Piano with Lexie L.

I stumbled into teaching by accident sixteen years ago and never left! That's the truth. In 1993, I moved to Chicago to pursue a Jazz Studies degree at DePaul, became a student of the late great vocal guru Ed Farran, and began my journey as a working musician. Several jobbing gigs and a handful of TV jingles later, I decided to form a band of my own to showcase the fruits of my passion for songwriting. I was asked to be a temporary substitute teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music in 2003, never imagining how transformative my experience there would be, and ended up staying on as a voice & piano faculty member for sixteen years and counting. It turns out teaching is fulfilling, fun, and infectious.  My style in the classroom is informed largely by the exceptional teachers I've been fortunate enough to work with over the years, but I believe I have learned the most about music from time spent with my students. Maintaining a collaborative and nurturing enviroment in our lessons is important to me for that reason. Piano students of all ages can expect a well-rounded approach to learning their instrument in a way that is tailored to the student's personality and learning style. Sometimes we will follow a book, but often we won’t. There will be theory and technique elements to each lesson designed to enhance the student’s understanding of what they’re playing, but the focus will be on the joy of execution. A student’s willingness to learn to read music is immensely helpful but not an absolute requirement. Voice students will practice a wide range of topics from the physical (healthy singing techniques) to the psychological (vocal inhibition issues) to the artistic (style; finding your own voice). Singers who are interested in taking their skill set a step further can learn how to get around a keyboard, understand key signatures, and write their own transcriptions. My musical compass is always pointing lessons toward this idea: What can I do to help my students feel empowered and equipped to make music confidently when they go off to college/when they’re 45-years old/ when they’re retired? For more advanced or ambitious students the query goes further: How can I challenge and inspire my students to get the most out of their instrument and their relationship to music in general? My main goal in every lesson is to point the student toward a life-long love of self-propelled music appreciation.