Spencer N
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Violin, Trumpet, Fiddle, French Horn, Electric Guitar
Styles: Classical, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Marching Band
Spencer N
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Violin, Trumpet, Fiddle, French Horn, Electric Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Marching Band
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 8-80
Bachelor Degree: UC Berkeley
I'm a motivated and patient instructor who likes working with many different types of students and sharing what I know and love about music with others. I graduated from UC Berkeley with a microbiology degree in 2017; while most of my studies were unrelated to music, I took genre and performance classes in music throughout and played in several live music ensembles. I've played violin and guitar from a young age, learned brass and percussion in high school, and taught myself piano while in college. I have published original music with other professional musicians.
While in high school and college, I mostly tutored other students in history, chemistry, and math. However I worked as a private instructor for students learning violin and guitar for much of 2017. I was trained classically in violin in the Suzuki method, took rock/folk-based instruction in guitar, and learned brass and percussion through my high school marching band, which also doubled as a concert ensemble for half of the school year. I mostly taught myself piano so I honestly am least adept at relating it to sheet music. In all others however I can teach how to read, translate, and transcribe sheet music in relation to the instrument.
For beginning students, I try to figure out what if any familiarity with the instrument or connected genres the student already has and plan to orient lessons around that. If they're absolute beginners with no specific interests yet, as is often the case with children, I focus on teaching fundamentals of the instrument's technique, music theory relevant to reading sheet music and understanding scales, keys, and time signatures. If it seems like it would help I'd move on to the Suzuki method or at least to simple songs and etudes.
Nothing is more rewarding than seeing my students develop a passion for music, so it's important that each student progresses at their own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Focusing on the type of music they are already interested in helps students to motivate and progress.
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