Songwriting with Holly R.

Music has always been my core focus in life and I enjoy helping students of all ages reach their musical goals! I love music of all kinds and am proficient in classical, jazz, soul, pop, rock, punk, hip-hop, latin, and more; as well as picking up influences from the various places I've lived- New Jersey, Hawaii, and Seattle. I grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and began studying basic music at the age of 5. I started classical guitar lessons at the age of 10 and was fortunate to learn from Alice Artzt who is a renowned American concert guitarist and teacher. I've also studied classical voice since I was 8 and toured with The Princeton Girlchoir. Later, I attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and received a bachelors in music in 2006. Currently, I write and perform original music in the Seattle area. *** Lesson Details *** With guitar lessons, I focus on proper classical technique. The reason is that not only do you learn basic musical skills like sight-reading, rhythm, and scales, but you also learn good playing habits, like correct hand position. This makes it so that once you learn the basics, you can play whatever type of music you want. Many people pick up the guitar and start playing without instruction which can lead to limited ability, difficulty playing, and sometimes pain. I like to help people learn the correct way to play so they don't run into problems later. Also, I teach simple chords, pop songs, and songwriting so you can start playing right away! With songwriting lessons, I can teach any genre and with almost any instrument you like (guitar, keyboard, ukulele, percussion, recorder, kazoo, etc). I also have a lot of experience composing electronically and can help students navigate programs like GarageBand. Plus, I'm a trained jazz vocalist so I can help with singing technique. It's very important to learn correct technique but music should also be fun! I want to help students learn AND enjoy music! *** Studio Equipment *** residential house w/ living room w/ seating for parents *** Specialties *** I specialize in beginning technique because my goal is to teach students good habits early on so they don't have to undo (very common) bad habits later.