Stevenson Ranch, CA Music Theory Lessons

rsity of Redlands in 2011, and my Associate of Arts degree in 2008 from College of the Desert. I teach online, locally, and at my studio, and cover a variety of subjects such as voice, music, theater, piano, math, english, music theory, just to name a few.

For academic tutoring (i.e. math, theory, vocabulary) I work on helping the student understand their homework and help prepare them for tests. I can also provide worksheets if necessary and am prepared to demonstrate problem areas in different ways if needed, because everyone learns differently. For voice, piano, music, and acting lessons I teach the student based on what their current level is. If you have no experience, that's okay! My lessons are uniquely designed to fit your needs no matter what level you may be.

As a music major I developed a deeper understanding of music theory, piano, voice, and theater. I received my A.A. in Music at College of the Desert and my Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Redlands- which I attended on a music scholarship. I have played leading roles in several operas and musicals in Southern California, including Gianni Schicchi, Die Fledermaus, La Boheme (DTL nominee), The Impresario, The Grand Duke, Patience (DTL award), Cosi fan tutte, Little Women, Seussical, and many more. I have also appeared in several concerts, opera scenes, competitions (winning music scholarships and theater awards), and worked as a singer in churches, restaurants, and in pop bands. I continue to stay active in the performance industry, because performing is a part of who I am and I could never live without it!

With this experience under my belt, I feel a desire to pass on my knowledge to students. I carry a strong passion to help people develop their abilities and make them their own. I truly believe that if someone wants something out of life they will achieve it with dedication, perseverance, confidence, and by having fun doing it!

*Note: My home office has a lot of stairs and two cats. If you are disabled or have a feline allergy, please consider in-home lessons or lessons online.

a unique and extremely well rounded musician. Currently Armen resides in Los Angeles, CA where he is active with various orchestras, including the LA Opera.

He also routinely performs for sound track recordings with the major motion picture companies. In addition, Armen has worked with many well-known artists including Ray Charles, Barry White, Yanni, Sarah Brightman, Natalie Cole, Andrea Bocelli and many others. Here is a list of artists Armen M. has performed with: Yanni, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Frank Sinatra Jr., Andrea Bocelli, Olga Tañon, Jose-Jose, Lucero, Cristian Castro, Alanis Morissette and Marco Antonio Solis.

We are on!

*** Lesson Details ***
I am very strict and laid back at the same time. I pay a lot of attention to the technical detailes

.The curriculum is based on the level the student is presently. It reneges from simple scale books to Paganini caprices.

I encourage every student to have at list two recitals a year. Lessons are very intense and productive and i welcome you to my studio.

*** Studio Equipment ***
1) Music room w/ piano and seating for parents

2) Office room w/ seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
violin and music

*** Specialties ***
European/Russian violin school

g experience, Ms. Regina is able to offer her students a diverse range of educational resources. She specializes in teaching piano, performance, and music theory to students of all ages and levels.

Ms. Regina's teaching techniques are based on a combination of the famous Russian Music School (based on music giants such as Konstantin Igumnov, Daniel Barenboim, and Heinrich Neuhaus) and the American Music Education System. This combination allows each student to work at a pace comfortable for him/her, and helps all students make significant progress in the areas of sight reading, ear training, and performance skills.

***Teaching Schedule***
Ms. Regina teaches in her Glendale studio and the surrounding areas every day of the week except for Saturdays. She teaches in her Orange County studio located in Fountain Valley on Saturdays.

***Travel Area and Special Rates***
If the system shows that your location is out of my travel area, please contact me by messaging through TakeLessons! Also feel free to inquire for discounts for siblings!

*** In Studio or Online ***
Of course it is more enjoyable if you can have lessons in person. But with modern technology, live online lessons come in a close second. I've been teaching for 40 years and I've been doing online lessons for about 7 years. I'm located in West Hills, which is a suburb of Los Angeles. If you are not local, using skype with a webcam works out surprisingly well. I have students in Sydney, London, Hong Kong and many cities throughout the US.

*** Use a Piano or a Keyboard for Practicing ***
I am not fussy if you use a keyboard but it needs to be a "weighted action" keyboard, so that it feels similar to a real piano. Ideally, you should also have a pedal and a stand if you are using an electronic keyboard.

