Piano Lessons in Burkittsville, MD

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

I have taught music for over 20 years; it is a profession that I love passionately. My students include adult beginners, students ages 7-17, and intermediate and advanced students of all ages. I am drawn to the possibilities teaching presents to discover music together with another person. Each musical soul is unique and that means the teaching process if full of discoveries and wonder at every lesson. While many of my students take piano for personal enjoyment, I am also an experienced college teacher. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

As a teacher, I am all about developing a passion for music and setting realistic musical goals for each lesson. I try to gently push my students in the right direction by finding out what kind of music really inspires them so I can tailor my instruction to their desires. However, if you're my student, I have high hopes and expectations for you! I know that with consistent practice, patience, and a gentle push in the right direction, we work together to learn any piece of music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

The student is the most important piece of the puzzle. If the student is not happy, then practice and lessons will not be a positive interaction. My goal is to make music as fun as possible. I have done the work of teaching myself and I have the hindsight of mistakes I made along the way; slight areas of wasting time, plateaus, you name it. Therefore, I have the answers to how to avoid some of the same mistakes I made! Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For beginners who are children, I typically use Faber and Faber's Piano Adventures. One of my biggest goals while teaching is to provide my students with a well-rounded music education. From my experience, the Piano Adventures series aligns well this goal while providing engaging, fun material for children. After completing a series of method books, I start to focus on classical repertoire. While I believe classical repertoire is the best way to build piano technique, musicianship, and musical knowledge, I love including other genres depending on the student's interest. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Keyboard Electric Guitar

Regardless of the instrument or competency level, I always incorporate ear training, music theory exercises, and games into each lesson. With the help of method books, videos,.and group sessions, I cater the curriculum to each student's strengths and weaknesses. Live performances are crucial to fully understanding any instrument, and so I encourage my students to perform live as much as possible--and I help them find those opportunities. I also make sure each student is well-organized and keeps a log of all assignments, so students (and parents) can track their progress. Read More

Instruments: Piano

For beginners, I start with the basics - proper posture and hand position, introduction to the keyboard and note recognition. In my experience, the Faber series is the most widely followed to get students started on their musical journey. As students progress, I ensure that they develop a repertoire that consists of at least 3 songs. I emphasize the importance of technical exercises that begin with 5 finger scales and advance to proper octave scales. Read More