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Virtual Piano/
Thanks for checking out my profile! Music is my passion and I love to share it. I especially love working with beginners. Music can be challenging, but if you're ready to work hard I'll do my best to help you. It's a great satisfaction to see my students become better musicians and better people, through the unique challenges and rewards that music provides.
I've taught 15,000+ hours of piano and guitar since beginning in 2009. My youngest student ever was 4, and my oldest was in his 80's! I strive to make lessons rewarding and fun, without sacrificing high standards. Every student should achieve their own potential in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
I'm proud that many students have stayed with me for years. I'm also proud of helping children who had been through other teachers and were close to quitting. With patience and enthusiasm, I reviewed any skills they were lacking. Within a few weeks the parents reported their kids were finally enjoying music and making progress.
I don't teach specific styles. Instead, I use established methods to emphasize fundamentals in technique and theory. Master those, and they'll apply to any musical style.
I've played music my entire life, starting with piano at age 7. I was an award-winning Classical pianist, but majored on guitar in college. I've played most styles of music, but my favorites are Classical, Rock, Pop, and Metal. (Yes, Metal; though I may not look it;) Outside of teaching, I'm an active professional musician and solo artist.
Here's a review from my Google page:
“James is a patient, respectful, kind, and very knowledgeable tutor. I took weekly lessons with James for over four months while we lived in the same city, and I can confidently recommend him to any person, regardless of age or skill level. He has an exceptional listening ability and knows just the right corrections and suggestions to help you improve during your individual practice. I went from a absolute beginner player without the ability to read sheet music to a slightly intermediate level with almost complete sheet music literacy. Thank you again James!” – J.Z
Thanks for reading all this. I look forward to speaking with you!
1) Advanced education doesn't necessarily make a good teacher (at least with beginners)
Certainly you want to be confident in the skill of your instructor, and academic credentials are a good indication. I'm proud of my college degrees, and want to get even more training; but not because it will improve my teaching abilities. Advanced degrees don't automatically make a good teacher. When I'm trying to help a hyper kindergartener find Middle C, or an elderly beginner overcome their perfectionist anxiety, my advanced training is irrelevant. What matters is my ability to connect with the student. To guide them with patience and enthusiasm by figuring out their unique personality traits.
2) You must master the fundamentals
I always try to accommodate students' personal interests and goals. But, regardless of what you want to learn, all musicians have to master the same fundamentals. It will take as long as it takes. It may seem boring and irrelevant. But trying to learn music you're not ready for is like lifting too much weight in the gym. It's not really helping you, and it may even be harmful. If you want to advance faster to the "cool" stuff you'll have to.....
3) Practice every day!
Consistent practice is crucial for success. You can't cram music like you might before a school test. Music is like athletic training. Specialized demands on your body and mind are developed through steady conditioning. It may take a long time and a lot of work. So, treat music with the same discipline as exercise, or brushing your teeth. Do it daily! Then, when you do have to miss a day it's not a huge setback.
For children it should be treated like regular homework, and it doesn't have to be a lot. If you only have 10 minutes that's fine, so long as it's done daily. Short amounts of practice add up if they're consistent. That's way better than cramming marathon practice sessions into 2-3 days a week.
If you or your child cannot find a few daily minutes for practicing, you should reconsider starting lessons.
4) You must be able to focus, for at least a few minutes
I try to make lessons fun and engaging, especially for young students; so it's not just sitting in place for a half hour. Ultimately however, a student must be able to sit and focus or they won't improve. Music requires thoughtful analysis of what you're doing wrong, then focused repetition of doing it correctly. Sometimes there's no substitute for just drilling a hard part, especially when I can tell that hasn't been done yet.
5) Practice without distractions
I said focused practice. That means you're not doing anything else. Find a private area and turn off all devices. A few minutes of quality practicing is worth way more than doing it while your favorite show is on and saying you got in an hour.
6) Method Books Are Actually Good
Don't be fooled by the internet. There's always another clickbait ad warning that traditional instruction is out to sabotage you. They have titles like "The secret they're hiding!!"..."The methods are wrong!!"...What they don't want you to know!!" Those ads always culminate in an upsell to buy....a method. Perhaps through a Youtube channel, or a website with modules. Those are fine, but the traditional method books are actually effective too.
Think about this, someone more advanced than you took the time to write down the fundamental skills in order of importance. You can learn at your own pace, and it's easy to measure your progress because every page turned equals improvement (assuming you're actually learning the material). And....
7) It doesn't really matter which method you use
All (reputable) methods are teaching the same info; just with different fonts, pictures, and perhaps a slightly different order of concepts. Check the reviews, pick one, and just get started. Remember, everyone has to master the same fundamentals.
8) You don't need to use a metronome....at least not yet
If you have no idea what a metronome is don't worry, because we're not going to talk about it anyway. (They click and keep a beat). Some people start lessons with anxiety about metronomes, because they've heard they're supposed to use one. Metronomes are for more advanced students. When you understand the fundamentals (remember those?) of rhythm and can count out loud we'll discuss using an external timekeeper
I've taught 15,000+ hours of piano and guitar since beginning in 2009. My youngest student ever was 4, and my oldest was in his 80's! I strive to make lessons rewarding and fun, without sacrificing high standards. Every student should achieve their own potential in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
I'm proud that many students have stayed with me for years. I'm also proud of helping children who had been through other teachers and were close to quitting. With patience and enthusiasm, I reviewed any skills they were lacking. Within a few weeks the parents reported their kids were finally enjoying music and making progress.
