Piano Lessons in Flowerhill, NY

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Synthesizer Recorder Piccolo Oboe Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I keep track each week in a notebook of what their assignments are. I use many different books, learning by ear, learning by youtube, learning by rout, and I have developed my own music writing technique which decodes any song at any level to a much easier level because all students are unique, and deserve to have a teacher who can reach them. It is also very important to me that the student picks their own songs to learn as part of the curriculum, and I will help the student discover which style fits them the best. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion

I am experienced professional mallet percussionist and bandleader with an emphasis on jazz and improvisation. In 2013, I was the first jazz vibraphonist be accepted in to The Juilliard School where I had the opportunity to mentor classical percussionists on how to improvise. Prior to Juilliard, I first attended Oklahoma City University studying music education/percussion performance. After studying for two years at OCU, I decided to transfer to Berklee College of Music to study with Ed Saindon and Dave Samuels, and to be closer to my mentor, Stefon Harris. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ Accordion Keyboard

By the age of 15 I was playing music professionally. I was in love with music by then and it has been my greatest passion to this day. I was honored to be asked by Dr. Porto to teach for him. With Mr. Porto as my teaching mentor I quickly learned what makes a great teacher. After Mr. Porto died I received another great honor. I was asked to take his place in his music band. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Music

Vocal: I meet students where they are, working on some repertoire they select while throwing in some of my own selections. My students generally focus on vowel shape, vocal placement, breathing technique, and expanding range through knowledge of the head, chest, and mix voices (including belting). I am open to what students want and will generally be willing to throw out a lesson plan if that plan is not working for the student and try something new or different. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

Here are the things that I want to impart to my piano students in their first 10 weeks of lessons: That I love music and I love teaching them That music lessons are creative and exploratory That creating music is fun and easy That music can tell stories That music is more than pushing down keys That music is art and involves dynamics, speed, feeling, etc. That singing and moving to music is just a part of how we do things in music education That playing the piano the right way (ie. with the right technique) is really important The importance of understanding, feeling and moving to meter (duple/triple) The concept of home, tonic/dominant tonalities and being able to hear and create bass lines That music is made up of chords, patterns, and melodies That they can transpose music into different keys I use Alfred Piano Method, it also dives into intervallic reading, as described above. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Recorder Double Bass Music

For beginning woodwind students, I have had success using the Rubank method books as a starter. Alongside a method book, I like to work on material chosen by the student, as well as my own supplemntal exercises. It is important for the student to understand the musical concepts associated with the repertoire, as well as focusing on performing well. I also prefer to have my students keep a practice log book, in order to track their progress. For piano and music theory, I like to use the John Thompson method for beginner students, and the Bastien Piano Literature series for more advanced students. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin

A teacher who is not implementing his own skills or who does not experiment and search for different forms of practice will soon become very limited and limiting. As a kid, I was raised in the so-called Russian tradition, took lessons with European professors in my teenage years, and immigrated to North America at the age of nineteen. A by-product of cross-culturalism, I simultaneously learned the principles of different violin schools, researched their traditions, particularities, and distinctions. Read More