Elaine Akins

New York

Guitar, Piano and Vocal Music Teacher for the Queens and Long Island area of New York City, Elaine teaches children from ages 3 and above. Elaine has a degree in Applied Music from CUNY (Baruch College) and has 18 Master credits for Special/General Education from Touro College.

During her music teaching career, Elaine has taught for the past twenty-five years Guitar, Piano and Vocal students (NYSSMA as well as Performing Arts entry auditions). Elaine has also performed for Make Music NY and for The September Concert organizations for promotion of her students and the art of music for many years.

Her method of teaching always includes music theory, harmony, intervals, sight reading, music symbols, major keys, the sharps and flats, dynamics and overall chordal structure. Also, performance, projection, developing pitch, understanding crescendo and decrescendo markings. Additionally, understanding time signatures, tempo, and accenting of notes to the student is part of Elaine’s method of teaching music to Guitar, Piano and Vocal students.

Elaine has been performing in New York since 1974 with such bands as the Joe Cain Orchestra and Richie Havens' Bass Player, Keith Lambeth, Frankie Paris and Robert Ross. Elaine has developed her own unique style of singing and playing music with a sound that is reminiscent of the Rock-a-Billy sound that created Elvis, and other early royalty like Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, and Eddie Cochran.