you’ve stumbled upon my old lessons website! here’s my new one: littlebirdukulele.com :)
about
Free Bird by Yaniza is a place for music education, kindness, and fun! Yaniza’s passion for performing and writing songs is met equally by her passion for teaching and learning. She has been working with children in some capacity for over a decade, including everything from lead teacher to camp counselor, school intern, camp director, assistant teacher, babysitter, musical teaching artist, you name it! Yaniza is a 2020 graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University, where she earned a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Music Ed. The spark for teaching ukulele specifically was born in part by her grad school experience, and by fans on YouTube asking her to teach them how she plays her cover songs.
As an artist, Yaniza has worked with acclaimed and GRAMMY nominated producers and engineers, and has been featured on popular music blogs like PopSugar and Glamour. Her original music and cover songs have garnered thousands of views/streams across platforms, and have caught the attention of Colbie Caillat and Becky G. A snippet of Yaniza's ukulele tune, "Fly Away (Free Bird)" - which inspired the name of her teaching business - reached 800k views on TikTok in 3 weeks, leading to praise from makeup brand, Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez. Yaniza's beachy song, "Happiness," appeared in a commercial for Karisma Hotels, and Kate Spade NY reached out to have her perform for their summer cabana pop-up events around NYC. Yaniza has no plans of slowing down!
Ukulele lessons
Ukulele students (K-5) learn or write a new song on the ukulele each week! They discover chords, strumming patterns, rhythm, fingerpicking, and more while working on their confidence. They play custom games created by Yaniza, including the popular Stage Adventure board game, as well as music versions of classic games. In addition to chords, students learn TAB in their first year and musical notation as they continue to grow in their understanding of music. They are exposed to both familiar songs and songs that Yaniza wrote specifically for teaching - they even get to write their own songs! Students receive a Monthly Focus sheet that aids them in practicing independently. They also learn how to care for their new instrument and how to identify all the different parts. While all ukulele lessons have an emphasis on singing as well, students also have the option to take Uke & Sing, which dives deeper into singing. They receive time dedicated to strengthening their voices through vocal warm ups, scales, tongue twisters, matching pitch and more while they perform their favorite tunes. Students leave lessons eager for their next one, and inspired to create their own music!
Ukulele lessons are 30 minutes, and Uke & Sing has two options: 45 min or 60 min.
Lessons take place either virtually on Zoom, or at Yaniza’s studio on the Upper West Side. There is concierge and a cozy lounge in the lobby where adults can relax during the lesson. Students should bring their own ukulele and tuner.
**Inquire via the form below, or keep scrolling to sign up for updates on lessons and family concerts.**
