Miles McKenzie

Introduction: I like to teach the student the music that they want to learn. Every student is unique, not only in their abilities and learning styles, but also in what they want to achieve, and even why they want to take lessons in the first place. There are three primary areas in which I would like to see every student improve in, namely musicality, technique, and repertoire. Depending on a student's needs and desires, one of these might receive more or less emphasis (and lesson time) than the others. However, I strive to help my students continually improve in all three areas. While many teachers have a particular method with which they are comfortable with, teaching all of their students out of the same set of books, I prefer to approach the teaching of each student separately. I strive to design an individualized lesson plan for each and every student, helping them develop the specific skills they require while playing the music they love! I am here to help you reach your goals, not my own. As such, the lessons are much more of a dialogue than a lecture. The more active you are in this dialogue, the more you will get out of your lessons. The first lesson is primarily spent discussing your musical goals and getting a feel for your current level of experience. By the end of the first lesson, you will have a few songs and/or exercises to practice. After your first lesson, I will prepare material based on your personal strengths and weaknesses, and if you specify some songs that you would like to learn, I will transcribe them and be ready to help you learn them at your next lesson!