Northborough, MA Piano Lessons

essary to function within your favorite genre of music. At the same time, I may introduce you to some forms of music less familiar to you. You can then use that experience to bring a fresh approach to your chosen style.

The name of the game is time-keeping and time feel. You will be expected to practice with a metronome, but also with recorded tracks. We will record your playing and listen back. This is one of the best ways to improve your playing.

Double bass and/or double pedal also taught as well as left foot clave, Latin percussion, piano, and music theory.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Two drum sets, full PA, fender rhodes piano, congas, timbales and hand percussion, frame drums, bongos, DVD player, audio recording capabilities. Parents can sit in on lesson.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can bring a practice pad set to the student's home. Metronome, ipod, some lesson handouts, and occasionally DVD's will also be brought.

*** Specialties ***
All styles and levels: rock, jazz, Latin, percussion as applied to drumset. Reading, time feel, counting and singing

15 mile radius of Franklin MA (Plainville, Wrentham, Norfolk, Medway, Holliston, Bellingham, Milford, Millis, Hopkinton, Holliston. etc.)

Please double check with me about scheduling as my schedule changes often and my calendar isn’t always 100% accurate

*** Studio Equipment ***
PIANO
Fender Rhodes
Casio PX-150

DRUMS
Pearl Masters, Yamaha, DW, Roland TD-6

CYMBALS
Zildjian, Sabian, Wuhan, Paiste,

HARDWARE
Pearl, Yamaha, DW, Axis, Tama

STICKS / BRUSHES / MALLETS
Vic Firth, Vater, Regal Tip

PA
QSC - K8

MICROPHONES
SURE, Rhodes

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide handouts, transcriptions, and a PA speaker to play music.
Students should have a Piano, drum set, or percussion instrument.

*** Specialties ***
PIANO / DRUMS / PERCUSSION

Traditional / Suzuki Method

Rock, FunK, Jazz, World, Classical, Orchestral

Note reading and writing, Harmony, Music Theory, Scales, Ear Training, Arranging

Rudiments, Technique, Brushes, Mallets, Double Bass Drumming, Odd Meters, Reading, Soloing

Timpani, Marimba, Bells, Chimes, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Percussion, Congas, Bongos, Djembe, Frame Drums

than 30 years, I am currently the Director of Worship for the chapel at Gordon College, a small Christian school north of Boston. I'm often involved in city-wide music events in Boston’s faith-based community and in demand as a featured musician for church services, parties, concerts and other events.

I hold a Masters of Music from New England Conservatory in Jazz Piano and am comfortable and fluent in a number of musical styles. In addition to private lessons and performing, I do music transcription, workshops, and all forms of vocal and instrumental arranging. My passions include morning coffee, finding new guitar chords, creating killer PowerPoint presentations, and trying to figure out how to use my smart phone.

*** Lesson Details ***
My priority as a teacher is to make the learning process fun, life-giving, and productive. I teach with patience and humor, at a challenging but not frustrating pace.

Some quotes from my students:
"I absolutely love learning from Bil! I've watched my playing and the playing of others at church vastly improve as a result of his training."

"[Bil] is filled with a large amount of knowledge, so while sitting under him you not only learn about how to play but you learn about music history and theory. Beyond being a good teacher he is genuine and friendly and cares about others."

"I have really enjoyed working with Bil. His patience and wealth of knowledge has helped me come out of my musical shell and has encouraged me to discover my musical voice."

"Bil makes learning theory fun! His deep understanding of music is complemented by his contagious enthusiasm."

"Bil has taken me to a different level. I went from tab and basic guitar chords, to building jazz chords and a far greater understanding of music theory."

There are at least two ways that might set me apart from other teachers.

Firstly, I have honed and developed "people skills". I am an ordained minister and have held positions where I was formally and informally in a mentoring/pastoring role. I bring that sensitivity to my music lessons, understanding that personal and emotional issues can be triggered by the engagement with the music and skills being worked on.

Secondly, I've had a remarkable broad base of experience. My coursework has exposed me to a wide breadth of ideas and tools; my work life has been long and varied; I have had extensive experience in many different cultural contexts, both musically and otherwise; and I work well with many age groups and skill levels.

Regarding my teaching approach:
For beginners, I have a fairly consistent set of topics and skill sets to cover. Generally, in a few months, piano students (particularly those in middle school through adulthood) should know how to play major, minor and seventh chords, how to read simple chord charts and some very basic accompanying skills. Guitar students should know a dozen open chords and have been introduced to barre chords, and to have learned several styles of finger picking as well as strumming. Bass students should know how to find notes on the board and will have begun to learn how to fill out a song with an expressive but non-obtrusive bass line.

