Tag Archive for: our educators

Drew M. Hodis
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Preparing for Music School: Advice From Experts (Part 1)

Preparing for music school: advice from experts. Gain insights on applications and auditions. This part of our series gains insights from bass teacher, Tim F.

Hodis Learning & Music bass teacher, Tim, shares insights on the music school admissions process. Tim earned his B.M. from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and M.M. from USC Thornton School of Music, both in jazz bass studies.

What goes into preparing for the performance aspect of music school applications?

Preparing for music school applications can be a very involved process. In addition to sending in an application and supplemental essays, students will often have to send in a portfolio. This involves preparing a lot of material that usually requires applicants to record themselves playing solo pieces or in an ensemble. If the committee likes what they see, then students may be invited to visit the school for an in-person audition.

How can you specifically help students prepare for music school auditions? Can you help with the application itself?

I’ve gone through the process twice myself, so I have a good understanding of general requirements and application timelines. I can help the student record their portfolio as well as help them prepare mentally for the in-person audition.

What advice would you give those applying to their dream program? 

I recommend trying to get a lesson with the professor that students are hoping to study under. Students will be spending four years studying with this professor, so they should make sure that the instructor is a good fit personally and in terms of their teaching style. It can also be helpful to take a private tour with someone in the specific school in which students plan to study. I learned as much from my peers as I did my teachers. Try spending the night on campus. Students should make sure they feel like they could fit in and grow with the community of the school.

Get started early and stay organized. It’s important that you allot enough time to understand individual school requirements and prepare the requested material. There are a lot of students who apply each year, so leaving out required material will likely disqualify you. Sending your application and portfolio in time can also be a good way of leaving a good first impression.

Are you planning on applying to music school? Schedule your first session with Tim today!

More about Tim:

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Rachel Hodis
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Educator Spotlight: Tim F.

New Blog post! Educator Spotlight on Hodis Learning & Music music teacher, Tim F.

What subject areas do you teach?

  • Music Lessons: upright/electric bass, guitar, piano, and ukulele
  • Academic Tutoring: music theory
  • Career Preparation: music school audition and application preparation

Where did you receive your education?

  • Oberlin Conservatory of Music, B.M. in Jazz Bass Studies
  • USC Thornton School of Music, M.M. in Jazz Bass Studies

What’s the most rewarding part of being a music teacher?

For me the most rewarding part of being an educator is seeing students excel on their instruments and have fun while doing it. Usually students make the most progress when they are having fun and are inspired. I make it a point to facilitate this kind of environment when teaching.

What are the most common areas you see your students struggling in? How do you help them in those areas?

I see students struggle the most with rhythm. To help this, I encourage students to count and clap rhythms at the same time. Doing this away from the instrument can help solidify what the rhythms should sound like in their ears and mind. I also like to help by counting along or using a metronome at a slow pace while students play. This helps them play the easy and challenging parts of the piece at the same pace. Once students develop this foundation, they can start to play the whole piece without stopping.

What do you enjoy doing outside of teaching students? 

Outside of teaching I enjoy playing bass professionally in many different contexts. I also enjoy running. Last year I worked up to running a half marathon.

What do you think makes Hodis Learning & Music a great service and company to work for?

Hodis Learning & Music is a great company to work for because Drew is a kind and compassionate owner and he is continually improving upon the already great opportunities for students and educators. Being from South Pasadena, he also has a lot of professional and personal connections in the community.

More about Tim:

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Drew M. Hodis

Educator Spotlight: Rachel H.

New Blog post! Educator Spotlight on Hodis Learning & Music tutor and director of marketing, Rachel H.

What Subject Areas Do You Tutor?

Where did you receive your education?

  • University of Oregon, B.A. in Public Relations

What’s the most rewarding part of being a tutor?

Seeing a student gain confidence in a subject or skill they didn’t think they were good at. Of course, seeing each student improve is rewarding, but sometimes it takes them a little while to trust and believe in themselves. When they do, that’s when I know I’ve done my job as a tutor and educator.

I also enjoy using unconventional teaching methods. Sometimes students will be surprised that they can learn in a different way than they do in school– like learning math outside. That’s the benefit of having a tutor working with them one-on-one; we can try new approaches that support learning and reinforce the material in a way that’s specialized to the student’s needs.


What are the most common areas you see your students struggling in? How do you help them in those areas?

I help a lot of students with reading comprehension and getting their reading skills up to or beyond their grade level. The best way to do that is to have students read more– in sessions and outside of tutoring sessions. Just 30 minutes a day of supervised reading can really help them improve.

Think of it as a student conditioning like an athlete every day. Their tutoring sessions with me are like their skill days, or personal training days, where we can do more outside of just reading together. We can practice vocabulary, reading comprehension, story composition, and even write together. All of these things reinforce reading skills and help students improve.

