Music Lessons in Westover, AL. It's your time.

Music has the power to transport us to another time and place. Ever since a young age, Ashlyn Riley has found great joy and satisfaction in making music and sharing it with people. Ashlyn Riley is an accomplished harpist who has performed solo and with various orchestras and ensembles in North Alabama since 2007. She was the principal harpist for the Shoals Symphony Orchestra at UNA for four years and graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music. Ashlyn continues to perform with her 1900s Wurlitzer harp for various events while she is pursuing a certification in Music Therapy at UA.
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Ashlyn is also a accomplished pianist who as played over 19 years and performed in various recitals and concerts.

I have been teaching cello privately for over 40 years! I teach and have taught beginners of all ages up to university students. I enjoy teaching young children and have a full studio of adult learners. My specialty is the Suzuki method, but I teach using a wide variety of materials. I have a Master's degree in Cello Performance, and have an active playing career of orchestra, chamber music, and solo performance. I run my own chamber music business.

As with any instrument or art, you have to start somewhere and put work into. There are no shortcuts. However, a good instructor can quickly recognize what you wish to learn, zone in on those areas, and most importantly allow you the desire to keep play more. This type of guidance is the “shortcut”. For myself, I have 18+ years playing electric/acoustic guitar I have also attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA playing with other musicians and learning from the best instructors.

Beginner level: we have to start with positioning of you fret and pick hand. You can change a bit of this up later. To start, I might hear you play something: one note, a melody, or a riff just to see where you’re at. Starting from scratch? That’s perfectly fine.

We will work on two aspects: working towards playing single note melodies and strumming/learning basic chords. I would encourage learning the latter as pretty much all contemporary songs can be accompanied by rhythm guitar. Changing ...

Specialized study in music theory training which includes but is not limited to all levels of reading music, analyzing music, sight singing, ear training, rhythmic study, and composition . This could be a great lesson plan to accompany any student in their path towards a great understanding for music.

I believe in teaching strong fundamentals so that we can have a solid foundation to build on. Good tone and an understanding of embouchure are most important, and we will develop technique. I enjoy helping students achieve their goals and develop their talents.

I've been involved with harp for over half of my life, and can't wait to share the magic of harp lessons with you. I love working with students of all experience levels and ages. Reach out today to get started with your lessons!

Covid-19 Update: For the foreseeable future, all lessons will be held online via FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype.