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Bachelor Degree: Belmont University
I am a motivated and easy going instructor and I thoroughly enjoy sharing my passion for music. I graduated in 2012 from Belmont University with a Bachelors in Music Business and have been performing professionally for over 10 years as a touring and session musician as utility player playing piano, synthesizers, saxophone, lap steel and as a vocalist. Performing worldwide has been one of the best experiences of my life as I have gotten to play different styles of music from country, rock, R&B, to folk.
I am new as a teacher, but am up for the challenge and opportunity to work with and inspire students to find their own self-expression as well as learn practical skills to help them reach their musical goals. Consistent practice is a key point, but more importantly pairing technical skills with music a student enjoys playing helps ensure a desire to keep learning and progressing. I'm looking to help students of all ages learn how to engage with and express their creative selves in a way that motivates each person to explore their instrument further.
For beginner students who are children I typically just want them to get comfortable with the piano keys and then find simple songs with simple patterns to get a grasp of hand placement, timing, and the joy of playing. For adults, I try to find out what they are interested in, e.g. (song structure, chord intervals, scales, hand technique) and adjust my lessons accordingly to help them meet their goals. I have grown up personally learning using Hal Leonard's piano books, but I am interested in finding ways to translate musical concepts using songs that my students already know.
My approach to teaching is to start simple and break down topics and themes into smaller goals that help the student feel a sense of accomplishment and eager to learn more. By letting the student's inspiration lead the way I can successfully guide them to reach those goals that they might not have had before starting the lesson. Nothing is more important for me than for a student's own creative mind to further their own curiosity from learning how to play their favorite song, understand a musical concept or make their instrument sound how they feel.