Discovery Bay, CA Songwriting Lessons

n explain musical theory and concepts many different ways to make sure you understand them. I am very friendly and patient.

Sometimes I might inject humor into the learning process to make it an enjoyable learning experience, and to help you remember the important things.
I love the satisfaction of seeing my students grow musically proficient and and seeing the JOY that it brings them. Many of my students have gone on to become professional. I am well-versed and well-equipped to teach many styles: Rock (including all sub-genres...Tribal Ambient Doom neo Punk, etc), Pop, Blues, Jazz, Alternative, Country, R& B, New Age, Ambient, Electronic, Metal (and a few plastics and wood as well).

*** Lesson Details ***
I will develop a personal lesson plan for each individual student. During your lessons, I might cover topics ranging from learning how to play, starting from the basics (if you are a beginner), to choosing music that will inspire you on your level, to improving your technique, ear-training, music reading (if that's what you'd like), reading and understanding tabs (if that's what you'd like), knowing what it is that makes certain chords and notes sound good together for writing your own music, as well as guitar maintenance and adjustments, getting a good tone, amplifier settings, effect pedals (settings & placing them in the most effective order), recording tips, and where to get a decent pizza.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Living Room or Studio, both very comfortable. Amplifiers, guitars, effects pedals, bass, ukulele, balalaika, drum set, PA system and recording equipment.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide guitar, bass, or ukulele and amplifier when necessary, teaching tools. The student provides their guitar and paperwork I give them.

*** Specialties ***
Teach note reading using Alfred's New Guitar course. Ear Training, Genres: Rock, Pop, Blues, Jazz, Alternative, Punk, Metal, Folk, Country, Hip Hop, Funk, R& B, New Age, Ambient.

I currently have 5 albums out under my name. My music is on a major new age compilation, and has been played on the radio in several countries, and several internet radio programs. I have played on other people's albums...some of which get major radio airplay in Europe.

chers National Association Certificate of Merit Curriculum for Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet and Piano. Incorporate Jazz
Improvisation, Theory and Harmony lessons

• Listed in Who’s Who Among International Professional Educators. • Listed in Who’s Who in American Education • Listed in Who’s Who Among American Women • Listed in Who’s Who in America • Six Lessons published in • Recognition for Self-Assembly Method Instructional Design Theory • Published article in OnCUE, Journal of Computer Using Educators

• Krause Center of Innovation 2005-2006 EWYL Cohort Participant • Krause Center of Innovation 2006-2007 EWYL Fellows Participant • Iisme (Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education) Fellow 2004: Intranet Web Designer at Applied Materials using Macromedia Dreamweaver and Contribute • Alameda County Representative to the CTAP Technology Leadership Academy at the Alameda County Office of Education (2000). Co-leader of Staff Development Program for Grade 4-8 Technology Integration • Taught University of Phoenix class for Technology Integration • IMTC class teacher in FrontPage and MS Paint • Member San Lorenzo Unified School District Ed Tech Committee and Lorenzo Manor Elementary Ed Tech Committee. • Past District Web Page Coordinator and FrontPage Trainer • Participant in Intel Teach to the Future training • Provide opportunities for children to meet Technology Standards• Incorporate technology into the curriculum using desktops and wireless laptops, FL Studio, Cubasis VST 4.0, Music Ace, Band in a Box, Finale Notepad, Silver Burdett MIDI Connection, Windows Movie Maker, Microsoft Office Suite, recording and burning CDs, DVDs, etc. • Manage a High School Computer Music Lab. • MarcoPolo trainer.• Teach Music Technology classes after school for the Gifted and Talented (GATE Program).

• Member Music Educators National Conference • Member Technology Institute for Music Educators. Lesson plan published on their Web Site. • Member California Music Educators and present music technology sessions for educators at the Bay Section Conferences.

• Deliver instruction in the area of the curriculum pertaining to National and District Music Standards. • Create and implement lesson plans, rubrics and assessments. • Organize and produce Winter and Spring Concerts. • Experience working with children with challenging behaviors and disabilities (Special Day Class and Continuation School).

