Piano with Jared J.

I am overjoyed and grateful to say I have been teaching music since 2008. I am a very friendly and fun teacher with a great deal of professionalism and patience. More importantly, I love teaching and playing music with a passion. I play a great variety of instruments and have had the opportunity to play in a wide range of bands and ensembles. I have experience playing with groups professionally and academically which can help me prepare you for your next big gig or for your next test/audition at school. Throughout my musical career I’ve played in orchestras, chamber groups, swing bands, jazz ensembles, and a variety of bands playing genres like: rock, funk, reggae, country, pop, latin and more. My formal music education includes 2 years at Pasadena City College and a semester as a jazz guitar performance major at California State University Long Beach. Additionally I’ve taken many years of private lessons and have played in many school based performance ensembles. My teaching career has provided me the chance to work with children in pre-school, all the way to adults in their late 80’s. I am a very easy-going teacher who loves breaking down how music works, how to practice efficiently and how to create your own music. No matter the instrument you're interested in learning, the basics of music theory and practicing remain the same. With my help I’ll make sure you can learn music for the rest of your life as easily and efficiently as possible! *** Lesson Details *** Throughout my lessons, I always encourage basic skills including scales, sight-reading and technical exercises. But what I hope to give all my students is a basic understanding of music and their instrument, providing them with a practical ability to navigate the vast world of music for a lifetime. Beyond these skills, I always have songs, styles and theory for you to work on but I am often more interested in what you as an individual want to learn on your instrument. Learning concepts that you have chosen yourself will help encourage practice and will make the finished product all the more the rewarding. I can custom tailor a teaching curriculum and/or teaching style for any of my students: we can focus on learning songs, learning to read, how to write music, how music works, and even how to play specific styles of music (including funk, rock, jazz, Latin, flamenco, classical, country, blues, etc…). I also self-tailor my own worksheets (emailed to you as a .PDF) and set weekly goals with my students to help encourage practice, understanding and progress. All this in a friendly and easy-going teaching environment! *** Specialties *** Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Metal, Funk, Irish/Celtic, Progressive Rock, Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Various forms of Latin Music, Blues, and a few others. *** Instruments I Teach *** Accordion (Chromatic Piano-style), Piano, Guitar, Mandolin, Cello, Banjo (5 String), Tenor Banjo (4 String CGDA), Electric Bass, Ukulele. *** Additional Music Subjects *** Music Theory, Ear Training, Sight Reading, and Song Writing.