I don't teach specific styles. Instead, I use established methods to emphasize fundamentals in technique and theory. Master those, and they'll apply to any musical style.
I've played music my entire life, starting with piano at age 7. I was an award-winning Classical pianist, but majored on guitar in college. I've played most styles of music, but my favorites are Classical, Rock, Pop, and Metal. (Yes, Metal; though I may not look it;) Outside of teaching, I'm an active professional musician and solo artist.
Here's a review from my Google page:
“James is a patient, respectful, kind, and very knowledgeable tutor. I took weekly lessons with James for over four months while we lived in the same city, and I can confidently recommend him to any person, regardless of age or skill level. He has an exceptional listening ability and knows just the right corrections and suggestions to help you improve during your individual practice. I went from a absolute beginner player without the ability to read sheet music to a slightly intermediate level with almost complete sheet music literacy. Thank you again James!” – J.Z
Thanks for reading all this. I look forward to speaking with you!
Extra information
Are you considering music lessons for your child, or yourself? Awesome!! Welcome to our world. I've taught privately since 2009 and it's been a rewarding experience; (hopefully for my students too.) I haven't taught in public schools, or at a college level; but I've logged far beyond my 10,000 Expert-hours giving private lessons to students of all ages; primarily beginners. Here are some things you should know.1) Advanced education doesn't necessarily make a good teacher (at least with beginners)
Certainly you want to be confident in the skill of your instructor, and academic credentials are a good indication. I'm proud of my college degrees, and want to get even more training; but not because it will improve my teaching abilities. Advanced degrees don't automatically make a good teacher. When I'm trying to help a hyper kindergartener find Middle C, or an elderly beginner overcome their perfectionist anxiety, my advanced training is irrelevant. What matters is my ability to connect with the student. To guide them with patience and enthusiasm by figuring out their unique personality traits.
2) You must master the fundamentals
I always try to accommodate students' personal interests and goals. But, regardless of what you want to learn, all musicians have to master the same fundamentals. It will take as long as it takes. It may seem boring and irrelevant. But trying to learn music you're not ready for is like lifting too much weight in the gym. It's not really helping you, and it may even be harmful. If you want to advance faster to the "cool" stuff you'll have to.....
3) Practice every day!
Consistent practice is crucial for success. You can't cram music like you might before a school test. Music is like athletic training. Specialized demands on your body and mind are developed through steady conditioning. It may take a long time and a lot of work. So, treat music with the same discipline as exercise, or brushing your teeth. Do it daily! Then, when you do have to miss a day it's not a huge setback.
For children it should be treated like regular homework, and it doesn't have to be a lot. If you only have 10 minutes that's fine, so long as it's done daily. Short amounts of practice add up if they're consistent. That's way better than cramming marathon practice sessions into 2-3 days a week.
If you or your child cannot find a few daily minutes for practicing, you should reconsider starting lessons.
4) You must be able to focus, for at least a few minutes
I try to make lessons fun and engaging, especially for young students; so it's not just sitting in place for a half hour. Ultimately however, a student must be able to sit and focus or they won't improve. Music requires thoughtful analysis of what you're doing wrong, then focused repetition of doing it correctly. Sometimes there's no substitute for just drilling a hard part, especially when I can tell that hasn't been done yet.
5) Practice without distractions
I said focused practice. That means you're not doing anything else. Find a private area and turn off all devices. A few minutes of quality practicing is worth way more than doing it while your favorite show is on and saying you got in an hour.
6) Method Books Are Actually Good
Don't be fooled by the internet. There's always another clickbait ad warning that traditional instruction is out to sabotage you. They have titles like "The secret they're hiding!!"..."The methods are wrong!!"...What they don't want you to know!!" Those ads always culminate in an upsell to buy....a method. Perhaps through a Youtube channel, or a website with modules. Those are fine, but the traditional method books are actually effective too.
Think about this, someone more advanced than you took the time to write down the fundamental skills in order of importance. You can learn at your own pace, and it's easy to measure your progress because every page turned equals improvement (assuming you're actually learning the material). And....
7) It doesn't really matter which method you use
All (reputable) methods are teaching the same info; just with different fonts, pictures, and perhaps a slightly different order of concepts. Check the reviews, pick one, and just get started. Remember, everyone has to master the same fundamentals.
8) You don't need to use a metronome....at least not yet
If you have no idea what a metronome is don't worry, because we're not going to talk about it anyway. (They click and keep a beat). Some people start lessons with anxiety about metronomes, because they've heard they're supposed to use one. Metronomes are for more advanced students. When you understand the fundamentals (remember those?) of rhythm and can count out loud we'll discuss using an external timekeeper
Location
Online via webcam
General info
Skills:
| Age: | Children (7-12 years old) Teenagers (13-17 years old) Adults (18-64 years old) Seniors (65+ years old) |
|---|---|
| Student level: | Beginner Intermediate Advanced |
| Duration: | 30 minutes 45 minutes 60 minutes 90 minutes 120 minutes |
| The class is taught in: | English |