Music Lessons in Wahiawa, HI

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

I am a passionate piano teacher based in Central Oahu. I've taught over a hundred students in different studios across the island, in places like Nobu Sakurai Piano Studio, Chuck James Music Studio, Emily Lee's Music Studio, Musikgarten, and more. I believe a well-rounded and practical approach to teaching music-- where students learn to not only read music, but also play freely with chords and scales to create their own music, learn by ear, and improvise. Read More

Instruments: Drums

When teaching children or beginners I like to start out by introducing the 26 drum rudiments. I'll then introduce beginner drum books such as Joel Rothman's Basic Drumming. These important tools will set the stage for success in drumming. I'll also introduce music styles and beats they might not be familiar with. The goal is to introduce as many different music styles and beats as possible. For adults and intermediate to advanced players, we will work out of Charlie Wilcoxon's "The All-American Drummer" for snare drum solo's and Gary Chester's "The New Breed" for challenging drum beat exercises. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My approach varies depending on the student.  For younger students I usually take a very systematic step by step approach using method books.  If the student already knows what they want to learn and has specific goals I try to tailor to their needs. For guitar students who are starting from scratch I usually begin with the Hal Leonard Guitar method book or give them the option to use a classical method book if they're really interested in classical guitar. Read More

Instruments: Piano

My teaching experience dates back to my high school days, as I began teaching private lessons since 1981, and I have been consistently teaching students in my home studio. I taught kindergarden and elementary school in Sacred Heart Academy from 2002 - 2004 in a classroom setting. I believed that learning music improves the brain's ability to process timing, pitch and timbre. which helps kids pick up language, too. Brain can make sense of vowels, consonants quickly. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

I am very patient and supportive of my students. I do my best to encourage when needed, push when appropriate and praise when justified. It is imperative that each student is working towards goals that are right for them and encouraged to reach further and grow. I like to be a positive force in my students lives, someone that they can trust, look up to and know that I do care about them and whats going on in their life. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I start with each new student by getting to know what music styles they like, what songs they want to learn, what their goals are. I work with the students to select specific songs they want to learn NOW and then I build my entire lesson plan and approach around those. Rather than start them off with drills and exercises, we immediately begin learning content that the students actually care about. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I use a variety of methods for young beginners (depending on their age) - Faber Faber, Alfred, Alfred Premiere, Bastien, and Hal Leonard. For beginning adult students, I find Faber Faber for the older beginner to well paced to teach fundamentals. My digital piano has engaging learning games to reinforce fundamental note reading and rhythm, as well as aural training, chord recognition, and sight reading play along songs. My students love to see their play along music scores, and are always challenging themselves to improve. Read More