Piano Lessons in Bridgeport, CT

Instruments: Piano Guitar Organ Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Its hard to say between piano and guitar; I started about the same time, but I would have to choose the piano. I would take it because of the balanced layout of the keyboard, the large dynamic range, and the beautiful cabinet. With the lid open you can receive the full power of the instrument. And now we see three pedals with three functions: soft pedal, sostenuto pedal. sustain pedal. The pedals are the soul of the piano. The piano, along with its massive library, has a marked presence in popular music. it will not change.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
Youngest member in the playing of Rutgers University orchestra. A competition from vocal parts for a score which was then performed at Mason Gross School of the Arts. My biggest theater accomplishment with the composition "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum" which was performed in a large auditorium with myself as conductor that day. In another concert series I conducted a chamber version for people because some of the orchestra had prior engagements. After this period, I started to play guitar again and was teaching at C.E.I.G. both guitar and piano, both tasks (Electric and Acoustic).

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Brett Washington: a tenor entered a "Barber Shop Quartet" competition , won best vocalist east region. Daphne Rustowich: was named head of the "Delbarton Band", and performed in the best mod-baroque-style. James Frankenberg: Leader of "Rutgers Jazz Ensemble". reconstructed the school as the new Jazz center. I appreciate the three leaders in their field lending your name to this music school. I sure they will bring their own students to work with and maybe use our materials as a starting point.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Piano: Keep it in tune. Even distribution of the legs and hands so that one is balanced. Use of the three pedals to create special effects. Rapid tremolo on single notes followed by ascending scales. Hand-over-hand to get rapid linear patterns. Play from memory. Guitar: Keep it in tune. Uur left hand thumb in proper position behind the neck. as the right hand will tap notes on the fretboard to get overtones ringing out (switch hands if left handed.) Play arpeggios both up and down the next. Play from memory.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
No, I never used those courses, I feel they were too (Alfred, etc.) simple even for beginning students.. I use Sibelius to generate graded course material for young children, and then increase the sections as I wrote more into the machine., My library was growing and I was able to publicly show my methods at lessons and concerts. I recently decided that I would make own course workbook. And I then use that to start the cycle again with new students as they hopefully compose their own.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I stretch out and vocalize. I review the pieces I am working on and choose one for the day's lesson. I find the parts that are most difficult and practice them at 1/4, 1/2, and then a tempo. I then attach the segments together. I add articulation to add life to the performance. The procedure above can be used on any group of instruments. In a group session I would note the students' performance and give them practice that fits their problem. Eventually if I get a student that makes it all the way through, I would explain to the class how the student sings and what the class thinks of them. An exceptional performance gets a certificate. This makes the student strive for a musical goal they can be proud of..

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I choose composition because you have total freedom. Especially with orchestral work. You have the resources of all the instruments to use as a tonal brush to paint musical tones. There is also a heritage of orchestral scores to get inspired. A large input of music came in when I played the 9 Beethoven symphonies arranged by Liszt. I love starting a piece because the possibilities are endless. Tempo, is especially fluid and Beethoven often manipulates it to great effect. Arpeggios are a technical device that spreads s chord all over the keyboard. I love using these and other devices to improve our playing.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
My piece would be the 32 Goldberg Variations. It shows Bach at his best in the variation genre. In a way it is like a graded lesson book, the lessons getting harder.... It progressively works on a canonic piece every three pieces and ends with a final reprise of the theme. This is a supreme study of counterpoint - I love way the music speaks to listener with both excitement and sadness. This is one of Bach's most popular pieces and it is easy to see why. The Goldberg variations have been recently featured in several movies (just the theme).

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I would be a multimedia specialist focussing on digital work. In between lessons and composition, I would use Photoshop for still photo work, Premiere for still/video work and After Effects to add color correction and sophisticated animation. I actually did a bit of multimedia in my career and it was best when when it was written as a soundtrack for a movie or television (see resume) . I also watched Ch.13 with my parents to see the musicians play and get inspired when i was young. I might be part of Moody's Investors Service and do math and statistics as I did 10 years ago.

Read More