Montara Music Lessons

room w/ seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide my own guitar for examples, and i bring a pencil. Student provides guitar, and if they want to they provide a book. Otherwise I create a custom curriculum from scratch and they provide staff paper.

*** Specialties ***
I have studied classical guitar, jazz, and have played mostly rock and pop gigs.

the distinguished Anne Adams Awards Harp Competition where she has been a main Director for fifteen years. She has served as the President of the Orange County Harp Society Chapter as well as a board member of the Bay Area Harp Society Chapter.

Alexandra received her Bachelor's Degree from DePauw University, majoring in Music and Anthropology. She also completed premedical studies at DePauw after spending her Junior year studying harp at the University of Oregon. She received her Master's Degree from Roosevelt University in Orchestral Studies, and did post graduate work at the University of Southern California in Harp Performance and Anthropology.

Alexandra's harp teachers have included: Sarah Bullen, Sally Maxwell, Edward Druzinsky, JoAnn Turovsky, Harriet Thompson Moore, Kara Bershad, Faye Seeman, Joy Andreasen, and Neva Lydiard. She has also had many mentors who have guided her life and career including: Kathleen Bride, Victor Salvi, Sally Maxwell, Patricia Masri- Fletcher, Robin Gordon- Cartier, Carrie Kourkoumelis, Dr. Craig Pare, and Karen Thielen.

Alexandra has performed in many master classes given by such internationally known harpists as Skaila Kanga, Jana Bouskova, Marie Pierre Langlamet, and Bryn Lewis. She has also organized many masterclasses and events featuring: Kathleen Bride, Sarah Bullen, Gwyneth Wentink, Patricia Masri - Fletcher, Louise Vickerman, Sivan Magen, Sasha Boldachev, Ina Zdorovetchi, Angel Padilla Crespo, Elzbieta Szmytt, Susan Allen, Gayle Levant, Stella Castelucci, Robin Gordon Cartier, Emmanuel Ceysson, Yolanda Kondonasis, and Kim Robertson.
 
Alexandra has performed extensively throughout North America and Europe as a soloist, with small ensembles, and as an orchestral harpist. She has appeared in several television shows such as General Hospital. Her playing,"Is filled with care, artistry, and mature interpretation. She is a talented musician, well rounded in her knowledge of music, and has a healthy curiosity in areas beyond music." (Donald Chen, conductor) "Everything I heard was sensitive, artistic, and had beautiful intonation." (Richard Ferrin, violist emeritus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra).

In addition to playing, Alexandra has also served as the Ambassador for Salvi Harps in North America for the past eleven years. She has given numerous masterclasses and workshops in addition to performing at National Harp Conferences and National and Regional music showcases. In her role as National Sales Manager, she helped harpists from all over the world find their dream harps, learn to care for them, and has mentored them along the way.

Apart from harp activities, Alexandra also enjoys teaching middle school, teaching piano, coaching rowing, participation in sports activities, and writing articles for various journals including: The American Harp Journal, Chicago Health Magazine, and Atlanta Health Magazine. She also enjoys being a board member on the DePauw University Alumni Board and she enjoys working on music startup companies.

*** Lesson Details ***

As a HARP teacher, all of my
students play scales, arpeggios, and technical exercises in
their lessons. I believe having a strong technical base is the foundation for
every part of playing and you can't learn without it. I will set the repertoire
for students according to their technical progress and although I may
take into consideration a student's desires to learn a certain piece, there has
to be time and they have to be ready for it. I have both short term and long
term goals for each student that involve theory, technical ability, and
repertoire: fun, orchestral and solo. Adult students still have to learn
technique, it makes things much more fun and easy six months later, I promise! Beginning students will learn how to read notes, understand basic theory, and technique in a short amount of time, so don't be scared if you have never had a music lesson before. 

I require all students make
at least half an hour a day commitment to practice. I teach mostly the Grandjany method of harp technique, however, I also use Salzedo and Renie methods
at times to fit a particular students' build and unique physical attributes as well as what the piece requires. I
have studied all techniques throughout my education and I find them all
beneficial for different reasons. I do, however, believe everyone is built
differently and the technique should help the harpist play and not hinder them
from achieving their goals. Everyone learns at a different speed, but as a
brand new musician, after six months practicing regularly, you should be able
to read music fluently, understand basic theory concepts, be able to play with
both hands and four fingers on each hand, play all of the basic scales and
arpeggios musically and be able to play at least one piece memorized.
Curriculum is based on the student's technical ability and issues and is
individually created – if you learn slower than someone else, don’t worry about
your pace. In the end, lessons are about you personally and not someone else.

