Local Musicians Share Love Of Music With Lessons And New Studio

Interested in learning more about music? Three local musicians have recently opened Ditmas Music Lessons to teach students of all ages music of all styles. The trio can come to students’ homes, but they’ve also opened a studio space at 1218 Cortelyou Road.

We talked to Tyler, one of the three musicians, to learn more about the new studio.

DPC: Tell us a bit about yourself and Ditmas Music Lessons.

Tyler: We are three Ditmas-based professional musicians with a passion for teaching — Tyler, Steven-Jon, and Patrick. We all studied at esteemed music schools and now perform with the many wonderful and crazy musicians of New York City.

Ditmas Music Lessons provides quality music instruction conveniently located right on Cortelyou Road. We welcome beginners to advanced students — both kids and adults — and offer many styles to meet our students’ interests, including pop, classical, jazz, electronic, and more. Lessons are taught at our teaching studio in a townhouse in the heart of Ditmas Park. We also travel to students’ homes in surrounding neighborhoods.

I (Tyler) teach piano, theory/composition, songwriting, and electronic music. Steven-Jon teaches trumpet. Patrick teaches saxophone and clarinet. Our teaching studio has an acoustic piano, electronic instruments, and a digital recording workstation.

Why did you decide to open Ditmas Music Lessons?

We have been teaching lessons in Ditmas independently for years. When we moved into our new space on Cortelyou, we saw an opportunity to create something together that could be great for this community — a convenient location for students of all ages to learn music.

Most of all, we’re excited to build relationships with students and to share our passions with others!

Tell us about your teaching philosophy.

The options in music are endless. We find that students learn best when their studies follow their own musical interests. So, we begin by finding exactly where a student’s natural curiosities lie and then we build a lesson plan based on those. Some students are looking for traditional technique and classical music, some want to learn pop songs, some want to make electronic music, others want to compose for films. We create a lesson flow that combines fundamentals, creativity, and each student’s unique interests.

Why did you settle in this neighborhood?

We’ve been living in various parts of Ditmas for over two years and moved into our new space in the spring. We were attracted by the vibrant arts scene that is evolving here, the neighborhood has become popular with many talented musicians.

Ditmas’ peacefulness is great for creativity, and because there are so many musicians here we are able to collaborate often. Great things are happening here.

What is one of the neighborhood’s hidden (or not-so-hidden) gems?

It’s probably not so hidden anymore judging by the popularity, but we love Cafe Tibet. And, since we’re just a few blocks away it’s a constant temptation.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

Slide Hampton, a great jazz composer and trombonist, once said to me as Mozart came on the radio, “With good composers you can always hear the bass. Listen to that, the bass is always clear.” I’ve been constantly discovering the layers of wisdom in this seemingly simple comment for many years.

What are some of your influences?

All three of us have spent our lives learning from great musicians in schools, conservatories, and in performance. With those decades of experience we’ve all built a sense of where music is going in the 21st century, and that helps guide us along our own artistic paths.

Also, our students are a big influence on us. I learn as much as the students do at every lesson — seeing someone approach music for the first time is always eye-opening and fun.

Any favorite styles of music or bands you think we should be listening to?

Some great bands with Ditmas connections include Cuddle Magic, Little King, and Battle Trance.

We are all involved in the thriving improvisation scene here in Brooklyn, and a great place to follow that is Jazz Right Now.

If you are interested in learning more about Ditmas Music Lessons or want to schedule a lesson, visit their website, ditmasmusiclessons.com.