Nate Teaches Music
Classical Piano For Beginners
New England Conservatory
RCM Certified teacher
Music is for everybody and anyone can be a musician. There will never be an aptitude test to become a student in my studio!Music has always been defined by technology. Early keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord were highly advanced machines in their day. Changes in instrument design—like valves in brass instruments or the iron plate in the piano—have always characterized music itself. The technology of pen, paper, and musical notation have formed the world of classical music.Because of this, my studio embraces modern tools such as digital keyboards, computers, and iPhones as learning devices, alongside acoustic instruments and traditional notation.Music education for beginners should be as worldly and multidimensional as possible. As students grow in to instrumentalists, singers, or composers, they benefit the most from a wide musical foundation, one that connects the basics of sound, technology, and the music they encounter in their everyday lives.
I teach beginner students using the Faber Piano Adventures series, working primarily with the Lesson Book and Performance Book. This provides a clear and reliable foundation for learning music reading, rhythm, and basic piano technique.Method materials are heavily supplemented with instruction focused on sound, listening, and the music students already engage with in their daily lives. Any music a student is genuinely interested in—whether from popular culture, games, film, or elsewhere—can become a meaningful tool for musical learning.
I earned my degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, and childhood piano was the beginning of my musical life. Starting at the keyboard, I went on to study French horn, trumpet, percussion, and the world of sound recording and digital audio. By high school, I was writing music for orchestra and performing in multiple ensembles.I am a musical generalist, with broad experience across sound and music before focusing my career on teaching. I have worked extensively as a sound designer, creating sound for 40–50 theater productions, and have received three mentions as a sound designer in The Washington Post. As an audio engineer, I have worked on film productions and provided location recording and editing for ensembles. As a composer, I have contributed music to dozens of broadcast media projects for video, radio, and the internet.I was a member of the Emmy-nominated Latino Comedy Project, a sketch comedy company based in Austin, Texas. I also served as sound designer for La Esquina, a Smithsonian-funded spoken-history project in which 60 interviews with Latino immigrants were edited and presented in a theatrical installation.I hold two teaching certificates from the Royal Conservatory of Music and am able to register students through the Conservatory and participate in the RCM testing program, should families choose that option.I know pianos inside and out—quite literally. I have served as piano technician for the Kennedy Center and the United States Marine Band. The art of aural piano tuning has deeply informed my understanding of temperament, tone, and listening.I am an accomplished pianist and play daily, with a particular love for the music of Scott Joplin and the keyboard works of J. S. Bach. I am currently expanding my skills as a jazz pianist and continue to compose actively. Even as a teacher, I will always be a student of music.
Studio PoliciesAll lessons are taught online via Zoom.This studio is designed for beginner students.Lessons are $30 for a 30-minute session.Students must have a touch-sensitive keyboard or digital or acoustic piano.A reliable internet connection and a camera positioned to show hands and keyboard are required.Lessons are held at a fixed weekly time.
Email:[email protected](517) 280 - 7201