Ira - Music Theory Tutor - College Park
Ira - Music Theory Tutor - College Park

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Ira

  • Rate US$50
  • Response 1h
Ira - Music Theory Tutor - College Park

US$50/hr

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  • Music Theory

Experienced tutor in Music theory in College Park, Ira offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

  • Music Theory

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About Ira

Since the 1990s I've helped countless amateur musicians to express themselves on the banjo, guitar, and bass. I try to show my students the big picture. Learning an instrument isn’t just a matter of learning this lick or that song; it involves learning how music works in general, and understanding how your instrument fits into the style of music that you’re playing. My goal is to make my students self-sufficient. Once you learn some fundamental techniques and a little theory (which is really nothing to be afraid of), you can move on to jamming and improvising—and that’s when the fun really starts!

I bring to my teaching a wide-ranging understanding of the history of bluegrass and related musical styles. I have been a frequent contributor to Bluegrass Unlimited magazine and Banjo NewsLetter. I delivered papers at the 2005 and 2017 Bluegrass Music Symposiums.

I've performed with such nationally known performers as the Johnson Mountain Boys, Bill Kirchen, Peter Rowan, Laurie Lewis, and Bill Harrell, and many other great bands and musicians in the Washington, DC, area. As a teacher, I've worked at the Augusta Heritage Center's Bluegrass Week (where I've been a coordinator since 2013), Pete Wernick's Bluegrass Camp, Banjo Camp North, the Midwest Banjo Camp, and the "kids' academies" at several major bluegrass festivals.

In 1992 I took the first prize at the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship in Winfield, KS, and in 1993 I was a one-day winner on Jeopardy!

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I love seeing "lightbulb moments" where students understand something that had previously been a mystery to them. And It's great to watch students do things they'd never thought possible--improvise a solo, figure out a melody or chord progression, jam on a song they've never heard before.

I started informally, showing things to friends. I began teaching more formally in the 1990s as a part-time substitute for banjoist Tony Furtado when he was touring out of town.  



Although I am almost entirely self-taught, after more than forty years of performing I have acquired a deep understanding of how music works. In nearly thirty years of teaching I have developed an ability to get inside my students' heads and figure out how to address their uncertainties and get them to understand what they need to move forward.

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  • English

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I start by asking my students about their musical interests, past musical experience, and personal musical goals. I tailor my instruction to ensure that students are challenged but not overwhelmed, and continue to be engaged as they work toward those goals.



I have worked with students of all ages, from very young children to adults in their 80s. Although the majority of my students have been beginners, I've coached students at all levels, including quite a few who were themselves performers.



Teaching effectively requires its own set of skills. Some musicians are wonderful players, but are not effective at explaining what they do. Ask around, and see what recommendations other students and musicians offer.



I'm especially fond of Augusta Bluegrass Week, a music camp in West Virginia. In 2022 it was a live event for the first time since the covid-19 pandemic. It's a week of total immersion--classes, jamming, concerts, square dances, etc. As a coordinator I get to put together a great staff of teachers. Many of our students come back year after year, so I get to see them improve and develop as musicians, and have come to count them among my personal friends!



A few things worth thinking about before reaching out
What do you want to accomplish with music--that is, what place in your life do you see music occupying? How much time and effort are you willing to devote to learning music? 

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Rates

Rate

  • US$50

Pack prices

  • 5h: US$250
  • 10h: US$500

online

  • US$50/h

Details

I charge $65 for a one-hour lesson (recommended for adults) and $35 for a half hour. 

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The first free lesson with Ira will allow you to get to know each other and clearly specify your needs for your next lessons.

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