Alessandro S.

General Info

• Certified Music Teacher

  Certified Music Teacher

  Our rigorous hiring process requires a completed application; an interview with our professional recruiting specialists; personal and professional reference checks; and annual criminal background checks for the duration of each teacher's employment with us.

  
• Background Check Complete

  Criminal Background Check

  In order to ensure the safety of our students, all teachers undergo a thorough criminal background check, which includes: Social Security number trace, multi-state criminal search and a nationwide sex offender registry search.

  
• Levels: Beginner to Advanced

• In-Home Lessons: Yes
• In-Studio Lessons: No
• Ages: 5 & up

Subjects Taught

Piano, Music Performance, Music Theory

Education

Manhattan School of Music - classical piano - 09/07 - 05/08 (Degree received)
Manhattan School of Music - classical piano - 09/05 - 05/07 (Master's degree received)
Manhattan School of Music - classical piano - 09/02 - 05/05 (Bachelor's degree received)
Columbia University - biomedical engineering (prospective) - 09/00 - 05/02

Specialties

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, I work to help you find your way through music, according to your individual interests and needs, as well as to create a joyful and fulfilling learning experience. I specialize in classical, popular, Broadway, and film soundtrack music. My interest in improvisation and a keen ear for improvised performance in albums have enhanced my understanding of contemporary music. I love classical music when it is performed with integrity and authentic ... emotion, although that is a rare occurrence these days. Did you know that most of the contemporary songs we listen to derive their foundation from the structure of classical music? Moreover, I love all music that is uplifting or has something important to say. If you would like to learn some jazz, rhythm & blues, or alternative songs arranged for the piano, I'd be glad to help you.

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Lesson Details

I adapt my teaching to your preferences, including learning personality and aspirations. I am mindful of my students' intentions (and those of their parents, when applicable,) whether the goal is to find a beautiful way of expressing yourself (or for your child to express himself or herself,) engage in an enjoyable activity that tends to cultivate self-discipline and emotional freedom, gain admission to a fine conservatory of music, or develop an ability to hear music inwardly. I am a ... patient and encouraging teacher who believes that you will succeed when the instructor is passionate about the subject, and / or you like the subject from the outset. As a teacher, my role is to facilitate learning how to create musical thoughts, primarily according to the way you learn most efficiently. I like to expose students to new material when they are ready to understand it.

Once I know where you are with your playing, we would pursue music beyond that level only when we both know you can successfully cope with its demands. In addition, I am flexible when it comes to following the sequence of pieces in lesson books. At a certain stage, not all of them may present at an appropriate level in the order they appear. You may find some to be too difficult or too easy, and we could then select music you find stimulating or enjoyably challenging, rather than arduous (or on the other hand, too easy.) To strengthen your musical understanding, lessons will include coverage of music theory concepts, which I enjoy explaining.

If you don't care for some, or perhaps all or the selections in a lesson guide, we could work from another featuring music that satisfies your tastes. For example, one well-known selection guide comes in a version that provides exclusively Disney tunes. I am willing to locate songs or music you would be particularly interested in working on, and teach them in a way that respects your current level of ability. Furthermore, learning songs by rote (that is, from aural memory) is a great way of training the ear, and can be incorporated into lessons. On the topic of weekly practice, I am encouraging, yet sensitive to the unique requirements of your schedule and to what you would like to get out of lessons.

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About

At age six, I enrolled at the Brooklyn College Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts for piano lessons. In the early 1990's, hearing classical music performed by great artists such as the pianist Vladimir Horowitz on the former radio station 104 WNCN made an unforgettable impression on me and inspired a long-term passion for music. My taste for jazz also developed during this period, since 101.9 was another station familiar to my household. I accompanied the Stuyvesant High School choir ... until my graduation in 2000. In January of that year, I performed the third movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff with the school's symphony orchestra. The then-leader of the Stuyvesant Parents Association praised his "extraordinary performance" in an issue of the PA newsletter. In August 2000, I enrolled at Columbia University, where I continued piano lessons. Wishing to dedicate myself more completely to music, I transferred to Manhattan School of Music in September 2002. I completed my graduate training there in May 2008.

During my education, I was mentored in several traditions of piano playing. What and how students learn at all levels is affected by their teacher's musical outlook. My exposure to different traditions of interpretation and performance taught me how some work better to express certain musical thought. I became more aware than ever of the value of playing a piece in a way that effectively communicates its unique emotional content. This process (which can occur even in the earlier phases of learning music) should be light-hearted and engaging, and it's ultimately up to you . When students are ready to, I help them focus more on communicating their unique voice in the music they play.

I have taught beginner and intermediate level private piano lessons to adults and children since January 2009. After graduating from Manhattan School of Music, I accompanied The Children's Aid Society Chorus for a school program it operated in the Bronx. Throughout January and February 2010, I was asked to rehearse and perform for a student production of the musical _You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown_ at The Women's Leadership School of Astoria, Queens. In May of that year, I collaborated with a Bronx composer for a concert of his musical _Spiritual Heritage_ . These activities, in addition to my choral accompanying in high school, helped me grow in my understanding of popular music (including the aspect of improvisation.) In December 2010, I accepted a part-time, ongoing position teaching one-to-one piano lessons to children in group format at the Neil Walters Music School, Brooklyn, NY.

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