Music Lessons West

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Ukulele, Recorder, Music, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar

My teaching method include a combination of technique, artistry, interpretation, expression, musicality, and repertoire. This approach attempts to build synthesis and synergy between the different elements of musicmaking—both vocal and instrumental: the development and honing of sound technique provided a basis for informed and tasteful musicality as well as, by extension, effective and meaningful interpretation and performance of literature. At the same time, an awareness of and attention to expression, emotion, and interpretation informs the building and practice of technique, giving it context and artistic function. Read More

Instruments: Drums, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Conga, Latin Percussion, Music, Djembe

I start most beginning students (and evaluate more advanced ones) on snare drum or practice pad. This is a central instrument to the percussion family and most techniques used on other percussion instruments are based on sound snare drum technique.  I like the Alfred Drum Method book for students just starting out regardless of age as the ability to read and understand written music is important no matter what stylistic path one follows. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Music

My teaching experience is from 2016, when I first began administering piano lessons full-time. I have been consistently teaching students for the past five years. I believe it is essential to encourage consistent practicing regularly, as this is one of the critical points of being a successful musician and pianist and successful in my classes. I have also discovered that changing the repertoire studied in class helps motivate students to continue and maintain variety in the classroom. Read More

Instruments: Guitar, Violin, Drums, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Conga, Latin Percussion, Music, Acoustic Guitar

Drums and Percussion: Alfred's Kids Drumset Course-Dave Black and Steve Houghton Elementary Drum Method-Roy Burns Intermediate Snare Studies-Mitchell Peters Alfred's Beginning Drum Set Method-Sandy Feldstein and Dave Black Primary Handbook for Mallets-Garwood Whaley Violin: Suzuki Method Guitar: Hal Leonard Guitar Method-Will Schmid and Greg Koch Ukulele: Kid's Ukulele Course-Ron Manus and L.C. Harnsberger Bass: Hal Leonard Bass Method Ed Friedland As students begin to grasp more on fundamentals, they will be introduced along the way to various repertoire relating to their skillset or challenging them to go to the next level. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Voice, Cello, Trombone, Music, Keyboard

I utilizes Australia's Aboriginal 8 Ways Pedagogy in lessons: story sharing, non-linear (no one learns the same thing at the same place), non-verbal (hands-on), land links (take it outside), deconstruct/reconstruct (look at overall concept before breaking it into steps), symbols images, learning maps (written or draw connections showing what you have learned and what you struggle with), and community links (sharing music with others). Read More