Council Bluffs Music Lessons

ool, I continued through middle school. There I was placed on drum kit and thought I was the coolest. I didn't take it too seriously but serious enough to keep playing drum kit. When choosing high schools I wasn't interested in keeping with drums. I only took marching band because it meant no gym. After my first year I was placed in every band the next three years, having to learn timpani and marimba for concert band. I was also recommended to join a city wide concert band, InterSchool orchestras of New York, and haven't left since. I still coach the band and help tons of high school and middle school students hone their craft. Also that year, through ISO, I was given a chance to attend French woods performing arts camp on scholarship where I began my love of playing in musical pit orchestras. Through this time I studied with a couple of teachers and had plenty of coachings with professional percussionists. Upon graduating I have played well over 100 different musicals, played with over 25 different orchestras, and have taught over 100 students both privately and in coachings. I currently run a Drumline out of a private school, coach ISO band, freelance and have a studio of 8 students. That is a short sample of my journey and I hope it inspires you to study with me.

If you choose me as a teacher, I will shape you as an overall musician, not just a "Drummer". What this means is that you won't just learn beats from me, you will learn all the fundamentals of basic to intermediate music theory, from note reading and rhythm to chord changes and ..... You will start on a practice pad and quickly go to a drum kit. Lessons will be half and half, but more 75/25 drumkit, because everything you learn on a pad can translate to the kit! I would also teach you timpani and xylophone if you like so you can broaden your horizons and even get into the middle/high school or college you want. I have most of my books of pdf that I can give you to print or you can purchase your own copies. You would also need to purchase a practice pad and eventually a drum kit. If you don't want to purchase a drum kit then there is almost no reason to study it since you won't be able to practice between lessons. Practicing, let's talk about that. It is expected that you practice the material we learn in the lesson throughout the week. Now I know everyone is busy, but if you can put aside 25 minutes (a sitcom without commercials!!) a day then you will have a better understanding and better retention of the material. Doing this will let us just review the material a little bit and go on to learn new and exciting things.

The bottom line in choosing me? I am a professional musician in the trenches of the nyc music scene and know what it takes to make it.

different concepts they incorporate
3 Ear-training/pitch recognition. Strengthening the ability to "pick up" new material more quickly and translate ones Ideas to the instrument.
4 Music appreciation/Musicality. Listening to new and different types of music focusing on the different elements that make up a great performer/performance.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Music Studio: piano, stereo system, no drum there! room to sit for parents
A1: drum kit, whole performance set up with recording studio, room for parents to sit in on lesson

*** Travel Equipment ***
amplifiers, cd/mp3 player

*** Specialties ***
ear training, most musical styles (pop/rock, r&b, reggae, jazz , world)

to EVERY endeavor whether it's music or math or soccer. I require practice on the student's part. You will be able to play recognizable songs within your first month. You tell me what you or your child wants out of music lessons, and I will tell you exactly how to get it.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lesson will happen in a space next to the family room which is upstairs. Teacher has a collection of instruments, music stands, couches for seating. Park on the street or driveway.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Instrument

*** Specialties ***
I'm flexible. I have taught everything from country western guitar to classical guitar, from Jazz trumpet to orchestral audition music, from barbershop singing to Broadway musical singing. I have even taught ballet. I cater my methods to the student's best learning style.

te lessons to bass players, pianists, and other instrumentalists since 2010. I have also had the opportunity to teach over a dozen jazz clinics, including two separate visits to the annual Panama Jazz Festival to teach and perform. At Berklee I studied music pedagogy and continue to research pedagogy on my own time. Recently through a teacher training program I have participated in workshops learning the basics of Suzuki, Kodály, and Orff Shulwerk methods. I currently teach music classes part time at a Manhattan private school and part time in an El Sistema based after school strings program.

My students have gone on to win statewide competitions such as positions in the All State jazz band and orchestra. Some have participated in music festivals around the country such as the Newport Jazz Festival and others have continued on to study at the collegiate level at schools including McGill University and Northwestern University.

guitar and have performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra as well as done concerts in the USA, Italy, and the UK.
I have experience playing in many different bands in many styles including: Rock, Reggae, African, Blues, and Jazz groups.

SUZUKI METHOD: I am trained and certified in the Suzuki Guitar Method and spent 3 years teaching Suzuki in studio with children as young as 5. This involves a significant parent-teacher-student commitment and regularly yields impressive results.

ON TALENT: I agree with Shin-ichi Suzuki that talent is irrelevant and a myth. I believe that the potential of all my students are the same but they come to me with various starting skills levels and all learn at a very different pace. I believe that the myth of “talent” really just means that the individual has had a long exposure to music. This is why I emphasize critical listening in my lessons. If you have a large knowledge of music and sounds in your head it makes it easier to make connections and better assess your ideas.