This is a GREAT question! First of all, I LOVE when students approach lessons with a specific goal - whether that's a particular song you want to learn to play, an audition you have coming up, a surprise serenade for someone, etc. Having goals really helps direct our practice to ensure you're getting the most out of your lessons! 

That said, in my approach to teaching, we typically weave in general musicianship and technique/skills, even if we are working toward one particular song. While I'm just as pumped…

I've been getting this question more recently as everyone is excited to move into a post-pandemic world. However, my teaching studio has permanently shifted to an exclusively online model, for a variety of reasons I'll share below. There may be occasional opportunities for in-person "workshop days" at some point, but they will not be regularly scheduled weekly lessons.

Health & Safety

Covid has been very unpredictable and each time I've thought we were near the end of the pandemic, things have moved back…

The title says it all, and I'm overdue to address this question - it's SO important to my teaching philosophy, and I'm happy to discuss in-depth.

My goal as a teacher is to impart a sense of excitement and understanding of music to all my students. My goal as a teacher is NOT - and never has been - perfection. As my favorite fitness instructor says, "there's no such thing as perfection." When it comes to music - especially with younger students - an emphasis on perfection can lead to lost interest…

I LOVE music, and I love sharing my love of music with others. I say nearly every day I have the best job in the world! Helping inspire others to learn and grow musically is amazing. Here are some factors to consider if you're deciding whether private music lessons are the next step in your musical journey:

Reason for Taking Lessons

Many people reach out to me because they also love music and want to understand it better. This is a great reason to learn music, and when the desire to understand is deep…

I love living in a small community - knowing someone else can check on our cats or let us borrow a ladder without a second thought is great! One of the downfalls of living in a small community can be limited resources.Usually we get creative and use what we have which is great! However, trying to "use what we have" when it comes to music lessons may not be the best choice. 

I've recently been asked if I could offer lessons on instruments as varied as violin/fiddle, bass, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and even…

We're all different - we like different music, we learn differently, we think differently. That's why - although I often use the same method for many students - I tailor my lessons to the student's needs and goals. However, I only see the student once a week - that's a tiny portion of their time each week! Learning music effectively takes consistent effort. While some early beginners are able to squeak by for a few months without practicing too much, they'll eventually have to start putting some work in…

I now offer online lessons for students in any location, as well as in-person students who may have weather- or illness-related cancellations. This allows us to keep progressing with music, even when the climate or immune systems don't want to cooperate! So what do you need for a successful online lesson?

Computer/Tablet Access

While we could technically do a lesson with an iPhone, it's much better to use a tablet or laptop computer with a camera/videoconferencing capabilities. A phone screen is very small…

My first guitar student was 8 years old and I still remember those early lessons with her, when progress seemed slow, and I wasn't sure whether she was actually having fun. I'm happy to report now she's in college and plays 3 additional instruments, and music has remained a huge part of her life! Those early, slow-moving lessons worked and helped laid a strong foundation for music - because she was the one who wanted to take lessons to begin with. 

How Young is Too Young?

Over the years I've had many…

It's the statement parents and teachers often dread: "but I don't WANNA do it!" What happens when I've arrived for the lesson and that's the first thing we hear?

Consider the "Why"

As noted in my previous post people most often want someone to listen to them. Often my first question will be, "Why not?" Maybe the student had a terrible day, they had a disagreement with a friend, they're hungry, they're tired...or they didn't practice much and are embarrassed to play. Asking first, instead of demanding they…