Taylor Sappe Music Production

 

Mission statement

My goal is to introduce newcomers to music and help them to develop their skill at their own pace, and to help intermediate and advanced students to develop a firm understanding of music and improve on their existing skills.

How I Teach

I understand that different people learn at different rates and what works for one person may not work for everyone.  I test various means of communication with each student until I find the best method, then continue communicating using that method.

I also understand that anyone starting something new, with a new instructor, will be a little nervous. I do my best to make the student comfortable, and often insert some humor into the lesson to keep it light.

I often use the aide of videos such as this one to help the student understand what is going on. http://youtu.be/y3wb34_mZLs

Whether the student is a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, I do my best to keep it interesting. Whenever possible, I use the latest technology to keep it interesting. 

 

Guitar students: I use software to slow down a piece of music so the student can play it. When working from the book, if there is a duet involved, I will have both parts recorded and give a CD or mp3 file to the student to rehearse with. Later, the student can come back to the studio and record one or both parts.

 

Voice students: I often use the aide of videos such as this one to help the student understand what is going on. http://youtu.be/y3wb34_mZLs.

I get backing musical tracks for a voice student to sing to. These can be downloaded or the student can bring in a karaoke CD. If the song is not in the right key for the student, I use music production software to transpose it into a more comfortable key.

• Voice students also learn about different types of microphones, their behavior properties, and how to use them to their advantage.
• Music production software is often used to record karaoke backing tracks and overdub the student's voice so the student can hear their own progress. The end result can then be burned to a CD or copied to an mp3 file for the student to take home.
• Exceptional voice students are selected to record original music and go through the same process as a recording artist would. This includes the actual release of the student's recording into worldwide digital distribution..
•  

Songwriting students are taught how to use music production software to speed up the songwriting process.  Exceptional songwriters are paired up with exceptional vocalists to create the production of original music for release to the public.

 

When piano students reach advanced level, they are taught how to compose music on the piano, and how to use music production software to do a complete arrangement of the music with full orchestration.

 

All students are taught to listen to other musicians they are playing with. Exceptional students are combined to form ensembles, which can do live performances and recordings together.

 

Music production students are given actual production projects to work on for worldwide release, and receive credit for their participation in the production.Rates

 

Due to a relocation, lessons are now once a month and will be a minimum of 2 hours at a cost of $80 per session. 

 

Rates

Due to a relocation, lessons are now once a month and will be a minimum of 2 hours at a cost of $80 per session. 

 

Available Lessons

Guitar - acoustic or electric. Flat pick style

Bass Guitar flat pick style

Drums/percussion

Voice

Piano

Songwriting

Music production with Cubase

Recording

Ensemble

Music theory (Beginner to advanced)

Music composition & arranging

 

Make up lessons

 

Make up lessons for lessons missed are considered only under the following conditions:

Sickness

Family emergency

Weather advisory

Cancellation by instructor

Any other lessons missed will be considered a forfeit of the lesson paid for, and no refund is due. 

 

Due to time constraints, make up lessons can only be done when my schedule will permit. However, I often have several options to offer the student.  I do the best I can to offer a make up lesson that fits both of our schedules, but if the student cannot make it on an available day and time, I make two more attempts to make up the lesson.  If the student cannot find time in their schedule to make up the lesson after the third attempt, no further attempts are made, and the make up lesson is cancelled without credit or refund.  The only exception to this is if I have to cancel a lesson.  In this case, if the make up cannot be made by the 3rd attempt, credit for the following month is issued.

 

Again, due to time constraints, I cannot stack make up lessons.  If a student is owed a make up lesson, and misses another day before that lesson is made up, only one make up lesson is due.

 

Questions

 

Click here to email me a question, schedule a lesson or set up an evaluation