Mike R
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Latin, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Avant-garde
Mike R
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Latin, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
In Your Home
My Studio
Ages Taught: 6-75
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
Bachelor Degree: The Catholic University of America
Awards:
Holder of Library of Congress Copyrights to 2 original piano compositions
30 Year Federal Civil Service Award - 1982 to 2012 - Washington Headquarters Service - Pentagon
United States Professional Tennis Association - 15 Years of Service Award
6 months experience working for Learn Now Music
Overview:
My background in piano playing and composition development is synopsized on my website www.ivorytunes.com as follows: "Enlighten yourself to contemporary new piano music with a jazzy, movie theme flair that emboldens variety, flair and a fresh change to the choices in the current market. The Ivory Tunes website of Vint Hill, VA showcases original piano songs composed by Mike Ryon. His ambition is to add variety and pizzas to your current listening and playing repertoire as well as inspire developing performance musicians to venture down the path of original song composition through inward inspiration and creative enjoyment. I started playing piano at the age of 6 and have taken lessons progressively to advance my skills consistently. Once I ventured into music composition I attended numerous summer music camp workshops in Lubec, Main annually. After attending my first workshop there I completed and obtained a copyright for my first 2 original pieces - "Cruisin' with Chrome" and "Not a Care in the World". 5 more pieces will be submitted for a copyright request in late 2019. An audio clip of the 2 songs is available at the Ivory Tunes website. I also taught myself to play guitar at age 12. In fact some of the 7 songs I have completed were originally developed in guitar format. My preference guitar style is fingerstyle acoustic. I also possess 15 years experience as a very and successful USPTA tennis instructor and coach. I work routinely with ages 5 through 18 age level kids and teach the Game to adults as well. I mention this aspect of my background because as an active competitive player, instructor and coach at the high school level I see the steep learning curve associated with teaching beginner piano very similar to the steepness learning curve of teaching beginner tennis.
EXPERIENCE
I learned to play piano at age 6. I have consistently developed my skills as well as ventured successfully into music composition since then. My piano music composition skill began back in the late 1990's. Last year I ventured into my first position working for the Learn Now Music teaching service. I assisted with after-school beginner orchestra classes (guitar - piano - violin - drums) as well as taught private lessons to several piano and guitar players at their homes. My position began in November 2018 and ended in mid 2019 as the demand of my tennis instruction services needed to take precedence at that time. An additional music instructor position in which I am involved is that of ballroom dance instructor at the Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton. My wife and I have taught very successful and well attended Level 1 and 2 ballroom dance classes there in the fall and early winter semesters there for the past 5 years. Lastly, I retired from the Pentagon in 2012 after 30 years of service working as an architect - project manager for DoD agencies. My last major accomplishment was overseeing the completion of the design-build contract that addressed the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, VA.
METHODS USED
For beginner students I will utilize either the "Alfred's Basic Piano Library" or "Faber - Hal Leonard's Piano Adventures" with the particular books selected to fit the student's age and skill level. I also enhance lessons by integrating scale pattern practice as well as exploration with simple boogie-woogie bass patterns; encouragement to sing and play where the lessons provide such an arrangement; and tinkering creating very simple melody lines and lyrics. I also inquire about particular already established favorite songs that a student likes to listen to and the acquire an online copy and simplify it by rewriting to in my music software program that fits their skill level. There's nothing that quite beats playing a song that you really like to listen to - unless- it is playing a song that is your original composition.
LESSON STYLE
Nothing is more enjoyable than seeing a music student climb the learning curve and self recognize and appreciate their progress other than, perhaps watching their passion grow over the long term as they successfully step into the performance phase and play a well practiced piece for their friends, family, peers, or others. Each student's lesson selection plan is always a collaborative agreement between the instructor and learner as well as the practice plan in terms of both frequency and repetition pattern. However, critical is the respect given to ensuring that the level of intensity of what is agreed fits the personality and maturity level of the student. Bottom line is that the process needs to be fun. My teaching traits are always positive, understanding, helpful, sensitive, cooperative and encouraging rather than admonishing.
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
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