Piano Lessons in Park Ridge, IL

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet Harp

Understanding that every student has unique experiences, interests, strengths and weaknesses, I always work to ensure that lessons are to the benefit of the student. Instead of thinking of my role as a director who prescribes a set path, I like to think of private lessons as an opportunity for partnership, where I play the role of facilitator. To do so, I regularly check-in with students to build a lesson structure that works for them. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Euphonium Tuba Music Keyboard

Not every person is going to become a musician, as we all have our own passions and dreams. I want my students to find joy, acceptance, and relief from music, not dread and loathing. I like to ask questions such as "How did playing this passage make you feel? or "What is this piece of music mean to you?" Every piece of music elicits some response from us, and I fully believe that recognition and further development of that response can change the way we perceive music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Trumpet Bass Guitar Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Acoustic Guitar

I'm here to help the student. We all were students at one point and I remember how I felt in the learning stages. I'm just trying to help the student understand their instrument and assist while bringing confidence to venture the possibilities they can have with that instrument. My teaching style is a fun and simple one. I always say that practice is the best teacher but as an instructor in here to help with the journey. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ

George has been a private piano teacher for at least twelve years working with Naperville Music, Ascendo Piano in Fort Wayne, Indiana and has done student teaching in music education K-12 in the Baltimore County, Maryland area. In 1969, I was awarded a Board of Governors' Scholarship in piano with study under Herman Godes and William Nelson. While a piano student, I studied organ with Dr. Clyde English, former student of Marcel Dupre. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

As I mentioned previously, I find it very important that every student be approached from an individual, customized standpoint. However, I do find it important that every student has a strong basis in fundamentals and sound quality so that they have a strong foundation which they can then build upon. For beginning students, I will typically start them with rudiments and eventually work them into a mix of published and improvised solos to foster both technical progress and artistic creativity. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Flute Piccolo

For beginning musicians, I like to start with the very fundamentals of music theory in order to get them comfortable with reading music and understanding what they are doing. Books I have used in the past include the Essential Elements series and the Melodious and Progressive Etude series. I also understand the importance of enjoying what one is playing, so I always urge students find pieces or books for themselves that they are interested in, and incorporate them into my lessons. Read More

Instruments: Piano

I have used different piano books since I started teaching and find the methodology of Faber Piano Adventures suitable for students of different age groups and levels. Students can learn how to play songs in different varieties such as jazz, classical, rock, theme songs from Disney movies and well-known festival songs which they can sing along. Also, most of the repertoire has a duet section for me to play together with the student which makes the learning more fun and enjoyable. Read More