Mill City Music Studio

Mill City Music Studio is currently accepting late beginner through late intermediate level students, ages 12+, for remote lessons using Zoom. I teach primarily classical repertoire. When it is safe, I will take students for in-person lessons as well.

Students must have in their home a well-maintained acoustic piano, in good condition and with a history of being regularly tuned. Electric keyboards, while fine for beginners, are not suitable for continued study of classical music.

The requirements for remote (on-line) learning are:

Remote Learning Requirements:

• A relatively distraction-free environment in your home

• A fast internet connection whose bandwidth won't be compromised by others during your lessons. Direct connection via an ethernet cable is preferred, but wifi is acceptable.

• Ideally, an external microphone and camera, but otherwise....

• A good computer with high-quality mic and camera, which can be positioned well to capture your keyboard.

• The ability to audio-record or video-record yourself performing. To help balance out the challenges presented by remote learning, I ask that weekly recordings of at least one piece, partial or complete, be sent to me one day prior to your lesson.

Please be serious and committed to regular practice. My students work on technique and repertoire, discussing analysis along the way. The goal is an enriched musical life, building technique and fostering musicality. The means are self-discipline, thoughtfulness, focus, and open communication.

One option I offer is the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) certificate program. RCM is a recognized standard of musical achievement through a sequenced system of study, offering optional individual level-based assessments which occur in exam centers in Franklin or Hingham, MA.

For when I open up again for in-person lessons, I also teach Music Moves for Piano to beginning 4-6-year olds, which is a Music-Learning-Theory-based method, modeled on language-learning model: sound before symbol.

I have offered two or three recitals per year. These are held at the Studio and sometimes at locations such as local nursing homes. For now, I am considering a Zoom recital.

Tuition is paid electronically at a flat monthly rate as discussed in my policy, which I am glad to share upon request. Music books are not included in tuition.

My education includes three music degrees, the most recent being a PhD in composition from the University of Oregon. I've also studied at Eastman, Berklee, and the San Francisco Conservatory. I have been teaching piano privately since 2010. I have taught at the college level since 2003, and have been a professor of Music Theory, Musicianship, and Class Keyboard at UMass Lowell since 2010 and Middlesex Community College since 2014.

Mill City Music Studio is a spacious and comfortable live-work loft. The studio features two well-maintained and regularly tuned upright pianos, and will acquire a beautiful and fully restored 1916 Mason & Hamlin grand piano in the summer of 2020.

I love working with students of all ages who find joy in expressing themselves through music. I show students how the piano can be an expressive instrument and how a good instrument can respond to touch almost like a living animal.