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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in Philadelphia . Whether you are looking for beginner guitar lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, the instructors in our network are ready to help you now!
Instruments: Piano Voice
My general rule of thumb is, the younger the student, the less technique I will teach. Although I do not necessarily consider there to be a minimum age requirement for pursuing voice lessons, I do copiously encourage parents to be astutely aware of the potential risks encountered when young students are taught vocal and breathing techniques which should be reserved for intermediate or advanced students. My focus with younger students is to instill a passion and excitement for music while developing fundamental techniques. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice
Each student has an individual connection with music, and therefore a teacher should be willing to adapt their methods in the best interest of each student. When working with a new student, I devote the first lesson to getting to know each other; the student's interest in music, their proficiency level (if they've studied in the past), their hobbies, Depending on that meeting we might choose to focus more on music theory, or ear training, or performance repertoire; whatever the student and I set as a goal for our work together. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Viola Keyboard
Music is deeply personal; one must get to know each student's own personality, interests, and connections to music. Early on (both in the teaching relationship and in each lesson) one must assess where the student is, as to technical and musical growth, and with the music at hand. Then one finds, models, explains and encourages the next steps the student can achieve. Clear guidance and dialogue about what will happen outside the studio (listening, practice, rehearsal, performance) helps turn the weekly cycle of lessons into an upward spiral of progress, achievement, and reward. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion
As a teacher, my main goal is to see my students succeed and grow as a musician at their own pace. I focus on improvement and progress. I like to challenge my students with new material every week and new techniques. Even though every week we will be learning new things, I help my students grasp the concepts that I teach before we move to the next step. Nothing is more gratifying than seeing students experience the joy of making music and playing. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice
Students learn best at their own pace and in their own ways. Thats whats so great about private teaching. Private lessons afford the opportunity to customize to the students learning style, mood, abilities, and how much theyve practiced. Speaking of practicing, I believe that its my job to give students the skills and tools for their musical development in the most supportive environment and its the students job to meet me halfway. Read More
Instruments: Piano Flute Clarinet Drums Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Music
My teaching is very student-driven. I try to keep the students interests as a primary goal in keeping their interest level and so that they can progress in a musical situation. When they are interested in what they are learning, they strive for success. I try to acknowledge their successes and accomplishments which helps keep them learning and wanting to learn more. The best way to learn music is to teach it effectively, and I ALWAYS am learning from my students in a variety of ways, whether it be a new group that I'm not familiar with, or another style or genre that is new and fresh. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Organ Double Bass Keyboard
My roots on the piano go back to classical studies from the age of 5. I switched to Hammond Organ in my 20s, receiving mentorship from several legendary players. While attending Goddard College, I wrote my first book on music theory under a protege of Yusef Lateef, and currently have several books available on Amazon. After recording my debut CD "Remembering Eddie Jefferson" which made the national Jazz charts, I relocated to Tokyo, Japan where I spent many years teaching, performing and hosting Jazz sessions. Read More
Instruments: Piano Organ Keyboard
Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
My students have won awards given by the New Jersey Music Teachers' Association, Arts 4 Teens, and the Haddonfield School of Performing Arts Students Competitions.
My students have received full music scholarships to Peabody Conservatory, Northwestern University, and NYU. Have been accepted to Princeton University as a music minor, and have received a grant for music study at Chicago University. Other students have been accepted as piano oerformance majors to Rowan University, Temple University, and the Berklee School of Music for jazz studies.
While not all my students entered the field of music, some have become teachers in their own right, a film score composer, and a well-known television performer as jazz pianist.
Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
John Thompson - it is comprehensive, address the basic issues of piano technique, and
helps greatly to instill a love of music in the student
Bastien - contains attractive music that students enjoy, teaches chords and theory as well
basic techniques
Hal Leonard - has a fine adult course that includes techniques, a sophisticated approach to
musicality, and progresses in simple but effective steps.
I will emphasize, however, that if a student has had some lessons and is already into a particular book, I generally encourage the student to continue in that particular method until it is finished. I then shift the student over to one of the above methods.
If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
My degrees, Bachelor of Music and Master of Science, are both in piano performance.
I chose the music degrees because piano performance was my strong suit. I was fascinated by the piano from an early age, and was playing piano be ear long before I took formal lessons. I also composed many small pieces for the piano before taking lessons.
My degrees included extensive study of music education practices, and a thorough groundwork in music theory.
I also have 40 credits toward a DMA in music composition from Temple University.
I also studied the organ at the Eastman School of Music and play professionally at a Roman Catholic church.
If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
Even while I was still starting piano I was always fascinated by the organ. I suppose I enjoyed the variety of sounds the organ could produce. When my parents took me to visit
a friend of theirs who owned an organ I would sit down at the instrument and stay there until the visit was over! Later, in high school, I taught myself the instrument, even landing
a job at our local church. I taught myself to use the pedals and learned Bach's Toccata and
Fugue in D minor on my own. It wasn't very good but later, at Eastman, I took formal lessons and within a short time was playing all the virtuoso pieces fluently. I still play the organ at a Catholic Church and enjoy it very much as my second instrument.
When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I decided to become a professional musician when I was a sophomore in High School. This was when I discovered that playing the piano could be a form of expression. I also realized the value of being able to hear a piece of music and then, with practice, be able to render it on the piano and enjoy the music as played by myself instead of someone else. I would ask my teacher if I could play, for example, Copland's El Salon Mexico, to which he replied I was not yet ready, yet, I went ahead and learned it on my own! I always enjoyed playing music that I already knew and I always try to afford my students the opportunity to play music that is familiar to them.
25 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
Trusted as the industry leader, for over 21 years the teachers in our network have been providing Piano lessons in Philadelphia to students of all ages and abilities.
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