College Point, NY Songwriting Lessons

Technique- We will help you improve breathing, phrasing, improving tone, projection and develop range.

Artistry- Some singers already have a sense of "who they are" and
have found their "sound" as artists, and others need help refining it.
We'll look at what songs are great for you, (maybe you write your own)
how to style songs and make them your own and even experiment with
different genres.

Performance skills- It's one thing to sing in a room one on one
with a vocal instructor and quite another to be onstage with an
audience with all eyes on you as you stand in front of the mic. How do
you connect with your audience? How do you handle nerves? How do you
talk between songs? Some of these things are learned best from
experience. Most singers are working on their voice because they want
to perform. Michael will provide opportunities for performance
experience for each artist when each individual is ready.

Be an Intelligent singer- Learn how to be ready for an audition.
How to communicate with a band /accompanists. How to know what keys you
need your songs in. Learn about singing harmonies/backing vocals. Learn
about recording vocals in the studio.

This is what one new student had to say about their first lesson with Michael...

"I had SO much fun
this past Sunday, Michael. I already feel like I learned a great deal. You are
such a fun and easy going teacher. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks!"

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can bring a keyboard and a laptop. It would be nice if they could provide a CD player, but not necessary.

*** Specialties ***
pop, soul, r&b, rock, country, any commercial styles. Performance coaching, Songwriting

y students are now well respected pro guitar players.
All of my students love my lessons and benefit greatly from them
in so many ways.

*** Lesson Details ***
I customize the lessons to fit the level of proficiency of my students,and to fit to their schedule of practicing.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Guitars,Bass,Amps,recording equipment

*** Specialties ***
Guitar,Bass,& Music Theory teacher.
Blues/Rock/Jazz

Manhattan school of music pre college division (where he has been a faculty member since 1994) and piano, theory and composition at the JCC on the Palisades Thurnauer school of music,where he also served as theory department chair from 1999 - 2005.
The newest addition to Dan's expending circle is The Red Bank Regional High School for the performing arts where he has a been a guest lecturer since fall of 2011.

Dan has been giving private lessons of music and music related subjects for over 20 years.

The system Dan developed over the years of teaching is based on two fundamental principles-
The paramount importance of developing sound traditional skills and the strong conviction that you should always tailor the method to the student and never tailor the student to the method.

Dan's eclectic background enables him to draw on a wide range of musical styles and techniques, fulfilling the needs of students from all walks of the musical experience. Lessons are available in the following areas for all ages and levels:

Piano - classical

Piano - contemporary / jazz / Broadway.

Piano - eclectic

Composition

Song writing, arranging and producing

Music theory, General theory, Jazz and popular music theory, a special AP music theory preparation workshop.

*** Lesson Details ***
I am a strong believer in combining traditional skills and sensibilities with a strong affinity to today's musical and pop culture, While I am an extremely patient teacher, I do expect (and achieve) results. If a student starts with me from scratch they should be able to play real piano tunes within 6 months.

*** Studio Equipment ***
living area piano seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
The student needs to have a piano/keyboard

*** Specialties ***
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Broadway, composition, song writing, music for film, production, music history, theory, ear training, AP preparation.

, Ari Hoenig, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Tim Motzer, Adam Deitch and countless others. I have recorded with Lauryn Hill and have toured in China and the UK.

For last 6 or 7 years, my bread and butter has been theater. It really tests my versatility. I have been a sub guitarist on Broadway for the Tony award (best score, best orchestration 2008) and Pulitzer prize winning musical Next To Normal, The Visit on Broadway, first guitar at the 2010 Williamstown Theater Festival Production of critically acclaimed musical "The Last Goodbye" which features the music of Jeff Buckley (the first project licensed by his estate since his untimely passing in 1997), Be More Chill at Two River Theater as well as many other regional theater productions. Most recently I performed with the Orlando Philharmonic and a veritable who's who of B'way including Kelli O'Hara, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Norbert Leo Butz in Orlando at a benefit for the Pulse Nightclub victims' families. My main gig, however, is with The Midtown Men. It features 4 stars from the original cast of Jersey Boys on Broadway. We have played at venues all over north America including the Beacon Theater and NJPAC as well as having a PBS special and performances on the Today Show.

*** Lesson Details ***
Like my musical abilities, I am an extremely versatile teacher. If you need a strict program, I can "crack the whip", but if you'd rather just learn some tunes you like, without all the theory and technical stuff, we'll find a balanced program that works for your learning style.