As a PIANO teacher, I want students to learn about music and not just the piano. Students will learn basic music theory and basic scales as a part of their lessons. They will also occasionally choose a song of their choosing to work on chords. I do promote note reading and theory, so I am not the right teacher for students who don't want to invest time in learning the basics. These basics are the building blocks of all music and can be used for any instrument the student chooses to learn in the future.

*** Studio Equipment ***
I have harps and a piano at my studio, so you do not need to bring your harp to lessons. If you don't own a harp, you can rent one for around $45/month from several sources. 

*** Specialties ***
HARP - Grandjany Technique with an incorporation of Salzedo and French school depending on the player's body type and technical difficulties. I make use of the ABRSM as well as local, national, and international competitions depending on the student's level of commitment.

PIANO - I teach basic piano for fun through an Intermediate level. Although some students choose to take CM and ABRSM exams, I do not push them. I want students to enjoy piano and music lessons.

chure, breathing, posture, musical interpretation, sight-reading and theory.

I encourage relaxation while enjoying the process of making music.

All of the above can be applied to any style of music the student is interested in exploring.

*** Studio Equipment ***
My studio is located in a relaxed setting near a creek. For the teaching of brass instruments, not much equipment is needed though I have a metronome, tuner, digital recorder, sounds system, and plenty of music to get started.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I travel with necessary instruments, metronome, digital recorder, and whatever music I'd be introducing at that particular lesson.

*** Specialties ***
Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone/Euphonium, Bass Trombone, and Tuba

co and across the United States, giving voice to her research into the lesser known Art Songs of great Classical composers.
In the summer of 2008, she created the role of Principessa Louling under the baton of Bruno Riggacci in the World Premier of his one act opera €œDodici personaggi in cerca di voce.” Some of her opera credits include Cendrillon, Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretel, Griffelkin by the late great Lucas Foss and West Coast premier of the new opera Miss Lonelyhearts. With Orchestra she has performed Handel’s Messiah and Brockes passion, Durufle’s Requiem and this past summer, she was the featured soloist with the Capriccio Chamber Orchestra in their toast to Vienna.
Ms. R is the recipient of several awards including the Schoenfeld Award from the Holt Memorial Scholarship Competition and 1st place in the Pacific Musical Society Competition made famous by its first winner, violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Ms. R holds a Master of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with international opera diva Mignon Dunn, and a Bachelors from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. She has performed in Masterclasses with Karen Morrow and Luana Devol. She is also a featured vocalist on several independent film soundtracks.

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 N-H 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.

n Cantonese and English and teaching at Fremont/Union City area.

ing in each of my students.

In teaching piano, I teach rigorous foundational piano technique from the beginning, along with general musicianship. I like to incorporate teaching of general musical concepts, while encouraging creativity and imagination with the younger pupils that I teach. I also incorporate adaptations of popular music that children like to hear and play and try to stay responsive to the musical tastes of the student- while maintaining high standards in technique from beginners to advanced. I also address postural awareness and incorporate elements of the alexander technique into my teaching.

For those interested in singing lessons, I will first and foremost find out what kind of sound you personally wish to produce. Styles vary greatly across different genres. I will then help to diagnose your voice type and what difficulties you may be encountering and which may be preventing you from creating the sound you are aiming for.

I then show you ways in which the voice can be strengthened and balanced across the whole range and help my students achieve a healthy mix of head and chest resonance. This is achieved through exercises and vocal cues, enabling you to recognize the sensations that lead to good use of the voice.

My credentials:
- Alexander Technique Training- current.
- BA Music degree, Middlesex University, June 2004. Piano Performance Major and Music History
- 2 year piano scholarship at Conservatoire de Paris du Vème, with training on my second
instrument (violin), a member of conservatoire orchestra
- Music Diploma, Paris

ford School. She is also a member of CMTANC.

In addition to performing, Dr. Chiu is a frequent participant in music festivals, competitions and masterclass. In the summers of 2010 and 2013, Claire attended the Chautauqua Music Festival in southwestern New York, in 2014 she worked as a collaborative pianist at Oberlin in Italy, a competitive annual summer training program for singers, pianists, and instrumentalists held in Arezzo, Italy, and in 2016 Ms. Chiu attended the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina. Dr. Chiu is currently in demand as a collaborative pianist in the bay area for accomplished musicians and festivals.