Piano with Ken S.

Greetings! My name is Ken and I am a piano and voice teacher teaching from my studio in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Music from Western Washington University in Bellingham with an emphasis in voice. As a freelance vocalist, I perform many different styles from opera, musical theater/Broadway, sacred songs and hymns, as well as old-school ballads. I have sung all over the Pacific Northwest (WA, ID, OR) with many different groups and organizations, including the Bellevue Opera, Puget Sound Opera, Fat Chance! Opera Company, Seattle Glee Clubs, in numerous community events, fundraisers, and churches. I was also a first-place winner in the Performing Arts Festival Eastside in the vocal/opera division. As a pianist, I am currently serving as the pianist/keyboard player for the Worship Team at a church in South Seattle. I have a passion for sharing and teaching music to others and helping people discover their own musical potential. My goal is to help students to learn how to use their respective instruments, helping to develop an appreciation and enjoyment for music so that in the future, they can pass down their love of singing/playing to others, so that they too can enjoy it as well. I'm looking forward to guiding you throughout the learning process and making sure it's fun and memorable! *** Lesson Details *** I approach music like learning a new language. With my beginning piano students, I start off with the basic music vocabulary which helps build a solid foundation for music theory. We then apply the technical concepts to piano playing, such as getting familiar with the keyboard, finger/hand positions, basic movements, etc. We then can build upon the foundations and incorporate additional material for variety (such as music note flash cards). I use the Alfred Piano Series as a curriculum and choose the appropriate level based on the student's needs. I also encourage students to bring in music that they would like to try out and learn as it's a great way to stay motivated, being able to play music that is interesting to you. As for voice, I mainly train in a classical style which helps develop a good foundation for vocal technique and teach beginners all the way to advanced students. Initially, I would ask the new student to bring in a song to sing so that I can hear what they sound like (tone), checking for pitch issues, breathing, as well as musicality. From there, I can usually identify the technical issues and able to give the student an idea of what we can work on. Usually for voice, there is really no printed curriculum to use as it's based on each student's strengths and weaknesses, tailoring more so to their needs. After a few months, the students can expect to learn the basic fundamentals of musical vocabulary, such as the names of the notes, common rhythmic patters, as well as simple sight-reading skills, phrasing, and overall basic musicianship. *** Studio Equipment *** Music/office room w/ upright piano and seating for parents *** Specialties *** Piano - Alfred's Piano Books, utilize visual approach, basic sight reading and also playing by ear Voice - Classical technique, opera, musical theater/Broadway, sacred songs, love ballads