Piano Lessons in New Haven, CT

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Organ Recorder Oboe English Horn Keyboard

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Annually, at least 15 to 20 of my students participate in the NYSSMA solo music festival. All of my students receive excellent and outstanding ratings. Many students also are selected for the SCMEA and PEAK Music Festival. Several of my vocal students have auditioned and obtained prominent roles in various musical theaters on Long Island. Most recently, one of my vocal students was accepted into IMTA (International Modeling and Talent Association) and upon auditioning was selected by talent scouts for several roles in commercials and advertisements. In addition, many of my students have been selected for the National Honor Society in their schools, Tri-M, and have obtained scholarships at USDAN summer camp for the Arts. Some of my students have even pursued a career in music education and are now music teachers themselves.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
I feel that one of the most difficult techniques to master when playing any instrument or singing is the ability to interpret the music (proper phrasing, dynamics, setting the mood of the music), the ability to play with proper intonation, and the ability to adjust your playing style to accommodate the genre of music that you are performing. In my experience, I have encountered many musicians who have wonderful technical abilities but every piece of music that they perform sounds the same. Due to the extensive musical background and training that I have been so fortunate to have, I strive to impart my knowledge and skills to all my students beginning at the earliest of age, so that they will have that same ability. Music is not just notes on a page. Music is a form of artistic expression.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
In elementary school, I started playing the clarinet. Upon recommendation from my middle school band teacher because he felt the clarinet wasn’t challenging enough for me, I started playing the oboe. During High School, as I played the oboe, I played in both the school orchestra and the school band. During the high school musicals, I played in the pit Orchestra and that is when I also learned to play the alto saxophone and the English horn. I became what was known as a Doubler and enjoyed every minute of it. Of course, when I obtained my degree in music education I was also trained and became well-versed in all the band instruments, as I had to instruct my band students.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music does run in my family. My father was a music teacher and a professional trombone player. He attended Julliard School of Music and Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He took private lessons with Ernest Clarke a well-known trombonist who wrote and published enumerable trombone method books. He also earned a teaching degree at New York University. He performed at the Three Village Inn for many years and rehearsed at the studio in our house. My father's uncle played the violin and owned a music store where my Father worked during High School. My cousin also plays the saxophone and performs at various venues throughout Long Island.

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