Piano Lessons in Montgomeryville, PA

Instruments: Piano Voice

KINDERGARTEN ACADEMY, Mechanicsburg Area School District, Mechanicsburg, PA 2018 Student Teaching. General Music • Co-teach general music lessons to several groups of children. • Develop basic music skills using singing, movement and instruments. • Design effective lesson plans for co-teaching. PAXTONIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Central Dauphin School District, Harrisburg, PA LAWNTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Central Dauphin School District, Harrisburg, PA PHILLIPS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Central Dauphin School District, Harrisburg, PA CHAMBERS HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Central Dauphin School District, Harrisburg, PA 2017 Student teaching. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Synthesizer Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Oboe Bassoon English Horn Acoustic Guitar

For my beginning piano students, I emphasize the twelve major and minor scales with proper fingering, first one octave and then two octaves. These exercises strengthens fingers and create more familiarity with the keyboard. I use the book, Level 1 The Older Beginner Piano Course by James Bastien and the companion book, Musicianship for the Older Beginner. I have seen results when these books are used in tandem. The student increases in technique and start to master music theory simultaneously. Read More

Instruments: Piano

As I’ve said above, as a teacher, I live for the “ah ha” moment. When a student is working on something, particularly something challenging, and they finally “get” it. Whether it’s a scale, a favorite song, a technique exercise, or a complex piece of music, there’s that moment. The moment it comes together and makes sense. It suddenly “clicks”. The pride and happiness and sense of accomplishment in this “Oh!” or “ah ha” moments is all over their faces. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Orchestral Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning piano students, I often get them started with the Faber piano series, then incorporate music theory along with their song requests. For beginning fretted string students (guitar/bass/ukelele), I like to start with the Hal Leonard method book to get started with reading notation, so that we cover more than just tabs and chords. For drum/percussion students, I'll have them start with a combination of Syncopation by Ted Reed and Peter Erksine's Drumset Essentials Volume 1. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I first began teaching while still completing my Bachelors degree at William Paterson in 2011. Most of my students were beginning level piano students, but I had a few more advanced students as well as some people studying saxophone with me. My teaching philosophy is to combine teaching the technique of an instrument with learning songs as well as theory and improvisation/composition. Everyone learns technique, but learning music that I wanted to learn, learning how those songs were written (theory), and eventually elaborating on those songs (improvisation), and writing my own music (composition), was what really got me deeply engaged in the act of practicing and making music, and I have found over several years of teaching that it keeps my students engaged and enjoying the learning process. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Latin Percussion

When teaching a novice student the drums it is extremely important to note that learning the drums is not an overnight affair. The amount of practice needed for thorough syncopation is not to be slept on. HOWEVER, I genuinely believe once a student hits that learning curve where their arms and legs have "minds of their own" there is an infinite amount of progress that can be made after. I always say music is fun and it should always be whether the student is practicing rudiments, or legitimately playing to pieces from Glen Miller's Orchestra all the way up to Michael Jackson. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Keyboard

Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, everyone needs a mentor to guide them in their art and with their gift. I think it's important for every student to progress at their own pace within their own level of comfortability. This helps the student develop empowering confidence in their own abilities. Every person manifests their voice through their body, so I approach singing in the same way a Yogi would approach Yoga. Read More