Music Lessons with Emily
I’ve been a musician for most of my life, and love sharing that passion with others, especially adult beginners who want to learn a hard skill while remembering to stay in the moment and enjoy the beauty of creating melody and harmony from nothing.
I have played violin since the age of 8, and studied violin performance at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Since then I have explored Irish fiddle and rock violin. I am self-taught on guitar (playing everything from Led Zeppelin covers to elaborate fingerstyle folk tunes) and have been a performing singer-songwriter for 20 years.
I offer 6-week group classes seasonally, as well as a limited number of 1:1 lessons. These are primarily intended for ages 13+, but if you’d like to explore lessons for a littler one, I’d still love to talk to you. Reach out directly via email, or register for group classes linked below.
Group Class: Campfire Songs for Adults
Get prepped for those summer campfires by learning to play five popular campfire songs on the guitar! We’ll democratically choose from a list of songs at the beginning of the session, and work through simple chordal arrangements. There WILL be singing (by me at least) so we can practice staying focused while others sing, but your are not obligated to sing unless you want to).
The last session will be a group singalong of all the songs we learned, with partners and kids invited. Guaranteed to be a blast.
April-May 2027, ages 13+
$120 for six weeks, 55-minute sessions
Hosted at my home in Everett, WA
Group Class: Beginning Guitar for Adults
Guitar is the perfect instrument to learn in a group! We’ll work through the basics of guitar - left and right hand technique, rhythm, strumming and picking, basic chords, and posture - and learn some fun, familiar songs along the way.
Each class will be structured with instruction first, questions and individual practice time, and a group play-along at the end. Folks will move at different paces, and that’s okay - it’s part of the fun, and I do my best to give individual attention to each person during the class.
February-March 2027, ages 13+
$120 for six weeks, 55-minute sessions
Hosted in my home in Everett, WA
$75 for 45-minute lesson
Or 6 lessons for $400 (10% discount)
Hosted at my home in Everett, WABeginning Violin Lessons
I have loved the violin since I was a kid, but as I got more serious about studying, I found classical music education to be more focused on perfection than on musicality and joy. My lessons attempt to flip that on its head — of course we learn the fundamentals of technique and rhythm, but we pause at least once in every lesson to enjoy the sounds we are creating and appreciate creating something from nothing.
I will recommend beginner study systems, and you can choose which one feels the most enjoyable. If there are pieces you would like to learn, we will try to make that happen!
$75 for 45-minute lesson
Or 6 lessons for $400 (10% discount)
Hosted at my home in Everett, WABeginning Rock or Folk Guitar Lessons
Guitar is a wonderfully accessible instrument. Maybe you’ve had one in your house for years but never quite learned. Or maybe you know a couple of your favorite songs, but don’t feel as confident as you’d like.
My guitar lessons are self-guided, meaning we will learn whatever appeals to you. You can choose which songs you want to learn, and I’ll break them down and help you learn. We can focus on picking or fingerpicking - your preference. I do NOT teach reading notated music on guitar. We will, however, extensively use tablature.
I make sure to take a moment in every lesson to just enjoy the act of creating something from nothing - music is ultimately about joy!
If the cost of music lessons is prohibitive but you really want to learn, please reach out anyway! I reserve at least one slot for every group class for someone experiencing financial hardship, and am happy to talk about other arrangements for lessons.