What do you enjoy doing outside of tutoring students?

I enjoy reading, working out, cooking, and spending time outside. I enjoy walking around my neighborhood, going to the park, and being out in beautiful Pasadena.

What do you think makes Hodis Learning & Music a great service and company to work for?

Drew Hodis cares deeply about what he does. He cares about us as educators and helps us be the best we can be. He listens to feedback and advocates for his employees.

Drew also cares about student satisfaction and success because he himself values learning and education. And to top it all off, he also cares about the community he lives and works in.

He has valuable knowledge of the local school curriculum and standards, which allows him to help students more effectively.

I believe all these things make Hodis Learning & Music a great service and company to work for and I’m excited to see us grow!

It’s a company I really believe in and feel good about sharing when I hear someone is looking for tutoring, music lessons, or art lessons.

 

Learn more about Rachel.

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Hodis Learning & Music

Hodis Learning & Music Jazz Trio at the 2022 Eclectic Music Festival

Hodis Learning & Music jazz trio at the eclectic music festival

Come see our musicians perform at the Eclectic Music Festival on April 30 at 8:45PM!

Our lineup:

  • Tim Fenton (bass)
  • Deen Anbar (guitar)
  • Lauren Ellis (drums)

Hodis Learning & Music representatives will be at the event to answer questions and hand out informational materials.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Rachel Hodis

Educator Spotlight: Gwen H.

Educator spotlight: Gwen H. teaches art, painting, illustration, photography, ceramics, sculpture, film & TV editing.

What Subject Areas Do You Teach?

  • Art Lessons: Painting, Illustration, Photography, Ceramics, Sculpture, and TV & Film Editing
  • Academic Tutoring: SAT Prep, English, Social Studies

Where did you receive your education?

  • University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. in Art and Art History
  • Educated in fine arts: drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture

What’s the most rewarding part of being an art teacher?

When things click for students, students start implementing techniques on their own. It’s rewarding seeing the things you’ve taught taking effect.


What are the most common areas you see your students struggling? How do you help them in art lessons?

A lot of times it’s the creative aspect– pushing students to create what they want to create instead of copying what other people do or what they think they should do. To help with that, we’ll do visualization and creative method activities.

I also see students struggle with technique. To help them, I like to teach by doing, and I’m also patient. Students will get it if they keep working on it.


What do you enjoy doing outside of art lessons?

Making my own art, reading, gardening, hanging out with friends, going to the farmers market, and cooking.


What do you think makes Hodis Learning & Music a great service and company to work for?

I think the individual nature that HLM emphasizes when working with students makes it unique and great. You get so much more working one-on-one with students than you would in a class because each student is different.

 

Read more about Gwen here.

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Rachel Hodis

Educator Spotlight: Aidan M.

Educator spotlight: music teacher, voice and piano teacher, Aidan M.

What Subject Areas Do You Teach?

  • Music Lessons: Voice, Piano
  • Academic Tutoring: Beginning Italian, Algebra

Where did you receive your education?

  • University of Southern California, B.M. in Classical Voice/Opera
  • Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, concentration in Classical Voice/Opera

What’s the most rewarding part of being an educator?

Teaching allows me to share my love for music with others. Singing is often portrayed as a skill that you are born with, when in reality everyone can be taught.

It’s part of human nature to bring our voices together in song, and there isn’t a single culture around the world that doesn’t sing.

Unfortunately, many people are told either implicitly or explicitly that “they don’t have it.” My mission as a teacher is to break that misconception and welcome as many people into music as I possibly can.


What are the most common areas you see your students struggling in? How do you help them in those areas?

Students tend to judge their voice by how they hear themselves, but the voice we hear when we talk or sing is not what it sounds like to others. Over time, the best singers learn to hone in on the bodily sensation of singing.

But, focusing on small adjustments, like in the tongue or jaw, and excess tension in the body is hard and requires practice and hard work.

Sometimes the work gets ugly and you crack or run out of air or go flat, but these things are part of learning your own voice and acquainting yourself with those minute bodily stimuli.

I try to give my students this advice: be confident in your sound; be confident in your artistry; in time, singing will be as effortless as breathing.


What do you enjoy doing outside of teaching students?

When I’m not teaching, I’m practicing or studying music for my next performance. I’m also an avid rock-climber and I love it more than any form of exercise.


What do you think makes Hodis Learning & Music a great service and company to work for?

The founder, Drew Hodis, always struck me as an eminently kind person, and I have come to know that he attracts some of the most positive and understanding people. It’s flattering to be included in that group.

Naturally, HLM has high standards for educators not just in their technical skill, but in their pedagogical approach. Being a student is hard. Our founder understands how vulnerable it can be, and that students who feel safe are in the best position to grow themselves.

