Ryan Kwan Music Lessons
About this pro
Here is an introductary video for potential students
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moyKKhsYMqg
I am passionate and highly knowledgable musician and performer. I can offer a pure joy in learning music and finding a voice in your own expression. My teaching style is lax. I feel out what the student needs in the moment and give them assignments to work on every week. I am very creative to find resources that will help the student and guide where the lessons and goals head towards.
I am a singer-songwriter who specializes in many instruments such as piano, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and singing. I am an active performer and songwriter and have performed and collaborated with many individual in many unique situations. I also went to school at Los Angeles Harbor College and studied vigoursly many music courses that includes theory, performance, piano, guitar, singing, electronic music, songwriting, business of music, notation, ear training, jazz, and classical. I have learned to read and write music on the piano, guitar and currently learning more with all instruments including banjo and mandolin. What you can experience with me is my love of music, the ability to be creative, to learn to read and if you want to write. I can teach practical theory for instruments and can teach songwriting.
I love connecting with people and sharing my love of music. I know it is something that brings peace to people and the more people in peace the more the world enters peace. It is a spark of creativity to work with people and share experiences, something that feeds me and inspires me.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq_Lw49BVIn/
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Credentials
Portland, OR 97206
Email verified
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I appreciate how Ryan works with me at my pace. He is very patient and incorporates music theory into lessons in a way that allows me to discover and make connections on my own. Also he is thoughtful about what songs might resonate with me and I love that :)
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Ryan is such an incredible teacher! He is thoughtful, intuitive, and worked with me in a way that made me feel comfortable and challenged. I was terrified to take lessons, and he put my mind at ease with a gentle, compassionate approach to music instruction. Ryan gave me the fundamental lessons, and then let me choose what I wanted to learn. This made me want to keep practicing and learning. I HIGHLY recommend Ryan for anyone, at any skill level.
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First off, I have to say that Ryan is an excellent listener and spends his time to get to know you and where you're at musically. He does this so he can tailor the lesson plans around your goals and ability. I found this so be attractive, since my past learning experience with music was based on a set curriculum with no personalization. The personal touch made learning more exciting and satisfying, and therefore more effective. For example, I wanted to start with learn Erik Satie's Gymnopedie #1, and Ryan assessed where I was at and broke down the lesson in chunks. We covered fingering, hand placement, notes, cadence, coordination, shapes.. He walked me through playing the piece while deciphering its theory, explaining what was happening in each part and reasons behind certain musical choices (Gymnopedie #1 has an intentional ambiguity and complex minimalism to it, which creates a feeling of lofty pleasantness but also uncertainty). He takes on extra steps to help you understand what you're playing as well as being able to play it, which brings me to my second point: he has years of experience with music, which includes a depth and breadth of knowledge about many aspects of music and musicality, including the history of composers. I was really impressed by how much he knows and was able to clearly communicate. Music is his passion and I found it a benefit to be working with someone who feels that way. And lastly, Ryan conducts himself professionally and respectfully, but has a personable demeanor that made me feel relaxed. He made learning fun, interesting, engaging, and just challenging enough. He is a natural teacher and I would recommend him without without a doubt.
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I've been taking lessons with Ryan weekly for about 6 months over zoom - He is knowledgeable, patient, and demonstrably passionate about teaching music, starting each lesson on-time with a smile! He is an intent listener and crystal-clear communicator. Ryan brings structure to each lesson while leaving enough flexibility to hone in on what brings you joy while playing your instruments. He's selected a few books, and even done some transcribing specifically for our lessons. For me, as an adult learner, he's made an effort to keep it interesting while not taking any shortcuts. I have fond memories when he asks "can you play whatever comes naturally to you when you touch the piano?". I started as an absolute beginner and with Ryan's help I've overcome barriers in sight reading, scales, melody and theory. Overall, if you are looking for an anchor and want someone to help you focus on your own musical goals with a personalized coach, Ryan is your guy!
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FAQs
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
For Beginning Guitar Students: Basic intro to the instrument including posture, naming the fingers of the left and right hands, pick holding, basic strum, naming the strings, naming the frets, basic scales, naming the notes in open position for each string, beginning reading
For Intermediate Guitar Students: The first lesson I would assess the skills the student possesses and would go into topics that relate to grow his experience from there
For Beginning Piano Students: The material we would focus on for a beginning is through Alfred Basic Piano Course Book 1. This gives a good starting place to get familiar with certain notes and keys and to develop reading skills. From there I can see weak and strong point that we can expand on with other materials and see which musical direction the student wants to take
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I studied music in school at Los Angeles Harbor College including Music theory, musicianship, group piano classes, performance, guitar, percussion, electronic music, singing, business of music, notation, jazz band, jazz improv, private piano lessons, choir, and songwriting.
I have carried a continual self study through songwriting, performing, collaborating with other musicians, reading many different works, and learning from observation and other tips people give me, etc.
I think my greatest experience is my willingness to show up and practice and continue writing music and perform, collaborating with others and feeling in the moment what is the best way to approach each musical experience
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
The Standard for me in around 45 to 50. This is include an hour lesson, preparation time, all the other expenses to drive and rent out rooms to have the lesson
Online lessons are 35 per hour
How did you get started teaching?
I just love people and always just try to teach people stuff, like friends or whoever needs it. Lessons.com helped me aquire a few piano students, and reaching out on social media platforms. Currently I have 3 students, 2 guitar, 1 piano.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with children, teens, adults. I have worked with beginning, intermediate students
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Finding someone you feel comfortable with that inspires you and makes you want to play more and more! That way you will play more and practicing is one of the key things that develop towards success!
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Consider if their goals are in line with their abilities, saying that being connected more to the body than the mind when it comes to expectations. This way the learning experience becomes more fun and engaging than disappointing and debilitating