Multiple performance opportunities for students throughout the year, including recitals, a holiday concert at the mall, and more.
Music Theory tutoring
Audition prep
Lesson information
Private lessons are taken once a week, and are either 30 minutes or 60 minutes long, depending on a student's age, experience level, as well as their goals. I offer lessons after school, as well as daytime lesson slots for homeschooled students or students who do hybrid schooling.
Each lesson is tailored to the individual student. Some students aim to audition for a community or All-State orchestra, while others want to improve their placement in their school ensemble. Many students simply enjoy learning to play an instrument as a creative outlet. No matter what, music lessons should be fun! I’m passionate about crafting lessons that meet their unique needs and help them grow as musicians
Whether you're learning violin, viola, or piano, I offer personalized lessons for students in Marietta, Woodstock and the surrounding areas.
What do private music lessons look like?
Because lessons are tailored to the individual student, each lesson is different. But here is an idea of the types of things I like to focus on in lessons:
Technique:
Good technique is the foundation of good playing. So I like to always focus on proper technique! In violin and viola, we talk a lot about "posture" as well (posture is sort of another word for "how we hold the instrument.")
Reading & Rhythm:
No matter what instrument you play, music reading and rhythm are incredibly important! I once had a student say, "Ms. Amber, you're the rhythm queen!" And to that I said, "yes I am!"
You'll also hear me use the word "theory" or "music theory," which is sort of a fancy word that we use when talking about things like rhythm and note recognition. Music theory is the foundation of all music, so it's important for students to build their music reading fluency, as well as their knowledge of music theory.
Ear training:
Ear training is very important for all instruments, but even more so for violin and viola. Music is for ears the same way that cooking is for taste! So during violin and viola lessons, you'll hear me talk a lot about pitch and learning to hear if notes are in-tune or out-of-tune.
Lesson structure: Each lesson will start with either warm-up material like scales, and a review of material that we covered in the last lesson. Then we move on to new material and new songs! Each student has a practice notebook that they bring with them to lesson, and I write down notes from the current lesson, as well as their homework for the week. Everything is always written down so that parents and students can keep track of progress!
What materials do I need for music lessons?
Instrument: Every student needs their own instrument.
For piano, you'll need either a piano or an electronic keyboard, but make sure that the keyboard has weighted keys so that it feels similar to a piano. It's also best if the keyboard has 88 keys, which is the same as a piano. Avoid purchasing a keyboard from places like Walmart or Amazon. Go to a music shop like Guitar Center, and the associates can help you out!
For violin and viola, I HIGHLY recommend renting an instrument instead of purchasing. Violins and violas are sized to the child, so as the child grows, they will "size up" to the next size instrument. When you rent an instrument from a music store, your rental fees go towards the eventual purchase of a full-size instrument once your child is big enough for a full-sized instrument. My go-to shops are Atlanta Violins in Roswell, and Ron Sachs in Marietta. Please please please don't purchase a violin from Amazon, Walmart, Sam's Club, etc. Your money is much better spent renting a high quality violin or viola!
If you have any questions about renting or purchasing a keyboard, piano, violin, or viola, contact me here and I can help!
Music books: Each student will also have their own music books, but I'll give you that info during your first lesson
Practice notebook! Each student will need their own practice notebook (it can be any type of notebook as long as the paper is lined)
If you have any additional questions about lessons, click the link below!