AboutChuck Expertise I am a professional musician, I can play by ear, I arrange music write music, teach music in the public school system, and teach privately. My father was a school music teacher, and I have written three volumes for teaching beginning string players, taking them from scratch to high school level. I have performed in a local production of Music Man (musical) with celebrities John Davidson/Susan Watson and have my masters degree in education. I retired from the classroom in 2004 with 38 yrs. experience-now still substituting for music- and writing arr. for my cello trio(with two audio cd's and one dvd of a performance)
I have directed church choirs and am principal cellist in our local community orchestra. I really love to arrange music for the groups I perform in and sing and have music in my life every day. A day without music, is a mistake, like having a day without sunshine.
Experience Employment history: I have been employed by our local school district since 1967 as a music teacher from grades 1-12 Organizations: I play cello principal chair in the local community orchestra, and sing in a chorus,and perfom in a barbershop quartet
Education: My early life in high school and college was summer workshops in choral conducting with founder of Westminster Choir College (N.J.) Dr. John F.Williamson (in Who`s Who in Music) and summer workshops with Robert Shaw in San Diego Grad. of Sacramento STate Univ.and masters from Univ. of La VErne, ca
Awards: awarded the Bank of America award in my high school senior year for music
Question QUESTION: Hi, my name is Kim. I just finished grade 9 and I'm really into music. My dad taught me guitar chords when I was 10 and I've been learning everything else by myself since then. I also play clarinet in school, though I'm taking vocal instead of instrumental next year. I've never had any professional lessons so I feel like I'm not really as good as others, but I really love music and I'm working hard to make time for other instruments since I want to learn how to play the piano and I have a bass guitar which does not get used a lot. I write songs when I'm inspired and now is one of those times, I just feel like every beat is cliche. My parents would not want to pay piano lessons for me, and I'm already 15, but I can read notes and sometimes write short pieces of music for fun. My parents don't mind me being into music but I'm not too open with them about it. I really don't know what to do because I think I can't go anywhere without their help. Since most of my classes are enriched next year and I'm probably going to be really busy, should I still strive for this? Is it worth it? Personally, I think it is but I know academics should be my main priority(at least when school starts). Also, is it okay to learn the piano from resources off the Internet? What others should I use?
Thank you.
ANSWER: Kim:
Hi, so glad to have your enthusiasm and interest in keeping music as a part of your life, and NOT JUST your school days. You have asked some excellent questions. First of all, LESSONS (PRIVATE OR GROUP) are the MOST VALUABLE to your degree of advancement. The point to private lessons, is that a 'teacher' can watch what YOU DO on the performance, and then GIVE YOU the solution to doing it BETTER, AND FASTER OR EASIER- > You will know this from the people you observe taking Kung Fu LESSONS (not learning it off a book). The reason you ARE IN SCHOOL is to have a teacher do monitoring of your LEARNING your skills (english, math, speech, spelling, history, etc) otherwise if learning it ON YOUR OWN were better, we'd all be doing that instead of GOING TO SCHOOL. I have been a music teacher IN SCHOOL and Privately, all my adult life, and I see the amazing progress that is made through teaching students. I also took private lessons, ON piano, cello and voice even in my adult years.
My son wanted to learn to play clarinet, and I taught him the basics and then I paid for a private teacher to help him more when he was in high school. I teach violin and cello and piano to ALL AGES (even adults). I play in an orchestra (as cello section leader) and EVEN THOUGH all the cellists can READ MUSIC, they still have trouble READING IT FAST AND ACCURATELY, - and the READING OF MUSIC (AND RHYTHMS) is the hardest skill for any of the players to master. I sing in a men's chorus, and they can ''ALL READ MUSIC'' TO some extent, but they too have great difficulty in reading and preforming rhythms, and knowing when there is a flat or sharp to perform and they haven't done that, so this ''reading music'' skill is important and yet still a challenge to master. Think of it like this. We can all read words, but if I handed you a MEDICAL JOURNAL OR TEXT BOOK and you had ''words to read'' that you struggled to pronounce- your be reading SLOWLY, and NOT KNOWING all the meanings of the words. Well there are rhythms and passages in music that are JUST ABOUT that hard to perform, and being able to play what you hear being performed by artists on cd's means you will need ADVANCED skill training.
