Hey there!
Does your child love music?
Are they constantly singing a song about whatever they happen to be doing?
Do you find them making silly versions of popular songs?
Are you baffled as to what to do about it?
We should probably work together.
Contact:
Scheduling Link: Free Trial Lesson
Work Phone: 737-242-0654
Email: anna@annawestbrook.com
Nice to Meet You!
My name is Anna Westbrook and I am a composer and songwriter. I teach piano, voice, songwriting, and guitar.
Average Cost of Lessons = $250 / month
My "Best Fit" Families:
I provide music lessons for students ages 4 - 16 (songwriting focused students can go up to age 22ish). I provide a free trial lesson to make sure I am the best fit for a student before either moving forward or referring elsewhere.
Some reasons that families choose to work with me are:
About My Neighborhood: If you travel to me for lessons, there are some nearby activities that can make the trip extra fun. I live in Pflugerville near the corner of Windermere and Pecan. There is an Austin Pets Alive Thrift Store and several restaurants four blocks from my home. There are two local coffee shops about a 5/10 minute drive away (West Pecan Coffee and Beer for sit down and Dazzle for drive through). About a 10/15 minute walk away there is a park with a playground and a nice walking path, it's also adjacent to a local farm with a coin - operated goat feeding station.
My Musical Values:
I believe music is a powerful avenue for self-expression, empathy-building, and the exploration of many other social - emotional learning (SEL) topics. I love helping my students learn to find their voice and focus on each student as a whole-person during the entirety of our lesson. I believe in personalizing each lesson to meet the unique student's need. That is why communication with the parents on their family’s musical goals is crucial to my teaching style.
My Teaching Style:
Teaching the WHY behind each song is an incredibly empowering experience. I tell all my families that I "teach like a composer." What does that mean? It means we'll pause mid-lesson to question WHY a song sounds the way it sounds. It means we're going to learn scales and make a lot of chord charts, but all with the WHY in mind: being able to arrange our own versions of current songs or make up our own songs. It means that if your student doesn't like a certain note in a song, I very well may teach them how to CHANGE it. I am totally open to changing the music, as long as we accurately update the written piece. My students learn how to do this and often find it fun and rebellious to do so.
My Professional Background:
I got my B.A. in Music Composition from Connecticut College after transferring from my studies in Bilingual & Elementary Education at Southern Connecticut State University. I have been a music educator since 2013, a children's entertainer / educator since 2001 (so long ago! I know. I started young), and have been a songwriter since about 3 years old when I baffled my parents much like your child may be baffling you now.
My personal composition career is linked with my career as a playwright and musical theatre producer. You can learn more about my theater career at annawestbrook.com.