Music Lessons in Oakland, MO

Instruments: Piano Organ Keyboard

Some examples would be Elton John, Bruce Hornsby, Jerry Lee Lewis, Vince Guaraldi (Charlie Brown), Keith Jarrett, and Otis Spann. I consider myself a bit of a "late bloomer". I didn't start playing piano seriously until I was 16 years old, but a lot of hard work has gotten me to this point, and I am excited to continue to hopefully inspire others and help them love all types of music! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Classical Guitar

I love Faber and Faber for piano. I have several very young students doing the series for preschoolers. These materials are supplemented with Keith Snell's literature books. All students do at least one duet per year and two recitals.I love to take students as far as they can go in their lesson books and then back that up with the technic books, which are generally a bit easier. That helps with pacing the lessons and it pads the practice times. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I began teaching during pedagogy classes at the University of Illinois. I've continued to teach piano whenever possible during other careers. (I also have a degree in journalism and communications, so I've worked as a writer, editor, public relations director and related fields). It's important that students have fun while learning, and I attempt to engage them as much as I can in endeavors they enjoy. I love seeing laughter and joywhen someone masters amusicproblem which with they previously struggled. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I started playing guitar at the age of ten. Inspired by numerous classic rock musicians, I began to develop an immense passion for the guitar. However, I was only able to play guitar by ear early on in my development. So although I had a basic technique, I had no real understanding of how to create music or what is often considered the language of music. Finally at the age of 16, I took lessons from a local teacher who introduced me to scales and theory. Read More

Instruments: Voice

I am dedicated to training beginner to advanced voices using a mixture of classical and pop techniques.  For younger students, I typically begin with just getting them comfortable to sing by letting them choose the songs they love to listen to, and using vocal techniques that are easy for them to grasp and understand.  For my pre-teen, and teenage students I work on more pre-advanced vocal techniques that they can utilize while singing the songs they love.  When I have an adult student, I like to use pre-advanced to advanced vocal techniques as a larger part of the lesson, and help them to apply those techniques to whatever projects they are already working on outside of the studio. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

 As mentioned before, I've been teaching for about 11 years. I've taught at charter schools, leading concert band and jazz band rehearsals at local schools and coaching smaller sections of the ensembles. Educational outreach is a part of my job as a musician in the Air Force. We regularly visit schools and provide clinics and presentations for students. I enjoy teaching one-on-one lessons since it provides the opportunity to engage in the interests of the students and tailor the learning experience to best suit their needs. Read More