Jack S  
Instruments: Piano, Drums, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Mariachi, Avant-garde

I began teaching younger kids in early high school, and have been teaching ever since. Students are able to start learning percussion with just a pair of sticks, a practice pad, and a book or two, and can get started in piano with a decent keyboard. Many students are scared away when they look at the price of a full drum set or a piano, but a music education can easily be accomplished with a tight budget! I've found that getting the proper equipment is a big setback for a lot of students just starting out, so helping families find the right gear is usually a big part of the first few steps. After a student has what they need, we can take off from there!

For percussionists and drummers starting out, they'll start with just a practice pad and a pair of sticks, and the first "Alfred's Drum Method" book. From there, after a bit of progression, I'll add material based on the student's interests. For starting pianists, I work with pianists through the Faber series. These books tend to move quickly, so it helps beginning students get a lot accomplished right away. Then we can start to dig into whatever music the student is interested in. If a student already has made some progress on their instrument, we'll spend some time just playing, getting to know the student's level, before we create a curriculum based on their progress so far.