I give private lessons on piano, guitar and ukulele locally in the Cedar Mill and nearby neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon. I also give lessons over Zoom worldwide.

I am a member of the Oregon Music Teachers’ Association and for interested students I offer Syllabus preparation in classical piano.

For times of the week when I am not available in my private practice, I may have times available through Keys to Life Music School, where I have taught part-time since the fall 2018 session.

You can reach out to me via my contact page or using any information I may have included in an ad. Below is my full resume.

DEDICATED PIANO & GUITAR TEACHER WITH 20+ YEARS TEACHING EXPERIENCE

I have taught guitar & piano full-time since mid-2013, supplemented by 2 full-time years at the start of my career in 2000, and 13 part-time years in the intervening time. I am a member in good standing of the Oregon Music Teacher’s Association.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Teaching is of central importance in my career. I believe that we musicians have inherited a priceless tradition, and that the most significant thing we can do as musicians is to pass on the skills, knowledge, and joy of music to later generations. As such I have been teaching my entire adult life, and teaching full-time for the past five years. My aim with each student is to cultivate a fruitful balance of technical, interpretive, and creative skills.

MUSIC BACKGROUND

Piano:Over 30 years of study, mostly with private teachers. Highest level MTAC Certificate of Merit in Piano earned in 1993 (California equivalent of the OMTA Syllabus program). Classical focus through 1995 (to age 18); jazz and pop styles since. Principal focus in recent years has been jazz and funk.

Guitar: Over 30 years of study with private teachers. Classical focus from 1998 to 2000; jazz and pop styles since. Principal focus in recent years has been jazz, funk, country, folk, pop and rock.

Other studies: College studies included extensive coursework in functional harmonic analysis, sight-singing & solfege, jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, orchestra and small ensemble playing, composition. Casual studies of mandolin, banjo, bass guitar, ukulele, saxophone, singing, and drums.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Private piano and guitar teacher, San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, 2013 – Present

·       Craft individual lesson plans for up to 35 weekly students.

·       Create materials where published materials are insufficient to students’ needs.

·       Balance student's technical skills, reading skills, and ability to play without printed materials, which may consist of playing material by heart, improvising, or both. Lessons also advance theory concepts and music appreciation.

·       Balance students’ interest in learning specific material (e.g., favorite songs) with material that will advance their skills and knowledge.

·       Prepare interested students for the OMTA Syllabus evaluations in classical piano, jazz piano, and strings.

·       Work with parents to ensure students are advancing skills and retaining interest.

·       Work with a wide range of ages, age 4 to adults.

·       Run the entire business supporting the teaching, from marketing to accounting duties.

Keys to Life, Portland and Beaverton, fall 2018 to the present

Instructor

  • All skills and duties as in my private practice, above, with the exception of running the business. Up to 15 weekly students.

Guitar Center, Portland and Beaverton, summer 2018

Instructor

·       Worked with students booked and scheduled by the store staff, mostly one-time adult students.

·       Seeing new students from week to week presented the additional challenge of quickly ascertaining what they would most benefit from learning, and presenting it to them.

Sound Roots School of Modern Music Summer Rocks! Camp, Portland, August 2018

·       Taught two one-week sessions which ran from 8:30 to 3:30 each day.

·       Each week I was assigned a “band” of 6 students, roughly grouped by age.

·       I led each band in selecting or writing 2-3 songs to perform at a big show at the end of the week.

·       Other activities and topics taught: creating a band name; creating a poster; the art of negotiation and compromise; musicianship; ensemble skills; leadership skills; performance skills; instrument skills.

 Music department tutor, Cabrillo College, CA 2001-2003

·       As a high-achieving recent student, I was employed to assist music majors with their coursework.

 EDUCATION

Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA 1995-1997; 2000-2002.

Music major with focus on piano performance and jazz improvisation.