Scotch Plains, NJ Upright Bass Lessons

College Performance Degree in Bass
Diploma from Grove School of Music in Bass
20 years professional experience of Bass Playing

My primary goal with all of my students is to help them make great music that is true to themselves. I also try to stick with a sound-before-symbol approach to learning music. What this means for my teaching is a focus on training both the ears and technique. I always prefer a more personalized approach to teaching, working with students to find repertoire that speaks to them and improves their musicality and technique.

My classes are very flexible when it comes to what the student wants. I can go from just teaching very basic bass playing to advanced harmonic concepts and jazz improvisation. On the first class, I give the student the choice of controlling our lessons materials about what they want to learn. Or the student can choose to let me control our classes, in which I will bring my own materials and ideas in which we should work and will go through the whole academic process of learning music.

I have 5 years of experience playing the upright bass in various settings including, classical, jazz, and pop. I have been playing in string orchestras for many years, so my experience would be valuable for any child looking for extra help with school orchestra, or anyone that would like to eventually be able to play in an orchestra.

The Bass was my first instrument, and the Double Bass (or Upright Bass) is my favorite to play. My Master's Degree is in Classical Double Bass but I am trained in Jazz and Pop disciplines as well. I have taught and performed Electric Bass, Upright Bass, Classical and Jazz, Music Theory and Composition, as well as Music History all over the United States. I'm always honing my teaching method and you can expect to become more than just a Bass Player when you study with me; Expect to become a Musician.

Lauren tailors her lessons to individual students based on their needs. She offers dynamic and creative teaching to keep students actively engaged throughout their lessons. Furthermore, she offers teaching across musical genres in order to cater to the musical interests of her students.

My goal as a teacher is to foster a strong and healthy foundation, so that students are well equipped to pursue and explore music as they desire. Lessons focus on developing core skills, such as music literacy and a healthy, proficient technique, and on fostering a healthy learning process – one that ensures that music is not just fun, but a rewarding, joy-filled process of discovery for a student. It is easy to focus on producing results and treating music competitively, but in my own studies, I have found that it is vital to be able to enjoy the process of learning, or else that original joy for music will be stifled. It has taken me years to learn this, and I hope to spare students that lost time. To this end, lesson materials are chosen specifically for each student, to best cater to their strengths, weaknesses, and musical tastes and goals. I teach attentively, ensuring that students are working on music that engages them, and am always working to discern a pace that encourages ...

Extensive experience in Jazz and Classical ensembles. Sound production, technique, bass lines and soloing are emphasized.

Being an active and experienced musician gives me the necessary knowledge to know what is needed on order to become a better musician. Also having over 20 years of teaching experience allows me to tailor my knowledge to the need of every particular student. I really enjoy to transfer my knowledge and solve the unique musical problem that every student encounter during their musical path.