Piano with Ryan T.

I am a professional performing musician and educator in the Saint Louis area. I have a bachelors degree in Jazz Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. My primary instrument is trumpet however I am a multi instrumentalist teaching piano, guitar and bass. I have learned so much music theory and songwriting from my time exploring multiple instruments that are harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic as well as my time studying theory intensively in high school and college. My specialty is in Jazz/pop theory and arranging however, I am well versed in classical theory much akin to what you would learn in a university setting. Whether or not you are looking for tutoring for your music theory course in school, a classical musician looking to branch into jazz theory, or an aspiring songwriter looking to explore new sounds, I believe I can aid in your music theory skills. My method stresses the importance of ear training and recognition with sound, connecting what you hear with the theoretical concept in written form. I will teach you scales, how to make chords, voicing chords, voice leading from chord to chord, and how to use all of these skills while reading a lead sheet. If you wish to expand your jazz skills and improvising, we will take all of the previously mentioned skills and learn how to improvise from the knowledge that we have of theory, returning to the ear to draw connections with what we hear and understanding how to recreate the sounds we hear. I hope aid you in improving your skills on piano, trumpet, guitar, or bass, through music theory and get all of the creativity inside your head out onto your instrument!