Piano with Robert R.

Both my mom and dad were musicians and taught private lessons at home, so I grew up wanting to be a part of the music making. Now I am a university music educator who performs frequently as a soloist and collaborative pianist. I hold piano performance degrees from Carnegie Mellon and Yale. In addition, I've studied chamber music at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau (France) and vocal accompanying at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. I perform as a church musician, choral accompanist, and recital pianist in traditional and more modern styles. I'm active as a collaborative artist in competitions, auditions, and recordings. In the past three years I've been studying ballroom dancing for fun and as an extension of my interest in experiencing music from the standpoint of total body movement. It's been a game-changer for sure! *** Lesson Details *** I favor an easygoing approach to lessons as a joint venture (and Adventure) between the student and me. I enjoy encouraging students and responding to their individual needs and levels of accomplishment. I have taught beginners of every age as well as more experienced pianists. For beginners I aim to establish a comfortable relationship with the instrument so that they can feel at ease in playing in high and low registers and everywhere in between. For more advanced players the goal is to connect good technique with their own innate musical skill. Students at all levels will work on their music-reading and sight-reading skills. If your dream is to learn to play piano, I can help you to get started. If you already play, I can help you to prepare for auditions and recitals and, in short, to reach the next level. Let's roll! *** Studio Equipment *** six foot grand in living room seating for parents *** Specialties *** For many years I taught young children from the Frances Clark "Music Tree" series. With more intermediate and advanced students I used the Alfred Series as well as volumes by James and Jane Bastien. I also enjoy teaching and coaching students in the art of accompanying, particularly in choral music and vocal art songs. This is a specialty of mine, as I have made my living as a collaborative pianist. In recent years I have studied more popular genres that include piano arrangements of Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Rodgers, and many other American composers. While I shy away from teaching these to young students (even of high school or college age), I do occasionally teach contemporary arrangements of hymn tunes (Mark Hayes, Larry Shackley, and others) to students who show promise in handling modern genres, which of course require no small amount of technique and discipline.