Alex A
5.0
(4)
Instruments: Piano, Voice
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Blues, Musical Theater, Swing
Alex A
5.0
(4)
Instruments: Piano, Voice
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Blues, Musical Theater, Swing
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 6-80
PhD, Boston University, Musicology MA, Catholic University of America, Piano Performance/Music History BM, Catholic University of America, Piano Performance
2007 - Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Fellowship
1998 - Catholic University Cardinal Gibbons Fellowship
1998 - Benjamin T. Rome Scholarship
I am very passionate about music, and I try to motivate my students towards a similar love of music of all styles and genres. In 2014, I have completed my studies at Boston University, where I completed a PhD in Musicology with a focus on jazz of the 1930s and 1940s. I have performed at such venues as the Kennedy Center, the Boston Symphony Hall, the Taylor House, and the Kreeger Museum as a solo and ensemble musician. Currently, I am the pianist and managing director of the traditional jazz band, the Butler Parks Hot Serenaders, and am the artistic director of Baltimore-based cabaret ensemble, Ghosts of Weimar. I am also an experienced composer and arranger, having written children's musical shows for D.C.'s Imagination Stage, and arranged the cabaret song repertoire of William Bolcom.
I have started teaching shortly before college, and have a proven track record of working as an independent instructor and part of teaching collectives. I am a member in good standing with both MTNA and MSMTA, and have been consistently teaching students out of my home studio for the past 15 years. With younger students, I prefer emphasizing habit formation, such as setting a practice schedule, regularly committing to a set amount of practicing time, and develop a passion for the piano. I am comfortable teaching all age groups and levels, and emphasize achievement through fun and learning, as it is important to me that students develop a lasting relationship with the instrument and repertoire.
I adjust my teaching based on each student's abilities to maintain a relaxed, fun, and engaging atmosphere. For younger students, I typically start with Music for Little Mozarts, which includes a variety of activities in addition to the exploration of music. For older or more intermediate students, I recommend Faber & Faber's Piano Adventures, which incorporates not only interesting musical selections, but also introduces music theory and analysis. For advanced students, I prefer to piece together selected repertoires based on music relevant to their interests; this typically includes a selection of classical and contemporary compositions with some discussion of the pieces' context within a greater scope of music history and theory.
While achievement is important to me, I believe that developing long-term skills is a far more significant. I prefer to emphasize skill-building and retention, and always want to make sure the student is enjoying the process. I prefer to set realistic short- and long-term goals for students at each lesson, and acknowledge their accomplishments with a system of rewards. Additionally, at the end of each year, I encourage my students' participation in a studio-wide voluntary recital, which is intended to showcase their growth and development over the course of the year as well as afford them an opportunity to perform in public.
Michael Wilson
I am happy with Alex. He has the knowledge and ability to teach what I am interested in learning. I am hoping to work with him at least a year, maybe longer.
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