Meet your teacher

Larissa West was raised in southwestern Pennsylvania. She attended Shenandoah University in Virginia where she obtained a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Flute Pedagogy (the study of teaching flute).She taught private flute lessons for 15 years in Virginia before moving to Barre, VT. I am married to my wonderful husband of 16 years, Jeffrey. He is supportive, encouraging, and has helped me a great deal along the way (including reading my blogs before I post them live). I love to garden and preserve vegetables, and enjoy crocheting.

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Why take music lessons?

For those already playing an instrument learn to read music better and more efficiently, learn to make a better sound, learn to play by yourself and with others. Maybe try out for some competitions to play harder music. Work with me and get solo and ensemble experience working with your peers.

Need a little more? Gain an inner self worth. A pride in accomplishment that no one can take away. In sports a child's feeling of self worth can be based on whether they win or lose. Learning an instrument gives a strength that is only theirs. Ensemble playing is a win-win for all because there is no competing, only support and trust that the other players will be there for you in harmony.

Still not convinced? The biggest thing we know from what research we have on music and brain development is that music stimulates brain development like no other activity. It helps to improve social skills, brain plasticity (the brain’s response to change from internal and external stimuli, and the ability to recover from a traumatic brain injury like a stroke). This doesn’t need to come from a lifetime of learning music. Even for people who only took lessons when they were young, the effects can still be seen later in life. MIT had once stated they want to recruit music students for several reasons: music can help foster discovery and creativity which can be applied across many applications. Music can help bring awareness and curiosity to help solve real-world problems like climate change and AI [artificial intelligence] implications. Medical schools seek instrumentalists because they have the fine motor dexterity necessary for surgeons to keep a steady hand and perform difficult surgeries with success.

About Lessons

What to Expect in Lessons

For my youngest students (ages newborn to 6): I use a program called The Music Class®. They have performed a deep dive into child development and formed a curriculum around those findings with regular updates as findings change. Wonderfully enough, they are also trained musicians and have written a number of songs and mixed them with more traditional songs for kids. The activities are quite streamlined and easy to do at home. They also include an app and songbook so you can sing at home, in the car, or wherever!
For my flute students: my teaching style is quite flexible and with the full intention of having fun while learning. I enjoy teaching in groups, but am happy to accommodate private one-on-one lessons as well. In group settings I can teach with a more spiraled curriculum where students can join or change classes whenever ready. They can also choose their level of class performance for the day with several challenge levels available. We play games in classes and do solo as well as group performances. This allows for feedback not only from me but from other students! In a group setting it can be a lot easier for me to set up activities that encourage leadership and learning to follow directions. This way we can encourage and help each other as a group.
For parents: this is a huge commitment for you as well as your student. As the primary teachers in their life, I expect you to help keep a regular practice time for your student. This comes with the understanding that during the regular practice time your student is learning. This may mean you hear the same thing over and over and over. This is how we learn. You may also hear some strange or abrupt/loud noises. Again this is learning. We are stretching our limits just like body builders, only through sound (and muscles too). I recommend setting aside a time when all this can occur and no one is saying it's too much. This can be especially discouraging to the older students, as this is difficult and they are getting told constantly that they regularly need to practice. Parental support of this is a non-negotiable. I can't help your student if they are not able to practice.