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TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Joshua M.

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Joshua MThis week’s Rock Star Teacher of the Week is the multi-talented Joshua M., who teaches several subjects including singing, acting and music performance in the Washington, DC area.  A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Joshua has a strong background and interest in musical theater and also studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.  In addition to his role as a TakeLessons certified instructor,  Joshua has worked as a Musical Director/Rehearsal Pianist for many shows within the NY/NJ/DC tri-state area and serves as the Co-Artistic Director of No Rules Theatre Company based out of Washington, DC and Winston-Salem, NC. He remains active in theater and has performed in, written and directed a number of  musicals; some of his notable performance credits include roles in Godspell, Othello, Show Boat, Sweeney Todd, and Les Miserables.

Joshua believes in creating a strong foundation for his students to learn, and focuses primarily on breath, placement and eliminating bad vocal habits early on so that students can grow and develop new skills.  His students describe him as “easy to work with” and “incredibly patient,” and praise his ability to help them understand the core principles and underlying concepts of singing and acting. Congratulations on a job well done, Joshua!

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TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Katherine C.

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Katherine CAn award-winning and highly sought after mezzo-soprano and recording artist, Katherine C. of Elmwood Park, IL is this week’s  Rock Star Teacher of the Week!  Katherine has been with TakeLessons since October 2009, and teaches singing and opera voice, music theory and music performance in the Chicago area.  Her students call her a “great teacher with lots of enthusiasm” and praise the attention to detail that she brings to each lesson.  Katherine has taught at both the high school and college level, and her lessons focus on helping her students learn proper singing techniques, including how to prepare the body for singing and correct breathing techniques.

Among the many achievements in her opera career, Katherine created the role of the Young Nun in the world premiere of Stephen Hartke’s The Greater Good during Glimmerglass Opera’s 2006 Festival Season, which was later recorded on the Naxos label, and recently returned to the company as Aglaonice in the critically acclaimed production of Philip Glass’s Orhpée. Next, she makes her role debut as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel at the Syracuse Opera, where she will be awarded the comprimari “Artist of the Year” in 2010. Other notable engagements include a role debut as Sesto in Giulio Cesare and Un Musico in Manon Lescaut at the Florida Grand Opera.  Congratulations on your accomplishments, Katherine!

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TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Faiona M.

Monday, May 24th, 2010

FaionaMeet our latest Rock Star Teacher of the Week – Faiona M., who teaches in the Orlando, Florida area.  Faiona has been a TakeLessons Certified™ Instructor since August 2009, and specializes in the Suzuki Method, Kindermusik, Orff training, Music Therapy training, Broadway and opera training.  Her students describe her as “proactive” and “engaging,” and praise her ability to think outside the box when teaching.

Faiona’s approach to teaching centers on meeting each student’s goals and instilling them with the confidence, self esteem, and motivation necessary to reach their highest potential.  Her curriculum stems from various teaching methods in music education, music therapy, and music performance, which she adapts to the curriculum needed to succeed in various music programs in school settings and other venues.  Faiona is a true example of a Rock Star Teacher who strives to help her students reach the goals needed to excel and grow in their musical journeys – keep up the great work, Faiona!

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TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Matthew P.

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Matthew P.Our latest Rock Star Teacher of the Week has only been teaching with TakeLessons since January, but he’s already making a big impact with his students.  Meet Matthew P., who teaches several subjects including drums, guitar, and singing in the Los Angeles area.  Matthew specializes in pop and rock performance, and works with students who want to learn how to express themselves in a live environment, as well as aspiring songwriters and composers who are learning to write their own music.

Matthew’s enthusiasm for music is infectious, and his students certainly agree; they say he is “easy to work with” and “gives great feedback.”  In addition to teaching, Matthew is an award-winning composer and songwriter with many film and television credits, including the new Starz series “Gravity” which premiered on Friday, April 23.  Awesome job, Matthew!

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Posted in Drums, Performing, Singing, TakeLessons Teachers | 1 Comment »

Wanna Play Music? Take Part in Music Monday on May 3!

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

WannaPlayMusicWeek10During the week of May 3-7, musicians, schools, and other organizations across the country will come together in support of the fourth annual National Wanna Play Music Week, sponsored by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).  This week-long celebration highlights the importance of music education programs in schools and promotes the benefits of playing music for people of all ages and skill levels.  NAMM is also a TakeLessons organizational partner, which is why we are proud to support this event and power the lesson locator tool on the official Wanna Play Music website.

The week will kick off with “Music Monday” on May 3, an event in which schools, community and professional organizations will perform one piece of music simultaneously at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 a.m. Mountain Time, 12 p.m. Central Time, and 1 p.m. Eastern Time.  NAMM hopes that by having everyone sing the same song at the same time, music will transcend all genres and unite people through the melody and the act of performing the piece together.

NAMM is also encouraging people to pick up an instrument of their choice and play any time on May 3 as part of the Music Monday celebration.  This is the sixth year that NAMM has supported Music Monday, which is also hosted by the Coalition for Music Education in Canada and has grown to more than 2,000 schools since its inception.  You can register your school or organization as a participant in Music Monday by e-mailing musicmonday@namm.org.

If you plan to take part in Music Monday on May 3, tell us how you’ll be getting involved!  Will you be participating in the group song, or playing an instrument?

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