480-264-0673
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25 Years
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41,456+
Happy Customers
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Cities with Students
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Teachers in Network
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480-264-0673
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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: Guitar
For beginning students, I would like to start with knowing exactly where they are at with guitar; how to hold it, how to tune it, how strum it. Once the student understands those fundamentals, I like to start on open chords with easy fingerings (usually learning chords is very exciting since you can hear what you are accomplishing). With that, I would like to get to know the student and understand what the student wants out of the lessons; what they like to listen to, what they want to learn, what is difficult for them, etc. Read More
Instruments: Guitar Voice Trumpet Bass Guitar
Hello! I'm a professional, full-time musician. I studied music and performed through high school and college. Professionally I've been performing for over 30 years, and teaching music privately for over 15 years. I perform primarily in Arizona, but have performed elsewhere in the U.S., and in Mexico as well. As a teacher, my primary goal is to pass on love of music by helping you learn whichever instrument you choose. I'll help you learn ways to strengthen and enhance your skills, and even help you prepare for performance if you wish. Read More
Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
At a very young age I was fascinated with hearing guitar solo's and listening to guitar parts by all the legends. Eventually after working with a classical guitar that my sister had, I purchased a Harmony guitar from a friend of my dad's (John "Hollywood" Bridgewater). Whenever I would meet musicians in school that played we would get together and trade licks. That eventually turned into me teaching all my guitar playing friends licks. Read More
Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet
For younger students who are in a school band program, I like to use the materials they use in class and to add outside material they find interesting. I find students are more motivated to practice and develop when we start with something that interests them, and then to expose them to other styles of music later on. For older or more advanced students, I like to focus on aspects of musicianship that will help them be successful musicians, such as ear-training, theory, composition, performance practice, improvisation (if the student wishes) and transcribing. Read More
Instruments: Piano
Teaching experience: Shirley has taught lessons for the Institute of Music Education in Scottsdale and Milano's in Mesa. She is willing to teach children at a minimum age of 5 years old, teens, and adults of all ages. In addition, to learning songs, she initiates exercises to improve her students technical skills and chord / scale knowledge which will give each student a solid foundation for growth potential. She can also help with performance suggestions, songwriting, music theory, sight-reading etc. Read More
Instruments: Trombone Euphonium Music
My methods are fairly simple. No matter the age or experience level, fundamentals are key. This includes proper embouchure, good posture, effective warm ups, and a consistent practice routine. Once the fundamentals are secure, especially for younger students, I like to move on to more "fun" music, such as Rochut etudes or beginner level solo music. Besides fundamentals I believe the most important element in playing brass instruments successfully is confidence. Read More
Instruments: Guitar
The way I have always approached teaching is the same way i learned music, to try and make each concept make sense by breaking down and relating basic key points of playing and improvising to each other. For example, I like to emphasize breaking down chords and the related scales in an easy to undertand and logical way. I emphasize the importance of phrasing and shaping chords while using such shred techniques as alternate picking, legatto, sweep picking and tapping. 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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