What's included
8 live meetings
6 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students should practice every week. Young beginners should practice at least 15 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days a week. Intermediate to advanced students should practice 20-40 minutes a day 5 to 7 days a week. Again, it depends on the student's age, level, and goals. Have I taught students that don't practice at all? Yes, and I will continue to. Life is busy and I'm forgiving, but it is highly recommended that students DO practice in order to get the most out of their lessons.Assessment
I will use informal assessments of progress as we go. Once a song or concept is mastered, we move on to the next. If the student is using Royal Conservatory of Music literature, we can prepare for real exams or mock exams to be done in class. Exams are not mandatory however!Class Experience
This 8 session is a bundle of 45-minute private lessons for students who want to learn piano, singing, music theory, or a combination of any of these three. I tailor my lessons to the individual, and I have taught many different types of music lessons. From beginners to early advanced, I have been helping students achieve their musical goals for over a decade. **Please let me know in advance of your child's first lesson what they would like to learn and if they have had music lessons before. If you do not see a time or starting date that works for you, reach out to me. I bet we can work it out! If you would like 30 minute (best for beginners) or 1 hour lessons (best for intermediate/advanced or combo lessons,) we can arrange that as well.** Piano: Class content depends on the learner's previous experience and future goals. I use a method like Faber’s Piano Adventures or the Alfred Basic Series with beginners. These method books build on previous knowledge and introduce students to more and more challenging material gradually over time. I will meet intermediate/advanced students where they are and we will go from there. I can prepare students for Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) exams, or we can just use the Celebration Series books in class without exams in the mix. These books include classical repertoire, studies, technique, and sight-reading/ear training. Students who want to learn their favorite songs from the radio, we can do that too provided you have already had a year or more of lessons and can read some music! Not sure? No problem, I am happy to consult before we begin. Singers: Musical theater, Broadway, Disney, popular music, and classical. We will discuss the student's interests, and they will be taught safe, effective vocal production, lyrics, diction, breathing, etc. I’ll teach warm-ups, repertoire, ear-training, and in some cases sight-singing. I can prep vocalists for Royal Conservatory of Music exams as well. Each class begins with 5 to 10 minutes of vocal warmups followed by 3-5 minutes of ear-training/technique exercises. Then we will dive into repertoire (songs). Some of the elements we will work on with each song are diction, breath support and control, tone placement, phrasing, expression, and confidence. Theory: Music theory is an important part of music lessons and will usually be taught alongside piano or singing. However some students just wish to take a theory class as a standalone, and I’m happy oblige. Whether the student is prepping for a theory exam or just wants to learn the ins and outs of music-reading, I can provide tutoring in this subject. All that is needed is a theory workbook at the appropriate level, which I can recommend if needed. I typically opt for the Vandendool Keyboard Theory series, which covers all theory corequisite to RCM exams. Piano/Vocal Combo: For experienced piano players who love to sing, I offer a combo lesson where I teach students to comp themselves! Here we will learn a different type of piano playing that is focused on building chords and chord progressions so that you can sing your favorite songs while playing chords as an accompaniment. Students will learn all about building chords on any given scale, chord qualities, chords in root position and their inversions, broken and blocked chords, how to read chord symbols, Roman Numerals, and lead sheets, how to transpose to a key that fits your voice, and we will practice coordinating the voice and piano. For combo lessons, students should have already had around 2 years or more of piano lessons and be at least 10 years of age. There is really no limit to what we can achieve in our music classes. The most important thing to me is that students are having fun and enjoying the process of learning music!
Learning Goals
Students' goals will depend on their age, level, and interests. We will discuss specific goals before our first class and evaluate them as we go. Most importantly, we want to have fun learning music.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Parents are asked to look over all class materials and keep track of what students are singing or playing, particularly if the student is learning popular music. Song lyrics vary widely and so do parents' thresholds for what they are okay with their children singing and learning. I filter songs the best I can for language and content, but parental input is extremely valuable and necessary. If you have a concern about any of the material, bring it to my attention so that we can adjust or use different material!
Supply List
A piano or keyboard is needed for piano or piano/vocal combo lessons. Books will be needed for piano lessons in particular, and I can recommend those depending on the student's age and level. I can provide material for the first few classes if time is needed to order books. If the student already has books on hand, that's great! Piano/Vocal combo and singing lessons may or may not need books, depending on the student. We can discuss. A music theory book is recommended. Singers should have access to YouTube or have a way to play recorded music during their lessons so that we can listen to songs, piano accompaniments, and use backing tracks as needed. A pencil never hurts in case we need to take some notes!
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Texas Christian University
I have a BA in Vocal Performance from Texas Christian University and was certified to teach Music grades EC-12 in the State of Texas for many years. I have taught private piano, singing, and theory lessons for over a decade to students from ages 4 all the way to adults post-retirement.
Reviews
Live Private Class
$432
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
45 min
Completed by 12 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-18