Alan Cross Music Lessons
1 hire on Lessons.com
1 employee
16 years in business
About this pro
Alan has expertise in classical, jazz, pop, and blues. He has worked as a music director, piano accompanist, pop keyboardist and as a leader in a jazz band. Alan has been teaching piano for thirteen years and has had good success with all ages.
He has been teaching since 2007 and has gained a deep love for the work. Alan seeks to instill strong reading ability, a functional and usable understanding of music theory, capable technique, good expression, and creativity.
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Credentials
Saratoga, CA 95070
Email verified
Phone verified
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Goes at the speed that is right for me.
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Alan Cross is an excellent piano teacher. He has very good understanding and is very talented. He is very patient and friendly. My son has been taking piano lessons from Alan for the last 2 years now and he is really behind to enjoy learning and playing piano now. I would highly recommend Alan Cross for piano lessons.
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My 7 year old has been taking piano lessons from Alan for the past 6 months and it has been a great experience. Besides being a very gifted pianist he is a natural teacher. He has been patient, encouraging, and has made piano fun. I highly recommend him.
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Alan is an amazing teacher! He focuses on honing the kid's skills/techniques, provides individual attention and is very patient (an important skill to teach kids)! Alan started teaching my daughter piano when the pandemic struck. We were not sure how much she'd learn by starting online. We were lucky to have a friend refer Alan to us. My daughter loves playing the piano and has decided to become a musician :). Alan pays attention to the keys and teaches her the right techniques. There are times when she misses the notes and Alan always comes back with a positive "Let's try it again!". Apart from being a great teacher, Alan takes the time to communicate her progress periodically and educates us about piano. We highly recommend Alan!
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FAQs
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Alan works to make a tailor made plan for each student. He works for find what musical styles each students is interested in and finds a good level for them to start at.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Alan is trained in classical and jazz. He has studied piano for twenty eight years and has taught for fourteen. Alan also leads worship at his church in Santa Clara and has worked as a choir director, piano accompanist, youth band leader, and music director for youths and adults.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$37 for half hour, $55 for fourty five minutes, $72 for hour.
How did you get started teaching?
Alan was encouraged to teach by his teachers. He began teaching during and after Concordia University. After graduating he developed teaching while working as music director at Aliso Viejo Lutheran Church of the Cross. After working as a music director and teaching for five years, Alan moved to Northern California and has been teaching in Saratoga for ten years. Alan specilizes in classical, jazz, blues, and pop.
What types of students have you worked with?
Alan has worked with all ages. The retired, the young, teens, those in their twenties, working adults, even as young as 3 and a 1/2, and fathers or mothers learning along side their children. Alan works well with those seeking to enjoy music and wanting to do their best. Alan is good at slowly helping students develop good practicing. Alan can tend to be good for those who may not otherwise have an easy time getting into piano or music.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
One of Alan's recent students actually listed Alan as their hero and spoke about him at a public event! Alan tries his best to be clear, concise, and helpful. He tries to explain the basics of music in a way that can be understood and tries to demonstrate and convey teaching ability and musicality.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Finding a good teacher with a good heart is important. A teacher should be a good player and have a good ear. I try to be encouraging and do work with my students to develop good practice routines. With a young beginner, the practicing may only be 15-20min/day but as they keep at it the practice time will increase to 30/45/60 min per day or more. Making sure the student and teacher work well together is important.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What kind of music do you like? Do you aspire to be a classical pianist? Do you want to be creative or create music? Do you thrive on preset standards and expectations? Much can be learned by working with a good teacher and by continuing to strive to get better.