Piano with Jake S.

I am a professional pianist and teacher who has worked with students of all ages and ability levels for the past 10 years. I graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2007 with a BM in Jazz Performance and from the Eastman School of Music with a MM in Jazz and Contemporary Media studies. I teach from my home studio and specialize in jazz piano instruction, beginning and intermediate classical, pop, blues and folk styles. I also teach ear training and music theory. I am interested in my students' goals and I work to ensure that I play an important role in helping students make progress toward them. EXPERIENCE I have 10 years of experience as a private instructor. I enjoy learning about students and adjust my teaching to what will most benefit the student. I work on creating an environment and approach that is beneficial to each student and their learning needs. I value being part of students' growth as musicians. Many of my students find that music lessons lead them toward something that is uniquely rewarding. I teach students of all ages, focusing primarily on beginning and intermediate students the majority of my teaching career. As a practicing musician my real world music experience helps keep my teaching relevant. The majority of my teaching experience is in jazz, pop and related genres. METHODS USED For beginning students I tend to work out of the Faber piano series. It provides step by step progressive piano pieces that help the student gradually learn. I will skip over pieces or return to earlier sections as needed, fitting the needs of each student. As a supplement I use the theory, performance and technique books, as well as my original pieces and exercises. Balancing the student's enjoyment of music with their learning needs teaches important life lessons of perserverance and dedication to craft. For adults my approach often involves individualized exercizes and repertoire from the classical tradition or for jazz students, the Real Book, a compendium of jazz standards. For beginners I often use the Alfred Adult piano book. I teach music theory as appropriate, as well as improvisation, rhythm and musical style depending on the student's needs and desires. LESSON STYLE My job is to help my students learn. For children, this balances keeping them invested in music making, having fun and having them practice regularly. I work from method books for these students, but work in them in my own way, slightly different for each student. I sometimes supplement the teaching with my own exercises. For adults I act as an advisor as students progress on their musical path. I identify areas that need work and will help in their musical development. Exercizes are often more individualized for these students.