Piano Lessons in Blossom Valley, CA

Instruments: Piano Drums Organ Synthesizer

Hi, I am a pianist, composer, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist originally from upstate New York. I am passionate about all of the above, but I consider teaching to be the most immediately rewarding. In 2008 I completed my degree in music at the State University of New York in Fredonia. Shortly afterwards, I made a journey to the west coast and found a home in the SF bay area. I got involved in the vibrant music scene as quick as possible and played with as many different types of musicians as I could find. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ

I try my very best to avoid criticism, encourage curiosity, and open doors at every lesson. Constant criticism can put a permanent damper on a student's love of music. Exploration can lead to a lifetime of enjoyment! In the Photo Gallery above, the first pic is of David, age 6-1/2, playing organ for the first time. He has been watching me play during a church service, so I offered to show him a few things. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I cannot emphasize how much I enjoy the process of creating and reinventing activities, which requires close observation and deep understanding and familiarity of the student's personality, background, attitude and aptitude, preferences, learning style, and communication style. The activities are designed to help students to develop a sense of musicality and rhythm, build techniques, learn about all sorts of musical knowledge, and achieve internal goals like confidence building, improving consistency and practice quality. Read More

Instruments: Piano Flute Recorder Piccolo

During lessons, I often compare concepts to other activities my students know and love - their favorite sport, video games, or books. I love sharing my magic tricks - shortcut exercises to make tricky passages instantly easier, and youll definitely catch me encouraging my students to listen, listen, listen! Every genre of music has something different you can learn and it adds to your own creative toolkit. I expect students to practice regularly and thoughtfully - seeking to play their very best and working to improve every time they pick up their instrument. Read More

Instruments: Piano Flute Piccolo

I have been teaching lessons since I was in high school. I began teaching private lessons part time and have been teaching students on and off ever since then. I firmly believe in every student's ability to succeed and so I emphasize consistent, focused practice. I have helped multiple students gain a love for their instrument and go on to compete and perform as well. I encourage the students have fun and pursue their dreams. Read More

Instruments: Piano Cello Keyboard

I try to balance the needs of my students and work to strengthen their musical weaknesses for example working on Vibrato or bow distribution. Usually, I like to spend 10 minutes warming up both hands with long tones, scales, arpeggios, and other fun exercises. During the next 30 minutes, we tend to focus on fixing issues relating to the music such as rhythms or intonation issues. In the last 20 minutes of the lesson I tend to focus on musicality and finding inspiration to give to my students so they can exploit their potential. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

I have been teaching privately since undergraduate college days. In addition to private lessons on guitar and piano, I have facilitated group workshops, directed ensembles, and tutored reading comprehension in some Oakland public schools. It's a profound joy to see young children have their first musical experiences as well as to see the fire of music be rekindled in those who have put an instrument down and have decided to pick it up once again. Read More