Bernalillo, NM Piano Lessons

n classical guitar. He came to me because he never learned how to sight read. Within 6 months he was writing his own music and decided to change his specialty from guitar to piano.
*****Another one of my students was told he would never be able to "sight read" which is to read music from paper but he was reading music and within a few months he was writing it himself.

I look forward to helping you reach your goals! I encourage anyone who is interested in learning to begin lessons with the knowledge that they can eventually create any kind of art they desire.
I continue to perform and create which enables me to sharpen and maintain my skills.

I hope to have an opportunity to meet you soon and I encourage you to ask any questions you have!!!

*****I highly encourage scheduling only 30 minutes for children younger than 12 and beginners of other ages. Students are more likely to focus and enjoy their lessons when they are shorter in the beginning. They can always be extended later.

lessons are taught in the music room in the home which includes an 88 key weighted keyboard, 5 guitars, 3 amps

*** Travel Equipment ***
If I go to their house, I expect them to have their own instruments that they practice on during the week, a metronome, a tuner and the music books they are working on.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in jazz, rock and classical music. I usually allow the students or their parents to choose their method books based on their interests and goals.

usic to help you find your own voice.
When you find your voice, the rest of you is not far behind.

We help people to overcome any fears they may have about playing. We simply help you to find your confidence. Many people are afraid to express themselves because of negative comments from a family member or friend. We help you move far past that and get to your own voice, free of worries.

It has been said that playing only from sheet music is like only being able to talk when you are reading it from a book.

We help people to play and sing by ear.

Yes, learning to read music brings you wonderful music from some great composers. But there is so much more.

First, we find out how you learn and what you are interested in. Life is just different when you get in touch with the music inside you. Sure, it is some work, but it is very satisfying!
I love to help people do this!

All that said, reading musical notes is like your alphabet.
When was the last time you had to ponder the alphabet when you wanted to speak? Once you know the alphabet, you just forget it and move on, to words, stories and communication.
Music is a language as well.

Everybody loves music. How will you find yours? It’s different for everyone.
Maybe you want to sing like that great pop singer you love, or play keyboard. Some people write songs. In all cases, the keyboard helps you to understand all about music.

Bach used to improvise all the time. Why shouldn't you?

SONGWRITERS:
If you write songs, just bring in an idea and we will record it. We set a tempo and a key, and get your basic groove looped, all in about two minutes. Then we lay down the chords and a bass part and you sing a reference vocal. You can easily lay out a song in a one-hour session. Then it is easy to see how to produce it. It is amazing to go home with a recording of your song that did not exist in the world until you gave it a voice!

Along the way, you become a better writer, singer and/or keyboard player. You will learn to play by ear. And have a LOT of fun. You can do this online too.

ONLINE SESSIONS
You create a rough sketch and we track it, with your input.
We can help you to set up your own songwriter studio as well. If you get Logic software at your end, you can put on phones and cut a vocal with me producing you.
Seriously, great fun.
;0)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
“...an amazing instructor...inspiring mentor...compassionate.”
“...a lot of patience.”
“My son's love for music has come from Randy.”
“...positive attitude and friendly personality.”
“...wildly entertaining.”
“ ...will teach you in a way that will make you want to learn.”
“We look forward to our lesson every week!”

"Randy, I like your "Semper Method of Music” teaching method.
It's applying knowledge with fun, and common sense... the best combination. Good luck. You’re a great musician."
Joe Messina,
Motown recording guitarist & Funk Brother

SONGLab
Your music. Instantly.
We use recording as a powerful tool to help you listen and improve.
Tired of crappy tabs? Struggling to capture your song? No worries.
Learn a process, instead of a lesson. Apply it anywhere.

Go from musical idea to music, fast.
Get to the groove in 2 minutes or less. In any software.

SONGLab Studio. The antidote to rote.

SCHEDULING:
Please note: If the particular time you had in mind is listed as unavailable, don’t worry. Between working online and two locations, I am very flexible and will work hard to make our schedules click.

SPECIAL NEEDS?
Everyone's needs are special. If your child has been diagnosed ADHD or ASD, music can be a joyful and rewarding way to see real growth and make a wonderful experience for parent and child. We help with the Proprioceptive and Vestibular senses in a fun and therapeutic way.

