Musician, Software Engineer
I've been playing instruments for over a decade. Starting as a clarinet player in middle school, I never could have guessed the impact that music would have had on me. 11 years later, and it is still one of the most powerful forces of my life.
After middle school, I decided to pick up tenor saxophone. Jazz, Funk, and Rock were all new and exciting genres that I couldn't wait to learn. I would shed and shed, and practicing my instrument felt natural to me. My band director at the time was one of my role models, and he is the reason that I keep playing well into my twenties. Without his genuine enthusiasm for the art of music, I would have never kept playing past the 12th grade. I taught a couple lessons for clarinet at the time, and played at a military funeral. Before leaving for college, I shadowed a former professor at my community college regarding basic audio engineering principles. Recording setup, post-processing, and client management were all skills I picked up while under his study. This experience made me realize that I wanted to pursue music as a career, believing that my (at the time) scrappy and resourceful attitude would enable me to make things work.
Fast-forward to college, and I was a freshman music major. Slowly, music began to take a backseat in my life. A combination of academic pressure and a transition to adulthood convinced me that I needed more stable career prospects. I switched to Computer Science in my second year, which allowed me to land a day job to finance my music aspirations. There are always feelings of potential regret, but I believe that securing the finances to enjoy music comfortably will lead to the best outcomes for myself.
Switching to software made me realize that the habits that make a good musician and the habits that make a good software engineer are almost indistinguishable. Because of that, it is one of my life goals to become just as proficient of a software engineer as I am a musician, and to bridge the gap between software and music in any way that I can.
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
Effective private lessons are built around strong fundamentals, confident music reading, and genuine skill development. Not only that, an effective lesson is priced affordably and scheduled around your life. Patience is one of the strongest skills to have as a teacher, and my experience giving lessons as well as being a STEM tutor has taught me that skill.
I believe that patient instruction and a proven regiment gets you playing well, faster.
If you've always wanted to perform in a band, learn a new piece of music, or simply to pick up a new hobby, private lessons may be for you.