Music Lessons in Woodbridge, NJ

Instruments: Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For begginers, being adults or children, I always start with a set of easier musics that don't include very hard chords, but that may interest the person in what they're doing. The only difference between the children and the adult would be the guitar size and the amount of practicing and how often they need to practice. The key point is to have fun during the lessons to stimulate practicing every so often so that no matter how hard the songs are they can do it. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola

I'm well trained in the Suzuki repertoire and philosophies, however I teach a combination of traditional methods and also have the ability to exclude one or the other. For beginners and young children, I teach note reading simultaneously but separately from the applied side of playing. Holding the violin and bow, for example, are very challenging and require time to focus on them individually. Note reading is done on the side and later these aspects merge so that kids are eventually learning new pieces by reading the music directly. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

My mother influenced my life as a musician. In 1969 she encouraged me to audition for the Newark Boys Chorus. I auditioned. I was accepted and sang in choir-school for three years, singing music from Renaissance to R&B. In 1980 I received a BM and MMT from Oberlin Conservatory. At Oberlin I met three great teachers who encouraged me to sing professionally. I pursued the career! Performance highlights are: The Metropolitan Opera, The Met Museum, The Wigmore Hall and The NY Philharmonic. Read More

Instruments: Violin

I try to customize my teaching style based on what I observe each student needs. Some are visual learnings, in which case I do lots of demonstrating on my own violin. Other students respond very well to imagery, and listening to their own imagination/instincts. Some students need more systemic discipline, others require more freedom and nurturing. It's important that each student develops at their own natural pace, and I try to give a clear schedule/plan for each student's practicing at the end of every lesson. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Viola Keyboard

Music is deeply personal; one must get to know each student's own personality, interests, and connections to music. Early on (both in the teaching relationship and in each lesson) one must assess where the student is, as to technical and musical growth, and with the music at hand. Then one finds, models, explains and encourages the next steps the student can achieve. Clear guidance and dialogue about what will happen outside the studio (listening, practice, rehearsal, performance) helps turn the weekly cycle of lessons into an upward spiral of progress, achievement, and reward. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I am freelance woodwind instrumentalist and teacher living in Brooklyn. I believe that my unique approach to teaching, which combines an emphasis on reading skills with a focus on ear training, is ideally suited to creating a new generation of passionate, skilled and interesting young musicians. I am committed to creating an environment for learning to hear and create music in new ways that is as productive as it is engaging. Read More