Contemporary Piano/Vocal Lessons

I started playing the piano by ear when I was 11 months old. I started studying classical violin at age 3 and was performing concertos by age 6. I started my first rock band at age 14, after receiving invitations from other bands at age 12. I toured as a lead vocalist/keyboardist at age 17.

I started teaching contemporary piano/keyboard & vocal lessons in 1983 while studying studio composition and production at university, teaching teen and adult students to play & sing pop/rock music, either for their own enjoyment or to perform in rock bands.

Most of my students have either no previous musical training or were classically trained and want to expand into more contemporary types of music.

I specialize in ear-training. I help students develop their ability to hear and recognize notes, chords, and progressions - and to be able to duplicate them so that they can play a song the way it was intended - not the way it's often written on the sheet music.

I can also teach the student how to write their own charts and/or write out music note for note. I help the student to understand what they are playing/singing instead of just learning to play/sing notes on a page that they have memorized but do not understand. In that way, the student has more flexibility to arrange, re-arrange, and even compose music as they wish.

I emphasize not only style, but accuracy. Developing a great sense of pitch is very important - especially in singing, where it's not just an issue of whether you hit the right note or a different note. It is important to be able make the song appear natural and effortless, even though the technique and accuracy behind its performance have been well-trained.

Music should be enjoyed - not only by the listener, but by the performer. I believe that enjoyment is increased dramatically when the musician/singer not only has a good command of what they are doing, but also understands what they are doing.

For students who are also interested in writing their own music, I am an experienced songwriter with five Professional Certificates from Berklee College of Music. I can help students in every aspect of songwriting, and in preparing to perform their own songs.

I can teach in my home or via Skype (internet). I enjoy face-to-face instruction when possible but, due to COVID-19, I also started teaching remotely. Using current technology, I can now accept students anywhere in the world, as long as they have access to high-speed internet.

Being able to contribute to the improvement in a student's performance, and share in the sense of satisfaction the student feels by being able to perform a song that they really like, makes this my favorite job ever.