Learn Piano your way with a TakeLessons expert

By Rob F. - Baltimore Piano Teacher

Hi there! I’m Rob F. and I teach piano lessons in Baltimore, Maryland. I am originally from White Plains, New York, and have just recently moved to Baltimore to explore its excellent music scene. While there are great differences between these two music scenes, I have found several similarities that both cities share.

As the keyboardist and songwriter of a jazz-fusion/ hip-hop group called Funk Friday, I have had the opportunity to discover Baltimore’s music scene. We originated from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, playing shows at different events at the college. Soon enough, we began performing at different venues in Baltimore; some being small restaurants where spoken-word poetry was recited over an improvised song, and other venues where there were three to five different bands playing for an hour each on a large stage. For certain shows, we would team-up with a DJ/ video editor who would project a montage of images and movie clips that would swirl and change constantly as we played our songs. We have also collaborated with other artists for performances where three or four different singer/ rappers would sing over top of our original material or our arrangements of their songs.

In New York, I have also collaborated with various musicians, whether at a weekly open mic show or in a studio setting where I am recording a guitarist or rapper. Last summer, I was the keyboardist for a group called Rayce, playing at a variety of different open mic shows in White Plains with aspirations to play shows in New York City. I quickly found that it is extremely difficult and competitive to break into New York City’s music scene, as some venues receive over a hundred emails a week from bands that are trying to play one show at their venue.

Aside from teaching pianos lessons in Baltimore and performing live with my group, I have been working with a rapper on songs that rely on my knowledge of recording techniques. We have recently been sharing these recordings with friends and professionals in the music industry. It has been a lot of fun to meet and perform with an array of different musicians in Baltimore and New York, each with their own definitive style. It is their styles that have inspired me and brought me to where I am today, as a music teacher who hopes to bring inspiration to you someday. Sign up for piano lessons in Baltimore and let’s make music together!