Name: Honky Tonk
Uploaded: 2023-05-18T21:00:36.334Z
Duration: 14 s
Description: Feel the pulse and rhythm underneath.

Piano

As a music teacher, Michael allows each student’s unique character and curiosity to guide the session, cultivating enthusiasm as an essential principal.


A professional performer, Michael is the founder and principal teacher of Sebastopol Piano and Voice Lessons. He studied intermedia and piano performance at Stanford University, and is an active folk musician, ambient producer, and composer in Sonoma County, California. His songwriting has over 1 million listens on spotify. He specializes in improvisation, song learning, and developing the artist within.

As a piano player and teacher (in lessons from ages 5 to 23), Michael explores textural composition and harmonic voicing, in addition to technique and performance expression.  He developed early on as an improvisor, by finding new ways of utilizing scales, shapes, and modal chord variety, for maximum expressiveness.  

As concert pianist, Michael performed hundreds of works during his original classical career, ranging from Mendel, Brahms, Chopin, to Debussy. He values a pertinent approach to practice - that daily focus breeds continuous results. After entering Stanford undergrad as an Arts & Humanities student, Michael turned toward music and interaction art as his area of study. 

In 2005 he was accepted into private lessons with grammy nominated afro-cuban pianist Murray Lowe, as part of Stanford University’s Jazz Studies program, where Michael availed himself to Murray’s instruction in afro-carribean and afro-brazillian piano models, in addition to voice courses, as well as those in ear training, and modal composition. 

His focus areas were poetry, afro rhythm, jazz standards, learning songs (classical and pop), improvisation, and looping with electronic music. After Michael’s music, science, and technology degree, he selected the folk genre, and published over 40 original works.  

His upcoming release - ‘Serafima’ , focuses primary on landscape piano that defies categorization, guiding the listener as an exploration of modal tone, where soft scales journey through a widening of chordal environment, against a background more complex harmonics.

Honky Tonk

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Jazz Voice

Music Recording

Ear Training

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

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Stanford Institute for Creativity in the Arts

Ableton

For music, we can learn together. 

Dynamic, Intuitive Music Educator with nearly 12 years of experience teaching recording, voice performance and piano music. Creative and able to deliver dynamic classes that spark students’ creativity and enthusiasm for building musical talent. Finding new ways to help develop strong talents and musical fluency. Informed by Bachelors’s degree in afro-cuban jazz piano and audio technology.
I am a teacher, composer, and performer, with 10 year experience and over 50 Self Titled published musical works. Structuring lessons and assisting students to develop as sensitive, expressive artists is my goal. Undertaking the role of the head teacher of the class. Designing experiential lessons that cater to children in a variety of special need spectrums and abilities.
Work Experience
Private and Group Music Teacher, Online Course Leader — Piano, Voice, Chorus August
2010 to Present
• Educate piano players in phrasing and jazz, and demonstrating proficiency with music
• Instruct piano performance majors on advanced keyboard harmony and transposition
• Manage and update performance schedule and keep records of their compositions
• Draw a strong link between intuition, song writing, and accessing inner artist abilities
Sales Enablement Manager, Admissions Counsellor a Sonora Music School August 2020- June 2021
Assisted admissions with course education and sales, for guitarists to become experts. Worked with curious students and explained the purpose of non-idiomatic music education approach.
Piano and Voice Teacher, Harmony Roadhouse Music Studios, Eugene OR. August 2012 to May 2014
• Planned course syllabus and delivered classes and lectures to engage learners in playing piano and developing the voice
• Fostered positive relationships with other educators, leading to better collaboration and integration of academic subjects, created ensembles between violin and piano, percussion
• Direct outreach events for the community via performances as appropriate.
Education
Stanford University School of Music, Palo Alto, CA, 2005 - 2010.
Private Afrocuban Piano, Jazz and Voice lessons twice a week from June 2005 to June 2010, Group Jazz Ensemble, weekly, with Grammy nominated teacher Murray Low
Bachelor of Arts (BA) — Music, Science, and Technology
Stanford Institute for Creativity in the Arts | Recipient, Inter-Media Music Project Scholarship Affiliation
Nova Earth Music | 2020 to Present | Music Publisher and Label School of Living Arts | 2012 to 2015 | Retreat Group Music Leader
Key Skills
• I have Applied Piano Lessons for over a Decade
• I have pursued Extensive Arts & Music Education
• Engaging Seminars, Classroom Music Pedagogy
• History of Music, Modern Pop Course Materials & Repertoire Selection
• Artist and Intuitive Composition Skills Curriculum Development
• Jazz Voicing, Keyboard Orientation & Technique
• Group Music Workshop and Ensemble Facilitation
• Digital Composition with Electronic Instruments
• Music Program Development
• Music Theory
Hobbies and Interests
I teach circle singing classes for voice students every summer. I have 50 published works of inter-genre free jazz and story time folk on Spotify and Apple Music. I play with my band at the Broadway Under the Stars annual fundraising gala in Sonoma, CA. I am a full member of the Nova Earth Music Publishing Society. I go to local cafes and talk about my music career to encourage students to potentially pursue their own music performance goals.
Being a poor mechanical sight-reader, I relied better on memory, through a high school performance career of playing Chopin and Debussy. In college I was attracted to Jazz. I have also immersed myself in the vibrant world of Afro-Cuban music. Through my studies, I have gained expertise in the rhythmic complexities, melodic nuances, and cultural significance of Afro- Diaspora music, including African Drumming, Samba, Salsa, Afro-Brazillian, and Kizomba from Angola. I believe that exposing students to diverse musical traditions and cultures is essential in fostering a holistic understanding of music and its role in society.
Furthermore, I have a strong background in recording and music technology. I have taken advanced courses that cover electronic instruments, recording techniques, audio production, and digital audio workstations, in addition to helping Producer other artists with studio practice and multi-tracking. I am well-versed in industry-standard software such as Pro Tools and Ableton Live, and have hands-on experience in recording and producing my own music albums. I believe that incorporating music technology into the curriculum can enhance students' creativity, critical thinking, and technical skills, which are crucial in today's music industry.


