San Francisco, CA Music Performance Lessons

wledge of playing music to my students, always vigilant for sharing shortcuts that will help the student to achieve their lesson goals faster. Some teachers teach only out of books. I am not such a teacher. Books solve the problem of learning music in generalizations and by their very nature, cannot take into consideration personal issues a student will encounter.

Most students are able to learn enough of the necessary mechanics at the first lesson to actually play something before they leave that lesson. This is important because they realize that playing music IS possible. I always enjoy the look on their face when they realize they have actually “played” their instrument at their first lesson.

I am not the sort of teacher who yells and screams if the student comes in unprepared. I realize that people come to me for a variety of reasons and I work with them with whatever they bring in. I am patient and if a student is not understanding a certain aspect, I bring into play alternate approaches. Not everyone assimilates information in the same way. Learning music should be an enjoyable adventure for the student and I venture to say that my students enjoy coming to their lessons. We have fun, and we learn.

My current rates are $40 per half hour, $60 per 45 minutes and $80 per hour, and believe me... you will get your money's worth! Also I should note that due to my current students, plus teaching at a private school in Sausalito and recording sessions, my time constraints only allow me to teach lessons out of my home studio in Alameda. Hopefully this will work for you as well!

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.

sses in New Mexico high schools to Elementary students in Japan to a variety of private students of various musical instruments and genres everywhere I've been. Since relocating to the Bay Area in 2010, I've had the pleasure of working with lots of great students from kids to adults with a wide range of ambitions. Since 2012 I've been running my own full time studio.

Philosophy of Learning

Lessons are generally designed to work towards giving students the tools to accomplish their goals and become increasingly independent over time. While all students will study similar fundamentals regarding technique, theory, and performance, every lesson is as different as every person. What kind of music do you want to make? I'll tell you what you need to do to get there, and help you take the steps to achieve your aspirations.

I also love to help students put together a song, record, and produce it for them so that they can have a recording to share with their friends and family.

I also hold events for my students. (Check out our pictures and videos below!)
Younger students have opportunities to perform for friends and family at my studio every few months. Once or twice a year we'll also stage a larger event off site for more individual students and bands classes to perform.
Adult students also occasionally have events where they get a chance to get together and play music as well.

Aside from in-studio lessons, students also have the option to sign up for online lessons via Skype.
(*Online lessons offered during different times than in-studio lessons.)

*Unfortunately due to scheduling issues, I'm not currently accepting students for bi-weekly lessons. I can do regular weekly lessons, or occasional drop-in lessons, but bi-weekly appointments make it really hard for me to give the best scheduled times to my existing weekly students. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

My studio is equipped with:

*Music Stands

*A P.A. System

*Vocal and instrument microphones

*Guitars, Basses, Ukulele, Banjos, etc

*Two guitar amps and a bass amp

*Various percussion including a fully equipped acoustic drum set

*A Roland V-Drums electronic drum set

*An electric piano console and Yamaha organ

*A MicroKorg Synthesizer

*A Tuba, Trombone, Cornet, Saxophone, and Flute

*An extensive physical and virtual music library

*A recording system that students are not only welcome to use but encouraged to

*HD Webcam and condenser microphone for high fidelity online lessons via Skype

ce in their own musicianship. They discover the music within themselves, while learning the technique necessary to be the best musicians they can be.

I enjoy teaching high school, middle school, and elementary students as well as adults. I Love teaching beginners. I am trained in vocal pedagogy, music theory, music history, repertoire, performance practice and methods.

My formal education:
B.A., UC, Berkeley (Phi Beta Kappa)
M.A., Occidental College
M.S. Pepperdine University
Lifetime General Secondary Teaching Credential

Teachers and mentors:
Howard Swan, Mary Jones, Edward Lawton, Robert Commanday, Roger Wagner, Linda Anderson, Boyd Jarrell, Paul Smith.

In the last twenty years, I have enjoyed being a participant in music at the College of Marin, through choral, vocal, opera and piano classes. I currently serve as volunteer assistant to the Director of Choral Activities.

I am particularly proud of my experience as instructional aide and coach for music students with disabilities at the College of Marin, including students with developmental disabilities and autism.

Past classroom experience:
Long Beach Unified School District, Choral Music Teacher
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Choral Music Teacher
Low Heywood School and King School (prep schools), Stamford, CT, Choral Music Teacher

*** Lesson Details ***
Voice students can expect to learn how to produce tone beautifully, using correct posture and breathing, and proper vowel production, rhythmic precision, pitch accuracy, carefully formed phrases, and musical and stylistic interpretation. But beyond technique is the amazing art of communicating with other people the wonders of the music. You should expect to make good progress in all of these areas in just a few weeks. I hope you will come with serious interest in developing your beautiful voice.

Repertoire might include folk songs, art songs and arias from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, as well as compositions of the 20th and 21st centuries. Songs might be in English, or possibly in Italian, Latin, German or French, if you interested. We would sit down together and decide what dreams and goals you have, and then choose music to get you going down the path to those dreams and goals.

You can expect to have learned several new songs, and to have brought them to performance level in the first 3-6 months. If you have a goal to learn music for an audition, contest or festival, that can happen.

Piano students can expect to learn everything about the keyboard, posture, proper use right and left hands, scales, chords, arpeggios, and fun exercises leading to good technique, rhythmic accuracy, speed and fluency. Playing beautifully, with artfulness and expressiveness will be priorities.

