Fremont, NH Piano Lessons

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.

enuinely defined the young professional, what lures many to her, and why she remotely continues to build her influential empire as a true business lady.

In 2007, LadySonya, a Georgia Peach native from Columbus, Georgia, and transfer student from Troy University to Georgia State University, began her life shift of miserably working 2-3 part-time jobs to prosper through college. In less than one year of living in Atlanta, LadySonya quit her part-time job as stock for Ross Department Store and decided to follow her dreams of being in the music industry. With no money saved, nothing but a Radio-Shack 76-key keyboard, and one year of college experience, she decided to start her own business of teaching piano lessons. She found a contracted job to teach at Tarang School of Music & Arts, Suwanee, Georgia, and began to make her infamous mark. LadySonya also found various online sites to assist with marketing her newly established company.
Many supporters on social media such as face book & twitter began to take notice of LadySonya's swift entrepreneurial progression and in May of 2009 LadySonya held her 1st annual Spring Recital for LadySonya Music Studio Company. The event inspired 75+ guests. Once the company began to bloom more she began to hold recitals twice a year, one in May and the other in December, filling the venue with up to 150+ guest per show. In 2011, LadySonya decided to take her name to the next level by writing her life story testimony of how she went through 7 part-times jobs in one year span along with almost giving up everything to move back to Columbus. During the summer months of 2011 LadySonya organized her very own Network (iNetworkDoYou) to help aspiring entrepreneur/music industry by encouraging them to gain valuable information to help them along the way.

Often mistaken for a fashion model, LadySonya is a celebrity piano instructor, with a lively girl next door attitude. However anyone views her, this young lady is establishing her brand as a music mogul, exercising her inner power to become highly successful.

It is dedication, drive, and determination that lead the role-model LadySonya to reach out to her numerous supporters and fans by creating an Annual Vision Board Extravaganza (2012) to empower others to reach follow their dreams, annually host two music recitals for the students to grow out of being shy musicians, create Lady University Movement to mentor young & older ladies desiring to be leaders, and assemble frequently as a motivational speaker and panelist as a entrepreneur inspirational expert.

Shut Up and Drive is the mental note that pushed LadySonya to the next level to be more than a piano teacher, but a business lady with ongoing dreams of being the next Oprah, with a diva attitude as Beyonce, and musician skills of Alicia Keys. She works day in and day out to build her empire of being a role model- I am LadySonya.

With strong family & spiritual backbone, LadySonya believes her ultimate purpose in life is to indeed inspire others to stay focused. Her alter-ego LadySonya is known to give you that extra boost of confidence and internal drive to set goals and achieve them. However you view LadySonya, as a musician, artist, entrepreneur, model or even social networker, know that she is on top of her business/brand and she's working hard to touch lives like never before with making her dreams come to reality.

Credits:

I started piano lessons at age 9.

Graduated from Shaw High School Honors in the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Served Vice-President of Tri-M Music Honor society my junior year and President my Senior year. I also was involved in the Gospel Choir, Advanced Chorus, and won 3rd Place in the Girls Trio.

Troy University Troy, Alabama Aug 2005- Dec 2006 Major:Music Industry I was involved in the Music Program. I studied Music Theory 1,2,3, Class Piano 1 and 2, Aural Skills (learning to hear music) Private Piano, Private Voice, Intro to Music Industry and Music History. I was involved in the Collegiate Choir, Gospel Choir which sung at Rosa Park funeral and museum.I was also a lead singer and also was involved in the Plays. I was also inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Society for freshmen whose GPA scored 3.5 or higher their first year of college.

Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia 2007- currently Music Management I am currently pursing my degree.

Past Musician Duties:

Serving as director and musician for Youth and Gospel Choirs.

Smith Grove A.M.E Church in Columbus,Georgia 2001-2005
Allen Temple A.M.E Church in Columbus, Georgia 2002-2002
Cools Springs Baptist Church in Pittsview. Alabama 2004-2005
Mount Bethal A.M.E Church in Cussetta,Georgia 2005-2006
Mount Gilead A.M.E Church in Fortson,Georgia 2002-2011

*** Lesson Details ***
What students can expect from the lesson is "learning".

I am a very relaxed, fun, and motivated teacher. I teach everything from classical to gospel to country to pop music. One thing you will find out from my lessons are you are "learning" rather than "memorizing". Lessons are structured to the students needs. I put my all into the lesson to the last minute or maybe run a minute over but at the end I know I've done my job!

I like to make it fun, so I encourage students to bring in music they would like to learn even if I have to simplify it a bit!

I also try to teach different tricks to learn the theory.

Call today... You will be glad you did!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Logic 9, M-Audio Midi Controller 88- key

*** Specialties ***
Read Sheet Music
Play by Ear (Music Theory)
Ear- training skills
Chord Progressions
Scales/Chords

Pop, R&B, Gospel, Classical, Country, Contemporary Neo-Soul...

edge of the subject rather than just learning to play. I have high expectations for my students, yet I am patient and understanding. At times lessons may be challenging, but they will also be fun!

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect the students to have a keyboard/piano appropriate to their level of playing for us to have our lesson on. I will provide any books or supplementary material that may be needed. Any books purchased specifically for that student will need to be reimbursed.

*** Specialties ***
Teaching young beginners and elementary age children.

al needs and goals. Always an emphasis on FUN! My philosophy as a teacher is to give you the tools and help you develop skills with them so that you can learn and grow musically on your own! I look forward to helping you reach and achieve all your goals!

, tailoring lesson plans to suit their personal goals and interests. I have experience playing and teaching an extensive range of styles including pop, rock, jazz, country, metal, and classical. One of my main goals is to foster a sense of musical understanding with every student so that they may learn to combine technical, theoretical, and aural skills into a unified whole.

Most students want to learn to play songs they know and love. To that end, I get students playing the music they want to play right from the beginning, often through personally crafted arrangements of songs/pieces of the student's choosing, specifically tailored to their current skill level. This way, technical and theoretical skills are learned through direct experience with actual music, and only very rarely through rote exercise.
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For more advanced players, I offer an array of strategies designed to take your playing to the next level. I find that the most common shortcomings of advanced players are conceptual. The technical skills are there but the level of conceptual and theoretical understanding has hit a wall. Many players find themselves playing the same chord shapes, melodic patterns, and harmonic progressions over and over again. I've had much success over the years in getting advanced students out of this rut and helping open up new pathways for exploration in both improvisation and composition.