Just Google "BrainVolts" for a tremendous study from Northwestern University on the amazing effects of music study!

Playing by Ear
Pretty much everyone can play by ear. So we help you to find your own voice, reach your musical goals and to create and perform music as a real and beautiful part of your life.

Making music should not be a boring job. Rather, it should be something you can't wait to do. A way to get in touch with the rest of the universe. You will also learn to read and write, but it won't get in the way of your music.

Since a very young age I have loved to improvise and to create music. It is very satisfying to pass this on to others who are full of music inside but may not know how to get it out. If you wish that you or your child could get some help creating your own music as well as playing the great music already written, perhaps we should be talking.

I am from Canada, and I have been a professional musician since 1970. I studied music performance in school, piano with the Royal Conservatory of Toronto and Music Education at Queens University. I have toured with national acts, produced dozens of recordings of all kinds and played, arranged and conducted music on cruise ships all over the world.

Music is my life. Bringing other people's skills to a higher level is what I do best.

Tell me what you want to accomplish, either for yourself or your child. I look forward to speaking with you.
Warm regards,
Randy

PS:
A note about allergens:
I teach online and at my home and my studio. At home we have two very friendly dogs and a cat (Julian) who sleeps all day. If you have allergies, we will study at the Troy studio which is allergen-free. Unless you love animals. In that case, you will get to meet Vinnie & Buddy, the two most kid-friendly, loves-everybody, most gentle little guys you will ever meet. I put Vinnie's picture up so you can see him.

Teaching teachers
Several excellent teachers I know who have been teaching music for many years were frustrated by not being able to play without a sheet of music. They have found satisfying and positive results from this approach.

Wouldn't it be great to be gifted? In fact... It turns out that choices lead to habits.
Habits become talents. Talents are labeled gifts.
You're not born this way, you get this way.
~ Seth Godin

*** Lesson Details ***

Music should be fun. Period.

My only real job is to make sure you have fun and want to learn more. Then you will do the rest. you will astonish yourself and everyone around you!

In a traditional music education, reading the works of others is the focus, with no encouragement to improvise or to play by ear.

In our community, there is a prestigious, private college prep school that charges just under $80 per hour for traditional private music lessons. If you take away the music, most cannot play a note.

My method is every bit the equal of that school for those who are drawn to express themselves playing by ear. You will still learn all the core skills needed to be a well-rounded musician.

Music study helps people young and old to overcome shyness and build confidence. It empowers them as they refine their special talents.

We will always have a lot of fun, but there is a lot to do, so we need to be efficient. My teaching method is a combination of the best methods I have found. It is backed up with the same solid principles that I received when I was a student myself. If you choose to continue and pursue a classical education at a high level, you will be well-prepared.

Please note:
You are most welcome to start with 30 minute sessions to see if we are a good fit. 30 min lessons are offered for this purpose and also for very young children with short attention spans. For any student, wishing to make progress, lessons will eventually need to be an hour or 45 minutes at minimum in order to reach your goals.

Attendance
While fun is our main goal, we need results and I am an old-school stickler for results.

Weekly sessions are the only way to get measurable results, and the only way I teach. Two absences a month is noted by colleges as a clear path to dropping out. That is what bi-weekly sessions will do.

Though you'll receive serious critiques from me, I always uplift and encourage. Positive energy is the ticket.

My Method:
Listen, Sing, Clap, Play, Read and Write. With these tools you can look deeper into the elements that make up music. Folk, jazz, pop, rock or classical; all Western music is derived from the same principles. We will study ear training from a wonderful ear training book by a famous guitarist. It'™s simple: you learn all the theory so you will be at the top of your game, but always have fun doing it.
For notation, we will use The Semper Note Speller.
For scales, we have the famous Brown Scale Book.

Technology
We use recording as a tool to help you hear how you sound and we always encourage you to express yourself with improvisation. In many cases, you will have tracks to practice with. We also use apps for your phone that really help. A guitar tuner to nail down vocal pitch, as well as a metronome app that is with you wherever you go. If you have a minute anywhere you can get in some good practice time. So we truly have the best of all worlds: playing from music and learning to play by ear! If you stick with it and do the work, the end result will be that you can always just sit down and play, whether or not you have any music in front of you!

