Fairfax, VA Music Performance Lessons

here is no piano, we can work from the mp3 player or a cd player and make it work!

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in Jazz voice, improvisation (scatting) and Broadway singing. I am also trained in Acting.

amps, recording equipment, drums and PA system.

*** Studio Equipment ***
guitars, amps, drums, 16 track recorder, soup to nuts

*** Specialties ***
Rock (all kinds), Blues, Pop, Country, ear training.

ofessionally now for over twenty years. Some students want to take a few lessons to see if it is something they will enjoy, others have worked with me for over a decade. I have mentored several students who have gone on to professional careers. I have experienced a lot of success teaching young children and those with special needs. I have been blessed with a tremendous amount of patience and truly enjoy teaching anyone who wants to learn.

Whatever your goals or abilities, I look forward to working with you!

*** Lesson Details ***
Experience fun based lessons as my teaching approach is relaxed and inspirational. I enjoy working with all ages, adjusting my teaching methods to accommodate your learning style and abilities. Learn to play the music you love! You learn best when you enjoy what you are playing, I can help you play along with your favorites or even write your own songs. I always ask my students at the beginning of a lesson "What would you like to do today?" Then structure the lesson accordingly into a routine that the student can practice on their own. Generally the time is divided into warm ups, learning new material, then picking a fun song the student choses. Whether your interest is Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop music, etc... I'm here help you reach your goals so let's make your dreams come true with music together!

*** Travel Equipment ***
Books, Guitar, music stand, metronome, picks, tuner, page clips, capo, media player, laptop, Keyboard (on request), and recording equipment (on request)

*** Specialties ***
With Voice I specialize in helping people prepare for auditions such as American Idol. I have students who simply want to be karaoke stars. I have several professional singers that hire me as a voice coach and producer for recording sessions. I have taught children as young as 2 and those that retired with a lifelong dream to sing. Though my training is classical, I can teach Jazz, Pop, Rock, Rap, R&B, etc...whatever is fun for the student. I highly recommend learning to read music but I do not push it unless parents want their child to.

With Piano I can teach traditionally from Alfred and Bastien Piano Courses depending if they are auditory or visual learners. For Kinesthetic learners I use Hanon scale exercises and Rothman Rhythm Exercises. For those that want to learn notation I introduce classical and Jazz composers unless there is a popular artist/band/movie theme etc...that they would like to learn. However I do not push students to read music unless their parents would prefer it. I tend to keep more students that want to learn to play by ear especially adults by using rhythm training and music theory exercises and then applying them to songs they love. For piano I haven't had much success with children younger than 3. I also have a lot experience working with special needs children.

For Guitar I teach Classical, Acoustic, and Electric all styles and genres. I encourage sight reading but don't mind using tabs. I use more exercises with these students, since the first month students have a hard time making a sound. I try to make the lessons fun by having students strum chords along with songs they chose. I teach lead and rhythm even songwriting and composition. Job satisfaction for me is seeing my students leave a lesson with a smile on their face so I make sure to be a fun based teacher that doesn't give the student a hard time about not practicing.

For Recording and Performance I use the knowledge I gained doing Pro Audio Sales for Guitar Center from 2000-2002 to help clients build their own home studio. I have lots of producers and engineers I work with on a regular basis to produce broadcast quality audio and video recordings and help my students use their lessons and pre-production for those opportunities. I can teach Garage Band or Pro Tools classes on navigating the software and utilizing all the commands. I can also teach room acoustics and using the right microphone and how to position them with the right equipment and the right acoustics to get the best possible tone that they are looking for. I can also teach editing, mixing, looping, sampling, midi, and mastering so that the student can eventually work on their own writing, performing, and recording their music.

re completed at the American University, where I majored in Communications (B.A.), and minored in Music, voice being my instrument. During my undergraduate studies, I was recruited and performed as the lead female vocalist for a Rock band that a few fellow music students had formed. While in college, I was trained in classical voice, piano, music theory, musical theater performance, and vocal pedagogy (vocal training). My vocal pedagogy studies credentialed me to become a professional vocal instructor. I began teaching voice after I earned my degree, and have been teaching private voice lessons for over ten years.

Most of my present expertise in teaching voice grew from my vocal pedagogy studies, my teaching experience which has developed over time, my own personal vocal dedication, and my training and understanding of various genres of vocal performance. My present singing career is as an inspirational singer; my vocal students encompass various genres in which I have experience, including: Inspirational, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Rock, Classical, as well as various degrees of popular music.

