Music Lessons + LS Band
1-1 Private Music Lessons
September 19, 2022 - May 12, 2023
1-1 Lessons Overview
- Lessons are available to students in 1st-12th grade as a full year commitment.
- Lessons are once a week for 30 minutes.
- Lessons are available from 3:30-6:00pm, M-Th and are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.
- Any amount of time your student spends in ASP prior to lessons is free for Lower School and Middle School students.
- All Lower and Middle school students must sign into the After School Program before their lessons and must be signed out according to ASP procedures.
Prices, billing procedures, and policies:
Billing for ASP Private Music Lessons will be broken out into three installments throughout the school year. There is a one time non-refundable deposit payment required at the time of registration.
Pricing:
- $60 per 30 minute lesson (once a week) for Non ASP Plan Users
- $55 per 30 minute lesson (once a week) for ASP Plan Users (5pm or 6pm plan)
Absences & cancelations:
Absences:
Absences for a scheduled school related conflict (for example: mandatory field trip or school-related event not inclusive to sports or extra curricular activities) will not be charged, but all other absences will be charged for teacher's time.
Absences for a scheduled school related conflict (for example: mandatory field trip or school-related event not inclusive to sports or extra curricular activities) will not be charged, but all other absences will be charged for teacher's time.
Canceling indefinitely:
Students needing to cancel lessons indefinitely will be required to pay for lessons unless a replacement can be scheduled.
LS Band
September 19, 2022 - May 12, 2023
ASP Band
Monday's and Wednesday's
Beginning Band: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Intermediate Band: 4:15pm - 5:00pm
Band is a wonderful opportunity for students to bond with classmates, meet new friends, develop personal discipline, build self esteem, and begin the practice of an art form that will deliver joy and satisfaction from their school days to beyond. Beginning Band is for students with little to no experience, while intermediate students will have completed at least one full year in band.
The school has a limited number of instruments to loan to families. There are also several local companies to rent instruments from at a reasonable cost.
Students do not have to choose an instrument prior to bands’ start, where they’ll be given the opportunity to explore the instruments before making a decision. Requests for instrument loans should be directed to nhuaman@headroyce.org.
Pricing:
$2,000 for the full 2022-23 school year
Broken out into three installments
About our Band Director:
Nzingah hails from New York State's Hudson River Valley. She studied at Harlem's Jazzmobile with Basie alumnae: Frank Foster, Frank Wess and Bill Baron. She also studied at Carl Berger's Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY, Berkeley School of Music in Boston and at Rutger's University, where she received her BA in Music. In 2000 Nzingah received her Orff Certification from Mills College. Since relocating to CA, Nzingah has worked with a variety of ensembles including the Mendocino Music Festival Orchestra, Azucar Y Crema (a women's salsa band), the Junius Courtney Big Band and in 2008 was featured artist for the annual concert series, Afro Solo.
More recently she has performed with R&B legend Johnny Tolbert; vocalist Denise Perrier and violinist, Sandi Poindexter. In addition to leading her own jazz quintet, Nzingah currently peforms with the Latin Jaxx ensemble; Azucar con Ache and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music Orchestra and Count Basie Tribute Band.
A dedicated music educator, Nzingah teaches private lessons in general music, woodwinds and band. She has taught at a number of public and private schools including The San Francisco School, the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, Elmhurst Community Prep, Alliance Academy, Lick-Wilmerding High School and San Pedro Elementary School.
Instructors + Instructor Availability
Piano and Ukelele
Sarah Noll
Sarah Noll has taught music in schools and privately for 35 years. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance. After several years as a professional accompanist and private teacher, she started teaching in the classroom culminating in 19 years at HRS. She has a wide variety of performing experience as an instrumentalist and singer in styles ranging from Africa to the Balkans, and from classical to new music repertoire. She has been teaching private lessons at Head Royce for the last 10 years and is excited to return for another year.
Lesson Availability for 2022- 23
Tuesdays - 3:30-6:00pm
Wednesdays - 3:30-6:00pm
Thursdays - 3:30-6:00pm
Grade Level Availability:
2nd - 12th Grade
Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
Nzingah Smith
Nzingah Smith is a saxophonist, flautist, composer and music educator. She holds a music performance degree from the Mason Gross School of the Arts. Her teachers and mentors have included Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Kenny Barron and Bill Barron.
Nzingah performs with several Bay Area ensembles including Pat Wilder and Friends, Key Elements Latin Jazz Ensemble, Blues and Funk legend, Johnny Tolbert and De Thangs. She is musical director and co-leader for Melba’s Kitchen, a 14-piece women’s band that features the compositions of Mary Lou Williams and Melba Liston.
Nzingah is a featured artist on De Thang’s recording Velvet Bone and on Key Elements newly released recording, Arrival.
Lesson Availability for 2022- 23
Mondays - 5:00 - 6:00pm
Wednesdays - 5:00 - 6:00pm
Grade Level Availability:
3rd - 12th Grade
Trumpet/Cornet
William Harvey
William Harvey has been teaching trumpet at Head Royce School since 2019 and enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities. A graduate of Boston University, he plays principal trumpet with the Oakland Symphony and also teaches trumpet at the at University of California, Berkeley.
Lesson Availability for 2022-23
Mondays: 3:30-5:30pm
Tuesdays: 3:30-6:00pm
Grade Level Availability:
4th - 12th Grade
*NEW* Violin
Ceci Li
Ceci Li, born and raised in Oakland, started playing the violin at the age of 10.
As an active orchestral player, she regularly performs with the Stockton Symphony & Marin Symphony.
Ceci has performed and worked with leading musicians such as: Michael Bublé, Sarah Brightman, Yo-yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Riccardo Muti, Jaap van Zweden, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Alondra de la Parra, and Michael Morgan.
When she is not performing, Ceci maintains a full studio teaching violin. Ceci received her B.M and M.M in violin performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts under the tutelage of Laura Park Chen and Yuan Qing Yu. Her former teachers and mentors include Margot Harrison and Debbra Wood Schwartz.
Lesson Availability for 2022-23
Tuesdays: 3:30-6:00pm
Wednesdays: 3:30-6:00pm
Grade Level Availability:
1st - 12th Grade