• Provide children with learning experiences that promote their cognitive, social and emotional development.  • Experience in teaching students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. • Communicate with parents. Handle record-keeping of grades and attendance. • Work cooperatively with other education professionals. 

• Organize and produce Winter and Spring Recitals, including County Recitals for the National Guild of Piano Teachers. Communicate with parents. Handle advertising and record-keeping of tuition payments. • Vice-President of the Alameda County Branch of the Music Teachers Association of California. Attend Board meetings and plan guest speakers • Licensed Kindermusik instructor for children ages 18 mos. to 7 years. • Students chosen for State and County Honors Recitals. • Listed in National Honor Roll, National Guild of Piano Teachers; Member Music Teacher’s National Association. • Taught Undergraduate Musicianship class as a Graduate Assistant at Mills College.

•Professional Freelance Musician 9/1984 – 12/1995 Boston, MA; Bay Area, CA Performed own compositions and others works in various styles in innumerable local venues and clubs such as The Oakland Museum, Yerba Buena Gardens, The Valencia Café, Trans America Building, the Marriott Hotel, as well as in Las Vegas. She have performed with musicians such as Vijay Iyer, Anthony Braxton, MC
Hammer, Luciana Souza, Lloyd Nibbs (Skatalites), Fred Lonberg-Holm,
Andy Borger (Norah Jones), Stuart Popejoy, Aaron Stewart, Sheila
Sofian, William Calhoun (Living Color), Sean Kennerly (Samiam) and Joey Cheezhee.• CD Recording on Curious Pogos Records:Frederick Lonberg Holm’s “Theory of Motion”. • Composed music on Sheila Sofian’s Animations “Faith and Patience” and “Secret Rage”. Won 15 awards in International and National Film Festivals. Broadcast on WHYY TV12 and WYBE TV35 Educational Stations. • Honorable Mention in Composition: City of Oakland Creative Arts Fellowship. • Live Performances on KPFA, KNBR and KALX radio stations.

•EDUCATION Ph.D. in Education (10/2013). Specialization in Professional Studies Capella University Teaching Credential: K-12 Single Subject Music 8/1999 Chapman University GPA 3.9 US-CA-Concord Master of Fine Arts degree in Electronic Music and Recording Media with an emphasis in Composition 5/1992 Mills College GPA 3.64 US-CA-Oakland Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging 5/1987 Berklee College of Music US-CA-Boston GPA 3.59 Cum Laude

*** Lesson Details ***
I am interested in teaching you what you need and want to learn so that you achieve your dreams. Please note that I only take serious students who will practice at least 30 minutes every day or 35 a day 6 days a week at home. I would like you to keep a log of how much you practice. This will enable you to make progress through the curriculum as you will be a beginner for the first 3.3 years, an intermediate for the next 3.3 years, and then an advanced student for 3.3 years. I will give you assignments to do over the week, and the next week we will go over them, learn something new and get new assignments. It takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Currently I am converting my detached garage into a music studio with keyboard and instruments. There is a sitting room where parents can wait for their children. In the meantume, we will have lessons in my living/dining room.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Metronome, CD Boom Box

*** Specialties ***
Jazz, classical, popular, saxophone, composition, music, flute, clarinet, piano, violin, trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, baritone, oboe, songwriting, recording, children's music Composition
Arranging
Songwriting
Reading and Notating Music
Music Software such as FL Studio, Band in a Box, Reason and GarageBand. Bring your laptop to lessons!
Music Theory
Improvisation
Minor Key Harmony
Extended and Secondary Dominants
Tritone Substitution
Modal Interchange
Altered Dominant Scale
Diminished Harmony
Non-Functional Harmony

ue-Afro-Haitian-Afro-Cuban and Modern
African drumming and percussion: Jembe and shekere with song and folklore.

e Classics, featured National Anthem Singer for the University of Southern Mississippi basketball games, and one of the premier vocalists for the United States Air Force Reserves 403rd Wing.

