Piano Lessons
I am passionate about music education and go above and beyond to help my students develop into competent and confident musicians. I teach at the University of Auckland and at several of Auckland's top secondary schools, and also offer private music lessons from my home studio in the beautiful East Coast Bays area of Auckland, NZ. I offer a variety of services to suit your interests, including Suzuki piano lessons, jazz piano lessons, Trinity and ABRSM exams, and music theory/composition lessons.
Suzuki Lessons
I teach classical piano using philosophy and methods developed by Dr Shinichi Suzuki. Dr Suzuki believed that every child has the ability to master a musical instrument in the same way they learn their native language. He called this method of music education the "mother-tongue method". Learning piano in this way helps develop superior aural ability, which means that children will learn to play music by ear with beautiful tone quality and expression. A strong technical foundation is established in the early repertoire, which is built upon as the child progresses. Children memorise all repertoire studied and are given regular opportunities to perform and play together. Through the joint effort of the child, teacher, and parent, a musical environment is established at home in order to nurture a child’s musical ability. Suzuki lessons are a wonderful way to learn the piano, and my lessons are filled with games, laughter, and fun.
Jazz Piano
I perform professionally as a jazz pianist and am an Artist Teacher for the Jazz Department at the University of Auckland. I also offer private lessons in jazz theory and improvisation from my home piano studio. Since jazz and blues music played a large part in the development of American music, many skills are transferable to other styles such as Rock 'n' Roll, Popular music, Hip-hop, and R&B. These lessons are suitable for all ages and ability levels, although, some prior piano ability and theory knowledge is recommended.
Trinity and ABRSM Exams
I can assist students in preparing for Trinity and ABRSM piano performance exams and diplomas. Performance exams are a great opportunity for students to prepare pieces to the highest possible standard and receive an internationally-recognised qualification
Music Theory and Composition
As an experienced composer and arranger, I can help students deepen their analytical skills and expand their creative vision. This can involve anything from helping students to succeed in Trinity or ABRSM music theory exams to in-depth private mentorship for students wanting to hone their compositional craft.