

Rina M.


Teaching Locations:

About Rina M.
I am a music educator, classically trained with an advanced performance degree. As a soloist and collaborative musician, I have performed professionally in ensembles, bands and orchestras both here and abroad. With a high degree of knowledge and proficiency, I teach proper technique and practice strategies, music notation, theory, rhythm and phrasing, while adapting teaching approaches to match the needs of each student. I share a love of music with my students and it gives me great pride to hear each student develop their own musical voice.
*** Lesson Details ***
My goal is to help students of varying ages and abilities succeed musically. Dedicated, experienced, encouraging, and sensitive to student moods, I am a multi-instrumentalist who can instruct you in acoustic guitar, classical guitar, piano (classical and popular repertoire), oboe, and voice. Study music to awaken your aural senses, develop muscle memory, and enhance your intellectual development.
*** Studio Equipment ***
Piano and bench, keyboard, guitar, guitar stand, music stand, foot stool. Ample seating for parents.
*** Travel Equipment ***
I am comfortable teaching from a piano or keyboard. I will transport my own guitar and anticipate students will own or rent the instrument they will be studying.
*** Specialties ***
Beginner to advanced music instruction, guitar notes and chords, piano melodies and accompaniment, vocal instruction, musical theater, classical piano and more.
Reviews
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Very patient, thank you.



Ms. Rina is an awesome teacher. My younger son has been learning oboe as a beginner with her for over a year and my older has been learning piano with her for more than half a year. Both had very positive experience with her. Ms. Rina cares her students and knows how to motivate the kids. She is very responsible and always sends detailed comments for each class. We highly recommend her.

Rina is an awesome teacher. I have been taking guitar lessons with her for about five months, and I enjoy her lessons tremendously.
She is knowledgeable, very nice, and cares about her students. It's clear that she loves music and loves teaching.
I like that she presents just the right challenge to keep me motivated, and at the same time is honestly encouraging. She is precise and points out areas that need improvement, and notices strengths and progress.
She also tries to see what your interests are and brings in music that might appeal to you.
I have learned so much, and look forward to the lessons.

Thank you so much :) I had a great time! I will practice until I meet you next time :) Have a nice weekend.

Rina is an excellent instructor. She knows how to teach and integrates my interests in her lesson plan, which makes the lessons very enjoyable. I've had both in-home and remote lessons with Rina, and both are a good learning experience.

Rina is a wonderful instructor who is patient and very accommodating to her students needs. Rina will help you get better at the type of music you are interested in, while simultaneously teaching you the basics of your instrument and music theory.


Tina is an excellent teacher, knowledgeable, patient, precise
I’m learning a lot

Great online piano lesson! Always pleasant experience with Ms. Rina!

great

I have gotten so much information from just one lesson. She has already given me many tips and can already pinpoint where i need work. She is understanding and patient, and really helps you make sense of what you’re singing. She’s great, i would definitely recommend her as a teacher.

Very pleasant experience

Excellent teacher. Very accomplished. I enjoyed working with her. Rina knows so much about music. She was helpful guiding me through my first music lesson. A great first start. I can't wait until I have another singing lesson with Rina next Friday at 1:00 PM.

Experience was phenomenal I had my first lesson today and so excited for the future!

Wonderful approach to teaching a beginner.

Rina transformed a septuagenarn with very little vocal experience into a much more confident and capable vocalist...in only five 1hr lessons. I plan to continue with Rina because learning with her is fun and although I have learned a lot I want to absorb more of what she is capable of teaching me.

We feel so lucky to find Ms. Rina to be my son’s Oboe teacher. She is so patient with my son to go through every basic skill. Every class went smoothly and efficiently. This is definitely a very good online instructor experience.


I am starting from ground zero. Even so, in the first lesson we made progress, learning a few changes that are already improving what I had been doing in the past.

Rina was great! I learned a lot today!

Rina is an excellent teacher. She takes the time to explain how notes are changing and how things are connected. She is easy going and knows the material very well. The hour went by very fast! Very happy I was able to connect with her.

Ms.Rina is great! She is very patient and knowledgeable musician! Me and my daughter love her!!!

Work on mechanics and other skills to open up or clear the airway and to improve resonance and the quality of the overall voicing etc.

Helpful, caring and instructive lessons. Clear improvement shown after each session.

My son is enjoying the guitar lessons with Rina and is motivated to continue.

Ms. Rina is by far the best teacher I've ever had. She's very genuine in her work and very kind. She has a deep knowledge of music and she play's the piano absolutely beautifully. I highly recommend her for all ages that desire to learn the piano.

