About Me
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Instruments and Skills
I have been teaching music for over a decade, and I have experience teaching people ages 4 through 88.
I teach saxophone, piano, guitar, drums, and bass guitar. I also teach music theory, improvisation, composition, arranging, and songwriting.
My Approach
Some people want to learn from a book, some prefer to be assigned songs or pieces to work on, and others prefer to pick their own. You know how you learn, so I will always listen to you so that we find what works best. I always want to make sure you're enjoying what you work on, because that's how you'll engage and improve best. If I ever say something you don't understand, let me know and I'll explain it another way. There are about 70 different ways of explaining anything, so we'll find one that works for you. If I'm ever saying something you already know, stop me and we'll move on. I have no interest in wasting any of your time.
My Experience
I was trained in playing jazz and classical music. I studied music history at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. I have the most experience playing jazz, but I've also been in bands and done shows playing hip-hop, rock, blues, funk, country, and electronic music.
Pricing and Details
Lesson Pricing and Cancellations
Lessons are $90 for an hour long lesson, or $50 for a half hour. Your introductory lesson is 50% off ($25 for a half hour, $45 for an hour). Lessons are then charged as a monthly package, so you'll pay for 4 lessons at a time. Cancelling or rescheduling must be more than 48 hours before the original lesson time. Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will result in a charge for that lesson.
Location
I am located in southwest Portland, Oregon. In-person lessons take place at my home, which is within a 30 minute drive of all of Portland. It is also less than 30 minutes from Vancouver, Gresham, Beaverton, Troutdale, Tigard, and Oregon City.
Online Lessons
I teach online lessons over Discord: I find its audio to be much more reliable than Zoom or Skype, at generally lower latency. I know it can seem irritating to make yet another account, but lessons work much better if I don't have to guess what you've played when audio cuts out.
Scores, Transcriptions, and Arrangements
If you are signed up for lessons, you will be given access to the Scores page, which has musical resources, arrangements, and sheet music for over 0 songs I've transcribed over the years. I am confident in the accuracy of these scores, and can adjust them to suit your level of experience.
Testimonials
Robert is "kind and very knowledgeable about music theory, he does a wonderful job adjusting the lesson to each individual's strengths and things they can work on, he's been helping me learn the basics while also encouraging me to be creative."
Vanesse C
"He speaks on an even level with his students, listening to their initial ideas and questions and always finding a way to develop their particular interests into a new focus of study and practice...I would also be hard-pressed to find a
musician with a deeper knowledge of the development and history of music."
Matt Z
"I'd wanted to learn a musical instrument for decades but could never stick with it until I started taking lessons with Robert. He's a skilled, and knowledgeable musician with the versatility to teach multiple instruments and tailor lessons to the student's goals. Wherever you're at in your musical journey, Robert can help you get further and enjoy the process."
Nick T
Videos
Learn to arrange the songs you love in new and interesting ways
Learn how to improvise and interact with other musicians