About
I offer the experience of over 17 years teaching and coaching guitar, voice, ukulele, piano, and songwriting to kids from age 5 to 85. I have been a professional, working musician and songwriter for over 20 years. I have taught lessons one-on-one, in small groups, and large groups, in schools, music stores, music academies, nursing homes, band camps, and remotely from my cool, interactive virtual music studio.
My students and their parents say that I am personable, inspiring, flexible, and patient. I have the creativity and energy to challenge the tallented, calm the anxious, and reassure the tone deaf that anyone can learn to play music. I believe that my greatest asset as an educator is my commitment to use my talent, experience, and education to effectively teach many ages, levels, cultures, and learning styles. I am well organized with planning, teaching, homework, and assessments. I enjoy teaching remotely because I have the time and space to thoughtfully plan an individualized lesson for each unique, aspiring student musician. My lessons last between thirty and forty minutes, and are upbeat, relaxed, and FUN!
I wake up each morning looking forward to another day of doing what I love. I thoroughly enjoy seeing confidence grow as skills are mastered and talents are discovered and nurtured. I enjoy seeing the pride on a child's face after she can finally play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" like a pro. Students learn that hard work pays off, and that the goal of musical excellence is both attainable AND rewarding.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Students are usually anxious at first, so we just have a nice calm chat (parents are invited to the first few lessons) and I might break the ice by playing and singing a song by an artist whom she likes. We talk about her musical goals and why she chose the guitar over all of the other instruments. I discuss the benefits of a young person learning the fundamentals of music and note reading, and if they agree, I introduce the method book and the basic tuning, string names and a simple finger exercise. We discuss how daily homework is rewarded by learning a song (probably Taylor Swift) of her choice.
An adult is also nervous at first, so we discuss his musical tastes and goals. I reassure him that anyone can learn music at any age, and he doesn't have to read music to play his favorite songs. We learn to tune our instrument and to read a chord chart. We set realistic goals for homework.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia (Magna Cum Laude), and I am a Masters of Education Candidate at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Suma Cum Laude). I studied guitar with Grammy winner John Keane and vocals with Marty Langdon in NYC.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I continue to charge $89 per month for 4 lessons per month.
Lessons are scheduled for the same time each week, and last between 30 and 40 minutes.
YOUR FIRST LESSON IS FREE WITH NO OBLIGATION!!