The Piano Guy

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Houston's Premier Piano and Voice Teacher

General Info

Let's start with a phone call. I can answer any questions you still have after looking through the web site, and then we can schedule a time to take a few trial lessons. I usually do 3-4 of these lessons to make sure it is a good fit. If everything seems good after 3-4 lessons, then my students commit to 1 semester at a time.

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Most piano teachers teach classical piano including sight reading, music theory, and maybe a little music history. Not much attention is given to good playing technique, but these form the core of a "classical piano education". I teach these things, but add a strong emphasis on developing a technique that will carry the student into advanced playing as soon as possible. However, I believe that if the education stops here, as it often does, a person becomes "half a pianist"; able to play anything if the music is in from of them, but completely unable to create, compose or play without the aid of written music. There are some pianist out there I like to call "jazz pianists". They can play lots of cool things, but if you put a piece of music in front of them, they can't play it. These people almost never teach piano because they don't want anyone to find out that they cant read music. There people also fit my category of "half a pianist". When I was young I thought that only a few super talented prodigies could play by ear and improvise. It wasn't until I started the doctoral program at Julliard that I realized improvisation could be taught, and that no super talent was required. I have now been teaching the skills of improvisation, arranging, transposing, composing, and playing by ear for the last 10 years with great success. I love that my students now can become full pianists, possessing the full set of practical skills called upon in musical settings. With classical music reading, theory, history, technique and composing, transposing, arranging, improvising, there still remains one crucial element needed for a full music education at the piano. I will call this "musicality". It is the ability of the pianist to move their audience. It is not enough to just play the notes on the page or make up a series of notes and chords that sound good together. The pianist must tell a story, communicate an emotion, paint a picture, all with abstract sounds. This is the chief aim of all music; to communicate. Sometimes it is in getting the audience to tap their toes, sometimes it is to get them to feel sadness, joy, fear, or peace, but it is always to get them to have some kind of response to the music beyond just hearing the notes. Over time, I strive to teach students how to play with great musicality and communicate wordless stories filled with emotion.

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cash, check, visa, master card

Location

18194 Gulf Fwy Friendswood, TX 77546 Take I-45 N, Farm-To-Market Rd 2351, Clear Lake City Blvd and Space Center Blvd to Gunwale Rd 5.5 mi / 10 min Continue on Gunwale Rd. Take Neptune Ln to Bonanza Rd 0.7 mi / 2 min Turn right onto Gunwale Rd 0.3 mi Turn left onto Neptune Ln 0.3 mi Continue onto Ramada Dr 322 ft Turn left onto Bonanza Rd Destination will be on the right 285 ft The Piano Guy 2015 Bonanza Rd, Houston, TX 77062 These directions are for planning purposes

Neighborhoods

Clear Lake City, Clear Lake

Associations

Dr. White maintained a robust private studio of both piano and voice students.Later Dr. White founded and directed the Park Victoria School of Music as well as the Santa Clara Valley Music Camp near San Francisco CA. In all, he spent 7 years as the director of these two successful programs as he continued to support a full slate of private piano and voice students as well as a rigorous performance schedule. Dr. White completed his Doctorate from the Juilliard School, becoming only the 7th person ever to complete that particular program. After graduation, he was invited by the head professor, Dr. Abramson to become an adjunct instructor at the school. Dr. White graciously accepted this opportunity to teach at the most prestigious music school in the world. He also served as a musical consultant to the professional recording groups; the Supertones, 5 Iron Frenzy, 4 in the Fire, and the W's. For the last 14 years, Dr. White has maintained a full time studio of students, in Houston TX, who study voice, piano, composing, improvising, jazz, music theory and history, and audio recording and editing. In all, Dr.White has taught piano and voice for 29 years.

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Categories

Pianos & Organ-Tuning, Repair & Restoration, Music Producers, Pianos & Organs

Other Information

Parking: Street

Bike Parking: Yes

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

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Phone: (281) 989-2973

Address: 2015 Bonanza Rd, Houston, TX 77062

Website: Blogger