An Overview of Frameworks for Piano Skill

Relaxation, Cognition, Canon

The three pillars below are comprehensive benchmarks for overall musicianship.  Your bespoke Sebastian's Orange County Piano Studio learning experience will be tailored to your abilities & preferences to maximize your abilities in the following areas in the most efficient manner.

1. Speed & Power Without Force

Relaxation results in more accuracy & efficiency in your piano playing.  Relaxation & slow practice is essential.  If a pianist doesn't push their body past where the sensation of discomfort or pain develops, then that pianist can learn to play with relaxation and sensitivity.  Speed comes naturally as an outgrowth.  I teach things that have worked best for me in performance.  As a result, I enjoy a fairly relaxed approach to the piano which I feel has enhanced & augmented my musicianship, speed, accuracy & power.

2. Applied Music Theory

A basic understanding of music theory is critical to learning how to interpret and broadly comprehend written music, and to understand further how the tenets of music theory were developed in conjunction with and in reaction to the great music of the Classical Canon.  Proper comprehension of music notation, alongside an appreciation of larger-scale governing structures, goes hand-in-hand with technical development, as well as ability to express music in a meaningful manner.  Trained as a composer, I can offer a richer perspective on some pieces, which may provide students with insight in regards to interpretation, context, generative processes, etc.

3. An Appreciation of the Canon

We can spend our whole lifetimes studying classical music, and still find new pieces to listen to and learn.  Learning piano is a gateway to a broader musical community, and, in my experience, a unique way of approaching life & understanding in this world.  I encourage students to go to live concerts and performances whenever the opportunity may present itself.  Recordings cannot capture the full vibrance, intimacy, and excitement of live music.

Sebastian Teaching Piano

Insight Gleaned from Professional Performance Experience

You have many choices for a piano instructor.  What separates me from others is the range and depth of my international piano performance career & my experience as a professional classical composer.  These experiences have gifted me with a body of experiential knowledge that few other instructors have access to, and which has inspired me to take a more holistic approach in my teaching which shapes all teaching interactions I have.

Questions? Want to Schedule a Lesson?

Get in touch with me on my Contact page.

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