Music Lessons in Peekskil, NY

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Saxophone Bassoon

Hey! I am a performer, and I love to find various ways to perform as a musician, actor, comedian, and teacher/tutor/mentor. I love to connect and communicate with audiences and/or students through my voice, my jokes, or my instruments. I graduated from Rutgers University in 2012 with a bachelors in Psychology and Theater Arts, and spent much of my time performing on stage in musicals and plays. I proudly identify as a "jack of all trades" and am constantly using the various mediums of performing to learn, connect, feel, and gain the opportunity to experience something new. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Music

I have been teaching for 5 years to a wide range of ages. I take an individualistic approach to teaching, tailoring my lessons to my students. I teach violin for all levels and beginner/intermediate piano. I encourage all my students to learn how to read music and have a basic understanding of theory. I prefer a mix of a musical and technical approach and encourage a slow but steady timeline for learning. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

I have been studying piano since age 5 and teaching since age 13, my love of music and teaching it to others only increasing over the years. When I was about 11 years old, I quit piano and was not planning to return to music. But a very wonderful and inspiring music teacher invested in me, so I am extremely passionate about encouraging young musicians and helping them to love and develop their musical gifts. Read More

Instruments: Voice

Once I find out their level, I take things one step at a time. I always do warm ups, and exercises based on wha t they need work on. I am patient with the students but I do expect them to come prepared. If they do well, I will absoutely let them know, and if they need to work on something, I politely let them know. I want this to be an experience they enjoy, and want to practice, so that's why I am patient, and nice. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I believe strongly in approaching each student with a blank slate. This means that, before even considering a workbook or a songbook, I take the time to learn from my student about what makes him or her most excited about music. If I find out that my student loves the theme song from La La Land, we're going to learn that! If he or she wants to understand how it's possible for a major scale and a natural minor scale to share the exact same notes, then we'll explore it, not only theoretically, but practically. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Music Keyboard

Over the course of many years, I've developed a method for beginning piano and woodwind students which yields excellent results. For the first series of lessons, I want the student to become comfortable in understanding the keyboard or the wind instrument, avoiding the secondary interface of sight reading. There are about twenty short, simple, basic songs I have the student master. At this point, not only are we working on understand the harmonic and melodic "hardware" of the keyboard or horn, but we are developing proper technique in terms of hand position, posture and sound as well as a natural rhythmic feel. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

Here are the things that I want to impart to my piano students in their first 10 weeks of lessons: That I love music and I love teaching them That music lessons are creative and exploratory That creating music is fun and easy That music can tell stories That music is more than pushing down keys That music is art and involves dynamics, speed, feeling, etc. That singing and moving to music is just a part of how we do things in music education That playing the piano the right way (ie. with the right technique) is really important The importance of understanding, feeling and moving to meter (duple/triple) The concept of home, tonic/dominant tonalities and being able to hear and create bass lines That music is made up of chords, patterns, and melodies That they can transpose music into different keys I use Alfred Piano Method, it also dives into intervallic reading, as described above. Read More