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Piano Lessons & Keyboard Lessons
Portland, Oregon
"Fabulous teacher, fun Lessons. My son just loves playing the piano. He has learned very quickly. In addition to reading music, he learns to play by ear, does theory, and compose his own music (he is thrilled with this). He also likes playing songs and singing. He looks forward to lessons each week. He leaves the lessons excited and proud of his accomplishments. His teacher is really patient, and makes sure the lessons are lots of fun. My son gets to play a wide variety of music. A great teacher makes all the difference in the world. Music lessons are important to a child's development. I totally recommend these lessons." - Angie Rhodes
"A great teacher in Portland for both my kids. They love the lessons. We spent some time looking for the right teacher, and we found this one. We wanted to make sure that our kids would have a positive and fun experience learning to play piano. We talked to friends whose kids were taking lessons, looked at reviews, and interviewed a couple of teachers in person. We are really happy with our decision. My children love taking lessons, are progressing quickly. Their teacher is so skilled at working with kids and they think he is really cool." - T. Tullis
"Perfect match for my son. He loves playing the piano. We interviewed and met with several teachers here in Portland. Finding the perfect match for my son was important. We picked this teacher and got started. Right away, my son took to the lessons. He began reading music the first day, and progressed to classical, pop and blues. He's working on playing by ear, and gets to record multi track versions of songs and make his own CD's. How cool is that! Our teacher really does a great job teaching and understanding my kid. He's patient, takes the time to explain things, and encourages my son, praising his efforts. You get once chance to get your kids interested in music. You want it to be a good experience. I am thrilled that we have piano music in our house. I also decided to start piano lessons next month, really excited." - G. P. Taylor
"What a wonderful teacher. I am loving my lessons. What I really like is the variety of things I am learning. I get to read music, play by ear, do blues improv. It's great sitting at home, playing piano and enjoying my new skills. I had thought about taking lessons for over 20 years, and I am finally doing it. The lessons are fun and relaxed, and my teacher makes it a really nice experience. I look forward to coming away each week from my lessons with some new skills. I'm surprised at how quickly I am learning."
- Melissa Brown
"My kids are excited about piano. Wonderful teacher, lots of fun. Our teacher is great and lots of fun. He works so well with kids. His approach to teaching is refreshing, and makes for very attentive kids. The lessons are challenging and fun. My kids are enthusiastic and engaged. They get praised and acknowledged for their efforts. They learn lots of fun and new pieces. Lord of the RIngs, Mission Impossible, Ode To Joy, and Beatles. They learn to read music, and write their own music. They have also made their own CD recordings of their music and videos of them playing. Glad I started my kids when I did. I am so happy with the lessons." - B. T. Reynolds
"Great teacher and lessons. He makes learning easy, just like it should be. A great teacher and lots of fun to work with. He makes learning to play the piano easy. I enjoy playing and learning new pieces. His approach to teaching piano is refreshing. I am reading music, playing by ear, and even learning blues improvisation. Even those weeks where I haven't practiced too much is no problem; We'll do something like theory, chords etc. Wish I had began lessons when I was a kid, but now that I have, I am really glad I did." - M. Moting
"Really happy with our piano teacher. Playing has been my dream. I am really happy with our piano teacher. It's always been my dream to play piano. Our teacher was recommended by a friend who takes lessons there. So glad to find a good teacher who is super patient. My son & I both take lessons. We do 1/2 hour lesson each, once a week. My son loves doing cool things like Star Wars and Lion King. He also record his songs and is working on making his first CD. I enjoy playing classical music and also modern things like Enya, James Taylor. I also do Blues piano, which is lots of fun. Our teacher is also a composer, with two platinum records awards. We now are learning some duets together. We look forward to our lessons each week." - sharonsimms
