Interested in piano, theory, or composition lessons?
Reach out to me at stjamesmusic19@gmail.com, and we can organize a free 30-minute zoom call or in-person meeting to determine if regular lessons are a good fit for you. I offer private lessons with foci in piano, music theory, and composition, and while I blend the practices of all three fields, each student’s individual curriculum is built around their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their personal music goals. For beginning students, I often establish the basics through method books (such as Faber or Bastien) and introductory classical repertoire, while for intermediate or advanced students I assign classical or contemporary repertoire, theory homework, and technical exercises tailored to their needs. I create opportunities for my students to share their talent and hard work publicly as opportunities arise, and students who wish to undergo a certificate or syllabus program, or participate in recitals and festivals, are welcome to do so with my guidance and support.
I am a member of NACUSA, ASCAP, MTNA, and OMTA and hold a master’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Oregon, where I studied solo piano with Dr. Alexandre Dossin and collaborative piano with Dr. David Riley for six years each at the college level. I also studied piano pedagogy and piano literature for a year each with Grace Ho and have five years’ teaching experience with various music schools in the Eugene area, working as a subcontractor for Emily Lassen and Matthew Pavilanis.
Lesson Rates:
30-minute lesson (recommended for children aged 8 or younger) - $40
45-minute lesson (standard) - $65
60-minute lesson (recommended for composers or advanced students) - $80
Invoices are sent monthly, and bills can be paid through Venmo, check, or cash. Many incidental costs, such as lesson materials, are covered by the lesson fee, though certain large expenses (such as participating in an additional student recital or an optional festival) may require an additional fee, given the cost of putting on such events.
Teaching Philosophy
My pedagogy revolves around the structure and purpose of music: I blend musical instincts and creativity with a comprehensive knowledge of music theory and performance practices to guide students into discovering their inner voice, as either a performer or a composer, seeking to expand their understanding of music’s potential for communication and personal growth, developing their own intuition and creativity to achieve their own musical goals. In lessons, I bring to the table a unique understanding of discrete musical elements (rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, and form), all of which I use in my own composition practice and understanding of classical repertoire.
When teaching, I draw on these four elements as lenses through which to analyze and understand repertoire, and often find ways to explain them in simple terms to beginner students. For example, I often explain these elements in relatable terms: musical rhythm is derived from speech and our embodiment of natural rhythms – sometimes human-centric rhythms (such as a heartbeat), mechanical rhythms (such as a combustion engine), or natural rhythms (such as birdsong). Harmony is the context for these rhythms – it is created by an organization of pitches, and in my view even a single melodic line implies some kind of harmony.
Harmony is also derived from the human experience: the pitch of the voice, of everyday sounds, and of instruments intended to mimic such pitches at specific frequencies, often relying on overtones from the harmonic series to enrich their resonance. Counterpoint is the combination of harmonies, and the assignment of meaning to specific melodic fragments that implies musical dialogue and development, often providing some sort of transformation over the duration of the musical experience. This creates the Form – the narrative of music, in which phrases that combine the previous three elements work together to create sections of musical statements, which can be organized and developed to draw out the big-picture-intention of a musical work.