Lessons

A seasoned musician and performer with experience in a variety of musical contexts, instruments, and genres, Marina offers private and group lessons in voice, guitar, and songwriting to aspiring musicians with a range of musical experience and goals. Whether you are a fledgling guitarist picking up the instrument for the very first time, an experienced vocalist looking to refine your live performance, a budding songwriter, or any combination thereof, Marina’s expertise — earned over many years in the classroom, on the road, on the stage, and in the studio — can help you achieve your goals and grow as a musician. Read on below or contact Marina today to learn more!


Voice

Marina’s teaching philosophy for singers centers around finding and honing each individual’s unique voice. The curriculum is custom-designed according to your goals, needs, and musical tastes, with material ranging from jazz to classical, folk, pop, and musical theater. With emphasis on breathing techniques and full body awareness, you will learn about the role of the body in singing — the physical, athletic aspects of the discipline — that will help to both support your voice and create space for it to grow in a healthy way. From posture and stretching exercises to breathing and vocal warmup techniques, the physical aspects of singing will give you a solid foundation upon which to build your confidence and vocal control.

Beyond the physical realities and basics of singing, Marina can also offer deep insight both into the interpretation of a piece of music as well as its live presentation onstage. Her interpretive approach combines lyrical and musical analysis with coaching on and development of stage presence. With ample experience as a performer in a range of contexts — from concert choirs and a-cappella groups to musical theater productions, from fronting a big band to performing original folk music as a solo act, and just about everything in between — Marina can help you develop and deliver a strong, meaningful performance that both brings the music to life and, at the same time, is entirely your own.


Guitar

Offering lessons to beginning and intermediate guitar students, Marina’s teaching focuses on acoustic/folk styles. While the curriculum and approach is tailored to each student’s unique needs and goals, all guitarists will study:

  • Reading guitar music and tablature
  • Chord progressions
  • Strumming patterns
  • Finger style
  • Basic music theory
  • Ear training

Songwriting

With a degree in music theory and composition and several original records under her belt, Marina has a deep understanding of the intricacies of the songwriting process and eagerly shares its joys and challenges with her students. All singers are not poets, nor are all poets singers — but learning where and how the two disciplines overlap reveals the unique and complex vehicle for self expression that is songwriting. Whether you have never written a song or you have an extensive catalog you would like to workshop, Marina can help you achieve your songwriting goals. Songwriting lessons cover such concepts as:

  • Basic song structures and forms
  • Chord progressions and harmony
  • How melody influences and drives harmony, and vice versa
  • What makes a melody interesting
  • How melodic rhythm influences rhyme
  • How to apply prosody – the patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry – to your lyrics
  • How to successfully leverage similes and metaphor to express your ideas
  • And much more! 

Contact Marina today to learn more and/or to schedule a trial lesson. Your musical life awaits!