I have been teaching for 18 years, so whether you're trying to make the high school all state jazz band, learning your new favorite song or anything in between, I can steer you in the right direction. I'll keep you motivated to improve and become the artist you want to be. With simple, clear direction from me and a little practice and hard work from you, we'll have you playing your favorite music in just a couple of months.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Dedicated to music, many guitars and amps, weighted casio, room for parents to wait

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can provide a guitar, but if a student is going to practice, I would think they would need to purchase a guitar at some point. I suppose I could bring an amp as well. Students should also have a manuscript book and/or a method book (depending on their level).

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in jazz guitar, but am experienced and well versed in rock, blues, classical, hip hop, R&B, funk and pretty much anything else.

asize a strong practice regiment. Your child will understand that while learning music and an instrument can be fun, there will be some work involved if they want to become great. I usually use either the Alfred or Rubank method books to supplement a curriculum that I tailor make for each individual student. Any question or confusion a student has about anything during the lesson will be explained in detail and dealt with until he/she understands the concept. I've had many students pass all levels of the ABRSM and NYSSMA exams as well as receive academic scholarships for musical excellence.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lessons in the living room, drums set, piano,

*** Travel Equipment ***
I require that students buy the books I suggest, but if it is necessary, I can provide photocopies of pages from the books that I own. I also require my students to provide all writing equipment.

*** Specialties ***
all methods and styles. I've played clarinet and saxophone for orchestras, symphonic bands, and jazz bands. I've played drums for jazz, rock, and acoustic sets.

New York City in Midtown Manhattan on the West Side. I began performing professionally at age 16, doing session work, teaching and performing. I attended the National Guitar Summer Workshop, New Milford, Connecticut, to diversify my skills, participating in master classes with guitar icons Vinnie Moore, Stanley Jordan and Mick Goodrick.

I started college at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, and completed a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude, studying jazz guitar and composition/arranging, as well as completd the Honors program at Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music. My studies included jazz guitar with Tom Giacobetti and Ed Flanagan; jazz composition/arranging with Don Glanden, Ben Schacter and Larry McKenna; and classical composition with Matthew Greenbaum, Ph.D., Maurice Wright, D.M.A., Richard Brodhead, Ph.D., and Mark Rimple, D.M.A. I also conducted/arranged the School's Jazz Vocal Ensemble and was awarded membership in the Golden Key Honor Society. I also studied guitar privately with Shrapnel/Tone Center recording artist Greg Howe, Lasers Edge recording artist Scott McGill and Jazz icons Pat Martino (Blue Note) and Jimmy Bruno (Mel Bay).

I earned a Masters of Arts degree in music composition at Rutgers University, studying with world renowned, Pulitzer Prize winning composer Charles Wuorinen. In my first year, he was awarded a Teaching Assistantship in Music Composition and Theory.

I pursued additional studies (and master classes) in composition with celebrated composers Aaron Jay Kernis, Harvey Sollberger, Jukka Tiensuu, David Felder, Mario Davidovsky, Charles Fussell, Austin Clarkson and George Russell; film score orchestration with Scott Smalley (Film Music Institute) and film scoring with Rick Baitz (The Manhattan Producer's Alliance), as well as performance studies with Wynton Marsalis, Max Roach, Billy Taylor, Bill Shindling, Magmus Andersson, Stu Hamm, Terry Bozzio, Frank Gambale, Larry Mitchell, Andy Timmons, Adrian Legg and Blues Saraceno.

I was the Music Director and conductor for the Mondfleck Orchestra, Music Director and Composer-In-Residence for the Trash Can Society Theater Company and composer for improv theater group, The Glass Metropolis Project.

I released my critically acclaimed debut CD, a collection of virtuosic instrumental guitar music and have been interviewed and featured in many publications and websites worldwide, including Guitar Player, Guitar World, 20th Century Guitar, Guitar Chef (Italy), Guitar Mania (Canada), among many others. I was selected as a Top 5 Finalist in the 2006 North American Rock Guitar Competition, presented by Guitar Player magazine and Gibson guitars and was inducted as a new member into the 2007 Independent Artist Registry.

I was selected to be a part of the June in Buffalo Festival for Emerging Composers in Buffalo, New York, where celebrated pianist Marilyn Nonken performed my solo piano piece, Aerial Surveying. I was commissioned to compose, conduct and perform the music for Sirens, a modern dance presentation in collaboration with celebrated choreographer Julia Ritter. I was also commissioned to write a modern composition for Renaissance lute titled A Mosaic of Cement and Barbed Wire, performed at the Sarah Lawrence Summer Guitar Institute. My piece, Like Giants Through a Keyhole, trio for flute, cello and piano performed as part of the Network for New Music's Cross-Currents in Jazz and New Music: The Schooling and School of Stefan Wolpe series. My orchestra composition, Ideological Explosions of the Absurd Hero, was performed in Milan, Italy.

