Students I teach
I am currently taking on intermediate and advanced piano students in Colorado, as well as non-local students online. Intermediate students are those who have been working on the piano for multiple years (at least 3-5) and are building full pieces with a desire to become well-rounded piano players. Advanced students have been playing for many years and are ready to study technique, musicality and theory at a high level. I work on all of the details of advanced playing, from technique to musicality, so students obtain the absolute most from their piano playing. Experienced and motivated students are welcome!
What I Teach
I teach well-rounded piano technique, fingering choices with proper decision making, music learning and memorizing, musical/expressive playing, theory, and occasionally ear training: essentially all that goes into well-rounded, virtuosic playing. Regarding technique, I teach many important concepts for playing effortlessly, comfortably and beautifully, including hand posture, good fingering choices, in/out motions, unification of motion, shaping, phrasing and countless more to solve even the more difficult pianistic challenges. Concerning genre, I specialize in classical piano, which I teach thoroughly, however many of the technical and musical instruction I give can also be applied beneficially to other genres. Even if you like playing jazz or contemporary, I can work with you to help impose important technical guidance and help you play musically. Piano technique and efficient movement transcend genre, and so anyone can benefit from solid piano instruction. I also teach composition and music theory as standalone subjects for those interested in writing and/or understanding music!
How I Teach
I usually work weekly with students for 45 minutes or 60 minutes. Occasionally I’ll allow 30 minutes per week with special approval. I travel to the student if local, and also conduct lessons online for nonlocal students, both of which allow practicing on your own instrument. It is the student’s responsibility to use the time in between for practicing, preparing and reviewing the music so we can discuss technical and musical questions in your repertoire during our meetings. I’ll help you bring your pieces up to completion and you’ll gain a full, well-rounded piano understanding along the way using the building blocks of technique, theory and musicality.
Teaching Philosophy
I find it very important to approach all piano-related problems and challenges from the underlying technique that can solve them. Even beautiful musicality is obtained with studying the underlying technique so that the performer can ultimately approach the music from a creative perspective and obtain the desired sound. This technical and musical study drives successful piano playing. It’s also very important for students to set aside time during the week to practice so that the specific challenges being faced can be addressed in a targeted fashion during the lesson. Maintaining regular interaction with the instrument is key to good progress.