Music Theory with Steve H.

Learning to play music should be fun. Learning to play the songs you like and listen to everyday is a good first step in that direction. As early as I can remember our house was filled with music. My parents had records of the popular music of the time as well as movie soundtrack albums. At eight years old I got my first trumpet and joined the school band. Soon I was taking private lessons. We also had a piano in the house and I often found myself sitting and trying out chords and melodies to fit the songs I would hear. At sixteen I got my first guitar, along with a songbook that promised I could play “hundreds of songs with just three magic chords”. Moving west I studied music at West Los Angeles College and played trumpet in the school’s concert band. A group of us formed a jazz quintet and started playing gigs in and around LA. We then expanded the scope of the band by adding a second sax and more exotic percussion as well as incorporating elements of reggae and rock into our original music. This helped us land jobs at clubs like the Troubadour and larger venues like the Shrine Exhibition Hall. We played together professionally for five years. After at stint at the Dick Grove School of Music I joined an eight piece cover band playing popular dance music. We toured Western Canada for six months, riding in a converted city bus and taking turns driving a large panel truck with our equipment. When I returned I met a talented female singer who also played flute. We formed a pop/rock quintet and played professionally in the LA area for several years. I’ve continued to take lessons along the way and have taught trumpet, piano and guitar to both young people and adults. I believe my rich musical journey and my experiences both teaching and performing can help you to achieve your musical goals! *** Lesson Details *** Listening to music is fun. Playing music is fun. Learning to play a musical instrument should be just as much fun. The first step toward a solid musical education is to find out what type of music the student likes and what particular musician or artist he or she enjoys. From there we can choose material that the student will have fun performing as they learn. Each session will involve a brief review of previous material covered and a preview of ideas to work on going forward. In between, the student and I will play together and discuss how best we can each improve, and have a little fun along the way!! I will work with a variety of methods and concepts customized to fit each student. My experience has shown me that no two students are alike, but every student will enjoy playing more, and more often, if they like the study material. *** Travel Equipment *** I have my own instruments but would expect the student to have their own instrument for lessons and practice. *** Specialties *** Pop, rock, reggae, R&B, blues.