Mill Valley Music Lessons

Yoshi's SF, the Regency, Bimbo's & the Sweetwater.
My teaching experience goes back over twenty years and I relocated to Marin County in the Bay Area in 1995 where I've been teaching extensively since 2002. Since then I have helped hundreds of students realize their dream of learning to play piano and keyboards as well as read music, play perfectly in time and learn songwriting skills. Playing music is fun & easy......I can show you just how easy it is!!

*** Lesson Details ***
My style is laid back with a large supply of patience and devotion to my students. I teach beginning , intermediate & advanced piano and keyboards (including organ). For adult beginning piano students I use the John Thompson Modern Course for the Piano Grade One along with Thompson's Note, Scale & Chord Speller books and flash cards for a quick and easy route to learning how to read music and basic music theory. For kids (5-7) I like Thompson's "Teaching Little Fingers to Play" along with the kid's music theory books by Linda Ng.
In the first six months students can expect to study basic finger exercises and scales, how to read music easily and quickly, how to play perfectly in time & develop a repertoire of songs to play. Once students have learned basic skills it is possible to explore many different genres including classical, jazz, blues, rock, reggae and much more. I customize the lessons to fit each student's needs and desires and can also help the students with songwriting and learning from the recorded works of great artists!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Beautiful 1884 carved English maplewood Estey upright piano!

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide the books and supplies at cost...students should have some kind of keyboard to practice on...preferably a real piano although I have taught many students initially on electric keyboards.

*** Specialties ***
I teach beginning, intermediate & advanced piano in the styles of classical, jazz, blues, rock, r&b, pop, country, etc. ages 5-105! Usually I start beginners in the John Thompson method & speller books along with music flash cards and then am willing to shift into different styles as the students gain basic skills.

ler with the aid of the ideas and help of the teachers I have worked with in the past. Each lesson will begin with a warm up that address the student's specific needs. Once we address fundamental technique, we will apply these ideas to specific repertoire. This repertoire will be chosen by the student with my guidance, but students are welcome to bring Song, Opera, Oratorio, Jazz, and Broadway to any lesson.

Because of my extensive performing experience and education, I am also able to assist students with Italian, French, and German diction and translation. Music centers around communicating, and I am more than happy to help each student understand each word he or she sings. As we work towards performances, I can also assist with dramatic coachings using the techniques I learned at the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and The Metropolitan Opera.

I am still an active performer, and I hope that my performing and teaching continue to positively affect one another. I have found that working on a multitude of styles from Opera to Jazz has helped me acclimate my voice to any situation, and I hope that my students find the same love and joy in singing as I have.

eet music, and playing songs. I tailor my lessons to the student so it's fun for both of us.

The styles I teach are: rock (classic, indie, punk) folk, pop, reggae/ska funk, blues, r&b, country, some finger-picking, and a bit of classical. I can teach you any song you want to play whether it's rap, rock hip-hop or a piano piece. I will find a way to do it and make it fun. :-)

My style is easy going, but not lackadaisical. I take teaching seriously and do my best to make the student feel comfortable. I give my students weekly assignments that I ask them to complete. However, if a student doesn't work on their assignment, I don't criticize or condemn them. I go over the assignment with them and gently remind them to play and work on the materials I've given.

I love teaching, music, and sharing my gifts with others.

Thanks and I look forward to working with you!
Cheers,
Judy G. aka Groovy Judy

*** Lesson Details ***
Lessons are once a week. Payment is due at the time of the lesson. Package rates are available upon availability.

*** Studio Equipment ***
2 guitar amps, a guitar stand, a music stand, mp3 player, a lava lamp and some cool rock posters 

*** Travel Equipment ***
acoustic and electric guitars, music stand, small amp, mp3 player and lots of cool music ***Please note - I'm located on the Peninsula, so the areas I serve are: Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Atherton & Menlo Park.***

*** Specialties ***
I love rock, pop, folk, funk, fingerpicking and the blues. I teach all of those styles and songs by great artists such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Ed Sheeran, Jason Mraz, Taylor Swift, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Sly & The Family Stone, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton and many more.

practice is crucial if you are looking to advance in your craft.

I always hope to open the eyes of my students and teach that confidence, determination and hard work can not only progress them in learning an instrument, but with most skills in life. Most importantly I never want my students to feel that music is a burden! I want them to always enjoy themselves when they are practicing or performing.

I don't provide instruments or the accessories that go along with it, so please be prepared to have those things before our first lesson. I may also provide a list of sheet music to order after our first lesson if I feel we do not have the necessary materials.

I only travel to homes in the city of San Francisco for lessons at least an hour in length. If you live outside of the city in the Bay Area, you are more then welcome to find a time to come to my studio for lessons.

I do not teach beginners online (via Skype), as I believe it is vital to have an instructor in the room in order to make physical adjustments to maintain proper bow hold, posture, and left hand positioning. I'm more than happy to teach intermediate-advanced students online!