"Great teacher - Our daughter is doing so well. My 9 year old daughter started piano lessons here. She learns reading music, playing by ear, improvisation, recording music, and lots of fun things that keep her interested. Her teacher is just great. He does a super job encouraging her, praising her accomplishments. The lessons are an important part of her week She is proud about playing piano. This is a good thing for her personally. She practices more than I ever expected. It's a pleasure to hear her play. I play a bit, and we have been doing some duets. What a nice feeling to play music together. We are so pleased with the piano lessons." - T. Edwins
"Really good teacher. Great progress as an adult beginner. I’ve been taking keyboard lessons for about 14 months. My teacher is so much fun to work with and that helps me be relaxed at the lessons. He has a great sense of humor. The lessons are a wonderful experience. It's a joy to learn to read all styles of music, and I am now learning to do blues improvisation. My progress has been much faster than I thought. As an adult beginner, I came to the lessons with a bit of apprehension, but the lessons have turned out to be one of the high points of my week. I leave the studio feeling like I have really accomplished something. It just plain feels good. My teacher is so patient, that no matter, he’s right there moving me forward. I had been considering doing lessons for a long time, so I’m happy that I finally got started." - Maxwell Jones
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Si Bheag Si Mhor – Irish
Piano Lessons & Keyboard Lessons
Portland, Oregon
Norm Zarr studied music in New York City. He started a software company that designed tools for professional musicians used in the recording studio. For years he was a sound designer, inventing sounds for synthesizers that musicians could use in television, film, and CD recordings.
For several decades, he has worked as a composer. He has composed and recorded in numerous music genres, including Jazz, Blues, Rock, New Age, World and Ethnic. His original music has been included in many television productions.
As a piano teacher, he has taught piano to people of all ages. Mr. Zarr has also performed piano professionally. He lives in Portland, Oregon continuing to teach piano and compose music.
Norm Zarr has Two Platinum Records Awards
His soundtracks have been featured in these shows
In preparing for a role in the movie Management, filmed in Portland, Steve Zahn’s producer contacted Norm Zarr to help Steve study piano. They worked on his skills for a scene where he needed to play keyboard. Jennifer Aniston was featured in the film.
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| Original T.V. Music Excerpts |
Piano Lessons & Keyboard Lessons
Portland, Oregon
Keeping students inspired and excited about piano lessons is particularly important for children. Learning to read music is fundamental to playing piano, but the best way to get kids jazzed about piano and accelerate their learning, is to give them a way to connect to music on their level. Kids love PROJECTS! Projects give students something to look forward to each week and it motivates them to play more. Students involved in projects that span a number of weeks or months stay involved and take on a more active role in their learning. Working on projects gives kids immediate rewards for their efforts and a sense of satisfaction that they have achieved a goal. They take pride in creating something unique, and they enjoy a sense of adventure, challenge, and accomplishment.
Here are some of the projects we do.
In addition to teaching, I enjoy composing music for TV and film. Its great fun. Children love to record music. They find it fascinating and great fun (so do I). Working just like musicians do in a recording studio, students learn how to complete all the stages in recording a song; composing, recording, editing, and mixing.
My students get to use the same tools I do, to record their music. Giving a students a chance to see what its like to be in a recording studio and take a project from start to finish is a powerful experience for kids. I’m always amazed how much more disciplined and focused children become when they are working on a project whose result is completely dependent on their effort. Once students have a piece of music learned or an original idea, we get started. Sometimes we collaborate on music with both of us doing the composing. Using a keyboard and computer, we can create amazing sounding music. As students play, notes instantly appear as sheet music on the computer screen.
A song is created recording one track at a time. We build an arrangement with each track playing a different sounding instrument. We might use piano, bass, guitar, horns, synthesizer, flute, drums, and more. Once the piece is recorded, we go over each track, making sure it sounds right. Then we begin mixing, spacing of the instruments and volume settings. We then can add reverb and other effects before completing the project and emailing it off to friends and family. This is a wonderful way to let kids focus on the creative process, and a fabulous tool to get them fully absorbed in learning to play piano and keyboards.
