Piano with Kevin S.

I am a friendly and professional teacher with experience teaching music from the elementary to the collegiate level. I enjoy teaching students of all ages and believe that children and young adults can benefit from the many facets of music and the ability it has to sharpen skills in other areas such as math, science, communication and history. I currently hold a bachelors degree in music from the University of California, Davis, and am studying towards a masters degree at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. I have taught and tutored students in piano, concert percussion, marimba, drumset and hand drums, and have lectured on contemporary percussion music at American River College. I have also worked as a guest instructor with the Clovis High School Concert Band and presented music at Esparto Elementary School and Emerson Parkside Academy Charter School. My performing experience stretches across many genres, and I have performed with such groups as the Benicia Ballet Theater, Solano Youth Symphony, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and the Blue Man Group, as well as touring with the folk group The Zoo Human Project and performing solo percussion repertoire. I have also performed in collegiate orchestras, chamber ensembles and percussion ensembles and premiered new works by composers from Argentina, Sweden and the US. My teaching philosophy is that music should be both fun and motivating. If a student truly enjoys music, the time and energy needed to practice an instrument will not be perceived as time consuming work, but will instead be fun and rewarding, teaching discipline and focus. I also believe that a good teacher should be an inspiration and good role model, both by performing music of the highest caliber and also interacting positively with students and parents. Bonding with a student and developing positive relationships are crucial in ensuring a student's success and transporting the values of discipline, focus and perseverance to other areas of a student's life. In addition to learning to play an instrument, I also teach students music theory, explaining the concepts behind how music works and how it's organized, as well as the science behind sound and music. I also include music history in my instruction, relating the music they are studying to the art, philosophies, cultures and historical events of the time and place the music came from. I believe this is an integral part of music and helps students understand the style and meaning of the music they are learning.