MUSIC LESSONS IN NORWALK, STAMFORD, WESTPORT & FAIRFIELD, CT AREAS

For 20+years Rich has provided the low notes in a wide variety of groups spanning all styles of music. He has been fortunate enough to have toured extensively across the U.S and Europe backing up well known artists such as Martin Sexton and blues grammy award winner Joe Louis Walker. He is also a member of the bands "Jen Durkin and the Business" and "Caravan of Thieves". He is also a member of the American Chamber Orchestra, Fairfield County String Society and Connecticut Little Symphony. He continues to compose new music and work steadily as a sideman providing deep tones for a variety of beautiful people.

A graduate of UCONN School of Music, Hans has been active throughout Connecticut for the last 20+ years, uniting musicians teaching drums and playing with bands and orchestras. His range has included rock, funk, Latin, and jazz. He has instructed marching band programs including Darien, Bethel, and Newtown high schools. Additionally, Hans has been an active performer in theatrical music with Stamford’s Curtain Call Theater, Westport Country Playhouse, Wilton Playhouse and more.

Since 1996, Woody has been solely committed to a career in teaching and performing professionally.  He has always taken advantage of any musical opportunity afforded to him at school whenever appropriate, whether it was a school musical, talent show, battle of the bands, jazz band or music elective. Woody's formal music education continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and further studied with the late pianist and author John Mehegan, in Westport, CT. Woody has performed with and sat in for some of the finest NY metro area musicians including the late great Melvin Sparks, Scott Spray (Johnny Winter), Scott Lebish (James Brown), Gil Paris and Jeff Smith. He has been featured as a solo guitarist in many area venues and is currently performing throughout the Tri-State as one half of the “Stephanie & Woody" duo. Most of us have a talent for and comfort level with communication. Music is simply another form of the same though universal and like all art forms, so much more can be expressed with so much less. From an early age we become comfortable with verbal and physical expression. Music is no different; we just don't learn to speak the language as a matter of course. It is a discipline that can be defined, understood and put into practice. Woody does not subscribe to a specific style/approach of teaching. He tries to ascertain what a student hopes to accomplish when possible and plot a path toward achieving that end. The goal is to make and share music. Whatever the aspiration, it is fair to say that some aspects of musicianship cannot be ignored. Development of technique, the ear & rhythm would be of primary importance. Woody's style/approach to an individual will reflect his interpretation of what best suits their personality with an emphasis on the creative aspects of the art. Ultimately we are trying to help the student discover his or her own voice.

Sydna studied violin and chamber music with the Lenox Quartet at Harpur College in Binghamton, N.Y. There she played in the Tri Cities Opera Orchestra. She completed her education at Barnard College. She performed for many years in both the Ridgefield Symphony, and subsequently, the Danbury Symphony. She began her teaching in the Darien and Norwalk school systems, teaching both strings and general music. She has taught violin privately for many years. More recently her focus, in addition to teaching, has been chamber music- which is her favorite music to perform.