Sonoma Music Lessons

eet music and written materials.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Sheet music and other written materials.

*** Specialties ***
I play a lot of Irish fiddle tunes and also know a lot of American Folk styles,popular music and some jazz. I play some classical pieces on the mandolin and some bluegrass. I consider improvisation one of my strengths.

an MA in Music, from San Francisco State University. By now, I am confident in working with whatever musical material students offer! Thank you.

*** Lesson Details ***
I am a laid back teacher, but I definitely expect students to practice what I suggest they practice. I advise that students use method books or sheet music of some sort, and I will certainly make notes for them and create materials they can learn from. I always teach based on the goals of the student and what type of music they enjoy, but I also like to guide the student in a direction I think would benefit them. I usually introduce music to play right away, conforming of course to the skill level and interest of the student. I now a play seven-string guitar that differs from the standard six-string guitar in that it has one string lower than the low E of a six-string. It will be practical to aide students by accompanying with a bass range instrument.

*** Specialties ***
Guitar
My guitar roots are mainly Jazz, but I am always happy to employ a very wide range of styles. I work with both modal and tonal musical styles.

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).

ng music theory and composition at Ex’pression College in Emeryville. This is a digital production environment for the arts, and my students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are musicians/aspiring musicians, and some are primarily interested in working with technology; but all are audio enthusiasts and love music!

*** Lesson Details ***
Whether you are a complete beginner or have been playing gigs for years, are very young or old, I have something to offer you!

How we structure lessons depends in part on you and your goals, as well as your learning style. Having taught music for over 15 years, I have a large amount of resources at my disposal, and can either teach from a method book, or a variety of materials, some of which are my own creations.

I also like to use technology as a teaching aid, and can show you how to use your own computer, keyboard, or music production application (garageband, etc) to practice and create music at home. Another thing that I offer is to make recordings of key parts of the lesson, either as an audio or video file, or both. These can be shared with you through email, dropbox, or a flash drive if you bring one along to your lesson.

Please contact TakeLessons if you have any further questions! I look forward to meeting and working with you or your child.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Home studio: Front room with computer station, guitars, music stand. Waiting area with couches and table, and parents can sit in on lessons. Street parking available, no pets.

College: practice rooms and classrooms available with computers and MIDI controllers.

*** Specialties ***
On guitar and bass, I have experience in world music including Africa, Latin America, and Flamenco. I also love American traditional music, including funk, jazz, rock, and gospel. I specialize in teaching music theory and composition, no matter what instrument. Rhythmic concepts applied to any instrument are a favorite topic.

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

powerment workshops and church conferences throughout the Bay Area. Taking it from the church house to the opera house; from gospel to opera are just two genres she can't love more. Adia also enjoys teaching voice and song writing as well. She strives to uplift others through positive music that inspires and brings light in every situation.

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”.