music Education with a dual focus in Jazz Studies. During that time, I had the chance to perform with artist like Branford Marsalis, Benny Golson, Nicolas Peyton and the renowned Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. After graduating, I moved to Arizona to begin working as a band and general music teacher in the Phoenix area. Read More
Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion
For beginning students that are in middle or high school, I typically start them out learning snare drum technique, and reading rhythms. Fortechnique I will use standard exercises and rudiments, and for readingI will use "Syncopation for The Modern Drummer".If the student has a drumset then I will start them with some basic "Rock" beatsas a tool to help thembetter understand the subdivision of time, and form some independence.Most of my students move into Gary Chester's "The New Breed" as their first drumset book.After teaching for 25 years, I have developed a lot of my own lesson meterials, and I try to cater the lesson plans to both challenge the students and keep them having fun learning. Read More
Instruments: Drums Synthesizer
Intermediate and advanced students "homework" will be even more personally tailored to their playing where I would teach whole broken down songs, advanced rhythms, advanced solos, how to actually tune your drums, recording and a lot more. I also encourage and can help with writing your own music. Composition plays a huge part in how we learn music because if we can't figure out how to be creative with our instrument sooner rather than later we sometimes lose interest. Read More
Instruments: Guitar
My passion is playing guitar, listening to music, and teaching music. I graduated from Arizona Conservatory for the Arts and Academics in 2015, and then graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor's Degree for Music Performance (Emphasis in Guitar). I have been in many bands, and have shared the stage at Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding with Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, KISS, and others. I have studied classical guitar for many years, and have been performing rock and blues since I can remember. Read More
Instruments: Guitar
I have always been a bit of a sponge and in my own early days as a self taught guitarist I would try and soak up everything I can. My first students were actually early band-mates and other musicians that I would jam with. I occasionally some private studios but currently teach out of my home studio which is both convenient for me and my students as I have all my materials, instruments, books I have acquired over the years easily available. Read More
Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet
Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Absolutely. My mother is a music teacher, my father is a worship leader. My brother plays in a church band, and my sister is a vocalist who has won honors at the state level.
If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I play the saxophone and clarinet in equal measure and have been doing so for years. I started with the sax at 10, but then moved to clarinet after a teacher suggested it. I kept up with both in college, and now I can teach both.
What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
This is a hard question for any well rounded musician, but I do truly love playing jazz, rock, and classical. They all share many qualities, and there are pieces of each kinds of style in the other ones.
What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
For both the saxophone and clarinet, playing the super high notes quietly and in tune present the hardest challenges. Anyone can blare a note, but true skill comes from playing the hard to reach notes with subtlety and precision.
What is your dream piece to perform and why?
Right now it is the sax solo from Carole King's "Jazzman." To me it is the quintessential sax solo. It features wailing high notes and command of rhythm, and I hope to play it as well as it appears on the album one day.
What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I had to learn to play saxophone in a few months to be in my college jazz band. I had planned to play clarinet when I got there, but the professor asked my if I could play sax instead. A few weeks later I had my saxophone and was learning how to play on the run. By the Christmas concert, I had the music under my fingers, and I was able to play in the band every semester afterwards.
Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I chose the saxophone because of the saxophone solo in Gene Rafferty's 'Baker Street' as well as from hearing a very gifted player at my church growing up.
Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I had my mother. She showed my siblings and me the joy of making music as a family, and then she allowed us to explore our own musical tastes as we grew into adults. Now my siblings and I are all musicians, and while we have some very different tastes, we all still love music.
When will I start to see results?
This is unique to every student, and talent plays a factor in this answer, but students tend to see results in direct correlation to how much time and effort they put into practice. Students who make consistent, reasonable practice time a part of their every day routine will see vastly better results than a student who uses rehearsal to "practice" or tries to cram hours of preparation time into the day before a rehearsal or tutoring session.
How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If the child expresses true joy at the opportunity of making music with their instrument of choice, that is a good indication they are ready for music lessons. Another good indication is personal discipline in other areas of life, such as doing homework, taking care of chores, and maintaining personal hygiene. A child who cannot take care of these things will likely not have the discipline to persevere past the first few lessons.
What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Recognize that while practice does not always have to be fun, it needs to be meaningful. True improvement happens when the student is alone, and intentionally practicing with the goal of being better prepared for rehearsal or a music lesson with an instructor will be a great motivation for the student.
When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I decided to pursue professional musicianship after leaving the journalism world in Winter 2019. I had the opportunity to play in a variety show as a sax and clarinet player, and I truly enjoyed the experience.
25 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 Mesa to students of all ages and abilities.
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