Music Lessons in Poynette, WI

Instruments: Voice

My teaching is rooted in the philosophy of functional singing, which means everything I teach has a purpose rooted in the physiology of singing. We do a lot of different exercises and say a lot of funny sounding words, but each exercise is carefully crafted to maximize training your voice's flexibility, agility, or strength. Similar to how you might do a bicep curl to make your bicep stronger, vocal exercises are part of a broader "vocal workout" regimen based on what your voice needs on any given day. Read More

Instruments: Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

I have been teaching drums off and on while maintaining other work for almost 20 years. While other teachers may always say "Practice makes Perfect" I say something different. "Practice makes permanent". For me, this means that yes, if you practice something every day you will get better at it - but what if you practice it wrong! That is why I have an open call/door policy. I would much rather a student call me and say "I don't think I am doing this right" and let me re-explain something instead of them just to continue practicing it wrong - once you practice something 7 times it is usually in their for good. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar

I'm a guitar and piano player who has been teaching students of all ages since 2011. I started playing guitar 17 years ago and it has been my constant companion since then. I got my music degree from Carleton College, and my senior project was on jazz guitar arranging. I have played in bands, both on guitar and bass, for many years and I love performing live. I have taught most styles of guitar, and also beginner piano and bass guitar. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

As our time together continues, my goal for the student is that they become more self-sufficient (as is age-appropriate). For example, a teenage/adult student who has been taking lessons for a year will lead the lesson more than a beginner student; they will understand my warm up system and will arrive at the lesson warmed up and arrive with goals and questions prepared. This is because my goals for each student surpass their ability on their instrument: being a good musician means taking responsibility for one's practice. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For younger students, I tend to make learning the guitar more enjoyable and fun. Since younger kids need motivation, I prefer to let them play with accompaniment in order to make the lesson and their playing more enjoyable. For more advanced students, I believe that introducing them to variety of music styles is essential to build their musical personality and let them decide what style they want to learn. Finally, I encourage my students to perform in public, so they can build their confidence and realize the great outcome of their hard work. Read More

Instruments: Violin

That is why I encourage a sense of play in playing the violin, as in the immediate relationship to one's sound, one is thinking of the whole, while they might be focusing on one part or another. This preserves the natural dependence of each part on the rest, and gives the students an everchanging sense of the whole which is essential to learning and, to me, is one of the greatest pleasures of learning the violin, as well as one of the most useful skills in life at large beyond making music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Synthesizer Recorder Electric Violin Double Bass Conga Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe

My teaching style is very involved and incorporates playing for the student, playing with the student, and having the student play on their own. Creating a safe environment where the student is comfortable making mistakes is vital, because making mistakes is a vital component to learning how to play an instrument. I take each student at their own pace and cultivate growth through technical mechanics of the instrument as well as philosophical ideals about what it means to be a musician. Read More