I am currently teaching and accepting new students in private piano, theory and composition, at all levels, both in my private studio in Asbury Park and through Westminster Conservatory's Ocean Grove campus. I teach Classical Ensemble and The Art of Rock, each class meeting once a week for three hours from January to May at Middlesex County Arts High School in Edison, N.J. I am teaching Fundamentals of Music at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, N.J.
My piano students are taught a balance of classical and contemporary repertoire, mechanical skills, notation and analysis, musical style and listening skills. Development in these areas serves to deepen a student's understanding of all musical styles, enriching musical and cultural experiences.
In composition, I encourage the student to build from their own natural creative impulses, guiding them in the exploration of relevant works, particularly masterpieces of the 20th Century literature, paying close attention to what elements spark their imagination. Much about composition can be taught, but the elemental thing, the creative impulse, is a power that can only be self-taught, and must be carefully cultivated in each student on their own terms. All life-experience comes into play when we make music. I also direct students in their supporting studies, which must include (but are not limited to) counterpoint, solfeggio and music theory and analysis.
Materials for MCAHS Art of Rock Class - Spring 2005
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