Accordion Lessons in Oakton. Amazing Teachers.

I can't really talk too much about how other teachers work, and also don't want to. But I know I have and always had many happy and successful students. From kids, adults, professionals, hobbyists to people who retired and finally have time to fulfill a life goal.

Piano and button accordions.

I began taking piano lessons when I was 5 years old and continued through college where I received my BA with a focus in Music Theory and Performance.
When I was 10 years old my parents bought an old accordion at a garage sale and I was fascinated. Growing up outside of a rural Missouri town with deep German pride was the perfect setting for me to hone my polka and waltz skills. I would play for all the german festivals.
I find great joy in meeting your individual learning needs while helping you achieve your goals.

Music college graduate, with plenty of experience in real-world musical settings and five years of teaching experience. When it comes to teaching I have plenty of patience and no judgment!
My goal is to help you define realistic goals and then, how to obtain them. If you are unsure of what your goals are, that's okay too. We can cover the basics and in time, find out what your musical interests are. However, I expect my students to work towards improving their skills by practicing a little each day, or as I like to say students need to be hitting the woodshed.
My lessons are tailored toward each student's goals but I always include certain topics. The core of my teaching involves a clear understanding of rhythm, scales, chords, and music notation. In addition, I enjoy music theory and always work it into my lesson. Personally, knowing the form and function, or the why of song structure is important for musicians to understand.
In addition to theory, we will work on ...

I play the piano accordion. I can not teach the various other types of accordion. We can learn anything from Classical to Honky Tonk! I mix sight-reading with theory to teach a variety of styles. I use a metronome and fun recordings to play along with!

I still don't understand why so many people laugh when you say "accordion"! Let's show them different! This is one of the most expressive, international, fun, and emotional instruments out there! So much more than just "polkas": Argentinian tangos, German beer songs, French cafe, Southern Zydeco, Irish Celtic music, Russian folk, Italian melodic, and the list goes on... Bottom line: I love this instrument because it is FUN and VERY "produceable". Half of it is an arsenal of buttons while the other half is a good 'ol keyboard, and depending on which model you have, there are many tonal buttons to thoroughly change its personality -- no electricity needed!

I can teach you how to create some fun and inspired music on it regardless of your musical tastes, as long as you have a PIANO ACCORDION -- not JUST buttons like a bayan or concertina (sorry -- please note that I do NOT teach chromatic/diatonic button accordion or "virtual/electronic accordions" such as the Roland series -- just