Melanie Medina
About
I've been playing music since I was 10 years old. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Guitar from SDSU. I teach guitar, bass, piano, drums and ukulele. I perform a variety of genres, including but not limited to: jazz, musical theater, rock, funk, blues, Latin and gospel.
Teaching Style
I believe in teaching students the music they want to learn without taking shortcuts. With me, students will build a strong musical foundation and engage actively with every piece they play. But above all, my goal is for students to love speaking the language of music. I tell my students frequently: there's no such thing as talent. There is only hard work, discipline, and loving what you do enough to push through the hills.
Curriculum
We will focus equally on ear training and reading music notation. Ear training includes chord/interval recognition and reproducing melodies and chord progressions by ear. Recommended texts vary from level to level, but my regular curriculums include Alfred and Hal Leonard. Students will receive custom-made backing tracks and lead sheets or chord charts for pop songs when applicable.
Recommended Apps:
- Pro Metronome
- The Amazing Slow Downer (slows music down without changing the pitch)
- Guitar Tuna
- Spotify
- iReal Pro (Jazz/Advanced Students)