teaching

photo by Sam Kassirer

 

YES, I CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT MUSIC

I have been teaching music classes, workshops, and private lessons for ten years. I have taught at the Passim School of Music, Miles of Music Camp, Maine Fiddle Camp, Ossipee Valley String Camp, Fiddleheads Jam Camp, Fiddle Hell, Sisters Song Academy (OR), and others. My areas of expertise include:

  • fiddle (old-time, bluegrass, country, Americana, song accompaniment, improvising, modern fiddle tunes)

  • acoustic and electric guitars (folk, country, roots, Americana, indie-folk-rock-whatever, moving beyond basic chords and unlocking the fretboard, transitioning from acoustic to electric guitar, flatpicking, fingerpicking)

  • harmony singing

  • songwriting

  • ear training and practical music theory

  • ensemble playing

  • performance skills

  • other general musicianship skills on any instrument

I love the process of helping students of all ages find their voices on their instruments and empowering them to internalize the music that inspires them. My goal is to help you become a flexible, versatile musician, with big ears and practical skills that will enable you to more easily realize your ideas and communicate with other musicians. I teach music theory in a practical, accessible way, focusing not on written notation but on understanding how music works. I prefer to work with adults or teenagers who are committed to practicing regularly and are hungry to grow their musicianship!

If you are interested in booking me to teach at a festival/camp/workshop/other event, please send me an email through my contact page.

PRIVATE LESSON INFO

I offer remote lessons via Zoom and in-person lessons in Portland, Maine. I use Calendly for private lesson booking. Click here to book a lesson. You will be taken to a page that shows my availability for the month. If you do not see any available dates, that means I am not currently offering private lessons.

You can also sign up to receive emails whenever I open new lesson slots. To do that, just send me a message here and put “PRIVATE LESSON SIGNUP” in the subject line.

Please note that I am primarily a performing musician and my teaching schedule is at the mercy of my touring and recording schedule, so if you are looking for someone who can give you lessons at the same time every week for the next 3 years, I am not your gal. However, if you’re looking for a supportive and energetic environment in which to develop your musicianship, or a teacher with a deep understanding of the skills a musician at any level needs in order to thrive, I would love to work with you.

If you have more questions, feel free to send me a message via my contact page.