My music has been featured throughout film and television. I have composed the scores for many feature films, television, web and ad campaigns, and my music has been featured on MTV, VH1, NBC, CBS, ABC, Discovery, History Channel, PBS, etc.

I was a featured speaker at the Music for My Web Series Panel as part of the BlogWorld & New Media Expo held at the Javits Center in NYC on June 7, 2012.

I am a proud endorsee of Seymour Duncan pickups, Morley pedals, Madison Amps, Curt Mangan strings and Neck Sock.

*ASCAP affiliated composer and publisher

*International Alliance Of Composer's member

*Independent Film Project (IFP) member

*** Lesson Details ***
Guitar, Music Theory, Composition/Arranging, Songwriting, Improvisation and Home Recording.

Instruction in any style - Rock, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Metal, Shred, Progressive, Classical, Folk, R&B, etc.,

*20 Years of Teaching experience, privately, in music schools and in universities. *

ALL LEVELS
For all ages. From beginner to advanced!

I am also a University Faculty and hold both a Bachelors of Music and Masters in Music

I am located in Midtown Manhattan on the West Side in a relaxed comfortable environment.

Learn the kind of music you want to learn. We will always focus on the music you want to play and use examples of the music and performers that you want to play to teach each new technique. That way it’s always FUN! The way it should be.

Learn the techniques to reach your fullest potential in speed, dexterity, strength and musicality. My technique, derived from classical, jazz, fusion, rock, blues, metal and shred players, includes specific exercises to help develop proficiency in both hands for the best results.

Music Theory: Musical concepts and terminologies, presented in the simplest and clearest way, unlock musicians’ secrets and help you understand and apply theoretical ideas to achieve your greatest potential and musical competence.

Improvisation: Learn soloing, melodic phrasing, rhythmic analysis and how to apply various musical styles and articulations, along with scales for all types of chords and key structures, including major/minor, pentatonic, blues, modes, harmonic and melodic minor modes, as well as exotic and synthetic scales - all skills for lead guitarists. Practice diverse approaches to various musical genres and proficiencies.

Soloing: Master advanced techniques including legato, alternate, economy and hybrid picking, sweep picking, arpeggios, double stops and much more. Become an accomplished melodic guitarist, know how to play whatever you want and reach your optimum level of proficiency.

Chord Structures: Learn modulation, transposition, inversions, voicings and the use of extended and advanced chords from basic triads to sevenths and compound extensions, as well as songwriting, accompaniment and creating chord progressions. You will explore the essential vocabulary and exercises for writing guitar parts, songs and chord-based harmonies.

Composition: Cover all aspects of composition and songwriting for any genre including analysis, harmonic/chord structures and progressions, approaches to melody, counter melody and counterpoint and how to apply these to various styles of music and composition, including arranging and orchestration from rock and pop to jazz and full orchestrations.

Lessons are developed to meet your individual needs and ensure your progress.

*** Studio Equipment ***
I have guitars available that students are welcome to use in their lessons, as well as amplifiers, etc.

*** Specialties ***
I am an experienced teacher of guitar, composition, arranging, orchestration, music theory and have developed my own personal teaching concepts and methods for improving technique, chord/scale theory and counterpoint for various styles and genres of music including advanced techniques for Jazz, Pop, Rock, Metal, Shred, Fusion, Blues, others. I have developed teaching methods to improve a students speed, accuracy and facility on the instrument. I am a professional freelance, live, studio and session guitarist, composer, arranger and producer.

of Brazil,  receiving TV and radio coverage. He has also done workshops and performed at the Conservatory of the state of Pernambuco. In August 2004 he performed weekly at Rio Scenarium in Rio de Janeiro. His Band Brooklyn Brazil Bop has played at Joe's Pub as well as Central Park Festival. His band the Brazilian Acoustic ensemble performs periodically at 'Barbes' an important performance space in Brooklyn NY. In 2007 he gave a successful jazz workshop and concert in the city of Florianopolis Brazil. Billy has been awarded 3 prestigious composer's residencies 2006 - Yaddo and 2007 - The MacDowell Colony. He was featured on the PBS news hour during his residence at MacDowell. In 2008 he was awarded another MacDowell residency and followed this with a 3 hour appearance presenting his compositions live on WKCR Jazz Radio and another live radio appearance with band in 2010. Billy regularly plays in many venues around NY in Jazz trio settings as well as with Brazilian vocalists and instrumentalists. Most Recently his groups have been performing at the famed Cornelia Street Cafe in New York City. He also specializes in solo guitar and can double on percussion (Pandeiro) and Cavaquinho. Billy has completed two CD's of his original music and an EP of his original Choro music. He has a BFA in Jazz Performance from CCNY.

