Singing with James L.

My various experiences as a professional classical musician, professional singer, and actor have led me to a very creative way of developing a student - focusing on each student's needs. I trained with and taught at the String Connection Studio (an award-winning internationally-competing orchestra) and moved to New York City to study at the famed Neighborhood Playhouse. My curriculum is a mixed bag of fun exercises, intuitive experiments, and classical standards. Passion is key to playing music, as well as form, and we will focus on both. I challenge the student's ability to play a piece correctly as well as what the story behind the piece is. I have trained and taught with the String Connection Studio (an internationally awarded small ensemble) in Portland, Oregon for over 6 years. I moved to New York City to study acting at the famed Neighborhood Playhouse. *** Lesson Details *** My motto? "Make mistakes!" I encourage full participation through my laid-back, fail-free approach to teaching. It's a safe environment and we are both there to learn. I use various curriculums, depending on the instrument, the age, and what each student wants out of learning the instrument. My three promises to you as a student: 1. You will have fun during your time with me! Lessons can be stressful, trust me, I've taken enough years of them to know. But the point is growth, week-by-week, and growing is fun. Realizing you've grown, you've stretched and stretching more is the key to being a developed artist. 2. You will have responsibility. I've been there.. "I didn't practice all week and my lesson is in an hour, ack!" It takes discipline, and it takes time to improve. This is where passion and time management skills will be honed - by having someone (me) expecting you to have made progress since last time we had a lesson together. 3. You will learn more than you think. I will be your guide through the worlds of music (and/or acting) and along the way, you will learn that playing an instrument requires proper technique, hours of study, a good musically-trained ear, daily discipline, and most importantly a vivid imagination which carries through each piece you play. My one expectation of you: 1. It's simple. Come willing and prepared, every time. We will try new and different things. Not every person is the same, and no lesson will be the same. Come with a good attitude. Let's throw it around, try it again and again. Repetition is sometimes the best teacher. I have learned from the best in my fields and plan to teach with as much openness for your success as possible. *** Travel Equipment *** I provide access to instrument rentals and sheet music. I expect the student to have an instrument that they are renting, and any and all sheet music I recommend to learn/use. I will provide any exercises I deem necessary for the improvement of my student, as well as copies of sheet music I have that are hard to find. *** Specialties *** For Viola and Violin I use the Suzuki method books, as well as general theory books. For children, I generally make up my own fun games to get them to think about music and music theory in an accessible way. I am a professional singer and I generally teach by-song- if they have a song they need working on, I can help shape the song both technically in terms of their voice as well as acting it. I have years of experience in a recording studio as well as a songwriter, and I generally specialize in contemporary alternative rock or pop music. I have produced voiceover demos for clients, as well as collaborated on new music. I am an expert mixer of tracks and can teach how to listen for balance in a mix. I have played guitar for multiple professional productions of musicals, and can teach basic chords/licks as well as ear training.