Teaching

Anyone can make music (yes, you too!) And music is most fun played together.

Music Lessons

Photo by Dylan Ladds

I teach tunes and ensemble-playing skills for all instruments. I also teach basic accordion and fiddling technique in Old-time and Quebecois styles. On these instruments, I teach ornamentation and styling, with a focus on dance-ability. I also include instruction on chording, back-up, and tune variations. Lessons can be individual, or small-group.

I want my students to have fun and feel successful so it’s important for me to hear about your goals and hopes. I’ll have you fill out a brief questionnaire when we begin, and we can return periodically as your needs evolve. 

Lessons are held at my home in South Portland. Be warned - we will have fun!

Workshops

I teach workshops on various skills throughout the year. Here’s what’s coming up:

Accompaniment for All Instruments
April 6th, May 18th, June 1st - 4-5:30

Portland Friends Meeting House, on Forest Ave

Sliding scale $15-25-30

In this series, I’ll introduce basic music theory as an avenue to accompaniment. We’ll work by ear and with visual aids. Class one will be major tunes, class two will be minor, and class three will be modal tunes and fun extras. The main focus will be on the harmonic side of accompaniment, but we will also work with rhythm along the way. I’m planning to make this an entry level class, and I’ll weave in some flair for those more in the know. All of our work will use Rage Potato tunes, so you’ll be able to use what you learn at any of our gigs. 

All instruments are welcome! If you are a melody player, this class will give you a greater depth of understanding of how tunes are built and provide a first step into harmony and back-up on your instrument. 

Class will be most effective for you if you can come to all three. However, if you want to drop in for one or two, please do - just understand that the class is planned to build on each session. Also no formal preparation is necessary, but a review of your D, G, and A scales will make class a little more accessible.

Photo by Dylan Ladds