Classical piano technique and how to learn it.

My instruction starts with a foundation in classical technique to which I use modern technology to help me pass it on to the student.

I started taking piano lessons at age five. My piano teacher studied at the Italian National Conservatory in Rome and I follow her no-nonsense approach.

My job as a professional piano teacher is to be there to demonstrate proper playing, and then to monitoring every aspect of the student's actions: posture, hand position, fingering, rhythm, phrasing, and the emotion that transforms someone who simply plays the notes into someone who is expressing their emotions.

Besides learning classical music I also attended St. Thomas Choir School in Manhattan from 5-8th grade, one of only two choir boarding schools in the U.S.. There we performed the music of the great classical masters.

I also incorporate technology that was unavailable during my own times, for example, computerized pitch training and chord notation games that make ear training fun, digital voice recorders that can record each hand separately, and mp3s that can be left with the student for practicing.

Students can now use the internet to find out which chords are which, and recordings so as to give themselves an almost limitless access to repertoire they find appealing.

My own experience was that I took piano lessons for ten years without anyone telling me how the music I played actually worked theoretically, so at fifteen I started studying music theory privately with a chappelmeister (a church musical director).

I analyzed the music I liked best on the radio (usually Beatles and Stones and other "British Invasion" bands on WPLJ) and began writing my own material. I went on to major in Music Education at San Francisco State with a concentration in Jazz Theory.

Besides the technique I also teach the history
Miles Davis enters Julliard School of Music in 1948. Although he did drop out s a few years later he stated that Julliard did give him a firm foundation. This technical and theoretical expertise allowed him to rise to various challenges presented to Charlie Parker & himself at the competitions around NYC.

Miles Davis

I teach students the essential aspects of the different genres, and break various styles of music down into their unique harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic qualities While keeping the instruction well-rounded I encourage students to explore the kinds of music they like best. Some like blues, some classical, etc.. While a student must develop the skills needed to play the music that inspires them I recognize that different students learn best using different approaches.