Voice Lessons in Mount Rainier, MD

Instruments: Voice

My name is James and I am an operatic tenor and voice teacher based in Northern Virginia. I most recently graduated from the AJ Fletcher Opera Institute at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and hold a Master's degree in Opera Performance from the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland and a Bachlor's degree in Voice Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

My teach style varies based on the need of the student. I have students that are serious so I would create a syllabus that consist of taking exams or perform in recitals. My other students who just want to have fun with piano, I teach them little pop songs. My method is based on what the student desire. I want my students to enjoy playing the piano. I want them to learn how to play so they can express themselves. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

There is no set method that works for each student. For young children that are just beginning, I like to start them with the Bastien Piano Basics or Piano Adventures series, but I will supplement these books with other material depending on the student's needs. I like to give beginner students little pieces that will help them understand the fundamentals of music in context so that they are still making music while they learn the basics - this keeps them from getting bored! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice

I have been teaching private and group music lessons in voice, piano, and guitar since 2012. Lessons were typically held at the students home, various schools, and other rehearsal spaces. I have taught individuals from the age of 3 and up, as well as skill levels from beginner to more advanced skills. Read More

Instruments: Voice Flute

For young children (ages 4-10), I focus primarily on building a foundation in rhythm, pitch matching, and vocal warm ups (wolf howls, lip trills, tongue trills, etc.). I also encourage young children to bring in songs they enjoy singing, and use those songs to help build their understanding of musical structure. For slightly more experienced children (those who already can read music) I teach using the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) guidelines. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Bass Guitar Organ Music Keyboard

Later on, students will learn to read music in-depth--not merely replicating what's represented on the page exactly as-is, but with a broader and deeper understanding of the movements and relatativities taking place within the music, while building an ability (and feeling of mobility) to experiment with re-harmonization, substitutions, and alterations of all sorts. Especially at beginner levels, students often are flooded with an endless stream of lifeless representations, scales, formalities, technicalities, and special names, and as a result, their interest becomes stifled. "Music" comes to mean a drab exercise with an authority figure instead of the rich, profound, imaginative, vibrant, feeling, potent, and meditative social being that it can be. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Synthesizer Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning piano students, I use a combination of books from Alfred's, Faber, John Thompson's. At the same time, I emphasize proper finger technique, shape, and position. For more advanced piano students I prefer exercises from Hanon, Czerny, and Bartk. For beginning guitar students, I prefer Mel Bay books. However, for guitar students I also use a much more individual and custom approach for learning how to get a good sound out of the guitar through proper hand position, finger placement and pressure, and string picking. Read More