Hingham Music Lessons

etc. As a musician, Itai writes songs, composes music for communal singing, improvises, and plays in a Klezmer band. Aside from tutoring, Itai works as a songleader, teaches at the Hebrew school at his synagogue, growing a new outdoor Hebrew school, and occasionally teaches at an outdoor education program.

Please feel free to get in touch and ask questions!

Please note that there's a name I don't use anymore and one of my reviews reflects that. Yes I am the same person.

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.

. Soon after, he was one of the first students to receive a full scholarship to Berklee through the African Scholars program. In 2009, he settled in Boston, Massachusetts.

At Berklee, he was exposed to a variety of influences, but wanted to go deeper into the roots of jazz and expand his knowledge of music. He auditioned and was selected to participate in the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, which is directed by Danilo Perez and the residency teachers, including Joe Lovano John Patitucci, and Terri Lyne Carrington. The Institute emphasizes an artist's original vision in jazz, and has helped Albino find his own unique voice in the art form.

Albino still felt the absence of his own Mozambican traditions in his music. With the help of his mentors, Richard Bona and Lionel Loueke, two of the most prominent African musicians in the United States of America today, he began to bridge that gap.

Today, Albino's music succeeds in combining many disparate parts into an organic whole. It incorporates his musical experiences from Mozambique, the U.S., and many other places around the world, combining rhythmic patterns and musical concepts to create a unique Moz-Jazz sound. He will always continue to combine and capture the energies of different musical traditions to create a unified and original musical style.

Albino's original composition “Mozambique Dance” was recorded by Jazz Revelation Records, a student-run record label at the Berklee College of Music, for the 8th annual album released in 2011. He also recorded “Awusiwana,” his own composition, for the Berklee 2012 summer album. His debut album, also called Mozambique Dance, is to be released in Spring 2013.

Albino is an active musician, and has performed in several countries including Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Italy, the U.S., and Mexico. He has also produced and recorded various projects in Mozambique and in the United States. In 2012, he will graduate from Berklee College with a degree in Music Production & Engineering and Performance, and a minor in Acoustics and Electronics.

*** Lesson Details ***
My teaching method dependent on the type of student. All my students will be treated with care and commitment to help them archive the their goals in the lessons.
We will be using book method as a way to follow a clear direction.
Learn songs, chords, scales, phrase, theory and more material that is needed for better musical foundation.

I am open to what the student wants to achieve over short and long terms.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Desk top and Laptop Mac Computers
Protools, Logic Pro, reason
Focusrite 56 Liquide, Focusrite Dual Mono Mic pre
BBe Maximizer
Bricasti, M7, sterreo reverb

*** Travel Equipment ***
Guitar
Guitar Amp
Mic
Laptop
Mbox

*** Specialties ***
Guitar
Bass Guitar
Voice
Ukelele
Song writing
Production
Audio Recording
Mixing
Mastering

Class (Paris, France), Mozarteum Summer School and Music Festival (Salzburg, Austria) and Vienna Music Seminar (Vienna, Austria). I was awarded scholarship when I attended Cleveland Inctitute of Music and Aspen Music School. My teachers include Jinsook Kim, Donald Walker, Paul Schenly, Gabriel Chodos, Viktor Teuflmayr, Claude Elffere, Anne Epperson, and Vivian Hornik Weilestein.
Previously I was a rehearsal pianist of operas, II pagliacci by Leoncavallo with Daegu Opera, Snatched by the Gods and Broken Strings by Param Vir with University of Iowa Theatre department, and contemporary operas based on the works by Francesca Cavalli with Temple University Opera. Other than operas I worked with Missoula Children’s Theatre for the performance of Aladdin. As a collaborative pianist I performed in numerous concerts and performed in master classes of Joseph Silverstein, Steven Isserlis, Julliard Quartet, Isaac Stern and Richard Stoltzman. I have been teaching piano at the university settings (University of Iowa and Catholic University of Daegu) or privately for 10+ years. Recently I taught at Half Note Music School in Bellevue, WA and was a pianist at St. Columba's Episcopal Church and United Christian Church in Renton, WA.

that all individuals learn and grow at their own pace.

he same time. I hope my student to love music instead of just playing the music.

cipated in masterclasses led by Betsy Bishop, Kathryn Cowdrick, and Martin Katz while in the United States, and in masterclasses led by Angelika Kirchschlager and Luigi Marzola while studying and performing in Europe.

Kristen holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance and German studies from Furman University where she graduated summa cum laude. She is currently working on her Master of Music degree in vocal pedagogy at the New England Conservatory of Music. Her teachers include Lisa Saffer, Ian Howell, Lisa Barksdale, Jill Feldman, and Trudy Fuller.

Kristen has also performed and directed in the musical theater world, participating in productions such as: Into the Woods, Les Miserables, H.M.S. Pinafore, Brigadoon, The King and I, Grease, Hello Dolly!, Cabaret, and many others.

In addition to her solo singing, she is an active choral singer, having performed in both small and large ensembles for more than 10 years.

tion and the First Prize in the Seattle Ladies' Musical Club Chamber Music Competition. Our performance on Classical King FM was syndicated by the National American Public Media's Performance Today.

As a composer, my works have been heard across the country, including my work award-winning Babel, which was performed by the Donald Sinta Saxophone Quartet in 2014 at Carnegie Hall. That work is soon to be released on the DSQ's debut album, Collider. Recent commissions have included works for the Departure Duo and the ensemble Latitude 49.

Called "quite musical and effective" by Classical Voice North Carolina, I bring experience as a conductor and pianist in both the symphonic and operatic repertoire. My work and studies have brought me from Seattle to Pittsburgh to Boston, to Spain to Germany and Romania. I hold a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan, and an undergraduate in Music Education from the University of Puget Sound.

Whatever your studies, you get all of my experience, distilled to what's most beneficial to you. I can't wait to get started on our musical journey together!