Joseph D
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Organ, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Showtunes, Spirituals
Joseph D
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Organ, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Showtunes, Spirituals
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 6-80
Bachelor Degree: Mercyhurst University, Master Degree: The Catholic University of America, Master Degree: George Mason University
George Mason University Music Teaching Scholarship
I am a patient and dedicated teacher of music. Most of my students have been with me for five or more years which hopefully means I am doing a good job! I have taught private music lessons for 30 years, have been on faculty at music schools like the Cape Conservatory of Music and Art (now the Cape Symphony). I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master's Degree in Music. My primary instruments are voice and piano, and I am a choral conductor. I studied voice with Dr. Laura Mann, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Piano with Daryl Millard of Australia, and Conducting with Dr. Stan Engebretson a graduate of Stanford University. I first learned music in my childhood church. I sang in the choir at 12 and became organist at 16. That early formation likely led to my career of being a church musician and music teacher. I have taught at several schools and have served as music director for several churches including St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in DC where I established a scholarship lessons program for inner-city youth and taught for the Jack Kent Cook Foundation for gifted young musicians.
I began teaching music while in college. Friends and family knew that I played piano, organ, and sang well, so it I began getting requests for private lessons. I have been a high school and middle school teacher and have taught as adjunct faculty on the college level. Since college, I have had private and group music students in my own studio or through an institution. I chose the career of being a church musician in the Episcopal Church, playing piano, organ, singing, conducting choirs, putting on concerts and other productions. At the same time, I have kept up with my private students. Letting students know that they can sing and/or play an instrument is very important to me. I have heard students say, "I can't sing, or I could never play like that..." But given good instruction, a supportive environment, and a willingness to do the work, I have seen students achieve great things. Other students come to lessons with a good level of confidence and skill. I meet all students where they are and do my best to guide them to the next level.
I meet the student where she/he is. If a beginner, I want her to leave the lesson playing or singing a simple song with a smile. If he is advanced, I want him to leave the lesson engaged even more with the piece we are working on. I use the Faber Book Series for piano teaching and supplement it with my own collection of pieces and teaching tools. This might include a segment of a Beethoven Sonata for an intermediate student, a note-naming App to help beginners learn the language of music, or a version of a student's favorite holiday song to capture their interest. I teach the Bel Canto method for singers - this is the classical approach to singing and it is truly the only way to develop a strong and healthy voice. This does not mean that the student needs to sing classical music. The method applies to all vocal skill - breath, support, resonance, register agility, diction, and more. Even rock singers have found these to be useful!
I am easy going but that does not mean that I expect little from students. I think my students appreciate my style and find me a comfortable teacher. I want them to feel at ease but also to take their musical work seriously. I give them pieces that I believe are good for their musical development but talk with them about pieces what they might like to sing and play. I also engage in conversations about practice and performance. If a am working with a child or teenager, I do my best to engage the parent and family to support the student's enjoyment and progress. I also do my best to respond to the educational needs of adult students.
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