Greg M  
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Trumpet, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Blues, Musical Theater, Opera, Showtunes, Marching Band

I have been teaching since college, when I started a small private studio consisting of classmates, children, and adults. Since then, I have been consistently teaching in a variety of settings, including my home studio, private music academies, online lessons, and piano courses for music majors. The core of my teaching philosophy is that learning music should be enjoyable and fulfilling. I have found that allowing my students to have a say in the pieces they learn is a great way to encourage personal investment and enjoyment in learning. The other key point I teach is consistent and methodical practicing, especially for younger students. The greatest thing I can teach someone is how to learn on their own. To this end, I teach my students how to practice well and solve their own technical problems.

For beginners who are children, I usually start with a method book series such as Bastien or Faber. As soon as it is appropriate, I also begin teaching fundamentals like scales, arpeggios, sight-reading, and supplemental technical training (Hanon exercises, for example). I also like to introduce works by famous composers as soon as I can - they come in all levels of difficulty and provide an opportunity to teach some music history. Music theory is a constant theme as well. Throughout each lesson, I link theoretical concepts to their real-world applications in order to build a firm understanding of music theory. For adults or students who are not beginners, I try to find out the needs or desires of each student and develop a plan accordingly to keep lessons engaging and instructive.