Music Lessons in Tahoe City, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola

My earliest teaching experience began in high school while teaching several middle school groups for the local zone concerts. I have taught several lesson plans in the Washoe County School district and successfully completed a 14 week internship teaching orchestra at Depoali MS and McQueen HS. I have been a counselor at Lake Tahoe Music Camp for two years now and plan to complete my third and final year this summer. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium French Horn Tuba Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music

From Ray Charles Sinatra to Boz Scaggs, The Moody Blues and the band Yes. Still...I began with Band classes like nearly everybody else. Until High school it was a cool, fun class with concerts to get a grade. At 25, I began a career as a French Horn player. I studied with members of the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Opera as well as fine players across the continent. I've built a broad range of classical and orchestral experiences through the "Big B's" Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bartok, Bernstein Bates, and the music of their contemporaries, to, performing National and World Premiers with the "Stars of the Peking Opera", Frank Zappa's orchestral/ballet and the hometown (Reno) composer, Mason Bates. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My basic approach to teaching is to evaluate where the student will be most able to gain skill and knowledge that helps them reach whatever their musical goal is. I customize my teaching to each students needs and abilities to optimize success and progress. I found thru my years of teaching hundreds of students that the ones who feel they got something they were wanting to learn are the most motivated to keep going. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Banjo Mallet Percussion

My teaching style is improvisational in nature. I focus on creative compositions. In contrast, I present traditional music and learning. I juxtapose the two into a new style of teaching. I mix the old with the new, and thereby create my own style. Much as in the fashion of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do with my intention on music education. Read More

Instruments: Flute

I think we all learn best when having fun, so I keep things light. For younger folks, I encourage practicing daily, but with a light touch. For older musicians, you decide how much you want to practice and progress. I emphasize comfort while playing and I have many tools and ideas to help with that. Regular lessons help so much with motivation. If you are interested in jazz improvisation, I have a some tested ideas that work. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet French Horn

If the student is a beginner, I suggest just playing one note for a short time and expand that to three notes. This can be done very quickly, then most students can move to easy tunes on a single sheet of music. This music is commonly known as sheet music and con be accessed and played in line or through the purchase of said sheet music on many sites. If the student in not a beginner, advanced or intermediate I have to do a performance ability assessment. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

For beginning students, I usually employ the Rubank method books. These books, while not as flashy as others, are exceptional for building technique, musicality, and reading skills. In addition, my students focus upon proper tone production, technique, and posture as we explore their musical preferences. I encourage my students to explore the genres of music that they enjoy as well. Through fun Disney excerpts, jazz transcriptions, pop music, or any other passion, we keep our lessons productive, yet fun. Read More