Whiteside, MO Ukulele Lessons

e "computer chip" in my head and put it in yours, we would do that. Study with me and you will get the next best thing!
4.If I say something that isn't clear, or isn't useful to you, I will ALWAYS re-explain, or say it a different way, until it is useful to you and something you know how to use for your benefit on your instrument.
5. If you have a practice schedule set up with me, and for any reason you do not have time to practice or get an assignment done, I GOT IT! You can always tell me, because I've been there and I know. Music Lessons are NOT school, and I will never act like they are.

OK, now for the credentials:

MY EDUCATION

I learned how to read music at 4 years old, before I had even learned to read English. If I can do that, anyone can do that given the right set of elements.
1. I started singing at three, piano lessons at nine, began teaching myself guitar at twelve and I have never stopped playing and learning since then.
2. I earned a B.A in Music from Towson University and graduated Magna cum Laude with a Major in Jazz/Commercial Piano Performance and a Minor in Opera.
3. I made my stage performing debut in a solo role at six, and I have never stopped performing since then. I wrote my first song, all by myself, at eleven and have composed over 1000 pieces since then.
4. I have studied brain science and practical neurology for fifteen years as part of my continuing education.

MY EXPERIENCE

In addition to my extensive study of the piano, I have had many other valuable experiences as a musician and teacher, including but not limited to the following:

1. I have been a choral singer for twenty three years, and during that time toured Italy, sang at St. Martin of Tours Church in Los Angeles for fifteen of those years, and worked on mastering just about every form of sacred choral and gospel music.

2. As a soloist, began performing professionally in 1988 and have done numerous performances of my own compositions around Southern California. I also have had songs of mine pitched to major artists in Nashville and currently compose both contemporary music and feature songs for film and television.

3. I developed a method of curing tone deafness, and authored a course that teaches this to anyone whether they are a trained singer or beginner. I also authored a second course specifically for karaoke singers to learn stage presence and better performance skills.

4. I have been teaching for twenty years, working with students from 3 to 78 years old at every level of musical experience. I have taught not only music performing and instrumental technique, but song-writing, arranging, and the tricky task of singing while playing an instrument to accompany one's self. Believe me, this is a skill that DOES take a separate set of lessons to master, but every student who studies it with me does!

In short, if it's music, or even music-related, I've done it and I can teach it and I can figure out the best method to have your brain master it!

My Specialties:
Working with kids and young people in a SAFE environment to learn their instrument
Rhythm, and understanding why it is your ticket to musical mastery
How to use your own brain to be your own best teacher (when I'm not there in a lesson with you!)
Pop, Classical, Gospel, Rock, Musical Theater,

Education
B. A. Music

Subjects Taught
piano, voice, guitar, music theory, song writing/composition, arranging

*** Lesson Details ***
Your BRAIN is your greatest musical asset, and I have spent the past twenty-five years learning how to make the musical brain easy for everyone.

I've been a musician since I was in the cradle, and I
learned to read music before I could read English! Over the past twenty years of teaching piano, voice and guitar I have learned how to use your brain, and the basic musical skills you ALREADY have to help you turn yourself into a great musician and performer.

If you can tap your foot along with a song, and you can recognize Mary Had a Little Lamb, you've got what it takes. My specialty is taking these simple skills you already have and using them to teach you EVERYTHING you want to know how to do on your instrument. I also teach combined
lessons so that you can learn more than one instrument in your course of study if that is what you choose.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Student provides piano in their home for piano lessons. Voice students provide a recording device to record their lesson for their practice. Guitar students provide their guitar, any amps, cables, anything else they need for their rig. All students provide any CD's or mp3's they are working with during study. They pay for all books needed.

*** Specialties ***
Beginner level through advanced in kid songs, pop, rock, gospel, contemporary Christian, Broadway and classical. Emphasis on rhythm and technique. Lessons specialize in using knowledge of brain neuroscience practical applications in hearing, learning, reading, practicing and performing music.

he Boston and Philadelphia area.
In 2011, I successfully obtained my master's degree in Jazz Studies from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The master's program was an intense submersion in music performance that shaped me into the musician that I am today. I was lucky to study with Don Glanden, Mike Kennedy, and Kevin Hanson.
I am also well versed in computer recording software and DAWs. I teach students how to use software programs such as Logic and Reason as well as notation software like Sibelius and Finale. With some basic training in these programs, I can teach a student how to effectively record and produce professional quality recordings so that a student can write, record, and produce their own music.

