West Grove Music Lessons

both), I tailor lessons to suit each student's needs. I would like to enable you to meet your musical goals, whatever they may be.

***Lesson Details and Recommendations***

Singing voice: I teach classical vocal technique with an emphasis on the body-mind connection. Through the course of my training, I have studied the Alexander Technique, which is a method that has been used by actors, musicians, and athletes to find optimal body-mind coordination to achieve better results. The voice is the only instrument that is literally your body, so we will be using these tools to improve posture, breathing, and resonance. By learning a healthy vocal technique, you can expect improved tone quality, an expanded vocal and dynamic range, greater resonance, increased agility, improved diction, and more. Healthy vocal technique can be applied to any genre, and I teach students who are studying a wide variety of music, but classical and musical theater repertoire is my area of expertise.

Speaking voice: I have had great success helping students who come to me for help with their speaking voices. As the speaking voice and singing voice use the same set of muscles, the same set of functional principles apply. I work with students to improve their posture, breathing, and breath support when speaking, as well as clear diction, better pacing, and conveying emotion and meaning. These tools also lead to increased confidence when speaking.

Piano: I am also an established piano teacher and have had much success teaching beginning and intermediate students from ages 4 to 91 in various styles of music. I believe it is important for students to learn how to read and interpret written music as well as understand the structure behind it, so in addition to learning musical basics, I incorporate music theory into lessons. I encourage my piano students to learn how to read lead sheets and create chord accompaniments as well, which opens the door for comfortably playing in all sorts of styles sooner than would be possible by classical approaches alone. I also work on improvisation and songwriting with my piano students, if desired.

***Lesson Recommendations***
I offer lessons in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments. These are the *minimum* lesson lengths recommended. Longer lessons are more beneficial, except in the case of children with smaller attention spans. A 60 minute lesson is the best choice for serious students (teenagers or adults).

Voice:
Ages <12 years: 30 minutes
Ages 12 and up: 45 minutes

Piano:
Ages <7 years: 30 minutes
Ages 7 and up: 45 minutes

Combination Lesson:
Ages <12 years: 45 minutes
Ages 12 and up: 60 minutes

*Please note: I do not reserve regular lesson times in my schedule for students who cannot commit to weekly lessons. With students who wish to take less frequent lessons, I recommend the flex plan, with lessons to be scheduled as we go at our mutual convenience.

***Educational Background***
Elizabeth holds an M.M. in vocal performance from West Virginia University, where she was featured in numerous WVU Opera Theatre productions and was the soprano soloist with WVU Choirs in Faure's Requiem and Handel's Lord Nelson Mass. While at WVU, Elizabeth resumed taking lessons at the piano, which she had previously studied for many years, and exceeded the piano proficiency level required by the university. She also holds a B.A. in music and international studies from Emory University. Elizabeth has studied and performed internationally, both at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she was the recipient of the Lemmonds Scholarship, and at the Bel Canto program in conjunction with L'Arena di Verona opera company in Verona, Italy.

As a graduate assistant at WVU, Elizabeth taught voice lessons to music education and performance majors as well as a course on vocal pedagogy. After graduating, she served as adjunct faculty, in which capacity she taught vocal repertoire and opera theater. She has maintained a private studio since 2005, in which she instructs students in voice and piano. She has also held past teaching positions with the Meridee Winters School of Music and Woodland Country Day School.

***Active, Professional Singer/ Actress***
Elizabeth was most recently seen as Joanie in The Full Monty at Candlelight Theatre in Delaware. Other recent performances include June in Musical of Musicals: The Musical and Peaches/ Baby Jane in Jerry Springer: The Opera with Bootless Stageworks in Wilmington, DE, solo performances with the New Voices Cabaret at the Society Hill Playhouse in Center City, and Woman 2 in My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra with Mainstage Center for the Arts in Blackwood, NJ. She has performed numerous leading roles with Philadelphia area Gilbert and Sullivan companies, most notably appearing as Angelina in Trial by Jury with The Savoy Company, winning Best American Production at the 2011 International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. Her G &S performance credits include the roles of Patience (Patience), Yum-Yum (The Mikado), Rose Maybud (Ruddigore), Phyllis (Iolanthe), and Fiammetta (Gondoliers). Additionally, she has pioneered roles in new operas, including Gwendolyn in The Crowded House at the 2010 Philly Fringe Festival and Zelda in Black Horses with OperaDelaware at the 2009 Wilmington Fringe Festival.

e, did you know that children who study a musical instrument learn responsibility and discipline, they gain pride in their accomplishments which in turn makes them confident, they learn to think in a logical manner, and they will perform better in school. These are just a few of the benefits children could gain through music lessons

