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Teaching
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Posted: October 7, 2005
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As a private music teacher, my door is open to anyone - child, teenager or adult - who wants to learn and enjoy making music, especially at the piano. I do not audition pupils then choose only those with the most obvious talent; my skills are devoted to anyone with an interest in music and the willingness to commit a bit of regular practice time to its development. I enjoy teaching beginners, the more advanced, aspiring professionals, and those preparing to enter music school.
Specializing in piano, harmony, composition and songwriting, I generally want to give every student a fairly comprehensive, three-piece music education: reading music; ear training and playing by ear, including solfege; and music structure – melody, rhythm, scales, chords, vocabulary, form, interpretation and history. These three things are presented as a whole, not separate subjects. My approach to piano technique (how to physically approach the instrument) is based on natural, anatomically sensible ways of using the fingers, hands and arms. I also teach practical, pragmatic practice skills so that any student who does a bit of daily work will get enjoyment and success from that practicing. The classes themselves are a good blend of hard work and fun.
I’m also happy to work with students on any particular facet of music or piano playing if that’s their desire. A full music curriculum is not necessary for someone who simply wants to learn a little bit about chords in order to write better songs. It’s especially important for those embarking on a potential career in music to have a very carefully focused program to avoid being weighed down by too much peripheral pedagogical fluff that ultimately hinders musicianship as well as foreword motion into the music industry.
I’ve been a full-time pianist, composer, arranger, teacher, music director and producer for nearly thirty years, first in Boston, then New York City and Raleigh/Durham, and now here in Miami since 1995. I attended the Wiesbaden Conservatory in Germany and have a BM in Composition and Piano from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Over three hundred students have been under my musical wing; I’ve played innumerable gigs and concerts, and have made many recordings, including for film and television, over these three decades.
My studio is in Biscayne Park in northeast Miami, Florida. It’s equipped for playing, teaching and recording.
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