I’m passionate about that, and as a student myself I know how a teacher’s approach can mean the difference between a life long love for the art and long lasting self-esteem issues.

I’m proud that HLM understands and trusts me with that responsibility, and HLM’s approach to teaching will spread love and excitement for learning far and wide.

Read more about Aidan.

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Hodis Learning & Music

Give a Warm Welcome to Our New Drum Teacher!

Ben is a drums teacher at Hodis Learning & Music

Ben P. is our new expert drum educator! He received his Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington. Ben also teaches beginning piano and guitar. Ben has 20 years of experience performing drums. He toured with the Nightowls and performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Burna Boy. Ben also toured Internationally with Postmodern Jukebox on Deck. Whether you are a beginner or looking to finetune your skills to prepare for a career in music, Ben is the teacher you need!

 

Check Out Ben’s Incredible Talent

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Hodis Learning & Music
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Our New Guitar Teacher, Bruno B.

Bruno B. is our new expert guitar teacher! He received his B.M. in Songwriting from the Berklee College of Music. Bruno also teaches rock-style voice, music production, performance, and theory, and Ableton Live software. Bruno has years of experience teaching individuals of all ages and skill levels. Whether you are a beginner or looking to prepare for music school interviews, Bruno is the teacher you need!

Check Out Bruno’s Incredible Talent

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Rachel Hodis

Educator Spotlight: Drew M. Hodis

educator spotlight: Drew M. Hodis

Get to know Hodis Learning & Music Founder, Drew Hodis! He began as a tutor and music teacher himself almost a decade ago, and was so inspired by his experience that he created the company to help more students!


Where did you receive your education?

  • University of Southern California, B.A. in Psychology
  • Adelphi University, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology: 2027 expected graduation


What’s the most rewarding part of being a tutor, educator, and having your own business?

“The most rewarding part of being an educator is improving students’ academic and emotional wellbeing through teaching and connection. When I see my students’ grades rise over the semester with my help, I feel fulfilled and grateful that my students entrusted me with their learning needs!”

“The most rewarding part of owning my own business is the opportunity to create a community. Our society is becoming more and more disconnected, and this phenomenon has only been magnified by COVID-19. HLM has given me the opportunity to provide connection.”


What are the most common areas you see students struggling? How do you help them in those areas?

“The three most common areas my students struggle with is:

A. Motivation
B. Focus
C. Difficulty grasping concepts”

“For motivation, I speak to my students’ best selves while providing empathy: ‘I know, this is really hard. But you can do this, I believe in you! I will be here to help in any way I can.’ I also use positive motivation.”

“For students with focus issues, we often practice mindfulness together, while also training their brain to focus. Sometimes we practice mindfulness meditation or mindful yoga. And when possible, I help students set up a quiet and distraction-free home learning environment.”

“For students struggling with the material, we go over what the student knows and doesn’t know to assess where to begin. Then I provide an interactive lesson that motivates the student to do their best work. I encourage the student not to rely on me for the answer unless needed. Once the student understands the concept, I check their learning and we move on to the next lesson.”


When should someone contact you for tutoring needs? When should someone contact you for music lessons?

“Students should contact us for tutoring sooner rather than later. I recommend that parents reach out when a student has consistently shown that they don’t grasp the material. Usually that can be observed after a few exams or when their grade slips.”

“The earlier a tutor can help the student, the sooner the student may end tutoring. As contradictory as it sounds, we want our students to succeed without tutoring.”

“When you break your leg, you get a cast that helps your bone regrow. Our services are like a cast: we help students develop study skills and build foundations in their courses. Then, as much as we enjoyed working with them, we hope to see them soar on their own!”

“Some students, however, will only need help occasionally, and that’s perfectly normal. We offer “on-call” sessions; or standalone sessions for this very purpose. If you need on-call help before a test, we recommend that you reach out at least a week before the exam.”

“Students may contact us for music lessons at any time. Although our brains are more plastic and efficient at developing new skill sets in early and middle childhood (3-8 years old), it’s never too late to take up a new instrument!”

“It may take older students a little longer to learn the instrument than it would for young children, but it is still feasible to become proficient on their preferred instrument. Many of our music students are 5-18 years old, but we also serve students who are in early, middle, and late adulthood.”


What are some common misconceptions people have about tutors or tutoring?

“Many people think that tutors are a “quick fix.” Although our goal is to get our students up to speed as quickly as possible, we cannot provide immediate solutions.”

“We cannot do our students’ homework for them, and we cannot turn around their grade overnight.”

“Every student’s learning needs and abilities are different and the time it takes for them to get back on track varies.”

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You can read more about Drew and the origin of Hodis Learning & Music in this article published in the South Pasadenan!

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