Repertoire might include beginning to intermediate compositions from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, as well as compositions of the 20th and 21st centuries. We would sit down together and decide what pieces to choose which would help you get on a path to your musical dreams and goals, and what would be appropriate for your age and development as a musician.

You can expect to be playing pieces with 2 hands within a few weeks, and perhaps a melody with chords, if you are a beginner. Degree of difficulty will depend upon your age, experience and development, but even very simple songs can be played musically, with grace.

Of utmost importance to me is that every student learn to read music, and develop an understanding of music fundamentals. The level of sophistication will depend upon age and experience, but learning good musicianship is essential. At the same time, opportunities for creativity to develop through improvisation could be on the horizon for you. It is important to me that you want to learn and and want to become the best you can be.

*** Studio Equipment ***
I have a piano and computer with Finale at my home. I provide music and practice sheets, etc.

*** Specialties ***
For voice, I teach classical style, including posture, breathing, tone production, vowel production, phrasing, diction, appropriate style and performance practice, and music reading. Materials I use include everything from folk songs to arias, and 16th century to contemporary compositions, in English, Italian, Latin, French and German. Voice is my primary interest. I am also competent to teach beginning theory, and beginning piano, both classical and standard popular, including improvisation from charts (melody, chords).

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.

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 is a native born South Dakotan who began his viola studies at the age of ten. He started taking private lessons at the age of fourteen with his teachers Coral White, and Carol Knowles. Eventually, at the age of eighteen, he continued his studies with Kate Weeks in South Dakota.

Sam is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied viola with Jodi Levitz. He worked closely with Mark Sokol and Bettina Mussemeli as chamber music professors, and studied orchestral excerpts with Katie Kadarauch, Don Erlich, Scott Sandmeier and Adam Smyla. He has performed in master classes for David Kim, Helen Callus, Jay Liu, Jonathan Vinocour, Jerzy Kosmala, Hank Dutt, William Goodwin, Jackie Schwandt, and Kelly Hall-Tompkins.

Mr. Sam 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 associate principal 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. Sam is also the former principle violist of the San Francisco Youth Orchestra which toured Germany, Austria and Luxembourg in the summer of 2012. Featured performances took place in the concert halls at the Gastieg in Munich, Berlin Philharmonic and at the Rheingau Musik Festival. In 2013-2014, Sam was the principle violist of the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra.

In 2011-2012, he was invited in to the Orlando Chamber Soloists, which is now known as the Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills. In summer of 2015, he joined UFOMT as a violinist and violist performing operas, musicals, orchestral programs, and a chamber music series. Recently, he began performing with the band Evanescence. In summer of 2018, he was invited to join the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a guest artist in a workshop for young composers. He currently works throughout the San Francisco Bay Area as a teacher, soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician.

His dream is to revive interest in Western Art Music so that is once again accessible to every human who is curious. He never wants music to be a burden for his students, and hopes that teaching the benefits of preparation, confidence, focus and determination can inspire his students in all areas of their lives. He loves working with his students on what they are interested in, and aims to enhance them with the technical and musical facility they need in order to play beautifully.

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 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.

**My Vision***
I seek students who share a love of learning. I am not looking for the finest musicians or highest IQ's, because those gifts are not required to learn and grow. My greatest experiences as a teacher have come from when I work with students who just want to learn more.

***My Requirements***
I hold my students to high expectations when it comes to practicing. Each week, I give students individual assignments that I know will improve their learning and playing abilities, and I expect those assignments to be fulfilled by the next lesson. A failure to do so will result in frustration for both myself and my student.

However, I know that nobody is perfect, and I myself have had my share of weeks where life happens, and I simply don't progress as much as I would like. As a teacher, I understand this perfectly, and I will always strive to listen to my students, and work with them through their difficulties or struggles.

***What To Expect From Lessons***
I bring a lot of energy to lessons! I am very passionate about teaching and helping students grow, and I make sure to bring that to every lesson. I give concise, direct feedback to students, making sure to give them the information they need to understand how they can achieve their goals and grow.

I am very perceptive of students' feelings, and I take care to be sensitive to their needs each week. My worst fear as a teacher is to cause hurt feelings, so I will do everything in my power to avoid that!

I am an expert in the field of music and the flute, so you can be rest assured that the quality of instruction will be the highest.

alled the "Music Of Life Seminar". This work originated out of my collaboration with cellist and Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership, Ronald A. Heifetz who is the co-founder of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University.

I've studied privately with world-class musicians, the likes of; Tuck Andress on guitar, Kit Walker on piano. Herb Pomeroy for arranging, Mike Gibbs for composition, Mick Goodrick on guitar (ECM recording artist), the legendary Lenny Breau on guitar, Kai Eckhardt on bass, and in my formative years, Jazz great Charlie Byrd, among others.

I have played key roles in public performances with such notables as; acclaimed actress and singer Jill Eikenberry, keyboardist Raphael of the ‘Music To Disappear in’ fame, Grammy Award winning pianist Laura Sullivan, new age singer Sophia, among others. I have also performed in notable venues on both the East and West coast such as the Angelico Hall and the Berklee Performance Center.

I have co-produced, with producer Wayne Wallace of Bon Vivant Productions (Machete' Ensemble and Pete Escovedo Orchestra), my own album of instrumental music through the label Delvian Records called “Motion” were I was joined by some top players from the music community.

“When my students experience a greater and more inclusive sense of humanity and of their own and others beauty, I am filled up with joy. Imparting the energy and feeling of music creation is a shared experience of freedom unlike anything else. This is why I have a passion for music and music education”.