Sherman Oaks Music Lessons

year old jazz sax player who didn’t start playing until I was 33, so I never took music classes in school, meaning that most of my training and instruction came from private one-on-one lessons as opposed to group lessons. That being the case, I have had a lot of experience with music teachers, both first hand and through feedback from other music students that I’ve known, and I can tell you that great music teachers are few and far between, and I mean that sincerely. Living in Los Angeles, we’re surrounded by great players – some of the best players in the world call this city home – but just because a person is a great musician doesn’t mean they are also a great music teacher.

Being a great teacher means being able to distill the information that you have to share into a form that the student can understand and use, while at the same time keeping them motivated and excited about learning – and about practicing! It’s a rare gift and Teresa definitely has it!

About a year before meeting Teresa, my daughter tried piano for a few months, also with a private teacher. The results were ok, but her progress was slow, she wasn’t excited about it and practice was definitely a chore for her. But for the longest time she’s said that it’s her dream to one day become a rock star, so we thought maybe ukulele would be something good to try. We never really planned for her lessons to become a long-term commitment. We figured she’d learn a few chords, learn to play a couple of songs, and then kind of explore the instrument on her own to see if it ‘stuck’, thereby avoiding the ‘chore’ of having to practice on a regular schedule.

I also expected that I would have to go through several teachers before I found one that was even halfway decent. But we hit the lottery with Teresa! It was clear from the first lesson that she was a very special teacher (and person)! She’s one of those people that just glows – always positive, always in a great mood, and one of those people that it’s just a joy to be around.

She and my daughter hit it off right away. And that’s all great, but if she wasn’t a competent teacher, then ultimately it would be a waste of time and money in regards to our objective – teaching my daughter to become a musician. But Teresa is the most fantastic teacher! In addition to being able to inspire and motivate, she’s also shown the ability to translate complex info, like music theory, in such a way that a 7-year-old not only understands it, but is excited about it. She’s also been really great at being flexible in her study plan. Many of the music teachers that I’ve met, even the good ones, like to go from A to B to C, etc., following what they have determined is the best route for guiding the student on the journey to become a better musician. But sometimes you have to be able to deviate from that plan, to include additional material necessary to keep the student inspired. And again, Teresa is excellent at that! My daughter has brought several songs to her that she wanted to learn, and not only was Teresa open to teaching them to her, but she spent a considerable amount of her free time creating lead sheets for these songs so that my daughter could learn them!

I could go on singing her praises all day, but suffice it to say, my wife and I think the world of Teresa and are amazed and delighted at the progress my daughter is making with her (she’s already performed at one recital – singing and playing simultaneously, and she’ll probably be doing another one in the fall!). So if you’re looking for a music teacher, we can’t recommend her highly enough! (Note: though she teaches our daughter ukulele, I know that she teaches other instruments, as well. For sure piano, voice, drums and guitar, but I’ve seen a trumpet in her studio, so she may teach that as well!)"

uction she receives from Fawn. I highly recommend her as a teacher."

sional, polite, and accommodating. We would highly recommend Daniel"

sense of freedom when singing. In my very first lesson, Stephanie had me hitting notes that I had not been able to sing for at least a decade. Amazing! Stephanie possesses all of the qualities I was looking for in a vocal coach and more. She is knowledgeable, skillful, patient, compassionate, and flexible. I definitely have seen growth in my skill and abilities, and I look forward to continuos improvement with her as my coach. I highly recommend her services!"