*** Audition Preparation ***
I have coached many of my students to prepare for auditions: auditions to be accepted into performing arts schools, parts in musicals and plays, joining a band or vocal ensemble, as well as auditions for televised singing shows, such as "The Voice," "Sunday's Best," "American Idol" and "The X Factor."

*** Lesson Details ***
I teach students by using the tried and true techniques I have found to be successful, and allow the student to be my guide as to which direction to take with his or her vocal training. Whether the student is a novice, a professional, or somewhere in between, each student, after obtaining the basic singing knowledge and techniques, will have a vocal training schedule geared to his or her individual needs and development. Lessons are for the most part very casual in nature, and the student’s dedication (practice, practice, practice) will dictate whether or not the lessons become stricter. A few months into the vocal instruction, students will be given the opportunity to learn more about reading music and sight singing, if he or she so chooses, as well as vocal performance techniques for singing in front of an audience. Within one year, dedicated students may also have the opportunity to show off what they have learned, and perform in front of an audience at a recital with other vocal students. Please note that my preference is to work with teens age 13 through adults of any age. I believe that younger voices need more time to develop and stand to be damaged if too much stress is put on them too soon. However, exceptions for children under 13 may be made for gifted young singers.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Home studio- entry room of home, baby grand piano, seating area, dry erase board, mirrors
Music Studio- one recording studio, seating area, classroom

*** Travel Equipment ***
If needed, I provide a portable piano keyboard, microphone with amplifier, paper handouts of lessons, etc. The student needs to have paper to take notes and a writing instrument.

*** Specialties ***
Most of my voice lesson experience has been with adults, and contemporary popular and inspirational music.

ks better than the spoken word because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective."

In some instances, music works better than the spoken word because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective. Although many musicians agree that music is a "language" it is rarely treated as such.

Many of us treat it as something that can only be learned by following a strict regiment under the tutelage of a skilled teacher. This approach has been followed for hundreds of years with proven success... But it takes a long time. Too long.

Think about the first language you learned as a child. More importantly, think about how you learned it.

"You were allowed to make mistakes."

You were a baby when you first started speaking and even though you spoke the language incorrectly you were allowed to make mistakes - and the more mistakes you made, the more your parents smiled!

Learning to speak was not something you were sent somewhere to do only a few times a week. The majority of people you spoke to were not beginners, they were already proficient speakers. Imagine your parents forcing to only speak to other babies until you were good enough to speak to them! You'd probably be an adult before you could carry on a proper conversation.

To use a musical term, as a baby you were allowed to "jam" with professionals.

If we approach music in the same natural way we approached our first language, we would learn to speak it in the same short time it took to speak our first language.
Proof of this can be seen in almost any family where a child grows up with other musicians in the family.

Here are a few keys to follow in learning guitar or bass:

In the beginning we embrace mistakes instead of correcting them. Like a child playing air guitar there are no wrong notes.

Allow young musicians to play and perform with accomplished musicians on a daily basis.

Encourage young musicians to play more than they practice. The more they play, the more they will practice on their own.

Music comes from the musician, not the instrument.
____________________________________________________________

2) RockSmith 2014 becomes your personal accomplished musician or band for you to play in a daily basis as it monitors how you play, dynamically adjusts difficulty to your skill level, then slowly introduces more notes and phrases until you're playing your favorite songs note-for-note. Lead Rhythm and bass lines.

Rocksmith 2014 teaches you fast and effectively by letting you plug any real guitar or bass directly into your Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC or Mac.

The Rocksmith Method will first make sure you can PLAY the instrument.
You will play your favorite songs.
You will learn a new technique every month.
Rocksmith is designed to match the way your guitar is laid out, so there's no need to interpret tablature or learn sheet music to get started.
Have strings on your guitar? You'll see strings on the screen....

You'll need a game console, a screen and a electric guitar or bass. It's non negotiable.

If you don't have it. I will provide you with a loaner system until you catch up.

_____________________________________________________________

3) A dedicated and passionate Teacher to tie everything together and keep you on track.

The early you start, the better. Kids age 6 or up are my best customers. They don't have adjust to anything other than to get their little fingers around a guitar appropriate to their size.
For young adults and people that tried play the guitar the old fashion way, here's my advise:

You will need to take a step back... or maybe two steps. Let me show you a better way.