*** Lesson Details ***
Because I've studied with some legendary teachers who have taught some legendary students (like John Mayer), I'm able to pass on to my students the same knowledge that these incredible teachers passed on to me. I guarantee that I will be unlike any guitar teacher that you've had before. Along with instrumental training, I offer extensive lessons in music theory and ear training. My family is full of educators and I've experienced the teacher-student relationship from a young age. I am fully committed to developing lesson plans based on the route that a student wants to take, whether it's just learning the basics and playing along to your favorite songs or engaging in serious study and preparing for college auditions. I am available to teach at any location within the Philadelphia area.

*** Stylistic Focus ***
I specialize in jazz and blues. At Berklee, I was able to take instrumental labs that spent an entire semester focusing on the playing style of certain guitarists. I've taken the Wes Montgomery lab, the Pat Martino lab, the Jimi Hendrix lab, the John Scofield lab, and the Stevie Ray Vaughan lab.

. Jeff prides himself on customizing every student's lessons based on their particular preferences, goals and skill level. "It's a very personalized kind of instruction, as I never take a cookie-cutter
approach to teaching…".
Jeff's 3 promises to all students is to give them personalized lessons, be attentive to their needs and goals. and to make them feel like every lesson is worth their investment of time and money. As long as students practice regularly, they can expect to dramatically increase their clarity of playing, their chord "inventory", their musical ear and awareness and play the songs they've always wanted to learn.

After honing his craft as a songwriter and performer, Jeff created and taught music classes at colleges, universities, and music schools throughout the country for many years, including UCLA Extension, Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College and The Harrison School Of Music. Jeff is currently teaching ukulele classes and songwriting classes at Tacoma Community College and Pierce College, both in Washington state.

When asked to summarize his views on teaching and music: "Teaching and playing music always puts a smile on my face; especially when I see that the student is having fun, learning what they want to learn and feeling the passion about music that motivated me to pursue my own musical career".

As a working singer/songwriter/guitarist, Jeff is known for his memorable melodies, intelligently crafted lyrics and heartfelt vocals. His compositions have earned him over 50 awards from various national and international songwriting contests and he's a former staff songwriter for the long-standing New York City-based publisher, Bourne Music. He has also won best music video awards at 3 international film festivals.

Some of the artists that Jeff has been compared to as a guitarist and vocalist include Keb' Mo', James Taylor, Kenny Loggins, Ry Cooder, John Mayer, Bill Withers, Jim Croce, and Don Henley.

Jeff is a NJ native, but lived and performed in Los Angeles for many years, where he worked in the studio or shared the stage with well-known artists such as Dave Koz, Norman Brown, John Daversa, Hiroshima, Little Richard and N'Dea Davenport.

Jeff catalog of over 450 songs and compositions spans virtually every genre, but many of his tunes are amalgams of pop, blues, jazz, R&B, country and rock. Quite a number of Jeff's songs
have appeared in film and TV. One that Jeff is particularly proud of, is the dynamic pop ballad, "Journey Of The Heart" (co-written by Jeanne Smith), which was licensed by the N.C.A.A. (National
Collegiate Athletic Association), who deemed it "the official anthem" of their NCAA Hall Of Champions facility in Indianapolis.

Jeff has commercially released 4 CD's of his original material: The most recent of these is his 2013 release, "Blujanova" (a merging of blues, jazz and bossa nova), which was praised by platinum selling and Grammy-nominated jazz star, Dave Koz: "Jeff's voice is so clean and pure...the production is lovely...warm and inviting...I love the interesting and surprising takes on some classics too, especially 'I Feel Good'…that brought a smile to my face!".
The other CD's stretch into other genres. "Truthteller" (bluesy pop/rock and singer/songwriter material) "Me, Myself, and I" (acoustic) and "The Spin" (pop, rock, and country-tinged singer/songwriter material). All of Jeff's albums are on his label, Relevant Records. The late great John Braheny, author of the best-selling "The Craft And Business Of Songwriting (Writer's Digest Books), gave high praise to Jeff's CD, "The Spin", calling it "honest, crafty, melodic and the songs are all exceptional". Patch called Jeff "a consummate songwriter".

*** Lesson Details ***
At the first lesson, I will ask you to tell me what songs you want to play and artists you want to play like and I will set the table for that by providing the chords you'll need, chord and scales and exercises to enable you to play them and guidelines and tricks on how to make it happen as quickly as possible. I know a wide variety of songs in all styles and styles, including current hit songs as well as pop, rock, blues, jazz, country songs. if you have a song or artist that I don't know already, I will learn it (often on the spot) and if not right then, at the next lesson. I have taught my students to play songs by artists as varied as Taylor Swift, U2, Jason Mraz, Adele, Eric Clapton, Django Reinhardt, Doc Watson. And that's just naming a few.