Testimonials:
From Coda Magazine August 2012: by Seton Hawkins

Through outstanding collaborations like the Brazilian Acoustic Ensemble, guitarist and composer Billy N has emerged as a leading exponent of the music of Brazil. Exploring far beyond the well-trodden bossa nova path. Billy unearths the full range of styles the country offers, including choro, baiào, valsa and samba, and gives American audiences a rich panoramic glimpse into Brazilian art, highlighting its parallels with progressive jazz.

A recipient of composers residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell Colony, he is the curator of a three-day series at the club dedicated to the country's music. Billy will showcase his own group—a sextet with drummer Matt Kane, bassist Leco Reis, saxophonists Michael Attias and Eric Schugren and trumpeter Ben Holmes—in a concert primarily featuring his original works. SH

Reviews of my Book on Alfred Brazil: Guitar Atlas,  I love this series and this is the best of the six titles I have. Billy really knows his stuff; the analysis of time at the beginning is superb: something I now use in my teaching. This is definitely for intermediate and higher guitarists, but the pieces are worth the effort to get right, and the accompanying CD shows you what you are aiming for. This is as good as my other Brazilian guitar book (by Nelson Faria) and much more compact and easier to follow. Highly recommended!

#2

This book is essential homework for students of Brazilian guitar. It is one of the best resources out there, along with Nelson Faria's "The Brazilian Guitar Book." The original etudes are not only instructional, but are nice pieces in their own right. An excellent value.

*** Lesson Details ***
I've taught all levels over 20 years both in NYC and Brazil. I work with the material that the student wants and also through recordings and charts introduce much music that the student might have been unfamiliar with. My lessons are catered to the individual. There is no obstacle anyone has that is too great to work through. My approach to rhythmic training has helped many. I have simple way of breaking down the guitar fingerboard which can used as a guide to learn harmony. I'll get you into the horizontal aspects of guitar, traveling across the neck, making music across one string as well, mastering the guitar in a small fret range - " vertical position playing".

*** Studio Equipment ***
I have guitar for the student, either electric or nylon. Cavaquinho students bring their instrument. First time students must bring their instrument so I can see what they are playing on.

*** Specialties ***
Brazilian Fingerstyle - Choro, Samba, Baiao Solo
Jazz Guitar - Pick or Fingers
Beginning Flamenco
Cavaquinho
Improvisation for any instrument
Harmony and Theory

ter completed her studies in music performance, composition, and foreign language at the University of New Mexico. In addition to her classical studies, Diana sang in a variety of traveling choral groups throughout high school and took small roles in the Broadway musicals ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Rent’.

In the course of her studies, Diana was honored with awards of excellence from the National Honors Society of Guitar and recognized for her performances with the critically acclaimed woman’s guitar ensemble, ‘Presti Quartet.’ She was selected two years in a row to perform 1st chair in the New Mexico ALLSTATE Guitar Orchestra - the first-ever young woman to earn that position. The following year she was chosen as one of twelve guitarists to represent music in education in the United States.

In the time since her studies, Diana has called many places home. She lived in New Orleans for several years and in that time her music interests broadened to embrace traditional American forms, such as jazz and the blues. During that time she ran a private music practice, teaching children and young adults to become proficient with music. She continued her travels, her studies and her teachings during the summer of 2017 in Spain. She has been living, studying and teaching in New York City since the fall of 2017, always carrying with her the belief that music should never feel like a chore and that learning music should be curiosity-driven, active, enjoyable, and emphasize self-expression. Diana believes in building a strong foundation of musical knowledge with her students by providing the tools to create good habits from the beginning and encouraging effective, deliberate practice. It is her mission to inspire aspiring musicians as a music educator and bring a life-long love of music to her students.

--Ear Training (any instrument, beginning to advanced)

--Arranging/Composition (any instrument, beginning to advanced

--Songwriting (any instrument, beginning to advanced)

--Piano lessons (beginning to intermediate)

*Since I charge the same rate for each of these subjects, many of my students request to split the lesson time into 2 or more subjects

If you have any questions about my specific lesson plans for a particular subject, please don't be afraid to shoot me an email!

Happy practicin'!