These 3 things changes everything in how to learn or teach guitar. This is just to start the journey. I won't even mention custom songs or our musician club for you to perform your songs.

"If music is a language. You should never stop talking."

Remember that a language works the best when we have something interesting to say.
Many music teachers never find out what their students have to say. We only tell them what they are supposed to say.
A child speaks a language for years before they even learn the alphabet.
Too many rules at the onset will actually slow them down.
In my eyes the approach to music should be the same.

After all, music is a language too.

Let's Play & Grow Together.

___________________________________________________________________

Private guitar and bass lessons are designed for students to progress at their own pace. Private lessons will follow the same RockSmith Journey structure. In a private guitar or bass lesson, the teacher has the opportunity to help the student individually for the entire lesson time, and structures each lesson personally for the student depending on their skill level and goals.

The Essentials/Techniques Plus:

Tuning
Strapping up
How to hold a pick
Plucking strings
Accents
Slides
Chords
Power chords
Double stops
Barre chords
Arpeggios
Notes Chords Scales

Shifting
Fretting
Sustains
Palm mutes
Slides
Bends
Tremelos
Hammer-ons
Pull-offs
Natural harmonics
Strumming patterns
Unpitched slides
Fret hand mutes
Improvising and jamming
Vibrato
Scales and modes
Changing strings

Additional Bass Techniques:

Fifths
Roots
Slapping
Popping

Advanced Players:

Double stop, Oblique, and Compound Bends
Two hand tapping
Articulation and phrasing
Pinch harmonics
Extended harmonies
Hybrid techniques
Advanced chords

issues as well as integrating the body to fully support the voice.

She addresses vocal issues in a very practical and logical order by first identifying the primary source of the vocal issues and starting to work from there.

This is a simple, but crucial difference that is apparent in her approach. The very nature of secondary issues are that they are simply the extensions of the primary issues and therefore primary issues should really become the focus and starting point of the technical work.

It is from Christine’s experience and observation that she has concluded that secondary issues will always be dysfunctional (regardless of time and effort put into correcting them) as long as the primary issues have not been resolved. Oftentimes secondary issues will significantly self-correct on their own or can be approached reasonably once the primary source has been corrected.

This can only happen if the teacher knows this and is aware on how to approach the correct order in which to work and to address issues.

Making sense of primary versus secondary issues is absolutely fundamental to legitimately correcting problems successfully. Unfortunately it is often that the student is ultimately left to the enormous task of discovering this on their own, if ever and if they are lucky after years of study because the teacher is often focused on surface level issues, which are always easy to hear.

This is because most professionals are not versed in hearing such nuanced differences, nor capable to offer to work in such a refined manner.

The voice requires an execution of many things that must function together properly in order for it to work. Considering this makes it is easy to understand why the voice is viewed as the most complicated instrument to diagnose and teach. Therefore, it is absolutely important to invest in teachers who greatly have a handle on the voice and how to go about making sense of it.

She also specializes in teaching students process and development through highly mindful practices. She believes that in order for the voice to function optimally, the body, mind and emotional state of the singer must all be receptive and responsive in a positive way. This is because they are all inherently interconnected.

Christine teaches in a mindful manner to help students become more observant and aware of their own approach. By doing so we can realistically create the opportunity to arrive to better choices.

Christine’s extensive experience and knowledge in various styles and specialties in vocal intonation, along with her continuous education (over twenty years) and dedication to the authentic Italian traditions of bel canto and verismo opera has allowed for her to develop an approach that can extended into all legitimate styles of singing. Her personal approach to the voice is beyond comparison, nor can it be matched.

She has a phenomenal ear and can make rapid and highly accurate assessments of technical issues in a very brief sitting. Christine is exceptional at explaining vocal pedagogy and directing students on how to make corrections for themselves.

Christine is a dramatic soprano and is very confident and experienced with large instruments (that are more difficult to train for various reasons and require more specialized training). Having an extremely rare and large voice herself has given her invaluable insight toward fully understanding all other voice types and the discipline necessary to achieve efficient technique.

Many teachers can be limited in their view and teach "their technique" as opposed to helping the student develop their own technique and what works best for them. Christine has a great talent for figuring out what a students needs to do in their approach in order to achieve the results and keep the lessons progressive.

Developing proficient technique in a complete and effective way leads toward discovering the full capacity and beauty of our instrument without compromise. We need to find our voice to find ourselves as artist.

