Contemporary Music Instruction and Mentoring

 

Photo Gallery
Does this look fun to you?


Adam's Flower Garden (15-17 year olds)



Mjölk (14-16 year olds)


Sadie Mortensen (17 years old)


Ella Bowen (14 years old)


Kalle Danfors (16 years old)


Eric Danfors (15 years old)


Kjell Danfors (14 years old)


Olivia Malm (16 years old)


Keira Lee (14 years old)



Kenadi Dodds (12 years old), playing for about 10 people and a few cows


Kenadi Dodds (13 years old), playing for about 100 people


Kenadi Dodds (15 years old), playing for about 10 million people, on national television

This is why I teach private music lessons when I could be retired: when my students perform and the audience loves them, that brings great satisfaction to me.  I feel like I'm making a difference to those young people, and also in society.  I also feel much the same way when I perform, myself.  If you want to be part of that, and make a positive contribution to others' lives through live music, I might be able to help you.

In case you are wondering the answer to the question at the top of this page, yes, all these kids are definitely having FUN!  They are having the time of their lives!  The reason they are having so much fun is they are really, really good.  The reasons they are really, really good are about 25% amazing talent, and 25% excellent instruction (if I do say so, myself!), but the most important factor, perhaps even more than the other two put together, is hard work.  Practice, practice, practice.  Practice until they have it perfect, and then practice twice as much until it is muscle memory and they can play it without thinking.  Practice when they are sick, practice when they are busy, practice when they are tired.  If you think you can have this much fun without the work, you are mistaken.  There is no shortcut.  There is no hack.

For example, Kenadi Dodds was practicing at least 4 hours every day from the time she was 11 until she was on America's Got Talent at age 15.  She practices even more, now.  That's what it takes to be at her level.  But what if you don't want to be a professional musician?  What if your goal is to enjoy performing music through your life but not have it as your primary career?  You can do that with about an hour a day, consistently, for 5-10 years or so.  The bottom line is: the more time you practice per day and the more years you do it, the better you'll be, and the more opportunities will come to you; and thus the more fun you'll have with music throughout your life.