LMU0086 - Adult Private Music Lessons: Various Instruments and Number of Lessons and Minutes
Private Music Lessons
Course Description
If you are a new student and want to join our program now, no problem. We create these specific sections to fit your needs. You may start at any time during the year without having to wait for when semesters start or for the mid-semester 2nd 8-week sessions to kick in. Click here to fill out the new students form, it will help us know more about you and find the right match for you.
♦ Private instruction for all skill levels ♦
If you wish to start your private lessons later and according to Harper's academic calendar, please visit the academic please visit the private lessons page by clicking here.
Course Outline
Our instrumental music program is tailored to accommodate the various abilities of all our students, regardless of age and/or interest. We offer lessons for students starting at age 5 all the way to seniors and from complete beginners to those who are on their way into becoming accomplished musicians. Conveniently scheduled after school hours for children and at any time for adults, our students discover a variety of classical and traditional instruments and receive an unparalleled level of tuition from handpicked instructors. Students have two optional opportunities to perform in solo recitals over the course of the year; one recital takes place at the end of the Fall Semester, and another at the end of the Spring Semester.
Private Lessons / Instruments Offered for All Ages
Banjo, Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Double Bass, Drums, Euphonium, Flute, French Horn, Guitar (Including Electric), Jazz Guitar, Hand Drum, Harmonica, Mandolin, Oboe, Orchestral Percussion, Piano, Suzuki Piano, Jazz Piano, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Ukulele, Viola, Violin, Suzuki Violin, Fiddle, and Voice.
For further information about private lessons click here for more details.
Notes
If you're a first time student seeking to take private lessons, please click here and fill out the First Time Student Form. You'll hear from us within 24 hours.
All private lessons are held at Harper College's main campus or online.
For more information about private lessons, click here.
Click here for a full list of our instructors.
If your instrument is not listed or the name of your instructor doesn't appear in the list below, please contact the Community Music and Arts Center (CMAC) at cmac@harpercollege.edu and request a section to be created for you.
Instructors
- Bekr Ali, Banjo, Uke, Mandolin Instructor, Ensemble Director
- Helen L. Chang, Piano Instructor
- Petros Dragoumis, Bass, Guitar, Bouzouki, Drums, Director
- Nanae Fujiwara, Guitar
- Matthew Nall, Piano
- Jeremy S. Ruthrauff, Saxophone Instructor
- Kathlyn Sbarboro, Piano, Early Music Education
- Kenneth N. Spurr, Piano Instructor (Jazz)
- Jeremie Witz, Guitar and Uke Instructor (Jazz, Rock, Classical)
Helen Chang earned her Masters of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana in piano performance and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her principle teachers were William Heiles, Theodore Edel, and Reid Alexander (Piano Pedagogy). In addition, she had chamber coaching with the Pacifica Quartet, master class with John O’Connor, and served as teaching intern at the University of Illinois Piano Laboratory Program. Helen was the recipient of the Chicago Bar Association Award scholarship for piano, as well as the Steinway of Chicago Music Educator Grant. For the past 15 years, Helen has been on the faculties of Harper College Community Music Center, McHenry County Music Center, and Adler Music and Arts Center where she teaches individual piano lessons, group lessons and theory classes for all ages. In 2018, Helen joined Music Blocks, a non-profit organization in the Barrington area to provide after school semi-private piano instruction to students of low-income families in District 220 and is the current Program Manager. In addition to teaching, she enjoys performing on various solo and collaborative recitals. Helen has been an active member of Music Teachers National Association and served as a Co-chair for the NWSMTA Achievement in Music Program. Her students have been graduates of the ISMTA Level 12 Achievement in Music Theory/Performance Exams, scholarship recipients, and prizewinners at the Grandquist Memorial Contest, IMA State Olympic Contest, NWSMTA Sonata-Sonatina Festival, as well as participants of the Chicago Symphony Young Artists Auditions. Helen has a passion for developing and working with students to establish a solid foundation of music reading, music appreciation and to spark a life-long love for music. She recognizes peer learning as a source of motivation and affirmation, and tries to bring a positive and encouraging attitude to her classes so that every student can succeed.
Petros Dragoumis is a multi-instrumentalist and multicultural professional musician, instructor, and author with over 35 years of experience. Throughout his international career he has performed, recorded, and collaborated within many different aspects of the music industry, such as live concerts, recording sessions, productions, TV shows, workshops, etc. As a performer, his music is influenced by Greek, Ethnic, as well as the Afro-American Jazz culture, with emphasis on odd meters and exotic scales. Petros has studied at the Macedonian Conservatory, the Bass Collective of New York, the Rotterdam Conservatory Codarts, and Arizona State University. His instructors included John Patitucci, Lincoln Goines, Mike Pope, and Matt Garrison. Petros is also the author of several music textbooks including instructional methods for bass guitar, guitar, and bouzouki, as well as music theory. Petros resides in Chicago and is involved in various music projects while teaching at Harper College and being the co-director of Odeion School of Music in Skokie.
Matthew Nall holds music degrees from Illinois College and Western Illinois University. While at Illinois College he was a two-time recipient of the Ruth Bellatti Music Honors Scholarship, performed with the Walden Chamber Players, and was a finalist in the Jacksonville Symphony Society's Talent Among Us Competition. Nall has studied under the instruction of Dr. Garrett Allman, Dr. Jeffery Brown, Dr. Maria Horváth and has participated in masterclasses with internationally known pianists such as Dr. Stephen Beus, Dr. Robert Satterlee, and Dr. Nicholas Roth. A passionate teacher of all ages and skill levels, his students have ranged from kindergarteners, to high school seniors, to grandparents, and he is a member of Northwest Suburban Music Teachers Association.
Jeremy Ruthrauff is a saxophonist, composer/improvisor and teacher based in the Chicago area active in the concert, jazz and experimental music arenas. Freelance work involves regular performances with numerous prominent ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (including regular concerts at Symphony Center, the MusicNow contemporary music series, and performances at the summer Ravinia festival), Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago
Ken is a jazz pianist, teacher and bandleader who has been active as a professional musician in the Chicago area for over 10 years. Ken has performed weekly at the Plaza Club on the top floor of the Prudential Building from 1997 to 2001. He also performed with the Curt Warren Quartet at the Texas Jazz Festival from 1997 to 1999. Ken has performed with many major jazz artists including Louie Bellson, Ira Sullivan, Rufus Reid, Richie Cole, Greg Abate, Marvin Stamm and Joe Gallardo. In addition, Ken has also played and/or recorded with many local jazz artists including Rusty Jones, Nick Tountas, Joel Spencer, Kelly Sill, Larry Grey, Greg Fishman, Jackie Allen and Bob Rummage. Ken is an active member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians and A.P.O.L. (Association of Professional Orchestra Leaders). In May of 2001 he released his first CD recording, 
Jeremie Witz is guitarist who has been playing for nearly 20 years. He has played professionally in numerous bands and ensembles ranging from jazz to folk to rock and has been writing music for the same length of time. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago in May 2014 with a BA in Music Composition. He studied under composers: Drew Baker, Kenn Kumpf, Ilya Levinson, and Marcos Balter. He performed and worked with members from the groups, Del Niente and Chicago's Composer's Collective. Jeremie teaches bass guitar, ukulele, songwriting, counterpoint, orchestrating, arranging, music theory, and composition. He is experienced with all kinds of music software, such as Pro Tools, Logic, Garage Band, Cubase, FL Studio, Finale, Sibelius. If you want to learn how to write, record, mixing, and master your own music, there's never been a better time to learn.