On our first lesson we will do a duet jam session together and you will not believe how great you sound!

The Big Picture
In the old days, a tiny percentage of students would become a concert pianist.

Today, there are a multitude of other ways to become involved with music. Whether you are looking at music as a profession or as a hobby, we let parents know of the many choices available so that they can make good decisions, for themselves and for their children.

Having fun as you improve is a big priority. I also teach songwriting, singing, music recording and performance, as well as piano.

Remember:
A piano should be an irresistible invitation, not an obstacle.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Troy studio: A digital keyboard in a professional recording control-room environment at our media production studio. The studio is near Big Beaver and Stephenson Hwy.

Home studio: An acoustic piano and recording studio environment at my home in Franklin/Beverly Hills.

Your Instrument
If you are taking any kind of music lesson, we recommend a tuned piano or digital keyboard, preferably with at least 76 full-sized keys.

We have helped many people to find the right piano.
If you like, I can suggest several different models of keyboard that I have researched and of which I approve. They range from an inexpensive but effective starter keyboard for ear training and just plain fun to an 88 note weighted keyboard for more expressive practice.

*** Specialties ***
Adults who always wanted to.
Homeschoolers who are frustrated.
Kids who just love music.

My youngest student is 4 and my oldest student is 102 now. )At 100 he recorded an album of songs from the 1920s!)

I teach people of all ages first to play by ear and to have fun while they study. Then I back up ear training with solid theory so they can read and write music. In school I studied many traditional methods and I have distilled my own distinct method from them. Though I am classically trained, I specialize in improvisation.
Here's to a most satisfying musical experience!
Best regards,
Randy

s, with lesson plans geared to 15 minutes of daily practice. Set the bar as high as you want! My students all choose to have a lesson every week under the recurring lesson plan, to make quick progress.
My studio has a big grand, and a digital piano. The neighborhood is quiet, with plenty of parking. Come with confidence, to a studio licensed in Albuquerque for twenty years.
After three months, a busy eight-year old beginner could have an easy rendition of "Ode To Joy" or "When The Saints Come Marching In" to perform for loved ones.
My students study technique, rhythm, fingering, expression and general musicianship. All this, while enjoying great musical selections.

*** Studio Equipment ***
The studio lessons are taught in a living room studio exclusively used for piano lessons including a Steinway piano. No pets. street parking

*** Specialties ***
Mostly classical, with occasional jazz, contemporary Christian, and popular. I mostly teach from notes, though occasionally with lead sheets and improvisation. Faber and Faber, Keys for the Kingdom, and Bastien methods are preferred until the student can play the composer's original notes. Then, their recital works tend to come from such as Bach, Beethoven, Clementi, Debussy, and Chopin.

as listening to recordings are an integral part of the lessons from the beginning, regardless of skill level. Students will not only learn how to play their instruments correctly but will also develop an expanding appreciation of all kinds of music.

*** Studio Equipment ***
music studio seating for parents f/w keyboard

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect all students to provide their own instruments.

*** Specialties ***
Jazz, Pop, Rock, Funk, World, Classical
Jazz Improvisation for ALL instruments (even if I don't play them)
Composition, Arranging, Orchestration, Counterpoint, Finale
Home & Commercial Studio Recording, Acoustics, Analog & Digital, Troubleshooting.

I offer tutoring in all subjects of music and songwriting, and specialize in offering lessons tailored to each student’s needs. I refuse to hand out a book and go from front to back - expect handouts, impromptu lesson material to help you learn any specific concept you may be struggling with, CD’s with study material, exploratory homework, and thinking outside the box! We will do whatever it takes to get you wherever you want to be.

*** Lesson Details ***
I focus my curriculum on the goals of each student, their needs and their abilities. Everyone is different, so every student should have a different set of goals and a unique curriculum to reach them! I want to offer the most well-rounded education possible, so we will be regularly evaluating your goals and the materials you are using to reach them. I am easy-going and realistic - if you aren't interested in what you are learning then you aren't going to practice. So lets have some fun!