As a piano player and teacher (in lessons from ages 5 to 23), Michael explores textural composition and harmonic voicing, in addition to technique and performance expression.  He developed early on as an improvisor, by finding new ways of utilizing scales, shapes, and modal chord variety, for maximum expressivity.  As concert pianist, Michael performed hundreds of works during his original classical career, ranging from Mendel, Brahms, Chopin, to Debussy. He values a pertinent approach to practice - that daily focus breeds continuous results. After entering Stanford undergrad as an Arts & Humanities student, Michael turned toward music and interaction art as his area of study. In 2005 he was accepted into private lessons with grammy nominated afro-cuban pianist Murray Lowe, as part of Stanford University’s Jazz Studies program, where Michael availed himself to Murray’s instruction in afro-carribean and afro-brazillian piano models, in addition to voice courses, as well as those in ear training, and modal composition. His focus areas were poetry, afro rhythm, jazz standards, learning songs (classical and pop), improvisation, and looping with electronic music. After Michael’s music, science, and technology degree, he selected the folk genre, and published over 40 original works.  His upcoming release - ‘Serafima’ , focuses primary on landscape piano that defies categorization, guiding the listener as an exploration of modal tone, where soft scales journey through a widening of chordal environment, against a background more complex harmonics. Serafima will be Michael’s first solo piano album in 10 years, to be released in collaboration with Nova Earth Music in June 2023. As a music teacher, Michael allows each student’s unique character and curiosity to guide the session, cultivating enthusiasm as an essential principal.

Great introductory lesson - time flew by! Super patient, very helpful 10/10 experience. He is a very good teacher! We had an entire lesson on rhythm and he was able to look over my bands recordings and make mixing suggestions.

Michael is steadily guiding me into a better musician. He is absolutely amazing. If you want to learn how to play, sing, or mix, I couldn't suggest a better coach. Great instructor with alot of passion for what he does.

Very nice and patient. Very good with instruments and mixing. Always pushing me out of my comfort zone, which is nice. I have truly enjoyed my time learning.

Very good class. He was gentle and very positive. He understood what I needed to learn and guided me through it effortlessly. I am happy to be connected through these lessons!

A dependable private music mentorship, I have grown and developed so much.

Wow what a great set of lessons.  My songs are really coming together now.  Michael is so patient and informative. Wonderful, patient teacher.

A variety of changes and voicings on the piano

Michael Z.

Honky Tonk

Michael's Piano videos

Honky Tonk

Jazz Studies

Teacher Reviews (6)

Waltz Op. 39 No. 15 by Johannes Brahms

Misty - Erroll Garner. Easy Piano, Jazz Standard, Beginner Level.

The Small Hand Dilemma, 5 Tips

Hallelujah Chorus - George Frederic Handel. Early Intermediate Level

How To Get Started: Minor 7th Chord Inversions

Modern Pianista - Octave Scales

Piano Lesson for the C major scale

The Blue Danube - Johann Strauss. Beginner Level

My Foolish Heart - Victor Young. Piano, Intermediate level

Teaching

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