Her Theatrical Roles include: Nurse in The Outsiders 2000, Alicia in Stormin' The Teachers Lounge, Fantine in Les Miserables, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Tantomile in Cats, Sonia Gibbons in Godspell, and Nehebka in Aida. She has also been involved in working backstage in Stage Left in West Side Story, Assistant Director in Cabaret, and Stage Right in Into the Woods.

Nikki has studied under James Harrell, Sharon Martin, Larry Panella (Director of Jazz Studies/Vocal Jazz & Jazz Piano Coach, University of Southern Mississippi), Dr. John Flanery, Dr. David Knowles, Dr. Barbara Mathis and Dr. Maryann Kyle.

She is able to adapt to many different music genres to serve your musical needs. Specializing in Jazz vocals to include Scat Singing. She is the first vocalist at the University of Southern Mississippi to complete the full two-year Jazz Improvisation Course Sequence. Able to sightread music and give a quality meaningful performance, she is ready to entertain at your next event. She was also a Vocalist for Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church and kept a very lively Music Studio offering music lessons for children and adults in multiple locations in the Denver Metro Area.

Nikki is an initiated member of Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Music Fraternity.

*** Specialties ***
Jazz Singing
Classical Singing

as gone on to play with a long list of different ensembles across many state lines.

At age 19 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and once there studied under virtuoso saxophonist Joshua Smith and master guitarist Andy Tran.

Kelly found a residency with a local San Jose group and did six months with The Craig Robinson Blues Band while he was gaining music students and slowly transitioning into a full-time music life. He also played with Lowfat an established Bay Area original dance band, was hired by the Darell Patrick Jazz Ensemble for private events and recorded for The Jake Makey Band before moving to Colorado in search of a higher chance of musical success paired with a lower cost of living.

In Fort Collins, CO Matthew sat in as a guest artist regularly with local jazz pianist Mark Sloniker at his residency at Jay's Bistro. Busking paid very well and helped keep the bills paid. Then Kelly could pursue playing 2 instruments in an original jam band The Hot Coal.

While in Fort Collins Kelly gave 6 months of guitar lessons to 2016 Scene Magazine coveree Elise Wunder to help her accomplish her performance goals. Today she travels the world playing her amazing original music.

In 2011 Matthew felt the need to return home. Knowing Austin is the real place to share the music and being from here, he rode his bicycle back here and eventually found the musical projects that he plays in today.

Continental Drift
&
Bourgeois Mystics

To hear Matthew's guitar playing and bass guitar approach visit his Soundcloud.

Michael Fennely (Carnegie Hall), Wei-En Hsu (Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra), and Candace Evans (Santa Fe Opera). Nicole earned her Associates in Theatre from Brigham Young University ('12) and went on to acquire her BM in Vocal Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University ('14). Nicole obtained additional training from Boston University, Elon University, and the University of Alaska Anchorage.

ing college before moving to the Bothell store within the same organization. I also began teaching at the Andrew White School of Music around the same time. I teach beginners on both guitar and bass as well as jazz improvisation on guitar.

Jazz is a style of music I specialize in and I teach it like teaching a language as I firmly believe that jazz is a language. I teach improvisation to not only guitar, but to all instruments as the concepts are the same. Improvisation lessons are fun and interactive and challenge you to be creative, which is what art is all about!

My teaching method is very flexible, as I am very aware that students learning styles and goals vary greatly. I am a patient teacher who will work to help put a student in a position to be successful and achieve his or her goals through lesson plans and teaching methods tailored to meet the student's learning style. Seeing students succeed and have fun making progress and improving as a musician brings me a lot of joy!

There is nothing more frustrating for a student than feeling like they're treading water trying to teach themselves. My goal is to make the learning process as fun as possible! One of the ways I do that is giving the student the opportunity to experiment with improvisation and explore the instrument during lessons and for when they practice at home to supplement the more formal training. This helps students develop their own individual sound on the instrument from day one, is fun and interactive, and gives the student the chance to be creative when learning a new instrument.