
John B.

Teaching Locations:

About John B.
I have been a piano teacher and vocal coach since 1985.
I have a Doctorate in Collaborative Arts from the University of Southern California (1992)
I teach Collaborative Arts at the University of California Santa Barbara (since 2005)
I have been on the musical staffs of Opera Santa Barbara, Utah Festival Opera, Sarasota Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Fresno Opera, Opera Academy of California and Opera NEO as a pianist, coach and chorus master.
Reviews
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Meeting John was great, very friendly and professional and to the point, which is my cap of tea and he suggested to get a weighted keys piano to strengthen my fingers, I’m looking into one
Thanks John I will recommend you as a teacher
Jose G Garcia

John is a fantastic instructor. He has a love for educating others on musical expression and he is a wellspring of musical knowledge. He provides a depth to the piano that I wouldn't have noticed if I taught myself how to play.
John emphasized how to shape musical phrases to make music as opposed to a collection of notes. He had a good ear for honing in on my weaknesses such as how some notes that I played stuck out or the movement of my arms. Most importantly, he taught me how to approach practicing the piano in an effective way. I learned how to listen to myself and how give each note, phrase, and piece the attention and musicality it needed to sound beautifully.
For an adult learner as myself, he was accommodating with how busy I was. He adjusted to my needs and work schedule and taught at a reasonable pace. However, he also never veered from his expectations and praised what I was doing right and provided methods to fix what I was doing wrong.
Although there were times when John expressed his passion for music by delving into tangents on the broader historical significance of pieces, his mini-lectures were never irrelevant nor inappropriate. For example, he commented on how in waltzes, the rhythm on the left hand would need to emulate how a Romantic era string section would play it. For anyone who is serious about how or why pieces of music are meant to be played in a certain way, John is great about contextualizing pieces to make them sound great.
Most importantly, he made practicing piano something that was both enjoyable and challenging, which is difficult to find in a teacher. I owe a great deal of my musicianship to John and he met my expectations of learning the piano. Thank you!

John is really great. He takes the time to understand what your goals are and teaches according to your needs. He is patient and provides constructive comments.

It's hard to say enough about how happy we are to have found John. My 2 boys love taking lessons with him, but yet still he challenges them and holds them to a high standard. John is a talented and knowledgeable pianist, and a very friendly and approachable person. A top notch instructor.
Photos & Videos
6 Photos & VideosExperience
Continuing Lecturer in Collaborative Arts
Mar 2005 - PresentUniversity of California Santa Barbara
Pianist and Chorus Master
Jan 1998 - May 2016Opera Santa Barbara
Piano Teacher
Jan 2000 - Jun 2003Pasadena Conservatory
Piano Teacher, Vocal Coach
Jan 1995 - Jun 2003Chapman University
Drake University Preparatory Department
Jan 1983 - Jan 1986Drake University
Education
Doctor in Musical Arts Collaborative Arts/Piano
May 1986 - Sep 1992University of Southern California
Masters Degree in Piano Performance
Sep 1981 - May 1983Drake University
Bachelors degree in Piano Performance
Sep 1976 - May 1980University of the Pacific
Languages
English
Fluent / Native Proficiency
French
Limited Proficiency
German
Limited Proficiency
Italian
Professional Proficiency
Spanish
Fluent / Native Proficiency
Awards
Koldofsky Graduate Scholarship in Accompanying
May 1992University of Sourpthern California
Scholarship (twice)
Jul 1989Music Academy of the West
Affiliations
Music Teachers' Association of California
Feb 2017American Federation of Teachers
Jun 2005Let Our Student Counselors Help You
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