Study with Blue Heron’s founder, Davide Sponza.

Dave’s musical life spans original acoustic compositions, electric guitar and live performance with his Italian rock band, Espresso Rock. In 2026, he performed his composition Walk in Paris at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.

In lessons, that experience becomes practical: make an accompaniment flow, connect chords across the fretboard, shape a bend or build a solo around the harmony. Explore rock, blues, fingerstyle, improvisation and songwriting, with theory explained through what you play. For beginners, the work starts with making those first chords and rhythms feel comfortable and sound musical.

Understand the music beneath your hands.

The keyboard gives us a clear way to explore how music fits together. In lessons, we use that advantage: a passage becomes easier to understand when you recognize its chords, hear its melody and see the patterns beneath the notes.

We work on reading, coordination and touch alongside that understanding. Beginners build short pieces step by step; developing players explore phrasing, accompaniment and how to bring out a melody over the other notes. When preparing for a recital, we also work on the complete performance: how to begin, keep the music moving and recover from a mistake.

Build the groove. Find your own line.

From the space in a D’Angelo groove to the movement of a blues bass line or the drive of a rock riff, we explore what makes a bass part work. Repertoire can range from Mac Miller and soul to rock and blues, connecting the music you enjoy with timing, articulation and an understanding of harmony.

With Dave, you can work toward creating your own bass lines: choosing chord tones, connecting them with passing notes, developing melodic ideas and improvising over a progression. We give just as much attention to the length of a note, a well-placed rest and the discipline of holding a groove.

Small enough to take along. Fun enough to keep picking up.

For adults who want an enjoyable way to make music without a demanding practice routine, the ukulele offers an inviting starting point. A few chords open the door to many songs, and its portability makes it easy to bring music into a quiet evening, a trip or a gathering with friends.

Dave also teaches ukulele as a first instrument for younger children. Its compact size and four nylon strings can make holding the instrument and trying early chord shapes more manageable for small hands. Lessons introduce rhythm, listening and coordination through short, playful musical activities. There is plenty to explore as interest grows, including fingerpicking, melodies and singing while playing.

Learn to carry a band.

A good drum part gives the other musicians something they can trust. Lessons focus on developing that foundation through coordination, steady time and control of the kit, then using it to shape a song.

Work on grooves that sit comfortably with a bass line, fills that lead into the next section and dynamics that make a chorus lift. For beginners, patterns are broken into manageable steps before bringing hands and feet together. As your playing develops, the focus expands to musical decisions: when to build energy, when to leave space and how to come back into the groove.

Make the song sound like you.

The way you breathe into a phrase, emphasize a word or hold back the volume can change the meaning of a song. Our planned voice offering will bring those expressive choices together with work on pitch, breathing, diction and comfortable vocal coordination.

The aim is to help singers explore suitable repertoire, work through difficult passages and develop confidence in their own sound.

Voice lessons are in development. Contact us to register your interest and hear when a teacher becomes available.