Jon D. TakeLessons Instructor Music, Piano, Music Theory Dickens Street, Encino, CA

PIANO LESSONS by Jon

MY EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND:
> AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) Certificates in Practical and Theory. I am Australian--residing in southern CA since 1992.
> I started teaching piano in 1984, at age 18, after ten years of classical training. My students range in age from 6 to 81 years old.
> For the past 25 years, as Session Musician, touring Australian East Coast, New Zealand and United States with rock acts. (I always joke that I’ve *forgotten* more songs than most regular students will ever learn.)
> My clients include: the LAPD, AQHA, Disneyland Hotel, major hotel chains (Marriott, Ramada, Hyatt, etc), Nancy Sinatra, Dodger Stadium, the Queen Mary Long Beach... many more...
> With extensive experience in the music industry as performer, producer, composer and stage lighting director, yet being classically-trained, I not only bring all the requisite technical knowledge to my teaching, but encourage a dynamic, all-systems-go approach to the performance of the instrument.

You're asking yourself:
"Just where are those notes and what do they want with me?"
"How do I learn songs from a CD without pulling my hair out?"
"Just how does Paul McCartney make it look so easy?"

MY LESSONS COVER:
1. Young children follow a basic curriculum: attention is paid to timing, hand position, note recognition, and those funny splotches called music. This promotes discipline, dedication and, most notably, progress. 

2. Older children alternate between a curriculum and favorite pieces. Learning familiar songs reminds you the ultimate goal of playing an instrument is enjoyment; allowing you to grasp the impossible – playing something famous!

3. Young adults and mature students learn the rudiments and move into chord progressions, rhythm, technique exercises, and playing by ear. You will apply this expertise to pieces YOU want to play. It won't be easy when you first try to figure out a famous song, but it's more fun than you can possibly imagine!

While thinking mechanically and behaving artistically, everyone learns something by accident! Lean into it!

It is easy to play something famous after the very first lesson; what I aim is to teach you an APPROACH to learning and practicing that you will remember and apply all your life. After a few months, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to play anything you want to. Let's go!

Classical, Popular, Rock

Music, Piano, Music Theory

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