For intermediate students, the pace, direction and focus on lessons depends upon the goals and passions of the student along with the amount of time he or she has to practice. My goals for students at this level and beyond is to learn how to learn. I will use outstanding recorded examples of particular skills or stylistic idioms to help my students understand and master each new concept. I often will check in with my student to make sure that we are on track with what they are hoping for.

For advanced students, we will generally target very specific objectives. I also try to add elements of theory, history, culture, and even life lessons to apply to the topics we address. Because of my background in pastoral ministry, I can serve as a mentor addressing the emotional and relational issues of playing music as well as its technical aspects.

*** Studio Equipment ***
upstairs music room: fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, amps, drum set, seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
if for guitar or bass, that instrument; I expect piano students to have an available keyboard and for other students to have their own instrument(s).

*** Specialties ***
strong in jazz, rock, pop, gospel, sacred, R&B.

essions, whereby one feeds the other, is an ongoing process that requires a deepening awareness for the teaching artist of what their teaching brings to their art and what their art teaches them about learning.”

I am devoted and dedicated to helping find each of my students' strengths, weaknesses and style of learning. Once I have identified these traits, I am able to develop lessons and repertoire that helps each students become the most efficient learner and best musician they can be.

I pride myself in creating a fun and safe learning environment in which I establish a firm musical foundation for my students. Lessons include: scales, etudes, articulation, dynamic and sight reading exercises, standard repertoire, recording and analyzing performances, music history lessons, and exploration of the sounds, genres and artists of saxophone/flute/clarinet/piano.

Simultaneously, my students cultivate many other skills while learning how to play their instrument. Students enhance their fine motor skills and ability to memorize, students increase their overall self-confidence and become self-sufficient and creative problem solvers. I am passionate about educating and empowering my students and I enjoy connecting with a wide array of musicians of all ages, playing levels and backgrounds.

Feel free to contact me to inquire about lessons, I hope to hear from you soon!

Stephanie

at the Providence Film Fest in 2007. I also composed a jingle for the online college Capella University.

I have a car and can come to your location or you can come to me depending on distance. I look forward in sharing this musical journey with you!

ave also enjoyed performing as a fifer in the Middlesex County Volunteers, traveling to Edinburgh Scotland this August to perform in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo with the corps. I also am a composer, and actively play folk music with my fiancé. I believe that continuing one's own music education is very important, and learning new kinds of music regularly is crucial to every musician's development. My current project is being a part of the Celtic Music Ensemble at Club Passim in Harvard Sq, where my folk repertoire continues to develop. I have also attended Maine Fiddle Camp in the summer.

Since I was 18, I realized that my passion was teaching and working with kids. They are bright, interested and creative. I really enjoy seeing the process of a student's development over time, and love working with people to help them gain strength and confidence. Music is always interesting because you can always find new things to learn about; new songs, new pieces, new composers to listen to, new top hits to hear and love... it never gets old!

I can teach you how to read notes, to understand rhythms, to sight read (this means that you can sit down and read any music and play it almost perfectly on the first try!), how to accompany other musicians like vocalists or violinists, how to accompany yourself while you sing your favorite tunes, how to play jazz, folk, classical, or to help you find your style if you're not sure yet. I encourage you to ask me lots of questions!

I teach out of my cozy apartment in Arlington, and I really look forward to meeting you and helping you to become the musician you've always hoped to be.

tion and the First Prize in the Seattle Ladies' Musical Club Chamber Music Competition. Our performance on Classical King FM was syndicated by the National American Public Media's Performance Today.

As a composer, my works have been heard across the country, including my work award-winning Babel, which was performed by the Donald Sinta Saxophone Quartet in 2014 at Carnegie Hall. That work is soon to be released on the DSQ's debut album, Collider. Recent commissions have included works for the Departure Duo and the ensemble Latitude 49.

Called "quite musical and effective" by Classical Voice North Carolina, I bring experience as a conductor and pianist in both the symphonic and operatic repertoire. My work and studies have brought me from Seattle to Pittsburgh to Boston, to Spain to Germany and Romania. I hold a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan, and an undergraduate in Music Education from the University of Puget Sound.

Whatever your studies, you get all of my experience, distilled to what's most beneficial to you. I can't wait to get started on our musical journey together!