Derek S
5.0
(6)
Instruments: Piano, Ukulele, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Electronic, Showtunes
Derek S
5.0
(6)
Instruments: Piano, Ukulele, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Electronic, Showtunes
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 7-80
Master Degree: California State University East Bay
2019-2020 Glenn Glasow Graduate Fellowship, CSUEB
2019-2020 Glenn Glasow Graduate Fellowship, CSUEB
I love everything about music, and that includes teaching music to my students! I bring over 20 years of experience as a composer, songwriter, sound designer, and performer to my music instruction. I've performed nationally, collaborated with theater and dance companies, received grant money from the San Francisco Arts commission for the completion of original music, and now I have just completed my master's in composition and music theory at California State University East Bay. I'm always working on new compositions and collaborations, and love how my teaching pushes me to be a better composer and musician.
I have 5 years of varied teaching experience, as a private instructor, working in several K-12 school environments, and I also hold teaching experience at the undergraduate college level. I enjoy working with students of all ages, and I bring an enthusiasm that centers fun for my young students, while also grounding my lessons in music theory that's tailored to the age and skill of my student. I like to encourage improvisation and spontaneity, but also provide a structure of lesson assignments and exercises.
For my young piano students, I use the structure of the Faber series to slowly introduce concepts. For my guitar students I have had great success with the Mel Bay series, which combines initial chord playing and some music reading fundamentals. For ukulele, I utilize the Hal Leonard service. With all of my students, I always want to have the students choose songs they like and that they can set as realistic goals. I do emphasize some exercises in all instruments and to ground all lessons in the importance of practice and repetition. For my adult students, I tailor more specifically to the student's interests and definitely emphasize songs as practice goals.
I'd say my teaching style is first tailored to each individual student- their learning style, their genre interest, and their goals. Some student respond to more traditional classical structure, and some respond to improvisation as a way of learning musical concepts. What's exciting is finding out which style each student has, and always come back to the joy keeps them motivated. While I am flexible in this regard, I do have specific practice assignments and repetition exercises that are the work of learning an instrument. I also love working with students that are interested in creating their own music, whether it's songwriting or composing, and helping them achieve their goals.
Veronica Triplett
“Derek is an amazing instructor. He has extensive knowledge of music theory and composition, and is an incredibly talented musician. He knows how to explain things in a way that makes it easy to understand. As a beginner, he has really demystified the process of learning music and helped me progress in my ukelele playing. He is very patient and can really bring you to where you want to be musically. I highly recommend him!”
Trey Johnson
“I’ve been wanting to continue my learning of ukulele and guitar. Derek is such a knowledgeable and patient teacher. I love how he breaks down the understanding of music theory and composition. I’ve had other guitar teachers that have taught me how to copy music tabs but Derek is really great in explaining the why of music!”
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