Voice lessons encompass healthful production across styles, emphasizing breath (diaphragmatic) support, and appropriate technique. Once proper support is secured, Kevin works on range development and vocal coaching, including repertoire development and audition preparation. Kevin believes all styles can be healthful, and teaches pop/belt, Broadway pop, Broadway legit, operatic/classical, and choral techniques. Kevin also provides the option of studying sight-singing (reading music), keyboard work, and music theory work, pending your goals. Lessons are provided for children and adults, the young and young at heart, the hobbyist improving their karaoke game, the pre-professional preparing for academic study, and for the professional continuing their development. Singers and non-singers are all welcome. Click “About” for more information, or “Contact” to let Kevin know your goals and to schedule a lesson.

As part of study, Kevin provides a custom warm-up recording for daily practice, and accompaniment tracks for songs, recorded during lesson time. Kevin recommends 1-hour lessons for all ages, hobbyists, pre-professionals and professionals to secure healthful vocal production generalized to song singing, as well as for audition preparation, preparation for academic study (including sight-singing and music theory skills), professional development, development of sight-singing skills (reading music) and for those combining skills (also studying keyboard, theory, composition, etc.). For professionals, Kevin highly recommends learning to read music in order to diversify professional opportunity, and is prepared to make that process both productive and enjoyable.

If you are a new professional, having graduated from an academic performance program in the last two years, let Kevin know, and be prepared to provide transcripts of past academic work for a reduced tuition rate.

For more information and session rates, click on “Contact,” and tell Kevin about your interests and needs.

Please note that singing-based services do not constitute medical treatment or medical therapy as provided by a speech language pathologist, and lesson costs are not insurance reimbursable. For speech language pathology services, contact Kevin via the “Contact” link above.

Kevin teaches all ages, from beginners to advanced performers, pursuing a variety of goals, whether for personal enrichment, childhood education, or professional development. Kevin believes all learning comes from play, and so fosters an atmosphere of joy and discovery in every lesson. Kevin uses a variety of sources for learning to play, matching repertoire that is age-appropriate to the student.

Kevin adds custom materials to engage the musical interests of the student. Lessons begin with scales and basic music theory work, followed by improvisational skills and repertoire study. Students are welcome to bring music they wish to play and master, and the course of study can be tailored towards those goals.

Kevin teaches the Taubman approach, developed by Dorothy Taubman in the 20th century, based on a lifetime of research on healthful playing that diminishes the risks of developing painful injuries and chronic problems with the fingers, hands, wrists and forearms. Lessons can be 30-minutes for piano work and basic music theory skills, recommended for children and young adults, and for those who are hobbyists. For those preparing for academic study and professional goals, Kevin recommends 1-hour lessons to encompass study of music theory (aural and written skills), and form analysis. Kevin also recommends 1-hour lessons for those who wish to combine skills, including singing skills at any level. All course of study is tailored to address student goals.

If you are a new professional, having graduated from an academic performance program in the last two years, let Kevin know, and be prepared to provide transcripts of past academic work.

For more information and session rates, click on “Contact,” and tell me about your interests and needs.

For more information on Kevin’s training program developed for those living with Multiple Sclerosis, click on the link above.

Cummines teaches the Taubman Approach to promote healthier playing, and to ensure maximal enjoyment of the instrument while reducing risks of injury or fatigue. Students choose their own repertoire, and all music is welcome in this space. Lessons are 30-60 minutes weekly or biweekly, depending on student’s priorities and preferences. Lessons 2x/weekly are available when applicable.

Homework and practicing are optional, and the students’ musical interests and goals drive the course of study.

To study composition, one should present and develop their current projects, but also master the theory that is the foundation of all we hear and write today. As such, composition study with Kevin is a 1-hour lesson each week where the student presents 1 or 2 pieces of their latest work (in any style or medium), always geared towards the personal and artistic goals of the student. The student then presents the results of a compositional assignment, again geared towards the goal of the student. Kevin also trains the student in aural and written theory at the keyboard, including basic keyboard skills, as needed. Kevin spends time each week developing needed skills including writing counterpoint, keyboard harmony emphasizing voice leading, harmonic analysis, and form analysis, as far as student interests require. The student may work on arranging and orchestration skills as part of their course of study.

