Dartmouth - Piano Lessons

ben lafitte (Guitar, Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: jazz, rock

Teaching Day(s): Thursday, Saturday

Ben Lafitte is a guitar, piano, bass player, and songwriter, with close to a decade of musical experience. He recently completed the NSCC Music Arts program, majoring on the guitar. There, he studied theory, songwriting, and performance, while receiving individual guitar lessons. His teaching style is flexible and emphasizes the importance of finding a balance needed for each student to be engaged and having fun with the music, while also building up a strong foundation of necessary skills. He mainly specializes in rock, jazz, and funk styles, but is happy to work with musicians with any background, experience level, and musical preference. Ben is $25 per half hour lesson.

john lindsay-botten (Voice, Piano, Brass)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: classical, jazz

Teaching Day(s): Monday

John has a Bachelors in Music in Voice from Mount Allison University and grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music piano. John originally entered university on trombone but switched to voice after two years. He has sung both solo and chorally with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Elora Festival Singers, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Mississauga Choral Society, and the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir among others, and he took on the lead role of Pierre Elliott Trudeau in Vocalypse Productions’ presentation of G. E. Clarke and D.D. Jackson’s opera Trudeau: Long March/Shining Path. John has produced a CD of his own pop/adult compositions called ‘A Labour of Love’. He has been teaching music since 1994 and his rate for a half-hour private lesson is $27.

katie graham (Voice, Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: classical, rock

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

Katie has studied a variety of genres in both piano and voice, as well as music theory, composition, and performance. After working her way through the Royal Conservatory of Music, she attended Mount Allison University as a Piano Major in the Bachelor of Music Program. She later transferred to Nova Scotia Community College and completed the Music Arts Program as a Vocal Major, specializing in jazz, blues, folk and pop music. She has had the opportunity to perform on various stages, including The Marquee Ballroom, The Fredericton Play House, Saint John City Boardwalk, and CBC Radio. Her lessons are a happy blend of fundamental theory and feel-good music, which promise to be creative, entertaining and educational at all times! Her rate for a half-hour private lesson is $26.

kayleigh james (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: classical

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Kayleigh is an experienced piano teacher and musician. Having reached level nine in her classical studies, and graduated from Nova Scotia Community College’s Music Arts program, she continues to study and practice a variety of musical styles. She is particularly interested in working with students to create a personalized lesson plan that helps them achieve their own musical goals.Kayleigh's half hour rate is $26.

laura gallant (Piano, guitar, voice, uke)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: jazz, rock

Teaching Day(s): Monday

Laura Gallant is a singer and songwriter who got started on her musical journey taking piano lessons when she was 5. She was always copying singers like Lauryn Hill and Christina Aguilera and then the guitar caught her interest when she was 13. She started learning through her musical family, eventually travelling around playing songs she’d written and learned. She then decided to enrol in the Music Arts program at NSCC, exploring Jazz theory and joining local bands Superfluid and Lazeez, who she fronted and co-wrote music for. She loves sharing her musical knowledge and love for the art with any student who is curious!
Laura is $27 per half hour lesson.

trevor wentzell (Woodwinds, Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: classical, jazz, rock

Teaching Day(s): Wednesday, Saturday

Trevor is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, he holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from St. FX University with a Major in Jazz Studies. Playing and studying music from the age of five, Trevor is no stranger to the local music and education scene and is a first call sideman performing and recording on saxophone, flute, piano and organ. He is a member of the Back Alley Big Band, The Chronos Band and Scott and The Rocks. Trevor has opened for such musical greats as Charles Bradley, John Scofield and Sharon Jones and the dap-kings at the TD Halifax Jazz Festival. Trevor enjoys teaching saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano, music Theory and improvisation. Trevor's rate for a 30-minute private music lesson is $26.

yuliya zuychenko (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: classical

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Yulia graduated with Honours from the Zaporozshky State Music College in the Ukraine and worked as a piano teacher and children’s choir director while taking courses at the Harkov Institute for Music and Arts there. In 2000 she taught piano for the New Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and in 2002 and 2003 was named teacher of the year. Yuliya specializes in preparing students for all levels of RCM exams, Kiwanis festivals, and other competitions. She has been teaching for Long & McQuade since 2004. Yuliya also teaches Music Theory. Her rate is $27. for a half-hour private lesson