Maximilian M.

Song-writing is very near to my heart, as I feel it is the purest way in which I can express myself. However, it is not blind intuition-my songwriting process is very methodical. I can show students the key patterns that can produce a wide variety of songs. Most songs are made of relatively simple structures and chord progressions, and I love to demonstrate how to build and tweak these components to make memorable songs. It's a beautiful process of the left brain and right brain combined. I'm excited to share this gift with students to help them unlock their true songwriting potential!

Above all, I believe learning music should be fun. I've known many friends and acquaintances who walked away from music lessons when they were younger, simply because it stopped being fun. As such, I strive to instill my lessons with an upbeat, energetic attitude to convey my love for music. It's such a beautiful tool for self-expression, so I want my students to experience that right from the get-go. While building on a trusted foundation of theory and technique, I also like to mix up my lessons some improvisation and composition exercises from the beginning. I do this so my students can see that you don't need to be a virtuoso to have fun playing music. I'm also open to devoting time to learning pop songs that my students enjoy, on top of the classics. On guitar, I am self taught starting from my teenage years, so I had a more mature appreciation of the subject from the beginning. As such, I know what pitfalls to avoid and a few shortcuts to help kick off progress in the beginning. Guitar has a bit more of a learning curve in the beginning than piano, but you can also start to play full-sounding songs with fewer building blocks. If I can help create a spark of enjoyment for my students, and they are able to connect the music with self-expression, then they are on their way to life-long musical journey!

Above all, I believe learning music should be fun. I've known many friends and acquaintances who walked away from music lessons when they were younger, simply because it stopped being fun. As such, I strive to instill my lessons with an upbeat, energetic attitude to convey my love for music. It's such a beautiful tool for self-expression, so I want my students to experience that right from the get-go. While building on a trusted foundation of theory and technique, I also like to mix up my lessons some improvisation and composition exercises from the beginning. I do this so my students can see that you don't need to be a virtuoso to have fun playing music. I'm also open to devoting time to learning pop songs that my students enjoy, on top of the classics. Piano is a wonderful choice as a first instrument, and it was my first instrument too. It's organized visual layout helps students quickly gain an understanding of the theory behind music. In my piano lessons, we can work from the ground up, from building finger strength and dexterity, all the way to making original compositions. If I can help create a spark of enjoyment for my students, and they are able to connect the music with self-expression, then they are on their way to life-long musical journey!