Music Lessons

Prerequisites: Guitar players must be able to play six chords, drummers must be able to play three rhythms, keyboard players must be able to play chords using guitar symbols, and lead singers must be studying voice/have previous experience/be recommended by a music teacher.

Fee: $350 for 30 lessons *This fee includes the $100 facilities fee.

To sign up for one of these bands, contact Mike Woods.

• Singers willing to sing both lead and backup vocals are encouraged to join.
• The electric bands will work on music chosen by the students with purely electric instruments (although brass instruments are also encouraged). Guitar players may be asked to take turns playing a beginner bass guitar part.
• Players in the jazz band will need to have an interest in jazz and in learning to improvise.

Students will be arranged in bands by the instrumental music coordinator. Bands will be arranged based on student availability, age, experience, and instruments. We will take preferences for bandmates into account, but they may not always be possible.

Instructor

• Corey Hewit: Corey is a full-time drum set and classical percussion performer and educator. He performs worldwide—including performances with international recording artists Erasure, Bobby Arvon, The Original Temptations, and finalists of The Voice competition in the Netherlands—and locally at the Olney Theatre, Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and the Red Branch Theatre Company. Corey believes that focusing on the details is fundamental to making a good musician, and he encourages students to challenge themselves while finding a love of and joy for music.

I have been instructing instrumental music in both individual and group settings since 1996. I teach beginner to advanced students on guitar, bass, piano, trumpet, euphonium, and hand drumming. I have taught at various locations and schools, including Glen Music Studios, Victor Litz Music Center, Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington, House of Musical Traditions, and Lowell School.

Throughout each year, I organize various concerts and shows for students to showcase their talents and give them an outlet to have fun and perform in front of an audience. I am also the Director of the Takoma Groove Camp, a summer camp for teen musicians.

I have played in various concert, marching, and jazz bands, as well as pit orchestras. I studied with master musicians at Montgomery College, the Collective in New York City, and Victor Wooten's Camps in Nashville. I perform in and around the DC area weekly and am also a live sound engineer.

Teaching Style
I believe music is a language and should therefore be approached as one. All aspects of music are equally important, including reading, writing, playing, listening, understanding theory, communicating with other musicians, and improvisation. I think it is necessary to keep interest and drive alive in budding musicians and not overwhelm them with too much theory and technique right away.

Just as a spoken language is supported and encouraged at home, so should a musical instrument and the language that goes along with it. Time should be allotted at home for practice and listening, as this is integral for a young person's musical growth.

For my teaching, I prefer to pull from a variety of sources to give a well-rounded approach. I introduce many genres to help students develop a broad range of styles to enjoy playing. I cater each lesson to the individual student to allow for the most enjoyment and growth in their musical career.

Student Ages
Piano: five and up
Brass: eight and up
Guitar: eight and up

I will make exceptions if a student is younger and already showing signs of a higher ability level. Individual lessons are preferable, as they allow for focused attention and pace for that particular student. I am open to small groups of two or three for guitar or brass lessons if the students have prior experience. Piano students must be taught individually.


Scheduling
I am available for lessons on Friday afternoons from 3:20–7:00 pm, and 11:00 am until 4:00 pm on Saturdays.


Required Materials
All students must have a decent instrument in working condition that is theirs to use at all times and can be taken home to practice on. If the family of a piano student does not own a full-size piano, there are many inexpensive keyboard options available. Guitar and brass students must have an instrument that they own or have rented. Younger, beginning guitar students should consider a nylon string 1/2 or 3/4 size guitar as it will be easier on the fingers and easier to hold against their bodies.

• All students will be required to have a manuscript book of music staff paper and a folder for loose pieces of sheet music and handouts.
• Piano students will most likely also have another set of method and theory books.
• Guitar students must have a chromatic tuner, picks, and a music stand.

I will often purchase the books needed and hand them out to students. I will then let parents know exactly how much the materials cost and collect reimbursement at that time.

Links to Instrument and Accessory Examples
Beginner's Guitar Starter Pack
Beginner’s ¾ Size Acoustic Guitar
Casio 61 Key Portable Keyboard
Yamaha 61 Key Portable Keyboard
Folding Wire Music Stand  
Deluxe Traditional Music Stand
Student Model Bb Trumpet
Korg Chromatic Tuner

I received my MM in Vocal Performance and GPD in Opera from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. I also hold a BS in Music Education and a BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Connecticut. My opera performance highlights include The Portland Opera Resident Artists Program, the Evian Festival under the baton of Rostropovich, Opera to Go!, and the Baltimore and Washington Opera choruses. As a soloist, I have appeared with Annapolis Opera, Mt. Vernon 21st Century Ensemble, and the Columbia Symphony. 