I always make it clear to my students at the first lesson: "There is no such thing as a stupid question". I want you to feel comfortable to stop me at any time to clarify what I am teaching you, ESPECIALLY if it is too difficult or vague. I pride myself on always being organized for your lesson and making sure that you grasp whatever it is I am teaching you. The goal is to get you to be able to play what you want as quickly as possible. This will take practice and dedication on your part, but I will do everything in my power to help you get there.

I never force anything on any of my students. but I feel it would be beneficial for you to learn to read music OR read tablature and chord diagrams. You tell me which one and we'll go in that direction. If you'd like to read music, then we can decide on a book for you. I have used Hal Leonard instructional books (with CD's! this way you can play with a backing track and get a sense of rhythm, which is very important), but I'm open to other method books you might have or like.

After 3 to 6 months, you will feel you are significantly more skilled on the guitar than you were before we started lessons. You will know more chords (and move from chord to chord), be able to do at least some basic fingerpicking and be able to read some music or tablature.

*** Specialties ***
Acoustic fingerstyle guitar (a la James Taylor, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Keb' Mo', Jason Mraz, John Martyn, Jim Croce, etc.

Blues guitar a la Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Keb' Mo', Jorma Kaukonen, Ry Cooder, etc.

Bossa nova guitar

Songwriting (any aspect and any level; musically, lyrically, structurally, etc.)

the songs of Taylor Swift---quite a few of my younger students want to play her material, so I have about 15 songs ready to teach you and always learning more (by popular demand)

Adapting songs that are keyboard-based and creating arrangements of them for acoustic guitar. Examples include songs by Adele, songs by Elton John, Irina Menzel's huge hit song from "Frozen", John Legend's "All Of Me", Coldplay's "Viva La Vida", etc.

Recording on Garageband.
I became so skilled with Garageband that I was asked to give seminars at Apple Store locations, showcasing my recordings and how to use the program.

Voice-overs; performance, recording, etc.

ool Districts for over five years. Shortly after receiving her master€'s degree for Literacy Education, Nicole decided to attempt to share her passion for music. In 2007, Nicole opened a music studio in Holbrook, New York. Here, she refined her music teaching skills while establishing Nicolex Inc. Music Island as a leading source of quality music education. Her summer traveling music program allowed her students to experience live performances as well as create music groups with peers with the same passion for music.
Nicole now resides in Tampa, Florida with hopes to spread her business as well as the joy of music to children and adults. She currently is the singer for a local original rock band. In this band, Nicole writes songs, sings, plays guitar/piano (not all at the same time). Needless to say, she understands the importance that music has had in her life and wishes to ignite that passion in other music lovers.

*** Lesson Details ***
My teaching style is best labeled as kind but firm. I take my job very seriously and want wholeheartedly for my students to have music as a part of their life, not just a part of their day. I love to laugh and have fun but I will definitely expect my students to practice and complete any homework I assign and be prepared for the following lesson. Simply stated, music is fun and the love of my life, but if I still practice, you will as well. Otherwise, I always believe in teaching songs my students are interested in and will expand their musical skills. My experience as a public school teacher had enhanced my sense of finding individual needs of every student. Therefore, I always differentiate lessons to suit my students interest while teaching them the foundations every musician needs in order to be successful. My specialty is teaching a variety of instruments. I play drums, guitar, bass, piano, and sing as well. So, if one instrument is not for you, I can teach you something different without a problem. Long story short, friends, you are in good hands.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Full Service music room: Keyboard, Full drum kit, Electric Guitar with 30 watts Amp and Microphone/ vocal monitor.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can bring a 76 key Yahama YPG-235 Keyboard for your household to use for lessons for a small monthly rental fee. I have an Epiphone Electric Guitar with 30w amplifier. Will also bring microphone and monitor for vocal lessons.

*** Specialties ***
I have taught mostly Rock, Blues, and Classical genres for Piano, Guitar, Drums. Vocally, I specialize in R&B, Broadway, Pop, Top 100 and alternative/Hard Rock. I will adapt to your needs.

a dean's list honoree while attending the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (NYC) I have been awarded with the America-Israel Culture Fund's "Exellence in Jazz Guitar" award as well as many scholarships for various prestigious musical institutions around the world.

I'm happy to teach at both my apt. in West Hollywood or the student's home.