Piano Lessons in Gay Street, PA

Instruments: Piano

I pay special attention to the students' reactions and guide them from there because passion for the instrument is the top priority, and is the fuel to keep a musician going whether it is for a career or a hobby. I start by giving the student trivial assignments, but will quickly ramp it up to find their limits. If I find the student's limit, I will keep it just below that so the student can accomplish the given tasks, yet they can be outside their comfort zone. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Organ Double Bass Keyboard

I am also the creator of a unique method called "The Seven Secrets of Jazz and Soul" which emphasizes the importance of using simple/easy-to-understand language, even when teaching the most difficult of concepts. I also believe in the importance of "coaching" as opposed to lecturing and try to minimize reading, writing and one-sided lecturing during the lesson. Instead, I sit next to my students, and calmly guide them through the creative process. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Keyboard

I began teaching in high school, where I taught lessons to the younger students as well as instructed my jazz band in improvisation lessons. I enjoyed problem solving with my students and figuring out the appropriate exercise or explanation to help them get over a particular hurdle. In college I taught at a music school, where I branched out from teaching saxophone to clarinet, flute, and piano as well. I also gained a lot of experience with very young students at this school. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I vary my methods according to student level, age, and practice habits. For example, for the advanced high school student I often mold my teachings around college audition requirements and all-state, regional band auditions. Otherwise, particularly for younger styudents, I am not very performance oriented. I think it is more important to learn to "play" at music rather than plan and prepare for multiple recitals. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

As a voice teacher, I try to be as warm and welcoming as I possibly can. I understand that singing is a very exposing form of music-making and one of the barriers holding us back from our full potential as singers is confidence in our ability to sing. I constantly encourage my students to try new things to help develop strong technique and cheering them on as they explore new ideas and new heights with their voice. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I think that students learn best when they are relaxed and having fun.  So, anything I can do to keep it light - whether it's drawing a picture to make a point or making up silly words to learn a complex rhythm or using crayons to mark the sections in our music - is a win in my book!  Laughing and making mistakes are a big part of learning.  When my students make errors, I don't scold, I say "good for you, now we can learn something!" I believe that it is both possible and critical to develop the student-teacher relationship as a collaboration. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Synthesizer Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Oboe Bassoon English Horn Acoustic Guitar

For my beginning piano students, I emphasize the twelve major and minor scales with proper fingering, first one octave and then two octaves. These exercises strengthens fingers and create more familiarity with the keyboard. I use the book, Level 1 The Older Beginner Piano Course by James Bastien and the companion book, Musicianship for the Older Beginner. I have seen results when these books are used in tandem. The student increases in technique and start to master music theory simultaneously. Read More