Piano Teacher
When we look at the keys of the piano we are looking at music theory laid out in front of us. Everything is there — every note of all the songs in all the genres. When we learn piano we learn both treble and bass clef; we develop muscles in both hands, and learn to play with dynamics and see how harmony and melody work together.
In our lessons we can look at music theory, sight-reading, jazz, composing – piano is the ultimate instrument for learning music in general.
Skill Level
Beginner to intermediate
Style
For beginners, we’ll start with technical exercises to develop finger strength while learning how to read music. We will explore easy improvisation exercises almost immediately to give confidence.
For more intermediate players we will look at classical, jazz, and blues forms as we move through the John Thompson books and develop a well-rounded repertoire.
My main piano influences are Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Price
$45 - 30 mins
$60 - 1 hour
My Piano Journey
My piano journey began by listening to Bill Evans. I liked the sound and idea of block chords — enormous chords with 10 or sometimes 12 notes played together at the same time. This is unique to the piano, and this style of playing encapsulates a depth of emotion not heard on other instruments. Similarly, I became enraptured by the playing of Ryuichi Sakamoto, whom I discovered from movie soundtracks such as “The Last Emperor” and “The Sheltering Sky”.
While working at a music academy, I took lessons with the piano teachers and began to explore Bach, Mozart, and the great classical and romance composers.
