Niloo M

5
5.0 (9)

Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical

Where I Teach:

In Your Home My Studio

Ages Taught: 5-80

Levels Taught:

EMAIL US OR CALL 877-687-4524

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ABOUT

Degrees / Training / Special Info:

MPhil, Columbia University, Ethnomusicology. MA, Columbia University, Musicology. NYU, Music education with concentration in Piano: Completed all but two courses toward an MA. BA, Tehran University, Piano & composition.

Awards:

Meet the Composer grants (Multiple). Mellon Fellowship, Columbia University (Multiple). Graduate teaching assistantships (Multiple), Columbia University. Highest score in the entrance exam, Tehran University

Overview:

I am an experienced and patient teacher with strong academic background based in New York City's West Village neighborhood. I love music and have dedicated my entire life to the understanding and appreciation of the sonic arts. My favorite instruments are keyboards and drums. I have over 20 years of experience teaching piano and other music related subjects including music history, theory, and musicology. I have taught in private settings (at my studio and at my students’ homes) as well as at some of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in New York metropolitan area. I have taught children and adults. I especially delight in helping beginners discover the beauties of music, the keyboard instruments and their classical repertoire, and the basics of music notation. Some of my students have been music majors who went on to become music professionals. Others have been non majors who wanted to learn music in order to expand their cultural horizons, experience the discipline and pleasures of performing an instrument and to learn to perform the pieces they always wanted to play. I have two graduate degrees in music from Columbia University and have studied piano, music composition, music history and ethnomusicology at NYU, Columbia University and Tehran University.

EXPERIENCE

I began teaching piano and music appreciation courses while I was a graduate student at Columbia University. I soon realized that I love teaching music because it gives me a chance to share the delightful patterns and meanings I hear and discover in music. This inspired me to create West Village Piano, a practice that aims to serve New York’s West Village area. Teaching piano is a wonderful experience for me as it provides the luxury of focusing on the development of one student at a time. As I spend time with a student and become familiar with their physical and cognitive strengths and abilities I can shape the lessons to fit their particular requirements and address the problem areas that may require creative solutions and strategies. I believe my strongest asset, as a piano teacher is my ability to convey complex concepts in a very simple and intuitive manner. My academic background further allows me to help my students, young and old, appreciate music and sonic arts. This additional understanding helps inform the way my students are able to perform and understand their pieces. It also allows them to become better listeners and music enthusiasts.

METHODS USED

I teach classical piano and am a conservatory trained pianist and teacher with strong academic background and understanding of classical music history, theory and social and cultural significance. This background informs my approach to piano, teaching and musical material I use in my lessons. When teaching children I usually start with books that combine performance with play and visual arts. This helps the younger students remain focused and delighted with the experience. It also renders the process of initial keyboard orientation, the learning of musical notation, and the gradual understanding of their their body and hand movement during performance become a fun experience. For younger beginners I usually use books that feature simple arrangements of children songs and folk tunes as the basic musical material. For teenagers and adult beginners I use classical piano methods such as Beyer, Bach's Anna Magdalena Notebook, easy pieces by Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, and Bela Bartok's Mikrokosmos. I also allow flexibility with the musical choice. That is, as I learn about my students’ goals and interests I incorporate pieces that inspire and interest them.

LESSON STYLE

I am passionate about music and serious about my work. But I also have the flexibility to consider my students’ interests, abilities and obstacles as I plan their lessons and guide them through their practice. I love the process of teaching as it allows me to convey my thoughts and feelings about music to my students. I see music as organized sound and as an amazing human sonic creation that delights our senses, impacts out feeling states, and allows us to communicate abstract thoughts and feelings. I expect my students to set aside some time to practice their pieces with regularity and focus. Having a goal makes the daily practice more meaningful. The goal may be a recital or a small performance for close friends or a relative. It may also be the desire to learn a program of pieces by a stated time, or the desire to reach a particular level of proficiency. I see performance as act of musical creation and also as a meditative process. The meditative process is closely tied to quality of students’ practice. Practicing an instrument is about learning to acquire mental and physical control in order to gain mastery of difficult musical passages. This process exists at the core of any musical practice regardless of the age and proficiency of the student. It distinguishes the performance of music from the listening process. It is about learning to focus toward a goal while you meditate on the beauty of sounds.

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RATING & REVIEWS

5.0 (9)

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Robin

I took lessons from Niloo many years ago while we were both graduate students. I was studying literature but needed music in my life! She was not only a patient and knowledgeable teacher but her enthusiasm and passion for her own growth as a teacher were remarkable. I felt that during our lessons we explored music together. She had the ability to become a beginner with me and explore and discover with the fresh mind of someone new to music. The lessons were so absorbing I became addicted to them! When my homeschooling son was of an age when he could handle it he accompanied me to my lessons with Niloo. Somehow quite naturally he got incorporated into the lessons. I could see him absorbing the love and spirit of exploration that prevailed during the lessons. It is something that has stayed with him and frankly I think it has influenced what he feels about and expects from education in general. I highly recommend Niloo as a teacher and if we still lived in New York I would still be studying with her.

Hernan Dicupe

Before beginning taking piano lessons with Niloo I never had any previous piano instruction and I would like to express my appreciation for her patience,support and special attention to my individual needs to develop my musical skills. I would sincerely recommend her as a teacher to anyone interested to play piano.

Lois

Niloo is patient, insightful, and supportive. I have learned so much from her about the pleasures of making and listening to music. I recommend her highly to anyone who wants to learn piano.

Isabel

I have always wanted to learn piano, and was a bit nervous because I am a beginner. Niloofar is very patient and warm and immediately made me feel at ease. I love my lessons!

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