I work with every age group and integrate the following into all lessons: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums

• coordination
• rhythm - sometimes we will use our hands or bodies, or the drums or tambourine
• contemporary styles and songs - all my students get to choose their songs from my music library or their own!
• ear training - I help students to hear major and minor as well as the different notes of a chord. My singers work with solfege (do re mi) to gain early sight-reading skills
• singing together on simple songs - especially for young students to put them at ease and express themselves through music with something they already know (aka Twinkle Twinkle)
• scale work - I start my student young with the C scale and progress as each student can handle
• music theory - you won't even know you are learning it! My extensive training in this area allows me to find simple ways to teach these skills
• Performance technique: my voice students get to sing with a microphone and PA system to their favorite karaoke tunes and learn performance aspects. I also work with piano, guitar, and drums on performance skills.
• SONGWRITING: optional. I like to spend a class time every several sessions to help my creative students write their own song from start to finish! We can even record it if you like!

I work with several instruments in order to help my students get the most well-rounded music education they can until they choose a specific direction of their own (such as classical piano or acoustic guitar).

If you would like to focus only on one area, that is never a problem! I simply offer a variety of music lessons so that I can tailor the lesson to each student's goals. I will work with you to create a lesson plan.

Recitals are offered each Summer and Winter.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Studio: KORG weighted 88 key keyboard, acoustic and electric guitar and amp, PA system for performance in vocals, microphones. Parents may sit in on lessons or wait nearby. There is a library across the street, as well as a Dunkin Donuts.

For recording and production lessons, I use industry standards such as Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and Sonic. I give out weekly handouts and tailored homework assignments in most subjects. I can purchase books for students, or they can acquire the recommended books on their own.

*** Specialties ***
Young children music and piano 4 years and up; Piano; Voice - beginner and advanced; Musicality: can't decide what to study? I can work with you in a variety of areas including rhythm, percussion, songwriting, piano, guitar, singing, improvising, etc.

ends at their school's talent show.

I have also taught adults, who used to play and decided to pick it up again - or newbies wanting to discover the wonders of jazz standards.

In short, whatever your personal goal is, I can help you achieve it and hopefully inspire you to set a new goal to achieve right after that!

I can also help with music theory entrance exams, tutor for AP music classes or college classes, etc.

*Quick note on online lessons:
Many prospective students are wary of online lessons and not sure if it's the right way to go for them - I always tell them that you'll never know until you try it for sure! I have taken online lessons myself in the past and loved the experience. I can also attest that several students get a much deeper musical understanding this way, because teachers can't just play an example and have the student copy it - the teacher actually needs to explain how to perform the passage, which leads to the student understanding clearly what is expected and how to achieve it, rather than just copy someone's hand movements without understanding why they are doing it in this particular way. I'm sure you'll also be more relaxed in the comfort of your own environment, at your own scheduled time!

Professional Bio:

Canada-born pianist Andree-Ann has performed extensively across North America and Europe; her work has been heralded as “…Gorgeous, gritty, powerful, and traditional, all in one package” (The Music Farmer).

Specializing in familiarly-danceable yet traditionally-influenced Latin Classical music, Andree-Ann has found a calling for her art on the Left Coast, an ideal melting pot for blending cultures and musical styles. Aside from being recognized as a semi-finalist for the American Prize and nominated at the Utah Music Awards, Andree-Ann’s first album, Cervantes, Lecuona & Nazareth earned the Global Music Awards’ Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement. Most recently, her Summer 2016 release, Milhaud & Ginastera, blended French, Canadian, Brazilian, Argentinean, and American musical traditions – perfectly timed with the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This album has also been recognized at the Global Music Awards in September 2016.

With keen interest in developing her uniquely diverse repertoire, Andree-Ann regularly performs as a soloist, chamber music (in a piano-percussion duo), jazz pianist, and accompanist in the Los Angeles area. Her training includes a Master of Music degree in Afro-Latin music from California State University Los Angeles, and she is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Claremont Graduate University. Prior to relocating to Southern California, she graduated with honors from Humber College in Toronto, Canada.

Cervantes, Lecuona & Nazareth has been featured as “New & Noteworthy” on iTunes Canada, and may be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM. Andree-Ann’s music is also available on Amazon, CD Baby, CD Universe, and Arkivmusic.