I'm an American citizen now, but I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where my lifelong connection with the piano began. I later earned a B.A. in Piano and Music History, and a B.M. Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I chose the path of an educator because what I love to do most is bring the joy of music to any person, anywhere who has the interest. My past teaching experience as a general music teacher in the elementary schools of Bridgeport, CT not only allowed me to teach music literacy and singing in a classroom environment, but I was also able to grow immensely as a teacher and person, This passion for teaching is what I want to bring to my music students at TakeLessons.

Hello all. I have been teaching for about 9 years now. I have degrees from two universities, one for jazz performance and one for classical performance. I have played in multiple bands throughout my life ranging in styles from punk rock all the way to straight ahead jazz. I currently hold a job in music retail and now consider myself an expert on a wide variety of instruments too. If you choose me for lessons, we will work on developing your musical vocabulary, learning to read music, hand exercises, chordal structures, scales, tablature and so much more. I have a love for music like none other and a passion to share that with my students.

To be able to teach is my dream. Whether it is music related or not, teaching is my passion! In 2011 I graduated with my Bachelors in Music Education at the University of Bridgeport. I have just completed my Master levels courses in May 2012, and will be a certified CT music teacher by the end of the Fall 2012.

While at the University of Bridgeport, I majored in Jazz guitar. To play guitar is my passion, and every time I play my mood is uplifted. I want to share my passion for guitar and music overall with any student who would like to learn.

Hi! My name is Barry and I have been teaching for over 10 years in the Fairfield County, CT area. I have had success teaching all ages, styles and abilities, from the most gifted to the physically impaired. I grew up listening to a tremendously wide range of music, and have studied classical flute, rock, jazz and classical guitar, and even the japanese shakuhachi, with some of the great minds of the instruments. I graduated high honors from Queens College with a Masters' in composition, and have had works performed by major acts in the contemporary classical scene. In jazz, I have shared the stage and recording studio with the likes of Marc Ribot and William Parker; I have quite a bit of experience as a performer that I bring to my teaching. My passion for music is addictive; I have turned the least motivated students into consummate music lovers. My goal is to find a student's personal musical voice so they have the opportunity to discover where THEIR musical passion lies. Whether...

STUDYING WITH ME:

Learning guitar should be interesting and fun! I approach each student as an individual and structure their lessons according to what I determine they need, as well as what they are interested in musically. I concentrate on many different areas; ear training, theory, playing technique, improvisation, various styles of music, and, the physics of the guitar. Understanding how the instrument works is important in my opinion. My long term goal is to teach a student how they can teach themselves down the line. Understanding why you’re playing something is just important as knowing how to play it. I aim to give a student rich and well rounded one-on-one time!

GENERAL BIOGRAPHY:

I have been teaching and performing for over a decade both in the US, and in England. I have played in various bands and have produced independent artists. I have worked for a recording studio and for various academic institutions including the Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg...

Singing and playing piano have always been a huge part of my life. I love to perform everything from opera and sacred music to music theater and jazz, and have been performing since I was very young. I earned my Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal performance DePaul University School of Music in Chicago. It was there that I fell in love with teaching, when I taught my first student as part of a course in vocal pedagogy. I have had several excellent and truly inspiring teachers myself with different teaching styles, and so I have a variety of approaches to drawn upon in helping my own students. Vocal technique was not something that came easy for me, and was something I had to really work on. This work on technique has made me a stronger teacher. I know how many different approaches it can take to make something click, so I use the diverse experiences of my own studies to find what works best for that student now. While I am classically trained, I am comfortable teaching all types of...

I enjoy teaching students of all backgrounds...from the hobby musician who wants to learn to play for his own enjoyment to the serious piano student who wants to study piano at the university level.

I bring a wide variety of experiences, both as an instructor and performer, to the table.

I believe that we get to know ourselves better through learning how to perform music.

I began playing the drum set at age 8, and started playing guitar and piano at the age of 12. I played percussion throughout my public school years and studied Jazz drums with Ed Balsamo during that time. As a Junior in high school I was a member of the SCMEA All-County Jazz Band, The Nassau Suffolk Performing Arts Jazz Band and its Jazz Ensemble. My senior year of High School I was selected to play with the NY All-State Jazz Band, and later that year I was chosen to be in the All-Eastern Jazz ensemble.
I attended SUNY Purchase for Jazz Performance and had the privilege of studying with John Riley, Richie Morales, Kenny Washington, Jon Faddis, and Todd Coolman.
While At school, I gained a stronger understanding for the theory and technique behind piano/guitar playing. I am available for Piano lessons at the beginner level and guitar lessons at the beginner/intermediate level.
In addition to my Jazz experience I have continued to perform regularly with my rock band The 4th...