Teacher Profile: Tal Konderla

About Tal Konderla

Growing up in East Houston, Tal's first steps into music came from tagging along to his eldest brother's weekly piano lessons at his beloved teacher's studio. Geraldine Sharpley, honored as the 2015 TMTA Teaching Fellow Recipient, taught him classical piano until he was 14. At 12, he started learning rhythm guitar, followed by lead guitar, classical guitar, and bass guitar.

During that time, he competed in the National Federation of Music Clubs Competitions and Festivals, advancing to the state level every year he competed across several categories, and won the Houston Contemporary Music Festival in 2007. He also played in many different bands with friends and family throughout his teens.

While living in Trabzon, Turkey, he began teaching ESL at 17. After returning to Houston, he spent a year at KIPP Voyage Middle School teaching Special Education. From there, he finally had the opportunity to merge his passions for teaching and music at Sound Studies. Along with teaching for Lessons In Your Home, he currently teaches, directs, and manages The Echoes, a band originally formed with his guitar students.

As a neurodiverse teacher, Tal believes music gives students a way to express themselves and discover their own learning styles, with all the patience needed for them to flourish. His goal as a teacher is for every student to feel their uniqueness celebrated.

When he isn't teaching or playing music, Tal enjoys watching films and TV series and spending time with his family and friends, including his husband, Ray, their dog, Opihi, and their two cats, Monk and Scully.