Music Lessons in Philadelphia, PA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice

As a student, I would dread the idea of a boring practice, therefore as a teacher, I do all I can to make lessons engaging and useful. I believe that music should be approached holistically and with an open mind rather than trying to force one method to work for everyone, so I strive to tailor my methods according to the needs of each of my students. With that in mind, I usually start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements for young students, and our lessons will consist of playing from the book, as well as working on crucial skills like ear training and improvisation. Read More

Instruments: Voice

I want to get a sense of why my student is interested in singing. Do they want to sing in a choir? Be the next pop star? Once I have an idea of what their goals are we start working with their voice and figuring out what styles work best for them. We always start off with warm-ups. They're a very important part of the singing process. They can also help students when they are on their own. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

For beginning students, I start with Essential Elements, or another comparable method if their band program uses another book. Once the student reaches middle school and has a good concept of fundamentals, we progress to the Himie Voxman Selected Studies and Duets books. For high school and advanced middle school students, I use the Baermann Division III book, the Klose Method, the Rose etudes for clarinet, as well as beginning to introduce appropriate solo repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola

I have ten years experience teaching the violin and viola. I have taught students as young as seven, as well as students at the undergraduate level. I develop challenging goals and practice routines for each individual student based on their own motivations and potential. My own career as a performer and understanding of the competitive nature of classical music performance informs the standards I set for my students. Though I am willing to to provide casual lessons to the amateur or hobbyist, I will mentor serious students to pursue achieve the highest standards. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums

My teaching style relies heavily upon training the ear to dissect what it is hearing. Developing the ear is crucial to being a self-reliant musician. In drums, the visualization how a rhythm works in time is essential to being able to perform that rhythm. Dissection and mapping are the key to furthering one's abilities on the drum kit. In guitar or in piano, being able to isolate frequencies with your ear will lead you to a more accurate understanding for chord structures and progressions than simply looking up tabs, which are often deeply flawed. Read More

Instruments: Flute

I currently teach in the public schools during the day, and I perform and teach by night. I love encouraging my students to develop their skills while maintaining their love of music and learning. Honing a craft should not crush creativity, it should not stifle their individuality. Music making should be natural, passionate, and my job is to give them the tools to become the flutist *they* want to be! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone

It depends on the student. Every student has their own pace and I believe in developing a student where they are at. Music is a lifetime to learn and concepts are different for every student. I am very patient when teaching and I will challenge when I feel the student is ready for a certain challenge. Growth is very important to me because it tells me I am doing the job correctly if I can give a student more advanced level material and they are able to perform it properly. Read More