Guitar with Darrell M.

My goal is to personalize a music lesson that is designed around each student’s learning style, skill level, schedule and interests. My specialty is in teaching elementary age students, but I have taught all ages, including adults through the years. My philosophy for teaching involves these elements: 1. Nurturing a life-long love for music. 2. Encouraging independence by developing strong self-evaluation skills and knowing the right tools to use in practicing. 3. Developing and coordinating the senses of hearing, seeing and touching as students learn to play an instrument or sing. 4. Learning strong sight-playing and sight-singing skills. 5. Developing ear learning strategies and skills. 6. Selecting repertoire that is challenging and motivating. I firmly believe that students should be exposed to many styles, but that they are best motivated when playing music they enjoy. 7. Maintaining a strong emphasis on music theory and history. Mastery of such elements as pitch, rhythm, fingerings, dynamics, timbre, tempo, form, texture, key and chord structure, tonality, and style are of the utmost importance. These elements are stressed as we analyze the repertoire that is being learned. After teaching elementary music and band in the public schools of Franklin County, Kansas for 47 years, I retired in June, 2020. During those 47 years, I have also continuously taught private music lessons in my home studio. In addition, I am the Minister of Music at First United Methodist Church in Ottawa, KS. I am in charge of planning the music program, playing piano for services as well as directing two choirs. Since 1976, I have also been involved with barbershop choruses both as an associate director and director and have been a member of numerous quartets. Currently I am singing with Central Standard Chorus in Kansas City. Our chorus has placed 2nd and 3rd place in recent International chorus competitions and were invited to perform in Europe in the summer of 2018. I graduated from Bethany College, Lindsborg, KS in 1973 with a degree in music education. My major performance area was piano with an emphasis in vocal music. In 1985, I completed my master’s degree in music education from The University of Kansas. My master’s thesis was Developing a Beginning Piano Method for Teaching in an Electronic Piano Laboratory.