Posts Tagged ‘Music Theory’

TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Beverly M.

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Beverly MMeet Beverly M. of El Reno, Oklahoma, who is this week’s Rock Star Teacher of the Week!  Although Beverly has only been a TakeLessons instructor since February, she has quickly become an active member of our teacher community and brings over 27 years of experience to her role as a piano and music theory teacher.  She has worked with students of all ages, and her teaching style covers a variety of musical genres – everything from classical and gospel to country and blues.  Having lived in South America as a child, Beverly is bilingual and teaches lessons in both English and Spanish.

In addition to being a classically-trained pianist, Beverly is also a talented songwriter, having composed more than 200 songs – many of which have been recorded by various artists or arranged for church choirs.  As an instructor, Beverly’s greatest desire is to instill her love for making music in each of her students.  She considers music to be the “language of the heart,” and enjoys sharing her musical knowledge and love for playing with anyone who is willing to learn.

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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: Kasey M.

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Kasey MOur latest Rock Star Teacher of the Week is a wonderful example of  a teacher who goes above and beyond for her students and truly wants them to get the most out of their lessons – and the fact that she has 12 continuing students certainly shows how much they enjoy taking lessons with her!  Meet Kasey M. from Richardson, TX, who specializes in classical piano and vocal lessons, as well as beginner and intermediate music theory.  Kasey’s experience in music began at the age of five in her mother’s private piano studio and continued through college at Angelo State University where she studied Music Education.  Throughout her college years she participated in numerous praise and worship bands, and after completing her first CD, she was able to use the money from sales to travel to Washington State to do mission work for a summer.

Kasey describes herself as patient, fun and imaginative, and loves passing on the gift of music to anyone wanting to learn!  When teaching she believes that the student and teacher are a team and should work together to tailor lesson curriculum to fit each individual student’s needs and goals.  She also has a very impressive introductory video which gives potential students a feel for what lessons with her will be like.  Congratulations on all your accomplishments Kasey, and thanks for being such a great example for our TakeLessons teachers!

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TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Lori L.

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Lori LThis week’s Rock Star Teacher of the Week has been a performer since the age of four and a lifelong music student who now teaches piano, music theory, opera voice and theatrical Broadway singing!  Meet Lori L. from Somerville, MA, who has been a TakeLessons instructor since June 2009.  Described as patient, kind and smart by her students, Lori focuses on exercises that make practice both fun and productive, so her students learn to love music and their instruments while building confidence in their performance skills.

Lori also teaches voice for The Metropolitan Opera Guild as part of their Urban Voices program, and was recently selected to represent the Guild on the Music-In-Education National Consortium.  The Urban Voices program serves an important role by bringing choral music into urban schools in New York and Boston that are faced with a high level of poverty and lack the resources for music programs.  Outstanding work, Lori!

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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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