Piano Lessons in Winston Salem, NC

Instruments: Piano Synthesizer Music Keyboard

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
The defining moment for me occurred when I was 3 years old during a choir rehearsal at the small Presbyterian church in Scotland not far from the small farm on which I was raised. The choir was working on the Bach Motet, Jesu Meine Freude. The resonance of the voices and the organ in the small sanctuary brought me to a place that I, to this day, cannot describe. That was the moment I realized I would study music for the rest of my life.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music runs very deeply in my family. My mother's mother, and hers before her and hers before her were all concert pianists and composers. My paternal grandfather was a successful song/jingle writer. My father was an oil painter, a poet, and a master gardener. All of the disciplines, no matter what they are, have similar traits in their respective philosophies and approaches. Music just happen to be very heavily favored in my family. I can draw just enough to do well at Pictionary! What can I say, I love and respect all the forms of art in every walk of life!

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I'm bashful to say I can play guitar just well enough to get through a respectable camp fire! Keyboards, Hammond B3 organ, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer electric piano, these are a few of my favorite things! But piano is, and will always be, my first love. I always wanted to study cello, though! Who knows, I still might!

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
Chopin Piano Concerto in E minor. The lyrical romance between Melody and Harmony is beyond reproach, and words. At least it is for me. This piece has changed my life many times.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I would most assuredly be a bookstore owner; a purveyor of all things literary with a penchant for rare 19th and early 20th century authors. Literature is my other passion!!! Heavens, I still might pursue this dream too!

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Goodness! This depends on the day! Currently I am deeply immersed in the study of French Third Stream Jazz; a marvelous marriage between the Baroque period and Modern Jazz. I also love songwriting!

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
My undergraduate Degree is in Music Composition. I chose composition because I adore the essential mechanics of how music works and a composition degree would integrate all of the various disciplines including theory, history, performance, analysis, formal structure, harmony, ear training (vitally important!!), and musicology.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
My practice session is different depending on the goals involved, however it would typically be an hour of warm-up (i.e. scales, arpeggios, short and deliberate hands apart/hands together exercises, etc.) and then, based on the waypoints that I am working toward, moving into some sight reading and finally passage work. The practice session will be slightly different based on whether I am practicing jazz, classical, or studying fingering techniques. Often I will just take the time to improvise for a few hours for my own enjoyment (and hope the neighbors aren't annoyed!)

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Each of the popular prevailing methods has their own strengths and weaknesses, no different than each of us as human beings. I have had success using each of these well-crafted methods, but my most important strides as a teacher have been tailoring a custom method based on the individual needs, goals, and challenges (and strengths!) of the students. I am happy to utilize any method that will keep the student interested! Above all Keep It Fun!!

Read More