Is it worth it? woweee, yess, and the joy of doing it well, is so valuable, and you will become a better'' reader'' OF WORDS, and better in all your other subjects as well. I was learning piano in school years, cello lessons also, and also playing on the baseball team, singing in the school choir, playing in the school orchestra, playing in an outside orchestra, had a paper route, sang in a vocal ensemble and played piano for the church choir, all WHILE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
What would you like to KNOW , CAN BE from the internet, what you would LIKE TO DO (BUILD A SKILL) SHOULD BE FROM A 'TEACHER'' I have seen much of what is available from the internet, and it is a slow process without the speed and accuracy of a teacher. You can't learn to be an excellent typist from the internet, or a CLASS ROOM TEACHER from the internet, or a brain surgeon, - because learning from a ''TEACHER'' is the better method. I personally can't make up a course that would teach you what I know, that would do as good a job, just from ''reading '' it on the internet.
I hope you continue, pursuit of music is an excellent goal, and your aBILITY TO IMPROVE IS ONLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE ability of the teacher you have. So I'd recommend you find one and depending on how you advance, you might want to change teachers in a year or two, (or less).
Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing, if you want to pursue this dialoge further
contact me at qtetman@juno.com % chuck,allexperts continuing questions.
thanks for the great question- chuck (i hope i have helped)
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QUESTION: Hi, thanks for the answer, but another question is how much would it probably cost? I really don't like asking my parents to pay for me, which is basically the reason why I learn by myself. I got a 97 in my music class. I did notice that learning the clarinet was much easier because I had a teacher, than guitar which I have to do by myself.
ANSWER: kim:
There are many answers to that question (''how much do lessons' cost")
and I"ll tell you what I know from my own experience- and maybe you can get others to share in this quest of yours. OK?
When my son was very little, (even though I helped him at home to learn songs that were fun) I got him a YOUNG PERSON for a teacher to teach him the 'basics' and the fundamentals OF PLAYING THE VIOLIN- she was going to college, and was a very good player but not A SEASONED AND EXPERIENCED TEACHER- and that worked out very well
When my other son was in high school, he was playing clarinet and I taughth him to play, a little, but I wanted a teacher who was a very good ''teacher'' (who taught outside of his teaching day to students- gave us a good rate considering it was not his primary source of income- so he was doing like i was, offering lessons cheaply because we weren't trying to make a living at it)
I was charging 40$ a month for a 45min - 60 min lesson, while people in the BUSINESS of lessons were charging 60 an hour or 30-40$ a 1/2 hour. I was taking lessons for me personally from a ''expert'' on cello who was a soloist and he charged 80$ an hour- but the skill level of the teacher, and ME THE STUDENT were higher on the scale than what you are seeking.
So my best thoguht is for you to contact the local college and junior college for students (who play well- get recommendations from the staff, or bulletin boards) and contact them for a teacher. YOu might also ask your local school music teacher for suggestions. There are also people in your area, as retired musicians who will not charge so much for lessons, (but those who play in the local symphohy will charge more).
People who teach out of their home might also be charging less than those who teach in a rented space in the local music store- so, dont be shy about searching this out. YOu might also find someone who will help you ''pro-bono'' :-) if they are a'' good friend'' . I have made it a policy to do a ''one lesson '' for free , just to get ''acquainted '' with the people so they get a feel for my teaching style and their being comfortable with me as their teacher, so dont feel shy about asking for this also- (they might not all do that, but it is not out of line to ''ask'' )
If you think you'd like more information please contact me at
qtetman@juno.com - title it, allexperts question for chuck-
(thanks for keeping me in the loop, I
I'll do all I can to help)
chuck
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks again. I have a few friends who have been playing for years, maybe I can ask them to teach me? It's just that we would end up fooling around and not teaching and learning anyways. I told my mom about this, and she said it was okay, just asked how much lessons would cost and where there I can take them. It's up to me to look for a teacher.
Answer Kim:
IM glad THAT YOUR PARENTS are letting you be in charge of your musical growth. I have seen kids in grammer school take violin bows home to decide and pick the 'one' bow they wish to use and parents to buy, and the bows were not cheap, but they were in charge of deciding on the bow of choice, no matter the cost of the bow.
As I mentioned before, check with MUSIC stores, local colleges, in their music department, some teachers advertise in the ''area business ad's ' (the phone book is not the first resort) and go to a local public school and talk to the music teacher and get recommendations -there are children in the school that take lessons, and the music teacher can find that infomration out for you, by asking around his classes.
I wish you all the best, and as I told you, email me directly to keep in touch at qtetman@juno.com (% chuck-all experts question)
Remember you will want a teacher that knows technique, styles, and can show you what IS NOT JUST IN THE BOOK :-) ok?
