860-288-5608
Musika Quick Stats
23 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
- Have questions? Check out our
- FAQ
- CONTACT US
-
![call-icon]()
860-288-5608
Lesson Special - Up to 20% OFF! Get Started Now with a Risk-Free Trial!
Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in West Hartford . 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 Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
I am a composer and music educator originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. At a young age I admired classic rock and by high school found a passion for heavy metal music. My love for music lead to my decision to study music in college and make it into my career. After earning my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music from California State University, East Bay I relocated to Hartford, Connecticut to work on a doctoral degree in music composition. Read More
Instruments: Piano
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 and including the parents in these goals for full collaboration. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. Through figuring out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their goals. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
My goal as a teacher is to instill a passion for music and encourage each student to become their personal best. I find that it is important to get to know each student's goals so that we can work towards them as a team. I am constantly pushing my students forward, but I make sure to take the time and remind them where they came from. It is easy to get caught up in how far one still has to go to reach their dreams, but I find that if students remember how much progress they have already made, it really helps to motivate them! Read More
Instruments: Piano
My name is Abbey, and I have been teaching piano for over 18 years, both privately and at a music academy. I specialize in beginners of all ages, and I also teach through the intermediate level. My passion is to teach my students how to read music and gift them the beauty and joy of playing the piano. I would love to work with you! The youngest students I teach are 5 or 6 years old, and I have no age cap for adults! Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Bass Guitar Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Acoustic Guitar
Depending upon what area/instrument of music I'm teaching, I use a number of different materials, including (but not limited to) Tonal Harmony (Kostka, et al.), Essential Dictionary of Music Notation, Accent on Achievement, Hal Leonard's Essential Elements, or Rock House Method (McCarthy). The skill level of the student also dictates what resources I'll use. In addition, I believe that the student should have control over his/her development as a musician, so I encourage my students to create a list of songs they wish to learn how to play. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar
My teaching style is very laid back and comforting for students to progress at their own pace. I will always remind students to not rush and encourage them to have confidence within themselves. The most important thing for a musician to have is CONFIDENCE!!!!!! It’s important to develop that at a young age because it will make performances easier as they get older. For older students I will help them develop the confidence because I believe it’s never to late. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums French Horn Piccolo Oboe Bassoon English Horn
The student decides how fast he/she will progress by practicing very hard, or by working at a more moderate pace. Once again, I always participate in the learning process, as this method of teaching will enhance the private lesson, and a mutual enjoyment and respect will develop! The student must convey to me what he/she desires to focus on, and there will be a "win/win" situation which is always preferred. Read More
Instruments: Saxophone
If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Connecticut State University in Jazz Saxophone Performance. Before I attended WCSU, I was in a classically oriented program at a liberal arts college and I found it to be stifling creatively. I greatly respect the classical saxophone tradition, but as a tenor player I found that there was a lack of interesting tenor repertoire that I was able to play.
By pursuing a jazz performance degree, I found that it gave me more than enough time to practice what I was interested in while giving me a lot of time to perform outside of school and make my network bigger.
What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
There are a few that come to mind. One of the most prominent is the first time I performed a composition that I wrote in front of an audience. The feeling of being able to share my work with people while playing with a great band was indescribable.
Another proud accomplishment of mine was performing with one of my longtime heroes Orrin Evans at a concert while I was a student at WCSU. Orrin is one of my absolute favorite musicians and being able to play with him was truly a blessing.
Finally, winning the Jazz Chamber Group portion of the 2016 James Furman Concerto Competition. I was placed in a great combo with some of my best friends, and being able to win while we were just being ourselves felt great.
Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I actually have had a few teachers who have inspired me to be a musician full time. The first was one of my saxophone teachers in high school, John Lowery. John taught at a summer camp I attended, and he introduced me to some of the older jazz records that helped me shape my concept of how to play the saxophone.
The second was Mike DiRubbo, who taught me while I was at working Litchfield Jazz Camp in college. At this stage I was feeling very unmotivated about pursuing music as a career and I wasn't practicing as much as I should have been. Mike gave me a tough love speech about how I wasn't doing myself any favors by not trying my hardest, and that all the natural talent I had wouldn't help me if I wasn't willing to work hard. This was the wake-up call I needed to start studying music with everything I had.
When will I start to see results?
This greatly depends on the student and how much they practice on a daily basis. If a student is highly motivated to learn and they practice consistently on a daily basis and they grasp the material, you could see results in as little as 1 or 2 weeks.
For some students, there will be some difficulties with certain topics or with finding the time to practice, so the process will take a bit longer. It's important to be patient and understanding with each student while they try to find their way. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
I find that splitting the allotted time I have to practice into 3 topics helps me tackle the most important elements of the saxophone: sound, technique, and music.
For example, let's say I have 1 hour to practice some things before I leave for work. By following the "rule of 3", I have 20 minutes for sound, 20 minutes for technique, and 20 minutes for music. I'd probably divide it up like this
Sound: 10 minutes of longtones with a tuner, 5 minutes of overtone exercises, and 5 minutes of altissimo practice.
Technique: 5 minutes of working on triad patterns, 10 minutes of scales in 3rds, and 5 minutes on arpeggios.
Music: 10 minutes working on a melody for a tune, 5 minutes on a transcription, and 5 minutes on an etude.
By doing this, I've covered a wide variety of topics in just 1 hour.
23 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 West Hartford to students of all ages and abilities.
We'll then reach out to the teachers for you.
Schedule the risk-free trial lesson directly with the teacher.
Continue with that teacher or try someone else.
