William R
5.0
(17)
Instruments: Piano, Voice, French Horn, Music
Styles: Classical, Folk, Musical Theater
William R
5.0
(17)
Instruments: Piano, Voice, French Horn, Music
Styles:
Classical, Folk, Musical Theater
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
2022 - Conductor, St. Olaf Chapel Choir in Spring Musical Performance
2018 - Connections Award for "Elevating Subjects Beyond the Ordinary"
2017 - "I Make a Difference" National Leadership Award
2017 - Young Artist Composer at the Brevard Music Center
I am a creative artist specializing in piano and composition with a deep passion for teaching and sharing the joy of this work with others. I have lived a musical life since my earliest memory. Growing up in the church with both of my parents as pastors, I found musical mentors, teachers, and guides who have shaped my entire life. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Olaf College with a Bachelor of Music in Composition degree. My deepest joy comes from creating music with others around me in chamber, choral, and orchestral music as well as improvisation, composition, and other creative arts.
My years of teaching go back many years in various forms. I have taught and coached chamber music, choral music, orchestral music, and soloists. Sharing music is always a gift to cherish and continue the cycle of giving. My musical career has diversified over many different disciplines, genres, and styles of making music. I have taught vocalists musical theatre solos and coached small ensembles of cast members for shows including Pippin and the Mystery of Edwin Drood. In the same genre, I have taught and coached pianists and pit players to adopt the nuances of musical theatre music. In the classical world, I have coached chamber music, solo and group improvisation, jazz combos, choral ensembles, solo vocalists, and piano soloists. When I was an undergraduate, I took courses in choral, woodwind, string, percussion, and brass pedagogy. I find teaching music to be an act of listening deeply and responding from my gut, my experience, and my heart.
Music lessons should be a playground for exploration! It is my job to meet students where they are and invite them to rise to new heights in their performance. Lessons are a series of small steps. The journey of learning music is a marathon, not a sprint. I work to gauge where students are coming from, attempting to engage the experience from all the different dimensions of their lives in order to create a pace that is meaningful and effective for each student. I believe learning should be hand's-on, immersive, and socially/emotionally engaging. I choose repertoire in collaboration with students so that they have a direct way of choosing what they want to learn and where they want to grow. Learning begins when students choose to directly engage the world of possibilities in front of them.
Every lesson begins with a check-in! How is life? What is going on? How are you? These are questions that are essential parts of our shared living experiences. Depending on what level students are working through in their development, we will spend time working on the physicality of technique: posture, healthy hand/arm/wrist practices, and breathing freely. The rest of the lesson will be simply an exploration of the music that we are working on together. My unending goal is to help students find joy in their music and in their creations. I am always looking for other connections outside of the traditional methods to inspire students to explore new dimensions of their art. Working on improvisation, playing by ear, listening techniques, exploring other art forms, and other styles of playing (jazz, musical theater, pop, etc.) are all means of coming home to our art.
Elijah Culp
I've had the pleasure of getting to know Will during his last two years at St. Olaf, where he directed Spiritus Novus, a student-run ensemble, and conducted the Chapel Choir for a semester. Will is someone who can see the intentions behind a musical gesture and knows how to articulate and draw out the technical skill required to perform it. Will balances meeting his peers and students where they are at, challenging them as artists to engage with the music beyond the notes on the page, and encouraging them and motivating them to realize their best selves. I cannot recommend Will enough as a teacher. He is incredibly patient and understanding, and his gentle spirit will help seed and grow your love for music.
Zoë García
It has been such a joy to collaborate with, learn from, and watch Will brighten the lives of numerous musicians at St. Olaf College! Will is an incredibly creative, thoughtful, gentle, and sensitive musician, teacher and human being. I would recommend him to everyone from beginners just dipping their toes into the world of music, to advanced musicians looking to fine tune their craft. His love of music is infectious, and reminds others of what musical collaboration and leadership should look like; through his humble, yet confident presence. As a teacher, Will goes out of his way to check in with students, beyond the notes, and takes the time to truly SEE the heart behind each and every musician.
Micah Land
Will is a phenomenal musician and director, but most importantly for a music teacher, a wonderful human. In my three years of choral collaboration in large and small ensembles with him at St. Olaf College, I saw him teach and collaborate with individuals and groups with great care, patience, and thoughtfulness. He creates bold space for supported music making, where everyone can create bravely and authentically under his guidance. His generosity of spirit brings out the best in everyone, and he is able to teach and lead with creativity and innovation. Within this space, his incredible musicality shines and makes everyone around him better-- his skill and gifts as a pianist, a singer, and a collaborative composer are invaluable. His incredible technical skill as a pianist is of particular note, and his impressive vocal artistry make him an excellent teacher, especially when combined with his commitment to uplifting others. Will R. is a truly rare person that excels in both musical artistry and humanity, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Mitchell Caponigro
I've had the blessing (that I hope for all music students to find) of working with some truly exceptional music teachers, performers and composers as a singer, brass player, and dabbler in conducting, composing, and piano. It is with this experience that I confidently say that Will stands out as an astonishingly well-rounded musician and pedagogue. His technical skill with keyboard instruments—both solo and collaborative—is some of the best and his depth of knowledge as a conductor and composer produces inventive and exhilarating musical experiences. These are all great and, I would argue, necessary things to have in a great music teacher, but what really sets Will apart as a spectacular mentor is his lived philosophy and deep commitment to connecting with individuals on a fundamental, wholistic level. Social/emotional learning, cross-curricular instruction, and "educating the whole child/human" are all apparent and consistent in his pedagogy and fit seamlessly into making beautiful and transformative music. I could not recommend highly enough the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with this wonderful teacher and human being.
Sarah Blythe Shapiro
Of all the peers, collaborators, mentors, educators, musicians, and friends I have ever had the privilege to know, Will is surely one of the loveliest. His talent is free-flowing, limitless, and a sight to behold. His natural improvisatory skills on the piano are exceptional and he is well-versed and proficient in numerous instruments, including horn and voice. Will's compositional language is nothing short of beautiful, heart-wrenching, and extraordinary, and I have had the joy of performing a number of his works. But he has also performed mine; his benevolence of spirit propels him to establish ongoing professional and personal connections with his friends and anyone who would be lucky enough to know him. I know I can turn to him with any musical question or desire for a fresh musical pursuit and he will be right there and eager to get started. Will provided me with musical opportunities before anyone else did and is one of the main reasons I was able to consider conducting seriously as a career. He sees the human behind every musical experience and profoundly understands the art of collaboration in interdisciplinary spaces. Will and I have worked together on myriad projects over the past 4 years and I hope I will have the good fortunate to continue to collaborate with him in the future!
Check out our A+
Rating from the Better Business Bureau
100% Risk-Free Trial Lesson
If you are not satisfied after your trial lesson, you will not be charged and we can match you with another teacher.