Piano Lessons in Whitsett, NC

Instruments: Piano

When working with younger students, my approach is twofold. First, I like to work with Alfred's Basic Series to establish a solid goundwork for reading music and mastering technique. Second, I like to cater the lessons to the student's particular interest, whether preparing solo pieces, practicing theory through ear training and sight reading, or writing compositions. For adults, I like working together to determine the student's goals to keep music-making challenging and engaging. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice

I use my own method books alongside other pedagogical resources such as the guitar methods left by Carulli, Carcassi, Sor, Brouwer, and many others. Read More

Instruments: Piano Drums Mallet Percussion

For beginning drum students, I typically like to start with the Percussive Arts Society sheet of rudiments to ensure a solid technical background as the student progresses. After that, we move on to simple reading and other drumming fundamental concepts including limb coordination, fills, phrasing and articulation, etc. With older students, I find it helpful to try and begin with what they are interested and comfortable in playing. This allows me to find connections and build lesson plans specifically for the individual. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet Music

I believe my role as a teacher is to help students improve their musical abilities in a holistic manner. This means in addition to talking about technique, we will discuss theory and history related to the instrument and repertoire (depending on level of the student) as well as healthy and productive practice habits. I will help students to set realistic weekly goals so each student is improving consistently and feeling satisfied with his/her accomplishments each week. Read More

Instruments: Piano

Every student is a snowflake, meaning everyone has their own unique preferences and dislikes. I customize my teaching style depending on the student and allow them to progress at their own pace. I like to first introduce students to basics and learn their tastes so I can modify their teaching regimen. I assign students "homework" or practice songs each week to ensure they are maintaining their routine, and if they deviate from this for some reason for more than two weeks, I immediately tune my teaching style to best motivate my students to want to practice. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Saxophone Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music Djembe

I create my own lesson plans (and some materials) specific to each student. Some standard books I use are Alfred's Drum Method book 1, The New Breed, Portraits in Rhythm, The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary to name a few. The books are necessary for developing music literacy, however I remind students that the pages don't make sound!!! Developing a discerning ear is paramount in my approach. Therefore we do a lot of listening and I engage students in dialogue for them to develop a personalized mental image of what they are trying to play. Read More

Instruments: Piano Music

Eric Schwartz has studied composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music, New York University, and both the Interlochen and Aspen Summer Music Festivals. Past teachers have included Margaret Brouwer, Donald Erb, George Tsontakis, and Randy Woolf. Primarily interested in a synthesis of musical archetypes, Schwartz is always at work on a variety of genre bending projects. Formative influences include an amalgamation of the glam metal of the late 80’s, and the baroque intellectualism of Arnold Schoenberg. Read More