Whether it’s a voice, a bass, or a piano, music comes down to saying something true. I teach all three to adults and teens, from first-timers to working musicians.
Voice lessons start with the basics: how you stand, how you breathe, how to let go of tension, and where your pitch sits. Then we run through a warmup, build technique, and choose a song you love. Every session mixes that technical work with real material, because technique only matters if it helps you get the emotion of a song across. My students include adults chasing something they set down years ago, karaoke enthusiasts, and young songwriters and band members who want stronger performances. Nobody needs to have sung in front of anyone before.
Piano defines the harmony and the emotional shape of a song. I teach beginners through intermediate players, with a focus on pop, rock, and soul rather than classical.
Bass guitar is the soul of the band. It sets the pulse and decides how a song feels before anyone sings a word. It was my first instrument. We work on timing and feel first, then reading, writing, and improvising, all through songs you want to play.
My focus across all three instruments is contemporary music. If you’re looking for classical or musical theater training, I’m not the right fit. I also help with songwriting if that interests you.
I teach at my home studio in Williamsburg, or at your home in North Brooklyn and lower Manhattan for a small travel fee. Lessons are $60 for 30 minutes, $85 for 45 minutes, and $110 for an hour.
I’ve been a professional musician for 25 years. I studied at NYU, teach at Brooklyn Music School and Williamsburg School of Music, and currently sing and play bass with Poolside. Before that I spent a decade as bassist, singer, and keyboardist with The Rapture, making two major label albums and touring four continents. I’ve worked with producers including Timbaland, Paul Epworth, Danger Mouse, and James Murphy. This April I released my debut album as lovetempo, There Is A Light. It’s 70s jazz funk and late-night disco filtered through Brooklyn house music, and yes, there’s a lot of Sade in there.
Whatever you play or sing, the approach is the same: listen with the ears and feel with the heart of a musician.
