Welcome!
I am a music teacher living in beautiful Portland, Oregon. I teach saxophone, flute, clarinet, ukulele, and beginning piano. I have over 30 years of experience as a professional musician, and over a decade of teaching experience. I teach students of all ages and experience levels. I have taught everyone from very young beginners to older adults. I have extensive classical training, but I also teach a lot of improvisation and jazz. I have an advanced knowledge of music theory for those who are interested.
I teach in person at my house in the South Tabor neighborhood of SE Portland. Online lessons are also available through FaceTime or Zoom. Lessons are tailored to the individual student.
I believe that music should be fun and not just hard work. This is why I start my students playing real songs as quickly as possible. Since I play multiple instruments, I’m able to play along with my students, giving them real experience playing with a working musician.
The wonderful thing about private music lessons is that they are made to fit the individual student. Since I am able to focus exclusively on one student at a time, I’m able to build a relationship of trust. This helps me to build lesson plans based on the strengths of the individual student.
Young students often find that they take a big leap forward in their playing when they start taking private lessons. I believe in helping young people to develop good practice habits, focus, and listening skills. More importantly, I want to instill a lifelong love of music.
Many adults also come to me for lessons. Some have previous experience and want to start playing again. Many of them find that they remember more than they thought! Private lessons are a refuge from the cares of adult life. Many of my adult students have found new levels of skill and enjoyment in their playing. Other adults start from scratch. Anyone who wants to practice can learn to play music.
Click to find out about flute lessons, clarinet lessons, saxophone lessons, ukulele lessons, and piano lessons.
I also do a lot of live performances with my own bands and others. Jazz, Hawaiian music, and more!