Michael S
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Keyboard, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Electronic, Punk, Avant-garde
Michael S
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Keyboard, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Electronic, Punk, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
Doctor of Musical Arts, The Hartt School at The University of Hartford, Music Composition and Theory (ABD, In progress)
Master of Arts, California State University, East Bay (Music - 2015)
Bachelor of Arts, California State University, East Bay (Music - 2013)
2016 - World premier of my master's thesis, Symphony no. 1 "World War" 2015 - Glenn Glasow Graduate Composition Fellowship from California State University, East Bay
I am a composer and music educator originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. At a young age I admired classic rock and by high school found a passion for heavy metal music. My love for music lead to my decision to study music in college and make it into my career. After earning my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music from California State University, East Bay I relocated to Hartford, Connecticut to work on a doctoral degree in music composition. As I continue my studies I want to continue teaching private lessons to students of all ages and musical backgrounds, teach college level music theory courses, and compose for professional ensembles and performers.
I started teaching privately in 2010, beginning with in home lessons. Since then I have taught in a private studio, working with students of all ages, levels, and musical sounds. I have even taught classes at the college level, focusing on music theory and history of rock and roll. What I love about teaching music is how I get to share my passion for music and the arts with my students, show that how great it is, and guide them to reaching their own musical goals, exceed their own expectations, and grow as individuals. It is such an incredible journey to see students reach new levels of excellence and find a way to make music a part of their lives.
For piano students, I like to use Alfred's piano methods. I find that their methods for both kids and adults not only covers the basic fundamentals of music, but they are also able to make everything comprehensive and enjoyable. For guitar, I like to use Hal Leonard's basic guitar book for students focusing on popular music and basic guitar, and for classical guitar I like to use the Christopher Parkening Method. One thing I really like about Hal Leonard is how it immediately covers notation and reading music, something that can be difficult for the guitar, while still keeping everything easy to play and slow applying fundamentals.
Every student is different, so the first thing I like to do is get to know them as a musician, where they are on their instrument, and what they wish to accomplish in lessons. I want to keep the student comfortable with what they are working on and at the same time find ways to go beyond the comfort zone. I like to incorporate music fundamentals with all of my students, including notation, scales, chords, and rhythms. I feel that the more students understand the basics, the more they can understand every musical element that follows and ultimately get the big picture.
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