East Boston, MA Music Theory Lessons

15 mile radius of Franklin MA (Sharon, Foxboro, Mansfield, Plainville, Wrentham, Norfolk, Medway, Holliston, Bellingham, Milford, Hopkinton. etc.)

*** Studio Equipment ***
PIANO
Fender Rhodes
Casio PX-150

DRUMS
Pearl Masters, Yamaha, DW, Roland TD-6

CYMBALS
Zildjian, Sabian, Wuhan, Paiste,

HARDWARE
Pearl, Yamaha, DW, Axis, Tama

STICKS / BRUSHES / MALLETS
Vic Firth, Vater, Regal Tip

PA
QSC - K8

MICROPHONES
SURE, Rhodes

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide handouts, transcriptions, and a PA speaker to play music.
Students should have a Piano, drum set, or percussion instrument.

*** Specialties ***
PIANO / DRUMS / PERCUSSION

Traditional / Suzuki Method

Rock, FunK, Jazz, World, Classical, Orchestral

Note reading and writing, Harmony, Music Theory, Scales, Ear Training, Arranging

Rudiments, Technique, Brushes, Mallets, Double Bass Drumming, Odd Meters, Reading, Soloing

Timpani, Marimba, Bells, Chimes, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Percussion, Congas, Bongos, Djembe, Frame Drums

Founded Ampersand Music Studio LLC in Boca Raton where he currently works as Music and Piano Teacher.

than 30 years, I am currently the Director of Worship for the chapel at Gordon College, a small Christian school north of Boston. I'm often involved in city-wide music events in Boston’s faith-based community and in demand as a featured musician for church services, parties, concerts and other events.

I hold a Masters of Music from New England Conservatory in Jazz Piano and am comfortable and fluent in a number of musical styles. In addition to private lessons and performing, I do music transcription, workshops, and all forms of vocal and instrumental arranging. My passions include morning coffee, finding new guitar chords, creating killer PowerPoint presentations, and trying to figure out how to use my smart phone.

*** Lesson Details ***
My priority as a teacher is to make the learning process fun, life-giving, and productive. I teach with patience and humor, at a challenging but not frustrating pace.

Some quotes from my students:
"I absolutely love learning from Bil! I've watched my playing and the playing of others at church vastly improve as a result of his training."

"[Bil] is filled with a large amount of knowledge, so while sitting under him you not only learn about how to play but you learn about music history and theory. Beyond being a good teacher he is genuine and friendly and cares about others."

"I have really enjoyed working with Bil. His patience and wealth of knowledge has helped me come out of my musical shell and has encouraged me to discover my musical voice."

"Bil makes learning theory fun! His deep understanding of music is complemented by his contagious enthusiasm."

"Bil has taken me to a different level. I went from tab and basic guitar chords, to building jazz chords and a far greater understanding of music theory."

There are at least two ways that might set me apart from other teachers.

Firstly, I have honed and developed "people skills". I am an ordained minister and have held positions where I was formally and informally in a mentoring/pastoring role. I bring that sensitivity to my music lessons, understanding that personal and emotional issues can be triggered by the engagement with the music and skills being worked on.

Secondly, I've had a remarkable broad base of experience. My coursework has exposed me to a wide breadth of ideas and tools; my work life has been long and varied; I have had extensive experience in many different cultural contexts, both musically and otherwise; and I work well with many age groups and skill levels.

Regarding my teaching approach:
For beginners, I have a fairly consistent set of topics and skill sets to cover. Generally, in a few months, piano students (particularly those in middle school through adulthood) should know how to play major, minor and seventh chords, how to read simple chord charts and some very basic accompanying skills. Guitar students should know a dozen open chords and have been introduced to barre chords, and to have learned several styles of finger picking as well as strumming. Bass students should know how to find notes on the board and will have begun to learn how to fill out a song with an expressive but non-obtrusive bass line.

For intermediate students, the pace, direction and focus on lessons depends upon the goals and passions of the student along with the amount of time he or she has to practice. My goals for students at this level and beyond is to learn how to learn. I will use outstanding recorded examples of particular skills or stylistic idioms to help my students understand and master each new concept. I often will check in with my student to make sure that we are on track with what they are hoping for.

For advanced students, we will generally target very specific objectives. I also try to add elements of theory, history, culture, and even life lessons to apply to the topics we address. Because of my background in pastoral ministry, I can serve as a mentor addressing the emotional and relational issues of playing music as well as its technical aspects.

*** Studio Equipment ***
upstairs music room: fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, amps, drum set, seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
if for guitar or bass, that instrument; I expect piano students to have an available keyboard and for other students to have their own instrument(s).

*** Specialties ***
strong in jazz, rock, pop, gospel, sacred, R&B.

offer private lessons in these subjects separately as well); It is extremely important for young singers to be able to read the notes on the staff, to understand rhythm and key, and to find pitches on the piano.

I accept beginning-intermediate singers of all ages. I additionally offer music theory, sight-singing, and diction lessons as well as beginner/introductory piano.

s I do not have access to a car, I prefer that students come to my home studio in Somerville, or that they be within public transit options.

N.B. I own a dog, so for those with allergies, it might be best to meet in your own home.

ills that can be beneficial in every aspect of our daily lives. Whether you are new to the cello, picking it back up after some time off, or at a more advanced level, I hope to hear from you! If you have any questions at all, please send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

BIO:
Born in Minneapolis, MN, Victor Mooney began playing cello at the age of 7. While in Minneapolis he studied with Tom Austin, former member of the Minnesota Opera. Victor completed a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Iowa State University, where he studied with George Work. Upon graduation he was awarded the Outstanding Senior in Music award, the highest honor the Music Department at Iowa State gives. While in undergrad he also received a scholarship for excellence in performance. Starting in the fall of 2015, Victor will be pursuing a Master's of Music in Cello Performance from The Boston Conservatory, where he will be studying with Andrew Mark. He has participated in master classes with Anthony Ross, Tanya Remenikova, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Hong Wang, Bruce Uchimura, and Joshua Koestenbaum. Since 2013 he has played with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra. While at Iowa State University he had the opportunity to sit Principle Cello in both the Iowa State University Symphony Orchestra and the Iowa State University Chamber Orchestra.  He has been teaching privately in the Des Moines area since 2012 and is looking forward to building a studio in Boston. Outside of music, Victor enjoys reading, watching hockey and soccer, running, and visiting with family and friends in Minnesota. 

with bands around the northeast U.S., & have performed with internationally acclaimed artists such as Nona Hendryx, Simon Shaheen, & Richard Devine. In the past 6 years, I've performed in 8 countries - USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil, Turkey, & Ghana.