Randall Reade Piano Instruction

Greetings! I am a trained and experienced piano teacher who loves to teach all ages and all levels. After having taught piano for over 20 years, I have learned how to make lessons interesting at all levels while still progressing towards specific goals.

Although I teach mainly classical music, I also teach jazz and popular music, which I think are needed to be well balanced as a musician. Of course, I also teach a lot of music theory because it is fun and helps the student to better understand how music works.

I take a natural approach to hand position and am I very encouraging and patient with my students. Some have been with me for over ten years, and I appreciate their loyalty and I believe that is a testament to my ability to help any student advance.

Randall Reade is an experienced teacher of piano having taught for over 15 years in the Washington DC area. His students have included beginning children from the age of 8 to adults. Students typically stay with Mr. Reade for several years. Mr. Reade's studio is located right on Capitol Hill near two metro stations and his hours are flexible.

Mr. Reade has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Music Teachers' Association since 1999. Some people ask about the teaching method. Mr. Reade believes that each student has different strengths and weaknesses and also progresses at an individualized rate. Trying to fit one method for all students is a fruitless task. For beginning students we do a variety of work that emphasizes a natural approach to hand position posture and striking the keys. We then move on to reading music and playing a variety of styles. As students advance we go over music theory. It is important to understand not just what is to be played but how and why. We teach creativity so that the printed score can be used as a take off point to learning basic composition.

At all levels my studio encourages students to learn a variety of techniques that expand their ability to express themselves at the piano. I stress that there is no one correct way to play any piece; rather there are almost unlimited ways to find the student to find his or her own approach. For more advanced students we go over the many varieties of interpretation so that the student can have a 'toolbox' of ideas for approaching any piece no matter how advanced.

Additionally Mr. Reade has delivered lectures on the music of Claude Debussy and a lecture entitled The Relationship Between Music and Architecture from the Gothic to the Internet Eras.