Guilderland Music Lessons

. 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.

music, it is a really great feeling.I was a recipient of the GA Music Hall of Fame Talent Award in 2014 where I performed on national television for the first time. In 2016 I recorded an album with a good friend of mine, Morgan Guerin, entitled "The Saga" which reached #3 on the iTunes Jazz Charts on the first day of its release.

I have recently graduated from KSU with my Jazz Degree and have been teaching and performing extensively. Teaching has been a very rewarding part of my life, it has given me the opportunity to learn and grow as a musician in ways that performing simply cannot compete with. I really look forward to working with you and being a part of your musical journey!

ave played in a couple bands (“Dannsair" Irish Folk Band and “Azeem X Underbelly”) and supported these acts on tours.

Azeem the Teacher: I really love spreading the knowledge I've learned over the years about the flute and production/composition (Logic Pro X and Sibelius). I find a huge sense of fulfillment in seeing my students enjoy learning and making beautiful music. I have a high level of knowledge and skills that I am willing to use to teach students from the most beginner to the most advanced on the flute.

*** Lesson Details ***
My lesson plans are based around your skill set. I expect my students to practice, but I make sure they're always having fun and enjoying playing. My goal is to get my students playing music as fast as possible so they can see results immediately and get excited!

Note: I am trained and specialized in teaching flute. Although I have basic skills in Production and Composition, my main speciality is Flute Performance. I always like begin lessons by addressing the foundation of a flutist’s musicianship, tone, and technique. The method I use is proven to give students of all ages the best possible start to music and maximize their potential. If you are looking to develop a great foundation of musicianship, style, and technique on the flute then you will enjoy lessons!

*** Specialties ***
-Beatbox Flute
-Improvisation
-Specialist in classical flute, though proficient in any flute style (blues, jazz, folk, etc.)
-Also experienced in teaching music performance and production/composition

h the Canton and Firelands Symphonies, and appeared as a guest principal with the Canton Symphony for their March 2018 Masterworks Concert. During her studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, she was principal of the Oberlin Orchestra, and performed in the orchestra at Chicago Symphony Center as a part of their 150th-Anniversary tour. At Oberlin, Amanda appeared frequently as an ensemble-member for faculty concerto recordings. She has appeared in the Schikele Bassoon Concerto and the Augusta Reed Thomas Bassoon Concerto released on the Oberlin and Naxos labels on the album Full Moon in the City. She has also appeared in recordings of the Carter Flute Concerto and the Trigos Guitar Concerto No. 1 (forthcoming releases). In addition to her orchestral opportunities at Oberlin, Amanda has attended the Pierre Monteux School and Festival, the Miami Summer Music Festival, and the Bach Institute at Emmanuel Music.
To supplement her love for performing, Amanda has also been active in the field of Arts Administration. Co-founder of the Oberlin Flute Association, Amanda spent two years bringing prominent flute artists to Oberlin. This included advertising in the Cleveland area, managing a strict budget, and organizing all details of the artists’ visits. She also worked at the Oberlin Concert Productions office as assistant director and program editor, and was administrative assistant with Oberlin Conservatory Summer Programs. She is currently a staff member in the Peabody Career Services office, providing professional development support for students at Peabody.
She has recently graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she received a Bachelor of Music in flute performance and a Bachelor of Arts in biology as a part of the college’s double-degree program. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music at the Peabody Conservatory, under the guidance of Marina Piccinini.

scales for younger students, Maquarre Daily Exercises or Taffanel and Gaubert Daily Excercises for more advanced students), etudes (Melodious and Progressive Studies), and pieces (I consult the NYSSMA manual for appropriate pieces for the students level). Having taken Alexander Technique, I strongly emphasize posture so that students can use their bodies in the most efficient way. Individualized instruction allows for teachers to cater to the needs of the student, challenging the students without frustrating them. Everyone is unique and learns at different rates, so no two lessons will ever be the same. I teach students how to practice, so that they can progress outside of the 30 min. or hour long lesson. As for performance standards, I have used rubrics for tone, technique, articulation, phrasing, and breathing. Once strengths and weaknesses are assed, I create a plan to help the student improve, which is what students and teachers want to hear.

ano for over 20 years and did competitive piano as a child, and won statewide and midwest regional competitions. Because of my piano background, I can record helpful tracks for each student, such as warm up tracks, as well as practice tracks.

My passion is teaching kids to sing in a vocally healthy way by building on basic foundational techniques such as good posture, good breath support, ear training and release of tension. As a child, I was told often that singers were born, not taught, and I am here to tell you that I learned how to sing well during my college and grad school years, and was not a "born" singer! I learned so much about healthy singing in school that I wish I had known when I was younger, so my personal goal is to install good vocally healthy habits in all of my students.

er world- class conductors such as Andre Previn; Yakov Kreizberg; James Conlon; Lucas Foss; and Robert Shaw, and worked with renowned artists such as Yo- Yo Ma; Pamela Frank; Andre Watts; and Renée Fleming.