frequently asked questions
What is your teaching philosophy?
Learning music can be quite confusing initially because one is asked to absorb little bits of information and perform fragmentary tasks without necessarily having a grasp on the whole picture. This state of ‘shooting in the dark’ can go on quite indefinitely without proper guidance and exposure to the right tools. In response to this, my teaching method is one that continuously illuminates the relationship between parts and whole, form and function, so that the building-blocks of music are made accessible from the start. Each new concept is explored coherently through relevant exercises and repertoire, so that students are not merely playing the notes but understanding the structures behind them with sight, hearing, touch, and thought. As more complexity is added we revisit the fundamental concepts again and again from new vantages. I call this the “spiral” approach to learning, which allows us to work on multiple levels at the same time.
I show students of all ages how to pinpoint the actual challenges involved in a musical feat— mechanical, conceptual, etc.— and take them on separately in small ‘bites’. By recognizing music skills as combined tasks, the crucial knowledge of what and how to practice becomes accessible— and fast progress is a common result.
What method/technique do you teach?
The piano technique I prescribe is based in curved hand position with neutral relaxed fingers, strong proprioception/body awareness, good posture, grounded feet/legs, and intentional mental focus. The essence of refined playing lies in relaxing in one area while exerting in another at the same time. Beginning students learn the essential components of traditional piano music: 5 finger hand position, turning the fingers under for scales, playing chords and their inversions, basic accompaniment patterns, using the ears, reading notes and note values, meter, rhythm practice, etc. Later we explore dynamics, tempo changes, stylistic touches, pedaling, more complex patterns, arpeggios and other drills. I often use Hanon, Schmitt, and Czerny exercises in addition to my own original materials. Younger students are frequently started off with Bastien piano method books.
Please check out my Blog for some examples of helpful exercises and discussions of technique.
Can you teach me how to play my favorite song? It’s not really for piano and it’s kind of ‘weird’, but…
Yes! The chances are I will be able to take any piece of music you like and turn it into something you can practice playing on the piano. The only caveat being that some electronic styled songs have only few actual pitches in them and are largely texture based, so leave us with limited material to play on the keyboard.
What is music theory? Do you incorporate it into music lessons?
The term “music theory” is often associated with the building blocks of music: pitches, scales, chords, notation, key signatures, time signatures, and the like. More deeply it refers to with the underlying concepts musicians and thinkers have developed to map out and define the things that happen within music, as well as what music itself is. It is the accumulated body of knowledge that has informed musical traditions, styles, and their composers through out history. Music theory attempts to identify and name all the processes in music so that we can become conscious of them, emulate them, and manipulate them.
In my lessons, as in most Western music education, we explore classical harmony, chord/scale theory, voice leading, musical form, orchestration, and other standard areas of musical theory as part of the overall process of gaining fluency in the language of music. In my teaching I define 4 ways we approach playing the piano: visual, kinesthetic, aural, and mental/conceptual. I show students how to connect to each of these layers and also how to connect them to each other.
What age students do you work with? Do you teach children?
I teach all ages of students, both adults and kids, including young children ages 4 and up.
Where do you teach? How much do lessons cost?
Please see the Book a Lesson section of this site for information on rates and my teaching studio.
What kind of piano/keyboard should I get to practice with?
Ideally we’d all have a full grand piano to work with, but given that life rarely affords this privilege, it is fortunate there are many other suitable and more practical options to chose from. Aside from owning an actual acoustic piano, be it baby grand or upright, students can absolutely make do with a digital piano keyboard. The essential features to look for are weighted-action keys and all 88 of them. Though you can learn some preliminary music skills on truncated keyboards without a realistic piano-action touch to the keys, this is only recommended for the very beginning of piano study— say, in case you are just trying it out and unsure if you are ready to purchase a larger keyboard. For kids just starting music, we can certainly get by with a common 61-key non-weighted touch keyboard while covering the basics— but this too should be upgraded to an 88-key weighted-action keyboard once it is clear the student will continue taking lessons in an ongoing fashion. It is also essential to purchase a good quality sustain pedal for any electronic keyboard, as well as a keyboard stand (unless it is built into one already). For suggestions on starter keyboards (and accessories) or help picking out a piano, just ask!
Do you believe in gnomes?
How could anyone not?
