PIANO LESSONS — are you game to give it another try ? (berkeley)
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Did you know that the piano is the easiest instrument to: play chords on, learn music theory
and compose on with its WYSIWYG layout, accompany yourself vocally because it reinforces
ideal singing posture, and prepare you to play drum set ?
Or that the piano: has a huge pitch & dynamic range, can play more notes at-a-time than any
other instrument, and allows you to play a different part in each hand relatively quickly
(that can develop into playing up to 5 different parts at once) ?
And that the piano: works in nearly every style that uses chords (& even some that don’t use
chords at all), is the handiest instrument for inputing sound into a computer sequencer or scoring
program, and has over three centuries of written pieces ?
Taking up the piano again will be different this time (or starting it for the first time) because you’ll:
* choose what style(s) you want to focus on — jazz, pop, blues, gospel, rock, classical, etc.
* work on either solo or ensemble music (or both)
* get physically set up for stress-free playing
“Getting Set Up At The Piano” youtube.com/watch?v=eSUoFxvxnBE
* be shown how to integrate your music into your daily life with an advanced practice log to design, track & fine tune your practicing
* be given the tools to create your own pieces
“After a 20-year hiatus, lessons with Michael have been really fun and accelerated my progress
because of how we rebuilt my playing. His knowledge is broad and deep, across instruments,
genres, cultures & personalities (with some fascinating stories). He is also showing me how to
integrate my music holistically & practically with my life, without unrealistic expectations about
my practice time.”
— Alex B.
“I’m a complete beginner, working on piano & composition. Michael is an excellent instructor
and just as important, an experienced performing musician. He goes above & beyond to teach you
something even more valuable: what it means to be a musician — an artist. His unique, systematic
approach to practicing has completely changed the way I look at skill acquisition and I would even
go as far to say that adopting Michael's approach to studying music has changed the way that I
structure my life . . .”
— James Feng
“I took both piano & voice lessons with Michael for about a year-and-a-half. He is extremely
talented and knowledgeable about so many facets of music. While his teaching methods are
unconventional, they really helped me understand and make music. I also greatly enjoyed the
group workshops Michael held with his other students where we were able to share our progress
and develop a small community."
— Naomi Yu
Michael Smolens started playing in rock bands at the age of 12, and soon after embraced
jazz & classical, along with other popular styles. This background, plus studies in music
from North India, West-Africa & Brazil, has given him a unique perspective on the piano.
He performs regularly as a keyboardist/percussionist/vocalist in three bands that featured
his work.
Michael has been teaching privately & in universities for over five decades (and other
freelance teachers since 2000). He has lead workshops & published extensively on the
art of practicing.