*** Unconventional Approach ***
Each student is taught with a customized approach. You get to tell me what areas you want to focus on. Sometimes there may be a block or something that is a weakness that you need to bolster. Sometimes it is a narrow niche within music that you want to give your attention to. One way that I'm unconventional is that I actually have found that it is NOT better if you practice every day. I recommend that you build in about three days of rest per week. Just like people who work out at the gym learn that the off days are when the muscles regenerate, the same is true for your brain. This allows your subconscious mind to do its job and your progress will actually be faster, not slower. Another example of my unique approach is how I treat beginners. Even though you may not yet read music very well or at all, it doesn't mean that you can't start working concurrently on a more advanced piece. This is because READING notation is a comparatively slow process, but why should we restrict your ability to play something that you love to your rate of reading music? Usually, our FINGER TECHNIQUE develops much faster than our READING so I'm happy to guide you on one or two more difficult pieces and help spoon-feed it to you, bit by bit, "by rote."

*** Areas of Focus ***
-Finger Technique. How to play fast with ultimate control.
-Sight-Reading How to Read Music at Sight
-Rhythm Training
-Music Theory
-Interpretation
-Injury-Retraining
-Relaxation, Removing Unnecessary Tension
-Pain-Reduction
-Practice-Optimization - How to learn more in less time. -How to memorize music.
-Biomechanical Efficiency - Maximum power with minimum effort.
-Time-Management
-Improvisation and creativity development techniques
-Composition & Songwriting.
-How to create melodies for your poems and lyrics.
-How to put chords on your melodies.
-How to create “song sheets,” lead sheets and how to write music down on paper.
-How to notate your song so others can play it, without knowing how to read music!
-Chord-Reading and How to Play Lead Sheets & Fake Book
-Musical Styles and Piano Arrangements (Pop, Country, Gospel, Blues, R&B, Rock, Reggae, Hip Hop, Worship, Church, Hymns, Techno, 50s, Jazz, New Age, Folk, Broadway, Pop Ballade, etc.)
-Ear-Training (How to Play by Ear, Playing by Ear)
-Singers’ Tools
-Pitch Control Training
-Self-Accompanying
-How to Sing Harmony
-Sight-Singing (How to Hear the Notes in Your Mind)
-Self-Accompanying techniques in every style - Learn how to accompany yourself or learn how to accompany singers. (see “Musical Styles” above.)
-Audition Preparation - I will record the melody of the song for you so you can learn it.
-How to put melody to lyrics
-College Preparation
-Performance Anxiety, Stage Fright, Fear
-Releasing Emotional Obstacles to Playing Emotional Blocks, Healing Piano Trauma and Previous Performance Disasters, Piano Therapy
-Learning Disabilities including ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dyscalculea, Sensory Integration Disorder
-Motiviation Issues - Solving your procrastination and avoidance of your musical growth issues.
-How to Look Like You’ve Played Piano for Years (for Actors, Singers and Celebrities Who Have A Role Deadline and Need a Crash Course.)

*** Celebrity Piano Teacher ***
Over the years, I've taught many pro musicians and celebrities. These include: Vonda Shepard, David E. Kelley, Dick Gautier, Michelle Pfeiffer, Pray Harper, Peter Horton, Michael Goodrich, Brianna Haynes, Starr Parodi, Briana Evigan, Stuart Ross, Roger Burnley, Chris Hardin, Stu Simone and Ben Bram.

*** Howard's Teachers Go Back To Beethoven ***
I feel grateful that my own training included top teachers of both the “German School” and “Russian School” of piano technique. Generally, the German School teaches how to play with close-to-the-key hand placement preparation and fingering efficiency, and is known for great speed and accuracy. The Russian School teaches how to play with gravity and relaxation and is known for beautiful tone production. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. In my own playing and teaching, I have incorporated the good aspects of each and have discarded the bad. The result is a blueprint for biomechanical efficiency and beautiful sound, making it the best of both worlds. Please see the photo of the "piano lineage chart."

as well as French from Beginner's through Advanced levels.

He is a graduate with a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in EDUCATION in the fields of Music, Spanish and German Literature, with a minor in Linguistics, French, and Italian Studies from UNSW (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia).

He is fluent (native speaker fluency) to teach Music in language immersion programs in these languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Tagalog, Cebuano (Visaya).

He also has advanced students with an Associate Degree (A Mus TCL) and B Mus candidates teaching at much lesser rates.

nd songwriters The Jackie Boyz, Chart Topping Artist Sean Kingston, Disney's Caitlyn Taylor Love and many more!

my first language to others.
I am excited to get to know you and share my knowledge with you!