Rina taught my son oboe lessons for two years. She was the perfect mix of being approachable, friendly, knowledgeable, and serious about teaching oboe. When I was looking for a teacher I was especially concerned that I find someone who would go beyond teaching how to play the notes, and would get deeply into the technique - the real details of articulation and all of the performance points specific to the oboe. My son always ended lessons being motivated to practice and enjoying the experience. He also mentioned that he learned more in a single lesson with Rina than in months with other teachers. I recommend Rina as an oboe teacher without reservation.


If you're looking for someone with patience for a beginner I highly recommend Rina! She is very talented on an array of instruments! My 7 year old just loves her and is excited to go to their piano lesson.

Teacher Very knowledgeable ,patient and understanding and want's to see you achieve your goals.

Rina is a fabulous instructor. My son originally contacted Rina after researching piano teachers in our area. She came highly recommended and as a result he gave me a gift of five piano lessons to start. I became hooked; I've been with Rina for well over a year now and thoroughly enjoy learning. Her background in music is broad and she is creative in her approach to teaching.
The experience has been extremely rewarding for me and I look forward to continuing my journey into piano with Rina for many sessions to come.


Rina is a wonderful instructor. I was nervous about taking lessons later in life but she has been very supportive. She approaches the lessons at the perfect level for me and is making learning enjoyable.

For me to be as bashful and shy as I am I couldn't believe how easy it was to sing in front of Ms. Rina. I had to ask myself "am I really doing this? Am I singing in front of someone for the first time?" Ms. Rina made me feel totally at ease from the moment she greeted me at her front door with the warmest of smiles to the moment the lesson was done and she was giving me pointers to do at home. She even made my two teenage children feel at ease. I would recommend Ms. Rina to everyone. Thank you Ms. Rina. I look forward to my next lesson.

My son love his first piano class. Good beginning!

Had my first lesson today and I think this will be fantastic.

She was inviting ,professional and wonderful with our 5 year old. He is shy and yet he is excited to get to his second lesson.

I love the lessons and look forward to it every week. Ms. Rina explains the basics very well and makes the whole lesson more interesting with her enthusiasm as well as interesting trivia.

My 6 yo loves her!

I observed my 6yr old daughter's first guitar lesson with Rina. She is patient while providing proper technique, posture, reading music and teaching new notes (remember, this is a 6yr old!). My daughter left the lesson with an ear to ear smile and immediately told me how nice Rina is and how she loved it. I am very pleased with our experience so far and my daughter and I are both excited to continue.
As far as logistics, Rina is quick to respond via phone and email. Although she is in Westfield, her location has plenty on-street parking.

I have two kids, 8 and 6 yrs old. They were only with Rina for a few times, but they loved Rina's piano lessons from the first time on. Rina was able to adjust her teaching strategy based on each student's ability and needs. Her lessons are fun and rigorous. The kids also got motivated to practice at home. We are fortunate to have found Rina!

I really like taking lessons from Rina. I'm learning to play the songs, but also to understand how the parts fit together.

Rina was very helpful to get our son started with the piano lessons. She is attentive and makes lessons interesting to follow.

Best instructor every, lots of patience, has given terrific confidence. Am now playing Oboe as intermediate in 4 months.

Rina is a very pleasant and knowledgeable instructor. The pace in which she taught was perfect from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed my piano session and am eagerly looking forward to the next! I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to learn how to play the piano.

Rina is a very nice teacher, great with kids - and their parents. She's patient, competent, and obviously loves teaching. She also always leaves great lessons notes and follow ups. I highly recommend her!

Rina started teaching my now 11 year old daughter piano almost three years ago. She recently started teaching my daughter clarinet.. Rina is not only knowledgable about teaching music but is able to teach in a learning style that works best for my daughter. Rina has patience and at the same time is very encouraging! She gives positive reinforcement which helps my daughter want to learn more. She has been very accommodating to my daughters musical needs. When my daughter requested clarinet lessons to strengthen her playing for her school band, Rina was more than willing to teach her in the same positive style she taught her piano. I highly recommend Rina !
Denise

The request for a review is a bit premature as I have only had one lesson with Rina, but it's obvious she knows her stuff. In just a few minutes of observing my primitive play, she was able to help me improve and correct my technique. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute...and not one minute of the lesson was wasted.
She is focused, clear, and precise in her instruction. At the same time, she creates a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in which to learn.

Rina is an EXCELLENT teacher! She is very patient and knowledgeable which help make her such a great teacher. I regrettably have to move, but I learned so much from Rina that I know I will take with me wherever I go!

I have been taking acoustic guitar lessons with Rina for about 10 weeks. When I first started I did not know anything about the guitar, but she made it easy by getting me started on learning just one sting at a time. Now I know all of the strings and play chords and a number of tunes. She is very patient and an excellent instructor. I am very happy with my progress and I plan on continuing with guitar lessons until I can play a wide variety of music.

Rina is a great teacher! She is patience, kind and gives great constructive feedback. I highly recommend her.

