Nigel Deane

I've been teaching for around 6 years now, about 2 years in Houston and 4 years in California. Even within a couple years, my students show great promise and success. By success, I don't just mean technical expertise at whatever type of lessons they're taking (that's a given), but also increased personal interest and engagement, and both a deeper and broader sense of how music fits into their lives. Although violin is my primary instrument and the one with which I've had the most professional success, I have experience performing on all of the instruments I teach in a professional context.

I certainly have roots in classical music and am capable and happy to teach it, but my teaching is also aided by a much broader knowledge base. I've been a part of musical communities that specialize in many different musical genres and cultures, which has informed my teaching of classical music as well. I've been taught by practitioners of Indian Classical, rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, blues...

Every student I teach is an inspiration to me, and I always find it beautiful to help a student discover what music means to them. I'm new to Lessonface but don't let the lack of reviews deter you - get in touch with me and ask me questions, I can assure you that you or your child will have an enriching and engaging education!

I've taught a mix of private lessons and music classes. I currently teach with The Harmony Project in Los Angeles, which specifically provides free instruments and free education to under-served communities.

My teaching style is based on pedagogy that centers around the student, with methods such as inquiry-based learning and experiential learning. My passion for teaching has driven me to study Montessori, Suzuki, Piaget, and other humanistic or holistic educators. I'm successful with all age groups, even though my approach to teaching and interacting with students changes drastically between different age groups.

My private lessons prioritize the unique interests and needs of each student while propelling them toward long-term goals. I do rely on method books as resources to draw upon, but also believe strongly in adapting music that the student is familiar with and enjoys to their instrument and playing ability. Within a relatively short time, my students are able to accomplish necessary fundamental goals in their musical field, but more importantly, the student engages with the information and activity on their own terms, in a way that drives them forward. This makes my pedagogy reliably sustainable with almost every student, with no concern about potential burnout.