As an avid photographer, I love making time lapse videos and stop motion animation. Time lapse involves automatically taking photos over a period of time and assembling them into movie. Stop motion animations usually involves manipulating object and manually shooting individual photos. When assembled into a video, the characters in the animation come to life. Claymation is an example of this. Videos can have a soundtrack added from original music
Adding a music soundtrack to a video is a great way to encourage students to expand their creativity. Kids today grow up immersed in a world of video, so it’s no surprise that they are very clever when it comes to putting video and music together.
A key element to broadening a students music development is having them listen and play music from places around the world. We listen to music from all over the world, Mexico, Africa, Russia, Japan, Italy, India. Kids gain an expanded sense of the importance of music as they see how it influences different cultures. Some of our recording projects take on ethnic themes as we choose instruments from places around the globe.
Piano Lessons & Keyboard Lessons
Portland, Oregon
“My kids are having so much fun taking piano. It’s their favorite thing.
Both my children are taking piano lessons here. Their teacher makes the lessons fun. They are learning to read music, play by ear, and record songs that they compose themselves.
Their teacher does a great job of making the lessons interesting and fun. They like piano even more than sports, and that’s a bit deal.”
– Jane K.
“Totally happy with my teacher. I'm an adult and started piano lessons as a beginner about a year ago. The lessons are very enjoyable. Everything is presented in a clear, concise manner. I am learning all kinds of playing skills, reading music, playing by ear, and even blues jamming.
I always wondered how music was put together. Since learning all about melodies, chords, and rhythms, now I understand it. My teacher is so patient. Five stars for my lessons.” - Alice Thomas
“Great teacher. The lessons are fun and interesting. My son loves taking piano lessons here. He plays fun music, all kinds, Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Ode To Joy. He enjoys playing his music at home, and going to lessons. His teacher treats him like a fellow musician, and this makes him a very happy and attentive kid. Really glad we found this teacher. He knows how to relate to kids, they love learning to play. He’s very experienced, challenges my son to move forward, and praises his efforts. I am totally pleased with piano lessons here.” – H. Dawson
Finding Your Piano Teacher
Take the time to find the best piano teacher for you or your children. Finding the right match will give you the best experience learning to play piano. Good piano teachers know how to work with each student as a unique individual. Piano lessons should both challenge and encourage students. Your teacher should work at a pace that will let you move forward comfortably without stress. A piano teacher should be very patient and provide a relaxed learning environment.
At the studio, students should be involved, ask as many questions as they like, and feel like the communication with their teacher is good. To learn successfully, piano students need to be motivated to learn; then they will achieve a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I have been teaching piano for several decades, and I know that making each student’s piano experience special, is key to what I do. Students have fun at the lessons and so do I.
Discover The World Of Piano
The world of music is a wonderful place. While learning to play piano, you will discover new things about yourself. Not only will you gain knowledge, but learning to play music will give you a deeper connection to being expressive and creative. You will also develop new thinking and coordination skills. Learning to read music is the core of playing piano. There are great popular, classical, folk, blues, jazz, and new age songs to learn. The music you enjoy is the music you’ll play.
Lessons are more than just learning to read music. If you are interested, you can also learn to play by ear, do blues improvisation, learn about chords and theory, arranging music, accompanying voice, composing and songwriting. Some students focus on just reading music. Other students want to do it all. It’s your lessons and as you progress, you’ll know what most appeals to you.
Beginners
I get a lot of questions about beginning students. Some students are hesitant to start because they are complete beginners. I really enjoy working with beginning piano and keyboard students. It’s great watching them progress and flower. Beginning students are always very welcome and very much encouraged. Children as young as four can begin piano. Adults of any age may begin lessons. I have had students begin lessons when they were over 80 years old, and they did really well.
Learning music and playing piano is all about the joy of making music. Anyone can learn. Everything you need to know will be presented in a clear and easy to understand sequence. I strive to make my lessons enjoyable and interesting. If you are a beginner, getting started is a first step. A piano studio with the right teacher can make all the difference.
