Kevin D
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Bass Guitar, Keyboard, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Musical Theater, Opera, Funk, Electronic, Soul, Punk
Kevin D
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Bass Guitar, Keyboard, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Musical Theater, Opera, Funk, Electronic, Soul, Punk
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 11-80
BA, University of Northern Iowa, Music
2002 - Toured with Czech National Orchestra in Prague 2003 thru 2015 - Toured nationally as lead singer and guitarist of Marcato; opening for Stone Temple Pilots, Filter, Buckcherry, Staind, and others. 2016 thru 2017 - Performed at Whisky-A-Go-Go in Hollywood, California as a member of the house band 2016 thru 2017 - Taught songwriting and individual instruments at School of Rock in Los Angeles, California.
I am a fun and patient instructor with over fifteen years of professional teaching experience, and many more years performing. I earned a degree from the University of Northern Iowa, where I studied both Music and Philosophy. I immediately began teaching music in my private practice, and have been helping students achieve their goals ever since. I have taught for local schools, as well as national chains such as Guitar Center and School of Rock. My wide variety of performance experiences makes me a uniquely qualified teacher, as I have performed with both classical orchestras and choirs in large concert halls, as well as rock bands in small venues across the country.
My teaching experience started immediately after college, as I found that teaching music in between my own band's tours was a fun and practical way to both make a living and work with awesome students. I have taught lessons for small schools such as Central Iowa Music Lab, as well as larger national chains such as Guitar Center (Phoenix, Arizona), and School of Rock (Los Angeles, California). My experience in both classical music, as well as modern rock music gives me a great perspective on teaching. I always make lessons fun, while also teaching the foundations of music theory that are needed to understand music and succeed in making music.
My teaching methods are straight forward and effective. I always customize my lesson plans to fit the unique individual needs of each student. For guitar students, I use a mixture of classic rock and folk songs, scales, finger exercises, and improvising guitar solos to give a balanced and fun approach to the guitar. For piano students, fun songs that emphasize the proper hand placement and techniques are very important. I always stress proper technique at the beginning so that students build the right habits and don't need to correct them later on. We use a mixture of rock, blues, and classical music to give you the best musical education possible. With vocal students, it's all about vocal health, proper breathing, and getting you to find your own voice. Instead of trying to make each singer sound the same, I try to help each singer develop their own style, while still using techniques that will keep their voices healthy and strong, even after a lot of singing.
The most important thing to do as a teacher is find the right balance between fun and learning. When I teach, I make sure that students are enjoying their time in the lessons, because music is supposed to be fun, not a chore. At the same time, we have to work hard on our weaknesses and turn them into strengths, and the most enjoyment comes from working hard on something and seeing the rewards of that hard work. I will always push you to be your best, and help guide each student to find their own style, while at the same time, giving each student the tools they need to become real musicians who understand music theory. Work hard, but keep it fun. That's the name of the game!
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