Piano Lessons

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Lessons for beginners to advanced study

A great musician always knows his or her stuff! That includes a well rounded understanding and function of Harmony, Ear Training, Improvisation and Composition. It's not just being able to play the tunes. It's about knowing the tunes by heart, inside and out, forwards and backwards, understanding how they work, what their function is, their shape. 

Dedication, Persistence, Open-mindedness, Time...

Having these tools will certainly help you stand out on an application to college and ultimately will fast track your career as a musician but that shouldn't be your main motivation. These tools are not just necessary to stand out in the world of academia, in the music world, they are vital! Once they are in the bank you can recall them at any time at a moments notice. That's the beautiful thing about music. Effortless mastery at your instrument allows you to escape your mind... That's where the magic happens.  

The best teachers I have studied with always encouraged me to explore my creative mind. There were no limitations. When I first sat at the piano we talked and got to know one another. We explored each other and that opened things up for the lessons to come. I take this same approach to my students. I want to get to know you. You as a player, as an individual, as an improviser, as a reader, as an explorer on the same cosmic path. I love teaching because it allows me to grow as a musician while they grow too. It's a learning experience for both of us and there is always something new to take in! The possibilities are infinite.

• Harmony - From triads to 7th chords to 9,11,13's Major, minor, dominant, minmaj, aug, dim, altered in all inversions..., Secondary Dominants, Sub V's, Roman Numeral analysis... Whatever you're comfortable learning!
• Ear Training - Transcription, recalling a melodic/harmonic phrase: Required at any Music School audition... Sight singing, tonal and atonal melodic and harmonic ideas: Being able to hear them and internalize them without having to guess. Doing this will ultimately help you transcribe things by ear making you a valuable asset in the industry. 
• Improvisation - Building lines and phrases, learning your voicing's... That doesn't just mean Jazz, these tools are used everywhere in Rock, Blues, Country, Metal, Pop, R&B you name it! Free form Improvisation i.e. Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley... 
• Composition - Learn how to compose a song. There are different methods that we can discuss such as working with just melody or harmony or the other way around, improvising... Ultimately learn how to notate these ideas so you can share and recall them at any time.
• Arranging - Learn how to take an existing tune or composition and make a unique arrangement of it!
• Orchestration - Learn how to write for a band: Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums etc. And learn how to write for orchestral instruments: Strings, WW's, Brass, Percussion etc. for any sized ensemble. Learning notation is very important for getting your ideas out. 
• Recording - Learn what softwares the professionals use and learn how to use them. Learn how to get your gear set up and learn how to start writing from the DAW. Learn basic production techniques including: creating sub mixes, working with reverbs, compressors, delays...