Piano Lessons in Rutland, MA

Instruments: Piano Saxophone

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at their own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Music

I try to get to know students personally and musically. My goal in teaching is to help students to pursue their goals whether as professional musicians or music lovers which are equally important to me. I dont ever set any fixed expectations and rules in teaching as they are all adjustable to me working with individuals who are all at different levels and share different values. I always talk to my students to figure out what they want to play and what they'd like to achieve by learning, and we would go from there by making customized plans. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Keyboard

My method is very personalized to the student. For piano, I love using the Faber Piano Adventure series for both little ones through adult. They do an excellent job formatting their age-appropriate materials to students and get them playing and learning to read music early on in the learning. For voice, I devise my own warm up exercises that tailor to the needs of the student. Breath, diction, resonance, body posture, and tension are among some of the technical priorities I have when teaching voice. Read More

Instruments: Piano

For young students starting piano lessons for the first time, I recommend either Bastien or Faber's piano Adventure method books. My older students love Alfred's books. These method books, in my opinion, have motivating pieces and give the students a solid foundation in theory and scales. I also use supplementary materials such as Dozen a Day, Czerny, Kabalevskiy. For students of all ages, I stress that the ears are the most important part of playing or listening to music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Organ

I enjoy teaching from the Alfred Basic method. There are versions of this method for everyone from younger children to specified methods for adults.The learning steps, as layed out in these lesson books, lends itself to a strong core program for the student's musical development. In addition, I have witten exercises, short pieces with original tunes and with familiar, public domain melodies, all of which enchance a pleasurable learning experience. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums

Having said that, possibly an even more pressing skill would be to be equppied, physically and intelectually, to play along with an impromtu music session, or "jam." If, say, a former clarinet student of mine should find him or herelf in the company of a strumming acoustic guitarist, it is my hope that they will be condfident and able to contribute musically and sensibly without the need for sheet music. Read More

Instruments: Piano

My musical background is eclectic. Most of my training is in music composition and theory; I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Master's of Music degree in Composition, and from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Theory. I regard composition as my primary musical skill. However, I've agressively sought to master a large amount of piano music over the course of about twenty years, and my technique has subsequently advanced to a high level. Read More