Cesar C
4.5
(10)
Instruments: Piano, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Showtunes, Swing
Cesar C
4.5
(10)
Instruments: Piano, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Showtunes, Swing
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 8-80
I am a professional musician and do not have a degree. I did my undergraduate work at the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music.My piano teacher, Alain Naude, was a student of the legendary Dinu Lipatti.
1) Outstanding Musical Director - Bay Area Theater Critic's Circle
2) Grant/Scholarship - San Francisco Conservatory of Music
3) Grant - Theatre Bay Area
I am a professional musician/pianist who has had the good fortune to have performed and worked around the world in a variety of musical styles and venues. I spent 5 years touring with Joan Baez as her pianist and Musical Director. I also worked in the field of circus/cabaret for over 10 years in Europe and the USA as a pianist, musical director, arranger, and composer. As a teacher, I can give piano lessons to all levels as well as lessons in music theory. I also coach singers in opera, musical theater, jazz, and cabaret. For writing scores, "charts", etc... I use Sibelius.
I have taught for over 40 years and am dedicated to helping all students reach their full potential. As a piano teacher I focus on developing a solid technique (ease of execution, tone, variety of touches, etc...), musical knowledge and stylistic awareness. I believe that we are all students and I simply try to pass on what I have learned, as well as what I continue to learn everyday. For me, the most important thing is personal growth. How far we travel and grow is up to each of us, but the real joy is in the journey. Music is my religion and through it I have come to find a some meaningful purpose in life. I sincerely hope that music will bring some joy to your life as it has mine. I will always be grateful for the gift of music.
When teaching piano I always start with this question: "Why are you taking piano lessons?". The answer is very important to me because it gives me an idea of how to approach the lessons. There are many different reasons for taking lessons and both student and teacher need to be clear on what purpose the lessons will serve. No matter the level I will always focus on playing in a relaxed and natural manner. Stiffness is the enemy of piano playing and it can also cause harm to tendons, ligaments, etc.... I always give exercises to illustrate the different "touches" (finger dexterity, legato, staccato, singing-tone, octaves, etc...) used in playing the piano. It is also very important to have a good sense of musical style - baroque, classical, romantic, modern, etc... I focus on being as true as possible in honoring what I believe to be the wishes of the composer.
I see no difference between method and style so I will just try to add more to what has already been mentioned. I think of myself as very supportive and encouraging but I believe in having standards. When a student does well I applaud them and let them know how happy I am to see their progress. I will also let a student know when they are not doing well and not meeting some reasonable expectations. Of course, one cannot force anyone to learn but I think it's enough to help them see the situation and decide for themselves how much they want to learn or not learn. I am a guide and don't really enjoy playing the role of police officer when it comes to music. I love music and hopefully am able to communicate that feeling to my students.
Brenda And Neri Malo Cisneros
Great!
Eric Shelton
Cesar has been extremely patient and kind towards Audrey. He blends his knowledge and talent of the piano perfectly with humor and passion. His perspective on music and its gift really excites Audrey and we are very happy we found him. I would give 5 stars but since we are still early on in the lessons, we need to see how things progress, but so far so good!
Dorota Sawicka
Cesar is an incredible teacher and pianist. His love of music and piano comes through in every lesson, and he really spends time on solid technique. My daughter loves taking lessons with him!
Gennifer
Cesar is pretty good. I am very rusty and have a lot of bad habits so he has me working on improving technical skills which is a strong skillset for him. What I really like is that he understands and can teach classical and contemporary music. So looking forward to learning some new pieces and using improved technical skills to play some songs that I already know.
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