Self

I am a professional performing keyboard player with over 40 years experience playing in a variety of genres, including Rock, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Big Band, and New Orleans style piano. I have formal training in both Classical and Jazz and I benefited from two exceptional teachers when I was young; In my Classical training, my teacher was a Korean Buddhist woman, who taught me many bits of musical wisdom, and visualization techniques to both improve my playing, as well as better communicate the emotional content of a song.

In Jazz, my teacher was a true leader in the jazz scene in the region. He started his professional career playing for Frank Sinatra in the Nelson Riddle Orchestra at age 16, and he imparted decades of experience and understanding of performance and theory. To this day, the words of both of these teachers echo in my head almost daily.

These teachers, and a host of other teachers, directors, and players gave me a wide and deep understanding and appreciation for all music.

I want to pass on that wisdom and appreciation to my students, and I use a song-based approach to teaching theory, improvisation, and performance. This keeps it fun and relatable, rather than a more abstract approach.

Is there a particular song you want to learn? Do you want to learn how to improvise? Do you want to transition from classical to blues, jazz, or rock? I can help!