It once was common to take music lessons in your own home or that of a music teacher.  As our society has become more sophisticated and less "neighborly" we have come to expect that music lessons are given at a music store or in a dedicated music lesson facility.

The problem is that traveling to a music lessons place takes time, uses gas, and if multiple people are taking lessons, creates the situation where some of the family are in the lobby or store, while the others are off in a small lesson room somewhere.  Storefront operations have overhead expenses that an independent music teacher does not have, so with the in-your-home option you get a better-paid more committed music teacher at a lower cost.

Music lessons in your home solves all of those problems.  No travel, no wasted waiting time, no loss of contact with your children.  Parents can monitor lessons to see how the instructor interacts with their children, and learn a bit about how to coach and encourage their children during practice time.

As an additional bonus, I also am willing to pick up needed books and basic music supplies. I have an arrangement with a local music vendor to keep all of my usual lesson books and supplies fully stocked which are porivded to me at a discount which I pass on to you. There's no need for you to remember what book you need or go out to the store to find it – I'll go get it for you.

I regularly play all three instruments in church and professionally in all styles around the area.  As a music composition major at Wheaton College, I learned the importance of a music student learning not just technique and musicality, but music theory as well.

Each student will have a different reason for taking lessons and a different outcome in mind.  I tailor lessons plans and lesson arcs to fit the personality and desires of students to maximize their learning trajectory and enthusiasm.

Lessons are given on a month-to-month contract basis. Schedules are flexible within the framework of existing lesson schedules.

Household discounts and neighborhood discounts are available if scheduling can be coordinated.

I use and enhusiastically endorse the Piano Adventures(r) series by Randall and Nancy Faber.  The regular series is perfect for kids 12 and under and the accelerated series is great for older kids and adults.

As a student advances, repertoire can take different directions based on the interests of the students and the parents. For classical I typically use the Bastien Piano Literature series but really any source of authentic classical music works very well. Most classical music is public domain and can be found almost anywhere and costs little. I also have extensive experience teaching jazz, rock, and church music.

I am fairly strict when it comes to reading notes. I have found many other teachers are very lax in this area – far too lax in my opinion. My goal isn't to teach a student to play only what books I assign (and doctor them with hints) but to quickly get them able to read and play beyond mere lesson books. Yes, reading notes can be challenging but I have found ways to make it as fun as possible using a gradual process that isn't overwhelming.

What age is appropriate to start lessons? I'd rather not pick a minimum numerical age but prefer to base it on if the student is ready. Can they sit still and pay attention for 30 minutes? They must also know the alphabet and how to count to at least 10. They also must know left from right. Obviously, reading at at least a basic level is a great plus but isn't completely required.

Is there a such thing as too old to start? Of course not! I myself started at 13 - relatively old by piano lesson norms. Older students have the advantage of independent minds and interest and a more thorough commitment to practice.

Do we need a piano or will an electronic keyboard work? While a piano or full-size keyboard is certainly preferred, a smaller keyboard is acceptable in the beginning levels. But all keyboards are not equal. Weighted keys, touch sensitivity, damper pedal, and full size are only found in more expensive keyboards but are much closer to the real thing and allow proper piano technique. Used pianos are unbelievably cheap and are sometimes free to a good home. A good deal found online or in the local paper, then tuned and fixed up, can provide a family with a great piano for very little money.

Double bass (also known as string bass, acoustic bass, contrabass, bass viol, bass fiddle, upright bass, etc.) lessons generally have two trajectories: classical (playing in orchestra) and jazz. The nature of bass music tends to encourage both. In classical music, the bass player often is tasked with holding down the chords and seldom gets to be “the hero”. In jazz, however, any ensemble bigger than solo piano requires a bass player. Bass doesn't get the melody very often in these ensembles either but they are tasked with holding down the driving rhythm and creative filling that makes jazz, blues, country, and rock so distinctive.

For classical teaching, I typically employ whatever lesson book the school uses, coordinating my lessons to go along with the school orchestra program. I will typically help students with any difficult orchestra passages and audition material. I also stress technique and solo playing, giving the student some fun challenging music in addition to the often whole note dominated orchestral parts.

Does your little bass player make squeaks when they play? Do they let the bow droop? Does their intonation leave something to be desired? Not for long if they take lessons with me. Parents are often shocked by the rapid improvement that individual lessons provide. Bass is a tough instrument to play – it really is. It's large, awkward, and doesn't get the attention that violins and cellos receive. But over the years I've developed teaching techniques that will cause rapid improvement in a way that is challenging and encouraging without being overwhelming.

But a bass player does not live on classical alone. I strongly encourage all classical bassists to learn at least some jazz. In fact, to be a successful bass player today almost requires fluency in both genres – a requirement not shared by the other members of the string family. I have developed methods and lesson plans that teach not only how to physically play jazz but also how to create original bass lines – something required of all true jazz performers.

It's not uncommon to have students that play double bass also develop and interest in electric bass. Electric bass was originally intended as a more portable version of the acoustic bass and early electric bass parts were identical in notes to acoustic bass parts. Over time, though, as electric bass technique became more sophisticated, many jazz styles such as latin, soul, and funk (especially funk) require electric bass. I strongly encourage any advanced double bass student to consider adding electric bass. The two instruments inform each other and it increases the availability for gigs by several orders of magnitude.

I am quite happy (thrilled, really) to teach both types of bass playing simultaneously because they each help the other and allow the student to play the full range of what a bass can do.

While jazz bass ultimately all but requires skill in both acoustic and electric, no such rule exists for rock (although it wouldn't hurt, certainly).

Electric bass lessons, if not involving a jazz ensemble or jazz interest, are much looser and are more open to student input and direction.

Relatively little of electric bass music is available in books and what is is often very beyond the ability of beginner and even advanced students. The reason being is that most bass books that feature popular songs are direct transcriptions, meaning that they are written to be played exactly as is done in the recording. Well if the recording featured an advanced bass player (and sometimes feature the greatest examples in rock history) it's no shock that a student can feel there's a lot of catching up to do. Fear not, however, most bass lines can be simplified and at least intermediate students can play something very close to the original.

Most rock and blues bass riffs are, indeed, quite easy and can be taught quite easily. Typically they are best conveyed by me writing them on staff paper or simply dictating it to the student so they can memorize it. Rock bass music is almost never through-composed (that is, top of the page to the bottom of the page) but rather is a complicated road map that is easier memorized than read.

Rock bass requires just as much theory as jazz bass. Rock bass players are expected to play not only the essential hooks and riffs of the song but also to improvise and write their own unique bass lines based on the chords of the song. Obviously learning how to improvise is a long process but I've developed over the years many ways of making it gradual and I emphasize student comprehension rather than my dictation.

I feel like I shouldn't have to say this but it comes up often enough that I feel I have to. Rock bass lessons absolutely require a bass, amplifier, and cable – all in good working order. You wouldn't believe how often I am stuck – for months at a time – teaching a student with equipment that isn't working. Such a situation is incredibly frustrating for me and must be even more so for the student. After all, how could they possibly enjoy playing if no sound comes out? Beginner level basses, amps, and cords are all very affordable (especially more so used) as are repairs. So please, if you are interested in electric bass lessons, commit to keeping the essential equipment available and in working order.