Portland Music Lessons for Adults

I spent years working in New York City with acclaimed Metropolitan Opera bass baritone Mark Oswald. Prior to my work with Mark I received a bachelors degree in Music Performance with an emphasis on opera from Portland State University.

My teaching is rooted in body awareness and emotional connectivity. I use techniques I learned and developed over years teaching movement (barre3). I also use techniques I learned from taking music lessons and coaching sessions from some of the most reputable artists in the opera world.

I write my own music and I also reinterpret classical pieces to make them more accessible to modern audiences; I have a unique ability to cut to the essence of a song.

I currently play shows at The Dandy Warhols’ wine bar The Old Portland and have a music project with Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols.

Trained at Berklee College of Music in Electric Guitar and Songwriting, I will help you develop the musical tools you need to write full songs that are ready for the radio and the stage! As my student, I work with you to develop goals based on your interests and teach you what you want to learn. Some examples are songwriting, improvisation, music theory, ear training, practice methods, sight reading, music production, etc.
Writing, playing, and performing music is incredibly rewarding, yet can also be challenging. I'm excited to help you obtain all your wildest rock n' roll dreams.

Pedal tones or banjo rolls, or piano like phrasing, we can simulate a b-bender found on some guitars, chicken-picking, travis-picking, hybrid-picking, alternate-picking, slide guitar and much more.

I have experience auditioning in school, community and professional settings. Bring in your song and we will prepare, polish and prime you for that big day!

Phil Norris has been teaching trumpet since 1983. He teaches the physical side of the trumpet as well as the musical side. The trumpet, being one of the most physically grueling instruments, demands this. He gives a customized routine for the student to do at home and he also helps with those who are having embouchure problems, whether they’ve developed a bad habit or have had to deal with braces.
On the musical side, Phil teaches jazz improv, big band lead, how to play in a rock horn section, and even classical style. Of course reading music and helping with the student’s school material is also focused on.

Hear me out- The piano may be the easiest instrument to play physically and one of the hardest to play mentally.

Easy to play physically:
With the piano, just hit a key to make a sound come out. Thats it. No fighting with the reed on a saxophone, killin' your cheeks on a trumpet, or building calluses on the guitar.

Hard to play mentally:
Almost all other instruments require both hands to create sound. Strings require one hand to choose a note on a string while the other hand plucks or bows it and all wind instruments require both hands to pick a note while your breath plays it. We already know to play the piano you just hit a button... this means each hand can hit a button. You can now make two sounds at once, independently from each other. It's like playing two instruments at once.

This lets us start simple because its easy to play, but allows us to grow in so many topics because of the pianos "harmonic depth." Try learning chords and theory on a horn instrument which ...