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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in Elk Grove . Whether you are looking for beginner guitar lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, the instructors in our network are ready to help you now!
Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone
My teaching style is catered to the pace and interests of the student. Small achievements are the keys to great success, and acknowledging these achievements is essential to maintaining interest in learning music. I work together with students to find and set short term, midterm, and long term goals so that visible growth of their abilities can be observed, tracked, and appreciated. Through this process, anything can be achieved. Keeping a journal with dates, times, goals, practice logs, and general notes about your experiences can be extremely helpful along the path to mastery. Read More
Instruments: Piano Music Keyboard
Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice Trombone
For beginners, I like to start with the Standard of Excellence book 1, and intermediate students with book 2. The trombone is such a versatile instrument that there are tons of different styles of playing to practice. Depending on the student's level I will build curriculum for them. We will also play duets together, because it's very important to learn how to play well with others. Scales, lip slurs, and other exercises will be implemented as well. Read More
Instruments: Piano Bass Guitar
As someone who delights in music myself, what I want more than anything for a student is to foster that same love of music in him or her. Students need to know that anything worthwhile takes hard work. But if they are intrinsically motivated, they will find it much easier to apply themselves to the task of practicing their instrument. That's why I strive as a teacher to acknowledge any strides my students make and point out to them how their efforts have paid off. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Conga Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
Nothing is more rewarding then seeing my student progress and overcome the difficulties of starting to play an instrument. Furthermore, it is very important that each one of my students progresses at their own pace. That being said, I encourage progression by setting realistic goals depending on the student's level. In addition, I create the students curriculum based on the styles of music students prefer as to keep their interest while giving them useful knowledge and techniques for any situation involving playing, improvising, or musical comprehension. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Flute Bass Guitar Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar
Teaching piano is my passion and I always strive to give personal attention to each and every student. I especially enjoy helping students develop their love of piano playing and their piano skills and watching them reap the benefits of their hard work and dedication I am active in participating and attending convention as hosted by the Music Teachers Association of California and other teacher's workshop in town and other workshops hosted by the Music publishers and well known composers. Read More
Instruments: Piano Flute
I have also received commissions and grants from soloists, ensembles, and arts organizations in several U.S. states. Some of my pieces have been published by music publishing companies or have been broadcast on the radio (including WFMT's Relevant Tones). I played principal flute in the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra for four years, and I appeared as a flute soloist in several orchestral and choral concerts on campus as well. Read More
Instruments: Piano Organ
What does a normal practice session look like for you?
My practice is different every day. The window of time available changes, sometimes during the practice session. Rather than stubbornly sticking to my original plan for that session, I have found much more peace of mind in revising the goal for the day. Example: When you have planning on practicing for two hours and then the phone rings, changing your plans, when you reassess the time available and find something that can be accomplished within that amount of time, you will have reached a goal and will feel good about it.
There is no requirement to adhere to a rigid goal and feel down on yourself for not accomplishing it. Life happens!
FYI, it took me a long time, i.e. years, to learn that!
What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I would give my right arm, as they say, to be able to perform Twenty Portraits of the Infant Jesus by Olivier Messiaen. It's too hard! Several years ago, I found four movements that seemed to be more accessible than the others. I would practiced them for two months, say, then put them aside. Six months later, I would try again. The result was always the same. My fingers remembered nothing and I had to start over.
After four rounds of this, I decided to look at Messiaen's Preludes instead. I have happily performed three of the Preludes many times.
Pierre Laurent-Aimard performs the Vingt Regards (Twenty Portraits) on tour, from memory. I have ceded ownership of the piece to this wonderful pianist.
Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Yes, music was something that was always around when I was a child. My father was a minister. He had sung in his college's male quartet. He had a lovely bass voice, and with further training might have had a professional singing career.
My mother had been a public school music supervisor before I was born, after which she taught kindergarten and supervised the elementary Sunday School department in our rather large church. She led a brief worship service for the children before smaller classes were taught, including a music component. My parents met in college choir.
In the Midwest, ministers' children at the time typically took lessons. My three older siblings all played instruments, with my sister playing both piano and organ. She played organ for our church before I did.
It must have been an unspoken part of the circumstances that the minister's children play for church. Even if that was the case, it was fabulous training. Playing congregational responses and hymns well requires good listening skills, the ability to adjust to changing acoustics depending on the size of the congregation, providing inspiration for the congregation to keep a steady tempo, and dreaming up something to bridge unexpected gaps in the service. That's quite a challenge for a 14-year-old!
Also, church services and choral rehearsals have many similarities in terms of the number of participants, size of the space, location of the piano or organ, listening and response skills needed.
When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
When thinking about college choices, I began thinking about various possible majors. Since I felt very strongly that I would never be able to live without music, the decision was an easy one.
Settling on the piano took a little longer. I started out majoring in organ. However, my older sister is such a good organist, that was a big factor in my choosing something else. In addition, it turned out that I was more comfortable playing the piano, while my sister found a better fit with organ.
That said, I have had organist/choir director/choral singing jobs in different churches and denominations since age 14.
25 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
Trusted as the industry leader, for over 21 years the teachers in our network have been providing Piano lessons in Elk Grove to students of all ages and abilities.
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