Your progress will depend on what you feel you are accomplishing with lessons. I give my students the music that they enjoy playing. Learning to play music should never be boring; it should be exciting and inspiring. It’s best to have at least two acoustic pianos in the studio, so your teacher can play examples of pieces while you’re seated at your piano.
Children
Children need a special approach to learning piano. Having fun and connecting to the power of being creative is what gets kids excited. For them, it should be like magic. Excited kids devour piano music. Besides reading music, working on music projects gives children a real sense of belong.
Playing duets, learning blues, composing and recording, drumming, all are important elements in making a strong connection and immersing children in the world of music. Kids love to do recording projects and make CD’s. Learning about the process of how musicians make music gives children a window into seeing what you can do with music skills, and how important music can be.
Kids that have to endure boring piano lessons will simply quit and the opportunity to delve into this magical place is lost forever. I give my students challenges, with plenty of encouragement, and the tools for success. Learning to play piano gives kids great skill in working towards a goal and staying with it.
The rewards of succeeding inspire children to take on new levels of learning. These are life lessons, just as valuable in school as in playing piano. Learning to play piano and keyboard is wonderful for developing a child’s physical and mental skills. Kids who play piano tend to improve in their studies at school. I enjoy watching students mature as their musicianship increases, not just as piano students but as individuals.
Adults
Adults have plenty going on without more to be stressed about. At my studio, I teach adults ‘real world’ lessons. I realize that responsibilities with work and family, can upset a students practicing. Its best to view progress through a period of months, rather than week to week. Relax about learning to play and enjoy yourself.
Have fun learning piano, and don’t worry about how much you practice. It will happen just by playing. Learning piano or keyboard is a real adventure, so plan on that and take it easy.
Will A Keyboard Be OK?
Students ask whether a keyboard can substitute for a piano. Yes, completely. Keyboards are similar to pianos and are fine for practice. Keyboards with 88 keys (same as on a piano), are even better. If you own a piano or keyboard, there’s really no difference in taking piano lessons. Either one is great for studying piano. If you don’t have an instrument yet, we can discuss what would work best for you.
Individual Private Lessons
Here in Portland, group lessons are offered for kids and adults by some corporate studios. They hire a bunch of teachers, have a boring restrictive curriculum, and farm out their students. Students really need the special personal attention of one-on-one lessons. I teach private, one-on-one personal piano lessons. Individual lessons will enable you to learn much more quickly, progress rapidly in your playing, and get much more out of lessons than group lessons.
I have worked with children who have had group lessons for years, and we have accomplished more in a few months, than they have in several years of group lessons. Adults are often thrilled that they can achieve much more than they expected in a relatively short time. Personal attention also helps foster the creativity of each student. Individual lessons are simply the most effective way of learning to play piano. Find a teacher who has their own studio and teaches their own lessons.
Sharing Music
From all the years of teaching, I have learned many things about 
sharing music with my students. Here is what’s most important to me: Each student I work with is unique, and I treat them that way. Students best learn when lessons are relaxed and they are comfortable. It’s a busy world for most people. I give students the most effective learning experience that I can. I teach with a fresh contemporary approach, and make each lesson unique and personal.
The Studio
My piano studio is a wonderful place to learn piano or keyboard. You will discover many new things about music and learn skills that you never thought you would acquire. And you’ll have a new way to express yourself.
If you are ready to get started, give me a call. After just a few months, you’ll begin feeling at ease playing piano. If you want to discuss lessons for yourself or your children, give me a call, and I’ll take all the time you need to answer your questions. If you would then like to meet, we can schedule a time to talk about lessons.
Lessons are once a week, for 1/2 or 1 hour. There’s plenty of free parking, a large waiting room, and a large coffee shop next door. I wish you a fun and enjoyable experience learning to play piano.
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Piano Lessons & Keyboard Lessons
Portland, Oregon