How I Teach at the Piano

My teaching reflects my experience as a life long student and performing artist. I'm a classically trained pianist and composer, seasoned by years of playing in jazz, blues, and rock bands. I've performed as a folk musician and played Appalachian and Irish music. I have a healthy respect for reading and writing music, so I teach sight reading using a variety of method books, including Faber, Bastien, and Alfred, as well as publications of the masters. And now we have the wealth of printed sheet music available from the internet. Reading music is invaluable. But because of my experience as a performer of many stlyes of American music, I'm steeped in the tradition of improvisation or "playing by ear." I prefer to teach a balance of jamming or improv with the advantages of playing with classical technique, understanding theory, and reading in the European tradition. I provide my own, customized, theory sheets. The two approaches enhance each other. The European tradition of note reading and the American tradition of improvisation provide a balanced and wholistic approach to music. You name it, and we'll play it AND understand it, so you can remember it, and get the most out of it.
Mary Had a Little Lamb, Cold Play, Gershwin, Sting,
Doris Day, The Beatles, or Beethoven ... it's all the same to me.