If you are a new professional, having graduated from an academic performance program in the last two years, let Kevin know, and be prepared to provide transcripts of past academic work.

Kevin has written tonal pop/rock music, atonal serialist music, avant garde music, incidental music for the stage, film scores, electronic music, chamber operas, and mainstream musical theatre scores, for symphonies, wind ensembles, choirs, non-standard chamber ensembles, string and saxophone quartets, and many other ensemble configurations, mediums and styles. Kevin believes in being highly versatile, and encourages his students to be versatile in their output as well. Kevin holds degrees in music composition from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (Bloomington), and Montclair State University Cali School of Music, having most recently studied with Dr. Marcos Balter. Kevin also holds the MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University Tisch School for the Arts, and has studied with the European American Musical Alliance program in Paris.

For more information and session rates, click on “Contact,” and tell me about your interests and needs.

Music theory is the foundation of Western music, and is endlessly fascinating, as well as challenging to master. Kevin provides tutoring services for those studying theory at the academic level, encompassing basic keyboard skills to make the learning tactile and concrete. Kevin recommends 30-minute lessons to address student needs, and to foster aural skills. Kevin recommends 1-hour lessons to address these skills as well as to also study form and analysis, pending student goals. If you are a student studying music at any level (childhood through graduate work), let Kevin know, and please be prepared to share transcripts of past academic work.

For more information and session rates, click on “Contact,” and tell me about your interests and needs.

Kevin is uniquely trained to work with those whose learning needs require more specialized skill. Trained as a licensed speech language pathologist with significant experience working with all childhood developmental stages, Kevin will find ways to communicate with the student when communication differences are present, and can modify music instruction to meet the need of each student. Kevin continues to explore research and techniques for the best practices to teach music to children with developmental disorders, and to children who are on the autism spectrum. Musical skills for these populations are fully customized and applicable to each student’s needs.

For more information and session rates, click on “Contact,” and tell me about your interests and needs.

Based on research from Milan, Kevin developed and successfully implemented a training program that teaches musical keyboard skills to those living with Multiple Sclerosis. The program is flexibly geared to meet the needs of those living with the effects of demyelination. Over time, students regain some or all hand function and normal sensation, including improvements to strength, agility, and coordination, as well as normalized sensationd and decreases or elimination of tingling, numbness and nerve pain. All students who have studied this approach report improvements to quality of life.

There is no guarantee of improvements to hand function and sensation, nor do we know how long the benefits last with continued study, or whether the benefits last if you stop practicing the keyboard. However, we can spend a half hour each week trying something new that can be a lot of fun.

If you can’t read music, that’s fine, because nobody else who has attempted this approach could either. Kevin can make that easy for you.

This study requires you to have a keyboard and other related equipment for daily use. Kevin can help you decide what option is best for you, and that assistance is free of charge.

Kevin teaches the Taubman approach, developed by Dorothy Taubman in the last century, based on a lifetime of research on healthful playing that diminishes the risks of developing painful injuries and chronic problems with the fingers, hands, wrists and forearms. It’s also possible that the Taubman approach activates more of the neuromuscular system of your hands and forearms, and therefore may result in better, more efficient outcomes.

Lessons can be 30-minutes for piano work and basic music theory skills. For those with interests beyond just the keys, Kevin can incorporate other skills development into lessons for those who wish to combine skills, including singing skills at any level. For combining skills, 1-hour sessions are recommended. All course of study is tailored to address student goals. Lessons are best in-person, but can be done on-line very easily. Kevin recommends 30-minute lessons for those who experience fatigue.

For those living outside the Northern New Jersey and New York City area, Kevin is available for on-line lessons regularly.

If you are a new professional, having graduated from an academic program in the last two years, let Kevin know, and be prepared to provide transcripts of past academic work.

For more information and session rates, click on “Contact,” and tell Kevin about your interests and needs.