Piano Lessons in Clifton, NJ

Jimmy H

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Organ Piccolo Oboe Bassoon Keyboard

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Have a clear mind and spirit, feel the passion, concentrate on the assignment, always remaining neutral emotionally to the task at hand.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
Your child will show signs of musical interest. There could be many. For instance, they might like to sing or tap rhythms on a surface or like to listen to music. A loving home is the best way to cultivate the innate gifts of your child. Your child will exhibit signs that they are interested in music by singing or tapping or trying to play music.

When will I start to see results?
Depends on the student but usually after the first lesson.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I was inspired by several of my excellent teachers but I always had an interest in music. I was primarily inspired by a performance or recording that I heard.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I think it was the one my first cousin played.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
Recordings I've made with one of my teachers, who I consider one of the greatest Jazz Pianists of all time, successful European and Asian tours, some of my compositions that have inspired others.

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Some European students won awards and studied and toured internationally and now teach at Music Conservatories in Europe.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Yourself.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I have a regimen of teaching methods and I adapt concepts to individual students as well as suggesting books and audio.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
A normal practice session for me is a lot of metronome work, long tones if you play a brass or wind instrument. scales, chords, singing, rhythms, diatonic studies, studying the masters, composition, and more.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
My dream piece to perform is improvisation and to attenuate all my musical skills as best I can in order to be able to do so. Also Paganini's 24 Caprices on the saxophone, which I have done, but not to my own standards of perfection.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Jazz Improvisation. It is one of the few Arts where composition takes place simultaneously with performance.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I always played the piano but when I was 9 years old I then wanted to play the Tenor Saxophone. The saxophone is my primary instrument but I find it very helpful to have some piano skills and knowledge as well.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My grandfather was an amateur operatic singer and piano player who love Verde and Mozart among others and he played a beautiful Steinway & Sons baby grand piano that sounded like angels. He was also a published composer. His daughter, my mother, was a professional singer in the operatic and broadway musicals genre and she taught me a love of Chopin, among others.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I never decided to become a professional musician. I was always playing music for the love of it and I was offered some musical work in my mid-teens.

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