My Specialties: My passion is classical music, however, I realize that the students'€™ interests are diverse, so, I teach pieces they request which include easy fun Pop Music, Hymns, Boogie, Rock, Country and other contemporary pieces.
My Education: At an early age, I took a great interest in music, so my older sister who is four years older than I taught me what she learned in her piano lessons. She also taught me music theory. At the age of 12-14 my parents sent me to private piano lessons. My piano teacher at that time eventually told me that I needed to find a new teacher because she had taught me all she knew. After that, I approached a well known Julliard Master in town. He took me on as a student after he heard me play the Beethoven'€™s Pathetique Sonata in C minor. I learned through Arthur Fiddler'€™s comment made in the newspaper that Mr. Chang, my teacher, in his opinion was the best piano teacher in Hawaii. Under Mr. Chang’s tutelage, I was exposed to a variety of classical pieces written by famous composers of the 15th to 18th centuries. At the age of 14, I made my first piano recital debut. My piano teacher was impressed with my talent and expressed his wish for me to pursue music and enter into Julliard. But, my parents being immigrants from Korea, did not think it was a good choice of career. So, I went into nursing instead, much to the consternation of my piano teacher. In 2001, I made a career change and found my passion for music revived again. I started teaching piano as well as taking Music Theory courses at a community college and taking lessons from a Julliard- Peabody master as well lessons from a Curtis Institute master. I continue taking piano lesson even now while I give piano lessons to beginner and intermediate students.
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*** Lesson Details ***
In my piano studio, besides just learning to actually play the piano, students will engage in flashcard drills, writing work, and other activities to strengthen their overall knowledge of music. This will prepare them well for continued study in piano, for playing other instruments or singing, and for enjoying music in general. As an incentive to practice, our studio awards each week piano dollars for the time each student practices during the week. At the end of the year, we have an auction that the children could participate in using their piano dollars to purchase items.

In first the lesson the concepts stressed include:
1. Hand position and posture at the piano.
2. Right hand , left hand, and how the fingers are numbered.
3. Direction on the keyboard
4. The pattern of keys on the key board

In the first year of piano study, the concepts covered are:
1. Theory: identify steps, skips, and repeats; write and recognize 2nd -5ths intervals; sharp and flat signs; identify key signatures
2. Rhythms: whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and dotted notes.
3. Technique: correct hand position; curved fingers, down –up wrist for phrasing, legato/staccato touch, penta scales; major chords and voicing (balance of hands) 5-finger melodies; single line melodies divided between hands; note-against-note playing, some melody/chord playing.
4. Repertoire: A Dozen A Day by Edna-Mae Burmae Books; Five-finger melodies by Faber Faber; Famous & Fun Pop Books by Carol Matz ; Boogie, Rock & Country Level 1 by James Bastien; Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book Level One for adult beginners.

In addition to lessons each student is required to participate in an annual piano recital to give them experience and confidence in performance.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Living Room: grand piano, couches and chairs, parents can sit in on lesson

*** Specialties ***
To teach the skills in playing the piano, the classical genre is preferred in the repertoire.

a teaching position at the Meadowmount School of Music as her teaching assistant where it was a huge success in her teaching career.

nd music so that you can learn on your own!

*** Studio Equipment ***
dedicated music room; 7 foot Steinway B grand piano

*** Specialties ***
I'm a classically trained pianist. I teach students to read music. I teach all kinds of music not just classical.

tion will be on tour until May 21st all across North America. Broadway.com's review of the opening night in Nashville praised the musicianship of the show, "Musical director Erik Flaten's musicians are impressive in their dexterity: At one moment, they are providing rich interpretations of the memorable John Kander score, while perhaps at the next they are playing denizens of the Kit Kat Klub or neighborhood thugs, wastrels and other folks of questionable repute. Flaten and his band are given their own richly deserved moments in the spotlight at the top of Act Two and the music director himself is given the well-earned final bow at the end of the curtain call.

Newly relocating to the East Coast, Erik is highly sought after for his collaborative work with both instrumentalists and vocalists. He is comfortable in all musical styles and genres, and has an extensive knowledge of music history and theory.

Students of Erik have the opportunities to perform in studio recitals and workshops.

the viola section of that orchestra. I use a comprehensive set of books that teach theory, rhythm and pieces that I use to teach students how to prepare and perform "performance ready" pieces.

Ellington, and Glenn Miller. I'm also a devoted Bruce Springsteen fan and love rock and roll! I want to help students develop into excellent trumpet players, but I also want you to play the music that you want to play. I believe music is a personal journey for each of us, and if there is something that you are searching for on your journey, I want to help you find it! Music should be fun and rewarding, and you should play things you enjoy!