Piano Lessons in Athol, MA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Cello Bass Guitar

I always try to guide my instruction in a fun and engaging direction to keep the student interested and motivated to get better. I am able to do this by being energetic and enthusiastic about my teaching and I feel its important to make the material matter to the student. When a student has confidence in their abilities they are able to achieve much success on their specific instrument. As I also previously mentioned, getting to know what inspires a student and knowing them on a more personal level helps develop a better student/teacher relationship and thus yields a better outcome on the instrument. Read More

Instruments: Piano Synthesizer Harmonica Music Keyboard

There are a variety of suitable musical aides to use in teaching. Many different publishers and authors of study books are available and I am familiar with more than several of them. Age and maturity/attention span of the student will help to determine which books to select. Often a generally creative adolescent will prefer picture books of music to begin with. Adults can be engaged in fundamentals of music theory with piano playing in mind and receive more conversational instruction as appropriate with adult music to practice and play. Read More

Instruments: Piano

For young students starting piano lessons for the first time, I recommend either Bastien or Faber's piano Adventure method books. My older students love Alfred's books. These method books, in my opinion, have motivating pieces and give the students a solid foundation in theory and scales. I also use supplementary materials such as Dozen a Day, Czerny, Kabalevskiy. For students of all ages, I stress that the ears are the most important part of playing or listening to music. Read More

Instruments: Piano

My musical background is eclectic. Most of my training is in music composition and theory; I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Master's of Music degree in Composition, and from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Theory. I regard composition as my primary musical skill. However, I've agressively sought to master a large amount of piano music over the course of about twenty years, and my technique has subsequently advanced to a high level. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Music

Fundamentals come from slow practice, and unfortunately, there is no true fun way of doing it. However, I pair technical work with listening assignments, so that the students actually see the point of fundamental training. Hanon is the one book that has stayed with me for two decades and I adhere to its various training regimens very closely. The book itself may be insufficient, but the auxiliary exercises I designed will improve the practice efficiency. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

My teaching method is based primarily on helping my students develop the skills needed to understand the language of music so that then they can create performances that are compelling and fulfilling to both the audience and themselves. I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, and prefer to tailor my methods to the needs and goals of the student. For beginning piano students I tend to gravitate towards Faber's Piano Adventures to help us work and develop the fundamental skills. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Acoustic Guitar

In the first lesson, I like to find out about my student's goals. Regular lessons usually consist of reviewing exercises, etudes, and songs that were assigned from the previous lesson and then making adjustments as needed. The goal is to develop technique as well as overall musicianship so that every piece of music is played or sung well and beautifully. I like to follow an outline of skills basic to the instrument and to making good music but often adjust lessons based on the student's ability and personal goals, Read More