Private Music Lessons - Weekly - 20 Lessons

*Please contact me for schedule requests*

Siobhan McGovern offers private music lessons in voice, violin, ukulele, and music theory.

No experience necessary. Siobhan accepts students of all levels and abilities.  From beginner to advanced. Lessons are catered to the individual's needs. Let me know what level you are at and what you want to work on.  With over 20 years of teaching experience, Siobhan knows how to motivate students to achieve their musical goals. 

In the classroom, Siobhan encourages students to progress in a positive and understanding learning environment.  

The lesson format begins with warmups and exercises which help students develop a strong technical foundation.  The bulk of the lesson time will be spent on learning songs. 
Lessons can be casual and based on learning music for enjoyment or lessons can have a more serious tone with exam preparation, audition preparation and polishing of pieces as the focus.  

In general, one-on-one lessons move at the pace of the student with song performance as the main goal.  Song choice will be balanced between songs assigned by the teacher and songs of the students choosing.
I ask students to tell me some of their favorite songs and we will work on these in the lessons (or easy versions if the song choice is too difficult).  

Areas to be covered in the lessons:
1) warmups 
2) technique
3) musical knowledge
4) repertoire
5) performance 
6) playing expressively
7) music theory
8) how to practice
9) creativity (improvisation, song-writing)

Breakdown of lesson format - This example describes vocal lessons.  Format would be slightly different for ukulele, violin or music theory classes.

Week 1
Introductions, discussion about previous singing experience and what skills you are interested in working on (for example: stretch your range, learn to improvise, become more confident in performing, ear training, rhythmic training, belting, connecting head and chest voice, reading music, sight singing)

Learning the warmups - we will learn a breathing exercise, lip buzz, chest voice and head voice exercises
Learning a song - for example if a student chooses the song 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' we will work on the first verse of the song

Week 2
Learning the warmups - sing the warmups from week 1 and learn a diction exercise, pure vowel exercise and an exercise for vocal range
Learning a song - Student will sing the first verse for me.  We will work on the chorus section of the song.

Week 3 
Warmups - sing all warmups
Learning a song - Student will sing for me the parts we have worked on and I will give advice and practice tips
If student is ready, we will discuss singing with a backing track and how to prepare/practice for this

Week 4
Warmups - sing all warmups
Song - Student will arrive prepared with an external speaker and backing track ready to go.  Student will sing the song with the backing track and I will give advice.

Weeks 5 - 20
Continue working on new songs as per week 1 - 4

Students will be expected to practice 5 - 6 days a week in order to progress.  I recommend 10 - 15 minutes a day for beginners, 30 - 45 minutes a day for intermediate, and 60 - 90 minutes a day for advanced students.  

Contact me to request dates and times.  For advanced students, I recommend a 50 minute lesson per week.
Makeup lessons policy: Cancel with 24 hrs notice to receive a makeup lesson.