Voice Lessons in West Bethesda, MD

Instruments: Voice

For first time students, I immediately begin focusing on the aspect of breath related to the voice. I achieve this by utilizing exercises such as Lip Trills, Tongue rolling, and belly laughs. The is a fun, interesting, and above all effective way to show the student what muscles are working and where. From there, I begin to build upon warmups starting from the simple (e.g. 3-5 note scales) eventually leading to more difficult (e.g. octave runs with triplet passages). Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For young beginner piano students, I keep the number of books to a minimum so lessons dont become too overwhelming, and in order to help them stay organized. I often recommend the first Alfred All-inOne book, plus a Just the Facts music theory book which students love because there are fun games and activities at the end of each lesson. Once the student has learned enough fundamentals, I will recommend other books and provide supplemental material. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Keyboard

I have been teaching students since the mid 1970's and have found a few key ingredients. First ... I need to be engaged as a representative of the craft ... excited about music and ... most importantly ... excited about the fact that the student is about to take on this new and / or continuing endeavor! If the student feels that you are genuinely there for them, a 'comfort zone' is created for the student ... now there is an environment in which much production can be achieved ... and the student will be able to thrive! 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 Violin Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Music Keyboard

During my employment with Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education (in Wilson, NC) where I introduced a marching band program and lead the band to winning second place in the Music in the Parks competition in May of 2015. During my internship I was able to develop a percussion line with the students in under a month. The formation and level of proficiency of the percussion section was so astonishing that administrators, staff, other teachers, and even the principal dropped in from time to time just to hear the progression of the ensemble. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I've been teaching piano and voice in the Northern Virginia area for over fifteen years. I have worked at studios such as Jordan Kitts Music and Music and Arts, and have done in-home lessons at students homes, which I still do now. My students range from beginners to intermediate level players, and my approach combines popular music with classical, jazz and traditional styles. Of course, in the beginning they learn to play simple songs that they are familiar with like Frere Jacques, Old McDonald, Jingle Bells and so on. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Alfred’s piano book library Essential Elements. I recommend Alfred’s Prep course for age of 5 to 6 years old. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More