Music Lessons in Minden, IA

Instruments: Piano

I prefer to instruct out of the James Bastien method books for the student's main lesson assignments. However, I also encourage students to bring and play out of books that inspire and motivate them individually. This keeps lessons lighthearted and keeps the student interested in the next lesson in my experience. I set realistic weekly and monthly goals for my students so I'm able to gauge how the student has performed, as well as how they should be instructed going forward. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I always want my students to have a very positive experience taking lessons and never to feel as if there is too much pressure put on them. Every student is different so I don't have a specific teaching formula. I always ensure that the student is moving at a comfortable pace for them while still being challenged and learning new things. I am always quick to acknowledge every small bit of progress that they make and focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Read More

Instruments: Drums

I’ve been playing drums for about 35 years. I’ve toured the entire US including some European countries. I’ve been on record labels, played many live shows of all types. I’ve also c-written songs, produced, engineered, and performed on quite a few successful albums. I started drumming in the 5th grade and continued through high school. I then starting focusing on performance and song writing. I joined some original bands and began building those songs and albums to make those bands successful. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

For a good basis of knowledge in drumming I typically like to employ several method books. David Stanoch's Mastering the Tables of Time, George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control, Steve Houghton's Essential Styles books 1 2, and Anthony Cirone's Portraits in Rhythm. Need of materials will depend on each student's current level of understanding, each student's personal goals, curriculum used within their school, audition requirements for colleges, state solo ensemble repertoire lists, etc. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

I have been teaching casually in some form or another for close to 10 years. While I have not taught at a professional level, I have been teaching in many separate fields: arts, academics, and athletics to name a few. My experiences in multidisciplinary teaching has helped me gain an appreciation for all types of learners and developed skills for connecting with and teaching students of various learning styles. The primary lesson I have taken away from my teaching experience is that the most improvement is found in students with the desire to engage. Read More