Piano Lessons in Beacon Hill, MA

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Music

My teaching style revolves from teaching the music, not just the instrument. As a result, even if the student eventually becomes technically unavailable, he/she can still listen to great musical details and appreciate the sound world with depth and understanding. I expect my students to learn more on their own than from myself because I teach the way to learn in addition to the way to play. Students shall express their goals in the short, medium, and long term. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums French Horn Piccolo Oboe Bassoon English Horn Keyboard

I normally use the Standard of Excellence method books for most of my students; however, I am open minded to adjusting to each individual student's musical needs, whether it be Jazz, Classical, or whatever style music the student is focusing on. For Drummers, I prefer the Haskell Harr Method, or the Buddy Rich Method Book, as well as the Breeze Easy Method Book. For piano instruction, I prefer the Faber Piano Method Books, as they are tailored to the students' individual needs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice

As I mentioned, I believe creativity should be encouraged. I am okay with any pace the student goes at, however I will still hold them to a high standard in terms of effort put in. I try and make each lesson fun and enjoyable, as well as a creative experience that still focuses on theory and fundamentals. I generally tend to split the lessons up into warm up techniques, repertoire, sight reading, listening/dictation, discussing music the student likes/wants to learn, and improvisation and songwriting. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I have been teaching for 10 years, both privately and in schools. I have taught voice, piano, acting, general music education and directed choirs. I emphasize a performance based approach to music. I believe that communication is the essence and purpose of music, and good technique cannot be divorced from performance. I find that creating an warm, open, non-judgmental environment in lessons allows my students to get in touch with the meaning of the music and allows them to add their own personality to their piece to create a truly individual interpretation and performance. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trombone

A principle that I have lived by in the 45 plus years that I have taught, is that I am teaching the STUDENT as an individual with a particular personality, learning style, level of patience, tolerance for making mistakes and openness to trying new things. I do not teach MUSIC; I use it as the vehicle for learning. When a teacher really understands the nature of the student and shows his/her commitment to making every lesson a successful and happy experience for him/her, then the process of learning to play an instrument becomes a mutual and fulfilling experience. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I'm not opposed in principle to using any particular series of method books, and I can understand the advantages of using, say, the Bastien Piano Basics series to introduce music fundamentals. That said, I haven't found any pre-made lesson plans or materials that work for everybody. It seems like it's best to gauge what book, repertoire, and approach is best for each student based on the first few lessons, and customize the experience from that point on. Read More