Junko S
Instruments: Piano, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Avant-garde
Junko S
Instruments: Piano, Music, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Latin Jazz, Swing, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-80
I took classical piano lessons from the age of four to fourteen. After a brief break, I started playing keyboards in rock bands around Tokyo. In college, I became interested in jazz and composition. After graduating from Waseda University with a degree in social science, I started performing jazz around Tokyo. T-toc Records released my first album in 2011 and this was followed by a tour around Japan promoting the recording. The following year, I moved to New York City to pursue music and study jazz further. My teachers have included Jean Michel Pilc, Kevin Hays and Marc Mommaas. I have performed at many venues around New York City including Jazz at Kitano, Cleopatra's Needle and Tomi Jazz. I have also performed with such well known musicians as Ari Hoenig and Marc Mommaas.
I started teaching piano lessons in Tokyo in 2008. I have been teaching at Joe's Academy of Music in Queens since 2017. I have found that a combination of classical, jazz and popular styles of music to be most effective with my students. I also stress scales, technique, sight-reading and theory. I also encourage my students to bring in music that they are interested in. I have taught all levels from beginning to advanced and my students have ranged in age from 4 to 70 years old. I try to make learning music fun for all of my students.
I am comfortable teaching with many piano methods. Some of my favorites include Alfred, Faber and A Dozen a Day Series. For more advanced students, I often recommend the Music for Millions Series or Bastien Piano Literature. For jazz, I often use Hal Leonard's "Your First Fake Book" and the "Joy of Jazz". All my students also get a strong foundation in scales and theory. I also stress learning all the notes on the grand staff and there are many good apps for this on tablets and smart phones. Some of my favorites are Bastien Music Flash Cards and Tenuto.
I have always enjoyed teaching private lessons because it allows me to tailor the lesson to the individual students needs. This is not always possible in a classroom situation. I am patient with my students but I expect my students to practice four to five days a week. My goal is to get the students to enjoy the process of learning new music. I realize that my students will not take piano lessons forever so my hope is to get them to enjoy the process of learning new things in general. I believe this to be a valuable asset.
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