About Madison Whitaker
Madison was born a musician and started singing at a very young age. Both of her parents were artists and musicians, and were constantly exposing her to music at church and from their favorite artists. Growing up, she would make up songs for her stuffed animals to sing and would perform them in front of anyone that would listen. This continued with friends she made later in grade school and choir. She started taking guitar lessons at 8, but had a difficult time with discipline and commitment, which stemmed from not feeling connected with her teacher. This sparked a chain reaction of thought and observation for her. Throughout her entire education process, she was always fascinated with communication and would pay special attention to the way her instructors informed the students of lesson plans and concepts. This inspired her to be the change that she wanted to see. In high school, she was blessed with an incredibly patient, thorough and talented choir teacher. He taught her the fundamental building blocks of musicianship as she understands it best. To this day, she uses the key concepts she learned from him in her lessons. 1. Understanding the importance of persistence, practice, and patience with the instrument. 2. Rhythm is the most important element of music. 3. You can manufacture energy and put it into your music.
As far as guitar and piano, she is partially, but not entirely, self-taught. She prefers to credit books, videos, and the musicians that have given her secrets and tricks. Her journey accelerated when she studied Music Theory and Ear Training in college. This helped her make connections between the instruments and to see how they could all work together.
Aside from her teaching career, she actively participates in the Houston live music scene. Whether it be live performance or recording, she has worked with dozens of highly skilled musicians in the area and loves learning from others' experiences. She leads her band Whit (facebook.com/saywhitnow) where she is the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. They are currently in the studio recording their first EP.
Madison has been teaching in-home private lessons for 4 years. She is incredibly fulfilled by witnessing growth in her students, and loves the "Ah-HA!" moments. Her approach is based on the student's learning patterns and interests, and tailors her lessons to each individual student. Madison feels that music is the ultimate form of expression, and she tries to make her foundation as limitless as possible. Growth is the main goal. Other instruments and subjects she teaches include ukelele, mandolin, hand percussion, music theory, ear training, and rhythm.