My vocal Instructors include Thom Hauser; Ruth Drucker, Stanley Cornett (Peabody Institute); and Carol Ann O’Connor (University of Connecticut). I studied choral techniques and sectional leading under Dr. Peter Bagley, a student of Julius Herford and teacher of world-renown choral conductor and composer Robert Shaw.

Teaching Style
As a seasoned music education specialist, I combine knowledge of differentiated instruction and a multiple sensory approach to learning with a bel canto or Italian classical approach to singing. I specialize in teaching to the unique learning styles of my students, whether that is visual, aural, tactile, or a combination. Voice lessons for students age 10+ (physical maturity dependent) combine learning proper posture, breath support and control, diction, and dramatic interpretation of the music. Vocal coaching for students age 8+ focuses on basic breath support, forming pure vowel sounds, matching pitch, executing rhythmic accuracy, clear diction, and dramatic delivery. My specialty is teaching voice in the genres of classical, Broadway musical, and pop music.

Teaching Philosophy
Music is a foreign language, science, and art form. It requires using both right- and left-brain modalities. Singing should be fun and engaging, building on successes and an understanding that it is a personal process that entails developing one’s confidence and ability over time.

Student Ages
Vocal Coaching: eight and up
Voice Lessons:  ten and up

Scheduling
I am available on Tuesdays. Please contact me directly to negotiate a time for lessons.

Required Materials
All students must practice for at least 15 minutes a day. Parents must be willing to assist in making sure their child is practicing.

I am the Middle School music teacher at Lowell. I teach brass instruments, guitar with voice, and Irish tin whistle.

As a brass teacher, I have huge experience across many musical genres, and I am happy teaching up to the highest levels. I believe that brass playing is a very physical pursuit and teach with an emphasis on the mechanics of creating a good sound. With that basis, students can then explore their musicality from a strong foundation.

For guitar students, I focus on teaching how to play and sing songs using chords and simple melodies. I then weave appropriate music theory into lessons to help students better understand their art and begin to write their own music. During lessons, I also teach singing techniques with a focus on pop and folk.

I prefer to teach from a range of materials rather than one particular book and often supplement activities with music that the students are personally interested in.
 
Student Ages
I teach children ages seven and up on the guitar and eight and up on brass instruments. I will make an exception only on the grounds of exceptional musical ability. I enjoy working with groups of children; however, when possible, individual lessons are better for most learners. I encourage students to play in groups when possible and sometimes combine students’ lessons so that they can work together. I will teach guitar or brass to groups of two and consider groups of three if they are older/more experienced musicians.


Scheduling
I am available for lessons every day after school. Please contact me directly to negotiate a time for lessons.

Required Materials
Students must have an appropriate instrument before they start lessons. Parents must also consider suitable times and locations for their child to practice. Initially, music lessons, especially brass lessons, will create a very loud and sometimes unpleasant noise in your house that you must be willing to encourage. If a child practices every day, this will quickly improve, but your child will need support and help to overcome the first hurdle.

Brass Students

1. Brass instrument—either through the school or rented/bought locally. Contact me for help.
2. Music stand
3. Play Trumpet Today! Beginners Pack
4. A folder for individual sheets of music and practice sheets

Guitar Students

1. Guitar—this needs to “fit” your child. Guitars come in different sizes, and it is usually best to bring your child to a music shop and ask for a guitar that will be appropriate. It is best if they get a nylon string acoustic guitar. This will be easier to play and not hurt their fingers as much initially. I would recommend something like a Yamaha student guitar, but there are others on the market. Contact me for help.
2. Music stand
3. Footstool for younger students
4. Guitar for Kids Method & Songbook

I have been teaching music in the DC area for the past 15 years. Until its closing in 2014, I was the woodwind instructor at the historic Dale Music Co. and have worked closely with many schools, camps, and programs in the area. I grew up in Silver Spring, MD, and studied saxophone performance at Shepherd University with Dale Underwood and Scott Silbert. As a professional musician, I have recorded and performed worldwide in numerous groups and continue to be active in the DC music scene. Since 2013 I have been teaching at my private practice, winner of 2016 Washington City Paper readers’ choice for music lessons.

Teaching Style
Over the course of my teaching career, I have had the chance to work with hundreds of students. I have found that every individual is unique in their personal needs, strengths, and learning styles. Having the student excel in the school music program is a priority, but I also try to find supplemental ways to make music enjoyable, accessible, and engaging.

Student Ages
I offer lessons to students eight and up; however, it must be on a case by case basis for both student and instrument. Saxophone especially has some physical demands that can be hard to overcome for smaller children. I have also used the recorder for younger beginners who want to read music and get a head start. If you have a child that has an interest in woodwinds, feel free to contact me.

Instrument Repair and Service
I was the head repair technician at Dale Music Co. for ten years. I now offer instrument repair and service at my studio in Silver Spring. Please contact me for more information.

Scheduling
I will be teaching private lessons at Lowell on Tuesday afternoons. If scheduling around this is a problem, I have some flexibility.