F.A.Q.
How do I contact you?
Call/text: 347-407-2838
What are your rates?
Please contact me to discuss rates
Where do you teach?
I teach in Montclair, NJ
I travel to you and teach in your home, on your instrument
I don't live in Montclair, NJ - can I still take lessons with you?
Because I drive to each lesson, I'm limited to students who live in Montclair or within a 10-minute drive
Townships I'm able to partially cover include: Cedar Grove, Clifton, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and Verona
I do offer video lessons for adult students who live outside of my driving area - contact me for details
How long is each lesson?
30 minutes, once a week - for most elementary school students
45 minutes, once a week - for most middle/high school students and adults
What days and times are you available to teach?
Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
What forms of payment do you accept?
What's the youngest age you teach?
1st Grade - This is the youngest group I teach currently for a few reasons:
I teach out of students' homes, which I've found is distracting for a majority of very young students, especially after a long day of school. I get it. If you want to start piano before 1st grade, I recommend finding a teacher who teaches out of a studio or their home.
The teaching methods I use benefit from some English reading skills and an ability to self-direct for practice at-home between lessons.
If you'd like to discuss your child's readiness, contact me anytime.
Do you teach adult students?
Yes! I teach adults of all skills levels, from first-time beginners to intermediate to accomplished pianists
I have a digital piano/keyboard at home - will this work for lessons?
Maybe. Some digital pianos and electronic keyboard are great instruments for learning piano. I lived in a small apartment in Brooklyn for years and only had space for a digital piano and it worked great.
The 3 most important features a digital keyboard should have for piano lessons are:
Full-size keys - physical size of each key needs to be identical to an acoustic piano.
Touch-sensitive keys - when you press hard it sounds loud, when you press softly it sounds quiet
Weighted keys - the keys have resistance and movement that mimics the "action" of an acoustic piano
The number of keys is less important: 88 is ideal (same as piano), 73 works well. 64 is OK.
If you have questions about your keyboard, or if you'd like help selecting a suitable model, I'm happy to help.
What books do I need and where do I get them?
We'll select books after the first few lessons in most cases
I'll send you links to purchase books online
The methods I use most often with younger students are: Piano Adventures (Faber), Premier Piano (Alfred), Piano Safari, and Piano Pronto (Eklund)
For intermediate/older students, we'll pick material based on your musical goals and favorite genres, composers, artists
Additionally, I augment books with my own arrangements and print-outs of songs and exercises, customized for each student
Do your students get opportunities to perform?
Yes! Sharing music with others is super rewarding and motivating, and a great skill to practice in its own right
I put on a concert/recital/celebration in the spring, near the end of the school year
Performances aren't required - I never want to force a student to perform if they decide it's not for them
What styles of music do you teach?
All of them :)
Classical, jazz, rock, blues, country, pop, broadway, film/game soundtracks, et al. Nothing is off limits
For most students, especially beginners, classical/traditional piano material is a great foundation and will be a focus
I am classically trained (I have a music degree) and I've studied jazz piano
I've played keyboards in several rock/cover bands
I also play drums, guitar, sing, and write/record songs