Her methods in vocal intonation translate directly and indirectly into all styles of legitimate singing, which she coaches many varying styles and will direct student toward appropriate repertoire. Students will learn the full potential of their instrument under her guidance. It is her belief that technique should always lead toward one sounding natural, no matter the style and that one fully learns their instrument’s capability to access endless artistic choices as a performer.

Christine offers very traditional based vocal lessons with a focus on improving technique through practical exercises and song repertoire designed for each student's unique vocal needs. She will offer necessary guidance and adjustments to ensure the student's continuous development.

Her goal is for her vocal students to discover their authentic voice and to find freedom in their technique and most importantly their expression as artists.

What you can expect to learn:

Vocal pedagogy and how the voice functions properly; how to effectively think about your voice to get the body to cooperate (aurally, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.);

Integrating the body to fully support the voice Rebounding the body, which is at the core of support, but often times very apparently neglected because most trained singers/teachers from even the highest institutions do not understand how it works or do it effectively themselves. It is sadly becoming a lost art. This is the most advanced concept of singing and yet is absolutely necessary to master in order to access genuine support. Christine clearly demonstrates and explains how this concept functions and her refinement of it is by far not common knowledge.

Other concepts include sustaining an open throat, internal space for optimal resonances, legitimate dynamics directed from the body and compressed air, anchoring the body to maintain the larynx low;

Various placement techniques, air that can rebound using breath direction, centering the voice/cut internally by aligning the horizontal (mask) and vertical planes (chest, back of head, top of head and spine) support and placement that function together, developing a mixed middle sound that passes easily into low and high registers and broadens range; articulation that is aligned with vertical planes and naturally hooks up chest and top of head (releases in head) without forcing or placing, tongue, jaw and neck release, body posture that is conducive for support and keeps the body open and functional;

Various artistic and performance techniques, musical interpretation appropriate to context, time period and style, aligning the voice and body/acting to come across accurately in our portrayals and the process behind this, memorization techniques, execution of timing for expressive reasons and ways to think about timing that doesn’t conflict with the natural structure of a song, but allows for flexibility in phrasing, phrasal development and song development.

Piano:
Christine is also a highly sought out piano instructor for her ability to establish an exceptional foundation in beginning piano students and those who wish to continue their studies and build upon the fundamentals. She specializes in reading skills and excellent technique.

It is her belief that having a solid foundation sets the tone for determining if a student will continue with their studies and therefore this is the most vital part of a student's development and future progress.

She teaches Russian technique, which allows for flexibility, strength and tonal beauty of musical lines. This technique can be applied to all styles of playing piano such as pop, jazz and is not limited to just the classical repertoire.

Her goal is for all of her music students to become increasingly independent as musicians to where they feel confident to teach themselves and others and to ultimately find enjoyment in the process of learning music.

Her approach helps students advance their technique, reading proficiency, including music theory and expand their artistic capabilities.

Education and continuation of voice:

She received her music education in classical vocal performance from George Mason University and has vigiourously continued her studies in opera with Mrs. Fabiana Bravo, who studied with Luciano Pavarotti and Renata Scotto and has had a fabulous career singing at the Met. Christine specializes in Italian for classical rep.

General styles I coach:
Opera (bel canto and verismo) classical, sacred, hymnal, traditional, jazz, r&b, folk, and other variations of these popular styles.

Christine also has an international recording career as an adult contemporary artist.

Voice lessons begin at age 14-55 and piano at age 6-any age. Please no inquires about exceptions on age or travel, I will not respond. I teach from my home only, regardless of distance. I am worth waiting for and traveling to:)

What do I expect from students who are applying:

Those who are very hard working, motivated, passionate, dedicated, responsible, considerate, humble and serious about lessons and greatly improving as musicians should apply only regardless of aspirations as a hobby or professionally.

I strongly believe that music is a discipline and this is how it will be approached during lessons. This is a teacher-student effort. Taking responsibility for your part is a must. That means trying to the best of your abilities to put my advice and guidance into practice away from lessons is necessary to your improvement.

I am looking for potential long-term students who are willing and ready to work hard in a practical and realistic manner, regardless of age, learning needs or proficiency.

Singing is a long-term sustained process to develop that can absolutely not be rushed and I want students who understand this. I have very limited availability and I am only seeking serious students who have a positive, professional attitude and will value me as a teacher. You need not know anything about voice, just have a good work ethic and attitude :)

Thank you and looking forward to working together!

Warmly,
Christine Padua