My Performance Bio:

Sam N. is a native born South Dakotan who began his viola studies at the age of ten. He began taking private lessons at the age of fourteen with his teacher Carol Knowles. Eventually, he continued his studies in South Dakota with San Francisco Conservatory alumni Kate Weeks. Sam is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Jodi Levitz. He has participated in master classes with Helen Callus, Jay Liu, Jonathan Vinocour, Jerzy Kosmala, Hank Dutt, William Goodwin, Jackie Schwandt, and Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Mr. N. was the principle violist of the South Dakota All State Orchestra from 2007-2009, principle violist of the J. Laiten Weed Honors Orchestra from 2008-2010, and a member of the Black Hills Symphony from 2006-2010. In 2008, he was the 1st prize winner of the Lucy Palermo Weed String Competition, and won South Dakota's ASTA viola division. Two years later, he received the Henry Charles Smith Award in the SDSO's Young Musician's Competition, and also claimed 2nd prize in the BHSO's Young Artist Competition. In 2011-2012, he was also invited in to the Orlando Chamber Soloists Apprentice Program. Sam is also the former principle violist of the San Francisco Youth Orchestra which toured Germany in the summer of 2012. Featured performances took place in the concert halls at the Gastieg in Munich and Berlin Philharmonic and at the Rheingau Musik Festival. In 2013-2014 Sam was the principle violist of the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra. He currently performs all around the Bay Area as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. His main mission is to revive interest in Western Art Music so that is once again accessible to the every day human.

ith their reasoning process for better practice (not only applied to cello).

I currently have both in-home lessons (+ a travel fee) and studio openings at the Syntonique Studios in SOMA. I offer 45 and 60 minute lessons to students of all ages. I offer scholarships for exceptional students and those that are in need as well.

Before lessons begin, a short interview process is required to take note of the student's musical background and goals / as well as the parents' needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out for any questions! Thank you, I cannot wait to work with you!

icipate in All-City Orchestra, and gain entry to the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.

I offer private violin lessons through my studio in Oakland, California, but I am also available to travel to your home if it is in the Oakland/Berkeley area. If you are in San Francisco and would like private lessons, please contact me as I accept students in the city on a case-by-case basis.

Playing the violin is a challenging and rewarding endeavor, so I ask that my students commit to a weekly time slot and expect to practice every day; practicing and regular lessons are the best way to master the instrument and be satisfied with your own progress!

I do not provide a violin or the necessary accessories to my students, but I am happy to provide recommendations for where to acquire or rent them; please come to your first violin lesson with an instrument and bow, as well as tools like a shoulder rest, metronome, rosin, etc. I will provide sheet music for the first lesson or so, but expect to order the books that we will use after that point.

I have been on the faculty of Little Mission Studios, the Chamber Music Institute of the University of Maine, and a chamber music coach at the Kipp-Bay Academy. I currently maintain a studio at Inspire Music in SF with over 25 private students in addition to my home studio in Oakland, so it's easy to say that teaching the violin is a passion of mine!

About me as a performer:

Violinist Mia Nardi-Huffman is quickly gaining recognition as a versatile and dynamic performer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her passion lies in pushing the boundaries of classical music through self-expression and collaboration with other musicians, composers, performance artists, and dancers. She has performed in major venues including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, The National Arts Club, The Legion of Honor, and The Masonic, as well as on the world stage in Italy and Switzerland.

Mia has performed with leading artists and groups such as Opera Parallele, Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman, Elevate Ensemble, David Kim, Gamelan X, David Tanenbaum, Bettina Mussumeli and Jean-Michel Fonteneau. She is also the resident violinist for the contemporary chamber music ensemble Wild Rumpus, a collective dedicated to the performance and commission of innovative new works.

In the realm of pop and indie music, Mia has recently collaborated with The Singer and The Songwriter on their track "Apparent Brightness", recorded for Marcus McCauley and Portrait Maker, and performed with Evanescence on their "Synthesis" tour at The Masonic.

Passionate about the creation and performance of new music, Mia has recently premiered works for Jake Heggie, JooWan Kim, Brian Fitzsousa, Nick Vasallo, and Dan Van Hassel. Her performances are often in conjunction with movement or performance art, most notably AXIS Dance company's piece "Radical Impact", performances at the SF Movement Arts Festival, and collaboration with the Juxtapositions Chamber Ensemble and Cellista.

Mia studied the violin with Shirley Givens and Akiko Silver, as well as at the Mannes Pre-College Program in New York City before moving to California in 2010. She earned her BM in 2014 and her MM in 2016, both from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music studying under the tutelage of violinist Bettina Mussumeli. While at SFCM, she was concertmaster of the Conservatory Orchestra and the recipient of the Sergei Barsukov Violin Scholarship. She has also studied chamber music with Mark Sokol, Mack McCray, and Paul Hersh, and has performed in masterclasses for eminent musicians such as David Kim, Sidney Harth, Claude Frank, Stefan Milenkovich and Daniel Philips.

in its concerts at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and participated in its tours to Europe, India, Israel, North and South America, and Puerto Rico, which included two U.S. State Department sponsorships.

He was Artist-in-Residence at Bay View Summer Conservatory and Music Festival (Michigan); Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Visiting Associate Professor of Violin at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Co-Concertmaster of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Concertmaster of its Chamber Orchestra, Music Consultant of the documentary film of the 1977 Van Cliburn Quadrennial International Piano Competition; and Associate Concertmaster of the Round Top Festival Orchestra (Texas). At that time, Sin-Tung Chiu frequently appeared in sonata recitals and faculty chamber music concerts, in addition to live broadcasts on regional public radio and television.

Sin-Tung Chiu became an American citizen in New York in 1984 and established his home in San Francisco in 1988.

In San Francisco, Sin-Tung Chiu teaches privately and is on the violin faculty of Community Music Center (CMC) since 1988, serving on the CMC Faculty Council (2007 to 2010) and (2012-2015); Chinese American International School (1997-2015); Music City Academy (2008-2017); in Hillsborough, California, on the violin faculty of The Nueva School as a Menuhin violin instructor since 1991, serving also as Director of the Nueva String Ensemble since 2005.

From 2005 to 2008, Sin-Tung Chiu was a member of the Board of Directors of the Del Sol Performing Arts Organization that oversees the career of the San-Francisco-based