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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in Shawnee . 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 Voice
I believe each student has unique gifts. I love watching my students thrive by encouraging self-exploration as we learn about music. If a student loves playing by ear, we seek knowledge of composition more, if they are inspired to play Star Wars, we add that to the repertoire. If a good solid foundation is built through the sequential lesson books along with motivating material, retention is higher. Encouragement of progression at his or her own pace by understanding each students gifts, along with realistic goals and practice, aids in well rounded musicians. Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet Oboe English Horn
My teaching experience goes back to when I taught piano lessons in high school. Since then I have continued to teach private lessons throughout college. I now teach music at Kansas City Public Schools. One of the key components to my teaching is helping my students find a way to enjoy making music. I like to provide fun supplemental activities as well as their regular lesson books. I also enjoy finding my students as many performance opportunities as possible so they can show off their hard work! Read More
Instruments: Piano
Other experiences I have teaching include being a Mentor in Illini Mentoring Program (mentioned above), along with being a part of the UofI-Juvenile Detention Center Arts Project in spring of 2017. This coalition formed of UI students and professors helped to generate meaningful musical experiences for incarcerated youth, providing them with a possibility to be kids again in trying times, and to promote restorative justice. Since 2017, I have gotten the opportunity to teach lessons here and their to peers (college age), but I'm ready to delve into the exciting world of private teaching and help share my knowledge and passion for music with others ready to learn. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Organ Ukulele Recorder Keyboard Djembe
For beginner's, I do typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements books. For intermediate, I'll evaluate what materials they've used thus far in their lessons and go from there. If someone is familiar with a set of books in a positive way, there's no reason to change the books they're using. I do believe, however, there is profit in a variety of repertoire, so a diverse lesson is key. I have learned from experience that simply learning one genre (classical, jazz, showtunes) is less desirable than having a familiar ear to multiple styles. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice
My biggest focus with my students is building confidence! I strive to always be encouraging. I believe that we are capable of accomplishing much more when we believe that we can do it! One of the most important building blocks of confidence is consistent practice. I will make sure my students leave their lessons with a plan for the coming week’s practice. I will do my best to make sure this practice is both purposeful and enjoyable. Read More
Instruments: Piano Violin
I'm following traditions of a famous Russian school. I have very strong technical training and musical abilities. “To understand, and to cause to be understood" – these words sum up the end and aim of my style.” Until we understand the music, we’ll not succeed at playing it so that others also understand it. With time, we learn more and better ways to communicate musical ideas. I expand our understanding of what is possible, and I find more of the subtle subtexts and interplay within the music. Read More
Instruments: Piano Flute Keyboard
No matter how old is the student or how many experiences that they have, one thing I am emphasizing in the lesson is enhancing their interest and motivation in playing the piano. It is because I can offer them the method of practice, musical knowledge, but ultimately it is their decision to practice or devote in music or not. I hope I can do my best to teach piano by giving them fun exercises, interesting listening examples or demonstrations, and different musical knowledge, in order to let them fall in love with music. Read More
Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium
What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Make sure to warm up low, slow, and soft first so that you don't get tired before practicing. Then make sure that you sing the melody and clap the rhythms before you pick of the trumpet because you'll be able to save your lips to play it properly. When I was young I would always wear myself out before I could play the things I needed to practice correctly. Always rest as much as you play to give your lips a break. High notes and fast fingers come with patience. Everything must be played low and slow first.
What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Good tone throughout the entire range of the instrument and endurance are the hardest skills to achieve. Playing the trumpet is like trying to force all the air in your lungs into a tiny little straw and to get a beautiful tone and play like that for an entire concert takes years and years of training. Brass instruments are traditionally thought of as loud and brash probably because it is very easy to play that way. To play beautifully in every register for more than fifteen minutes is something to be very proud
What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I always start playing low, soft, and slow. I start with long tones starting at the bottom of my range and then slowly go all the way to the top. Then I do some air flow exercises, Clark exercises, and scales. Then I take 10 minute break after that 20 minute warm up. After the break, I sight read some lyrical etudes and try to make a beautiful tone as possible and play as musically as possible. Then I practice some orchestral excerpts and solo pieces. Then another 20 minute break. Lastly I practice ensemble or gig music and then I take at least 20 minutes to listen to professional trumpet players to strive for a better sound. In all, I play for about an hour and a half.
If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I am actually a science educator during the day and a musician by night. My college degree is in ecology and evolutionary biology where I was an undergraduate researcher in California estuaries and kelp forests but at night I gigged and played in music ensembles 4 nights a week. I currently teach science at various institutions around the San Francisco Bay Area and I am an avid SCUBA diver with five SCUBA certifications. I love science, nature, and the ocean so if I did not play music I would probably be a full time scientist/educator.
If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I played trumpet first but then I started to play other brass instruments because they seemed fun. My friends also played other brass instruments so I would try them out just for fun. Then in high school, during my service learning project, the middle school band teacher I worked for ask me to coach full brass sectionals. So I had to learn euphonium, trombone, tuba, and french horn in about a week to be able to coach these middle school students. I learned trombone and euphonium so well that I actually subbed for others in concerts in high school and college.
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 Shawnee to students of all ages and abilities.
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