Emmett M  
Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Musical Theater, Electronic, Avant-garde

I have had the privilege of teaching piano, composition, music theory, and improvisation to students of all ages for more than nine years. I have also taught chess at schools and programs throughout the U.S. I have organized educational initiatives for prestigious arts institutions including National Sawdust, Red Bull Arts NY and Abrons Art Center NY. Students I have taught range from ages 4-80, and include a wide range of professions and personalities, including visual artists, chefs, atomic physicists, families, teachers, classrooms of up to 20 kids, as well many other musicians. Teaching is one of the great joys in my life, and I would be so grateful to teach you!

I design curriculum and select repertoire based entirely on the unique position of each student. As a result, the methods I employ vary widely from student to student. In general, I help students to identify and scrutinize areas in which they hope to grow, and systematize methods for development in those areas. The first lesson always begins with asking a new student to play something for me. If a student comes to me with no experience at all, I will simply ask them to play anything for me - any combination of notes, volumes, clusters, and sounds over any period of time. From there, I may ask the student to try to repeat a segment of what they played that I found particularly interesting or illuminating. Along with demonstrating to the student certain technical and sonic patterns in their use of the instrument, this repeated process also allows me to identify a concrete path forward that is based uniquely on that student's apparent learning style, tastes, and current technical limits. Therefore, proceeding with the essentials--note names, pitch collection, techniques, and basic melodic and rhythmic concepts--can be contextualized within my knowledge of the particular student. If a student comes to me with more experience, I will select repertoire based on their interests, technical proficiency, and past repertoire. I very often write mini-etudes and technical exercises for each one of my students based on their personal musical path. Other repertoire I have assigned varies widely and includes Bach, Beethoven, Bartok, Scriabin, Shostakovich, Fauré, Ravel, Barber, Glass, Cage, Oliveros, Ligeti, Saariaho, and Ellington, along with Great American Songbook repertoire, jazz standards, text pieces, pop songs, improvisation exercises, and animal song imitation.