Gregory Dibs: Piano And DJ Lessons
About
My years of lessons, musical training at UC Davis, and experience playing in many ensembles and Djing various events has given me a solid musical background, and my love for teaching and seeing music students excel makes my lesson style fun and effective.
I enjoy seeing students progress with their musical abilities while also falling in love with the instrument. When a student is self-motivated and enjoys to practice, it makes teaching a joy because I can point them in the right direction and offer great tips for improving the efficiency of their practicing. I also enjoy seeing struggling students accomplish new pieces or improve certain weaker skills. It is a great feeling to know that I had any part in the development of a new musician.
I graduated UC Davis with a major in Music in Fall 2017. I have been DJing for almost 5 years and have been producing my own music for 7. I took 10 years of piano lessons from age 7-17 and have been playing classical and jazz trombone since elementary school. (I even played in a jazz ensemble most of my time at UC Davis.)
In high school I participated in the Sonoma County Honor Band and the NorCal Honor Band twice in 2011 and 2012.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First I determine the relative skill level of the student, which includes their ability to play learned material as well as sightreading ability. If the student has no experience, that is completely fine. I then tailor a lesson plan around specific piano books which I recommend purchasing (usually no more than about $10 each) which will help with the progression of the student.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am a recent graduate of UC Davis with a major in Music. I have some teaching experience, mostly with kids aged 6-10.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I travel to my students. I charge $25 per lesson if we meet weekly; otherwise, I charge $30 per lesson. Each lesson is 30 minutes, although I have no problem going over by a few minutes if we are making a lot of progress and I have nowhere I need to immediately be.
How did you get started teaching?
I used to take piano lessons growing up, starting when I was 7 years old all the way until I was 17. I then started studying Electrical Engineering at UC Davis, but switched majors to Music when I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in music performance and production, rather than designing technical audio equipment. I decided it would be fun and worthwhile to also give piano and DJ lessons. I posted an advertisment and started working with my first student, and then started teaching a couple more students. I had to take a break from teaching to meet the demands of full-time classes at UC Davis while working a part-time job plus DJing on most weekends. Now, I've just graduated and am looking to pick up students again!
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked mostly with students aged 6-10. I've also taught a few lessons to older students closer to my age, but those were mainly for practice and were not students who took weekly lessons.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Take a first lesson with a teacher to determine if you feel they will be easy to learn from. Most teachers that I know of, myself included, give a free first lesson in case the student is not sure they want to commit to regular lessons.
Also, another thing to remember is that the improvement in musical ability will only really happen if the student practices their instrument regularly. Even beginners at piano should be practicing 5-7 times a week, at least 15 minutes each time. Intermediate students should be practicing at least 30 minutes each time, and advanced students might need an hour each practice session to progress at a good pace.
I always recommend practicing things you are struggling with in spots, rather than just running through pieces from top to bottom. This is hard to train yourself to do, but if done right can make practicing time much more efficient.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
How commited is the student to improving? If the student is very busy and can only dedicate a small amount of time to practicing, it would kind of be a waste of money to pay for regular lessons and not see any real improvement. If the student wants to really stay on track, I recommend weekly lessons. I also offer a slightly cheaper rate on weekly lessons.