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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 Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Synthesizer Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
Music Instruction Expertise in teaching modern guitar performance, music technology, songwriting, audio engineering, and music production. Music Instruction Employers 2007-present Takelessons.com (Shingle Springs, CA) Community School of Music and Arts (Menlo Park, CA) Sierra Music Academy (Rocklin, CA) Newton Center (Foster City, CA) DJ Buddy Holly DJ Buddy Holly is a company I began in 2009 as a sole proprietorship. The company focuses on DJing at parties, clubs, and corporate events. Read More
Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone
I began teaching during my sophomore year of high school with private trumpet lessons. Since then, I have taught college courses in music performance, history, composition, and music theory, and continue to teach private trumpet lessons from the beginner level up to my current college students. I have gone on to be a seminal figure in the trumpet community around the world. I have embarked on solo tours as well as with a 90 piece orchestra. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard
Every student is unique. I try to unerstand their individual interests and abilities before I design the teching style that would be most productive and enjoyable. Providing a solid foundation and understanding of musical principles is what I strive to achieve with my students. I prefer to be an inspiring and enthusiastic coach. The student should not feel pressured or constricted. I try to create an environment in which students can feel comfortable to relax and develop their own creativity while learning. Read More
Instruments: Piano Bass Guitar
My experience as a musician goes back to when I tinkered around on an organ as a young child, then continued when I started formal piano lessons. As an adult, I have performed on bass guitar in two bands and participated on an ongoing basis in church worship bands, which involves learning a new set of songs for every service. During college, I began as a music major and received further training on piano as well as took three semesters of music theory courses. Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo Music
I incorporate method books into all of my lessons, as well as any technique books that are appropriate for each specific student. The method books that I begin with are Essential Elements, the I Recommend series, Standard of Excellence, and Tradition of Excellence. The technique books depend on the specific instrument and ability level. I feel that it is very important to get every student playing actual sheet music as soon as possible, regardless of skill level. Read More
Instruments: Piano Flute
It's important to me to cater my teaching style to each student. Not all students learn the same way so its not a one size fits all. Some of my students need more pressure and more practice and want to have more material and others like a more laid back approach. I will spend the first 1-3 lessons to figuring out what your preferred learning method is, what the problem areas are, and what kind of books, tools, and games I should prepare for the rest of our classes. Read More
Instruments: Piano Accordion
I have been involved in piano performance since i was five years old. My passion for music has grown over the years in my life. I have studied music at San Jose City College, San Jose State University and with the 59th Army National Band. I have performed in jazz bands, concert bands, latin bands, choir, and solo piano performance. I have had the honor of performing at the palladium in hollywood, ca. with the 59th Army National Guard Band. 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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