When I decided to take guitar lessons I couldn't have chose a better teacher. Rina is a great teacher! She is patient and kind and she makes sure you really understand the material. I have learned so much and I'm glad to say that I will continue to learn the most I can about playing the guitar from Rina!

When I decided to learn to play another instrument, I was nervous and excited at the same time. I contacted Take Lessons and they recommended Rina.
Rina is a true blessing. She has made me feel comfortable from the moment I met her. She is very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. I look forward to my weekly lessons with her. Its been one year since I have been Rina's student and I have seen a large improvement in what I have learned. Rina rocks!!!!!

Rina is a terrific teacher! I'm an older adult returning to piano after many years. Rina has made re-learning fun. The lessons are very enjoyable. She's encouraging as well as challenging. With Rina's instruction, I've made good progress. I highly recommend her!

Rina is great----she challenges me, is encouraging and helps me bring my personal life into my music. I am an older adult complete beginner and Rina works very well with me. She has also provided recommended resources for finding special sheet music and other music tools. I am in the very early stages but already see improvement in my ability vs. what I tried to do on my own.
Wonderful!
Rina, has been great, she has helped me prepare for auditions for school. She sends an overview of what we did in class. She reminds me of exercises and practice to do. Over all I'm very happy with her. And I gladly recommend her.
Learned so much.
Rina is such a great teacher, Gia has learned so much since she started coming to Rina. Rina teaches from her heart, and my daughter loves coming every week. She turned down going surf fishing with her father, not to miss a week with Rina. I highly recommend Rina for a Piano teacher, she is the best.....
Best teachet ever
i enjoy my lesson witb Ms Rina. She makes me feel comfortable because she has Patience and she is willing to work with me for as long as it takes me to get it right. Thank you ms. Rina
A very good teacher
Rina is an outstanding instructor, who make learning enjoyable. I look forward to my lessons, and as a result have no problem finding time to practice. She's a real pro!
Excellent; exaclty what I needed! Thanks Rina
I am an older adult who had always wanted to play some of the popular and older songs for family and friends. I had tried to teach myself but had only limited success and very slow progress. As much as I tried to understand the theory behind playing piano I continued to get frustrated. I decided to look for someone who would understand my objectives and be patient enough to help me actually be able to play piano. Rina was perfect. She understood what I was looking for, was excellent in mixing piano theory with playing, and presented a very comfortable learning environment. She also was patient with my ability to learn and never made me feel uncomfortable in our practice sessions. What a difference having a great piano teacher makes in learning a skill like playing piano. Highly recommended and was exactly what I wanted in a music instructor. I plan to continue my piano lessons with Rina; she has made me realize I can do this!
Excellent Product
Rina is the best. Rina is patient, encouraging, attentive and very helpful in making sure that I am singing on key and getting my notes correct. I have learned so much in such a short time with Rina's help in training my voice to reach it's maximum level as high as I can go. I recommend Rina to anyone searching for a excellent teacher in voice training.
My Girls are enjoying every moment with Rina! They are getting more confident and continuet to practice each night. She is awesome and we give her 5 STARS!
Student's mother
Abigail (age 11) has been taking lessons from Mrs Rina M for a few months and REALLY enjoys it. Since she never had formal voice lessons before, we were not sure what to expect and have been pleasantly surprised. Each week we look forward to our session with her. Mrs Rina is a very knowledgeable, professional teacher with a thoughtful approach to how she makes her teaching selections.
she's so patient and nice.i like her a lot same as kimberly. thanks for having us,we're looking forward next month.
Great teacher
Our Daughter has been getting piano lessons from Mrs. Rina for a few weeks now. Rina is an awesome teacher that exercises patience and with that brings out the ability of our daughter. She's a shy girl but Rina makes her feel very comfortable allowing her to learn a tremendous amount in a short time. Simply a GREAT teacher !!!!
Photos & Videos
10 Photos & VideosExperience
Music Educator
Sep 1995 - PresentNJ Schools and TakeLessons
I am a classically trained musician with an advanced performance degree. As a soloist and collaborative musician, I have performed professionally in ensembles, bands and orchestras both here and abroad. As a teacher of music, I have taught vocal and instrumental music lessons to hundreds of students, privately and in classrooms in both independent and public schools in Central NJ.
Education
M.M. Master of Music
Sep 1976 - Oct 1977Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America
B.A. Music cum laude
Sep 1971 - May 1975Tufts University, Boston, MA
Languages
English and the language of music
Fluent / Native Proficiency
French
Limited Proficiency
Certifications
Teacher of Music
Mar 2002New Jersey State Department of Education
Orff Certification
Jul 1997Westminster Choir College
Awards
Gold Profile Teacher
Jan 2021TakeLessons
Top Teacher
Aug 2013TakeLessons
Affiliations
National Association for Music Education
Jul 2020Let Our Student Counselors Help You
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