About
Pianist...from Bach to Rock! I enjoy teaching piano as well as performing! Florida has been my home for less than two years, after teaching public-school music in the Chicago area for 25 years (elementary-level). Also, I've been a professional pianist in Chicago hotels and country clubs for over 30 years, performing for many celebrities, including Walter Payton. Students will feel comfortable in a relaxed setting during the lesson. Unless a student is very young, they will choose the song they wish to learn. This is not the lesson-design of the 1950's! Bach, Boogie-Woogie, or the Beatles or favorite Disney songs for children...they can choose. I have a passion to enrich lives with music and helping students achieve their goals is my main objective. My public-school teaching certification is K through grade 12. Bachelor of Music Performance: American Conservatory of Music, Chicago 1984 Master of Music Education, Chicago 1992
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Connor W.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
My main objective in the first lesson or two is to listen...listen to what student (esp younger children) wishes to learn, what
they enjoy! They need to feel comfortable with me before feeling comfortable at a lesson! Learning an instrument should be an enjoyable adventure and I feel honored to be a part of that adventure.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
MA Music Education, 1992
Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago
25 years as School Music Teacher, 1989-2014
B.M Music Performance, 1984
American Conservatory of Music, Chicago
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$30/30 minutes $45/45 minutes
$10 extra if lessons are in your home depending on mileage/distance
How did you get started teaching?
I began teaching at age 16 in Monterey, Ca where I'm from at a small music store. My father is a retired school music teacher and pianist and I would listen to him teach from the
age of 6. I've also been teaching classroom music for 25 yrs in Chicago, grades prek to 6th, including special education.
General music includes, keyboard, music theory, and history.
What types of students have you worked with?
All! I currently have one student with Parkinson's, another
with ADHD, Asperger's, another with Austism,one student who is extremely shy (but a brilliant student of piano and a composer!) so
all of us have unique characteristics in this life...there is no
'typical' person or student...we are all special.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
A very special month occurred the Fall of 2016 when an
austistic boy started lessons with me (referral from another
piano teacher who found it too difficult to teach him). It was
difficult for him to communicate much less play a 5-note pattern on a piano or beat a drum in a rhythmic pattern.
Everything involves MAKING THE STUDENT FEEL RELAXED, CARED ABOUT, WANTING THEM TO SUCCEED, and PATIENT.
After the second week, we had music games we played and he started looking forward to coming again. By week 3, he memorized the notes of the right hand (melody) and learned a basic song. By week 4, he learned a C chord with left hand. He was exhilarated and didn't want to leave the lesson. This isn't just a lesson...it's an experience in FUN!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Make sure that you're hiring a teacher who both LOVES
what they're doing and has a PASSION for this line of 'work'.
If they're doing it just for money, forget them. Check their
background....call references. Sit-in on lessons.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
1. Where did you study music? (degree?) If they really
have a degree, let them show you (I do)
2. Get a copy of their background check (I do) or do your
own before hiring them.
This is important in today's world.