Sheila M.

My interest in music began at the age of seven when I began private instruction in classical piano, and by the age of ten, I began playing the flute. I received my Bachelor of Music with a degree in Music Education from the University of Redlands, where I studied flute with Sara Andon. There, I performed in the university's Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Orchestra. During my third year at university, I studied abroad at the Zoltan Kodaly Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemet, Hungary.

In 2013, I graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Masters degree in Flute Performance where I studied flute with Sandra Kipp. At CSUN, I performed in the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Northridge Flute Quartet, and various chamber ensembles. I currently reside in Irvine where I teach private flute and piano lessons and perform with local ensembles.


*** Lesson Details ***
My goal as a music educator is to foster excellence in the art of music through private instruction. I have worked with students of all ages ranging from 5 to older adults.


In my studio, students will have a well rounded music education. This means that we will work on a variety of things such as sight reading, music theory, music history, and a wide range of repertoire (from Beethoven to the Beatles!) While I have high expectations for my students, I do my best to keep the lessons relaxed and lighthearted. My hope is that the student is always engaged and interested during lessons.

My three expectations:

1. Come prepared both mentally and physically (this is especially important for flutists-- make sure to warm up prior to the lesson!)

2. Don't be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes. This is non-threatening territory, I'm here to guide you and help you. Remember that mistakes happen, we're human. Just be sure to learn from those mistakes so that you can take something away from each experience.

3. For parents-- BE INVOLVED! I can't tell you how often I've seen younger students excel when their parents were proactive in the experience. This means encouraging them to practice, coming up with a rewards system, and even sitting in on the lesson to take notes. This way, you can reinforce what we accomplished during the lesson at home together. It's difficult for music teachers to compete with iPads, Playstations and television, so let's get creative together!



*** Required Materials ***
Flute students must own a well maintained flute, as an instrument that is out of adjustment causes frustration and can initiate bad habits. In addition, the student must also have a metronome and tuner, a music stand, flute repertoire, and an assignment book for me to write down each week's assignments.

Piano students must have a working acoustic piano or digital piano in their home for piano lessons. The student must also have a metronome, piano repertoire, and an assignment book for each week's assignments.