Elementary Math with Dominique S.

Hi! I'm Dom. Music is a huge part of my life. I've been studying music for roughly eight years. My main performance instrument is bass, but I also play piano and percussion. My favorite genres of music to play are jazz, rock, and fusion, but I enjoy pretty much everything that I hear.I studied music at American River College for three years. In that time, I became heavily involved with the department. I took and passed many different music classes such as Music Theory, Jazz Theory, Jazz Improvisation, and Jazz Piano. After completing the first three levels of the Music Theory classes, I signed up to be a tutor for the lower level classes. After a year, I was actively tutoring for all of the Music Theory classes and the Basic Musicianship class. I learned a lot from that experience, including how to properly teach the concepts that are introduced in those classes.Two of my three years at ARC were spent studying composition with Dr. Joe Gilman. In those two years, I composed several different types of pieces for different types of ensembles such as chamber groups, jazz combos, solo instruments, and even the school's orchestra. Learning to effectively compose music has shown me how to explore and respect music as its own art form.Currently, I'm pursuing the life of an active musician. I play with a few different groups, but I would really like to share my knowledge of music by teaching. I'm ready to share that knowledge with you! *** Lesson Details *** I like to focus on providing a solid theoretical education. It's my belief that knowing the inner workings of music can help to improve most other aspects of music. I also stress having a good ear. Being able to understand what you hear is a big part of being a good musician. Just as well, practicing is very important. I expect students to practice on their own instrument, but I also require every student to learn basic piano skills. The piano is one of the greatest reference instruments, so knowing how to navigate it is key. After a few months with me, students will understand enough about music to analyze and compose basic to moderate pieces.For specific instruments, I teach students how to fulfill their proper role. Naturally, this role varies for each instrument and each type of ensemble. Being a jazz bassist is very different than being a rock tenor voice. Of course, some students may not know their role yet, or maybe a student wants to create their own unique style. I can definitely help with all of these things. *** Specialties *** I've studied both classical and jazz styles, so I can teach each one accordingly. If I had to choose, I would say that I specialize in jazz more than classical. I can also teach rock, pop, hip-hop, and other popular genres.